Things to see, do and ask at a University Open Day
Off to an open day soon? With over 100 such events in September and October, it’s certainly a good time to be going!
Open days were always one of my favourite parts of working at a university. I loved seeing everyone arrive on campus - all with a sense of excitement and anticipation about what this intriguing place might hold in store for them in their future. I loved working with a team of staff and student ambassadors, doing our very best to show off our university, and giving future students just a small glimpse into what their next steps could look like.
Of course we tried to show our university in the best possible light, and it's for that reason that I’ve written this; a few tips on how to understand what they are showing you, and when to ask for more, or to see things a little differently.
Departmental talks and events
At the heart of every open day will be a talk by the department you are interested in. When you plan your day, this should be the first thing in your itinerary.
What they’ll tell you
The admissions tutor, or perhaps a course leader, will tell you what you’ll study on the course. They’ll almost certainly focus on what they think are the exciting bits, like field trips and placements. They’ll give you an overview of the course structure, so you know when you’ll have options and choices to make. They might have a section on applying; the process, entry grades and other tips. If they are really on the ball, they’ll have a current student who will give you their insights, though sadly this still isn’t as common as it should be.
What you should ask
They will make assumptions about what you know, and may gloss over important stuff. So, when you get the chance, make sure you ask about the weekly class load; how many classes per week? How often are assessments and assignments? And those exciting bits, like field trips: exactly how often do they happen? Are there any additional costs?
There may be an opportunity to ask questions at the talk, but they may also have a stand somewhere, or an opportunity to chat over coffee.
And if they don’t have a student presenting, you should make it your business to find one to talk to, and find out how their experience matches the promise!
Campus tours
The other “must do” on an open day is the obligatory campus tour. These will be done by student ambassadors. These students will typically have gone through a selection process and some training. They’ll probably be paid, and while they won’t normally work to a script, they will have been given clear guidance on what to show you, and some key issues to discuss. They won’t have to say nice things all the time (in fact they will be encouraged to be authentic), but, they’ll definitely want to show their university in a positive light, particularly when addressing a whole group.
What they’ll show you
Depending on the size and layout of the campus, tours will generally include the library, one or two main lecture theatres, the Students’ Union, some university catering, plus some other university support facilities, such as the careers, counselling and special needs support services. If they are co-located, the tour might include sports facilities and accommodation, though sometimes these will be separate.
What you should ask
Sure, you’ll spend a lot of your time on campus. But you’ll also spend time elsewhere, so make sure you ask about typical travel between the city centre, halls and campus. Where in the town do students live relative to the campus. And how often will you need to be on campus and/or visit other sites?
What you can also do is chat to the tour guide between stops. They’ll generally love having the chance to speak individually, and will be far more open one to one than they will in the group.
Accommodation tours
Normally the accommodation will be a little way off the main campus (or at least away from the main academic buildings), so there will normally be a separate tour. If you’re moving away from home to study, this will be a big deal for you.
What they’ll show you
Universities will have many different types of accommodation, but they can’t show it all on open days. They’ll normally open up just two or three different residences. Some will show the nicest/newest rooms. Others might just show you the closest, most convenient option! Some will just let the ambassadors show their own rooms. And sometimes… they’ll do the right thing, and show you a range, from the cheapest to the most expensive.
What you should ask
Once you’ve seen what they have to show, don’t be afraid to ask awkward questions, like what is it really like to live here? What is the food like? Individually, student ambassadors will be pretty honest about this.
And what you also really want to know is: what are the other residences like? So ask the ambassadors how they compare! Check the locations of the different halls, and ask about travel between them.
You’ll also want to know what the application deadlines are, what’s the likelihood of getting your first choice and what guarantees do they offer. There is currently a genuine shortage of suitable student accommodation in virtually every major university city. So a first year guarantee of accommodation is a big deal.
Careers
Sometimes a departmental talk will cover careers extensively. This is a good sign that the department takes your future seriously. But normally they will also have separate careers talks, run by the Careers Service.
What they’ll tell you
Every university will have a Careers Service who provide careers advice, support, events and work experience opportunities for their students. Of course they’ll tell you about all of this. Plus if their graduate careers outcomes data is good, they’ll give you some data. Normally these will be what are called ‘first destinations’ (a snapshot of where students are 15 months after graduating). Or if they don’t have good data, they’ll keep quiet about it and give examples of successful graduates and careers they’ve gone into.
What you should ask
The problem with the graduate data is that it really doesn’t tell you anything about what YOU might actually do in the long term. 15 months is the blink of an eye in your career, so don’t get too excited (or worried) by the data. Instead look for where you are going to get all the knowledge, experience, skills and contacts that you will need to succeed. You see, if you graduate with just your academic degree, you’ll be in a world of trouble getting a job.
What you need when you are looking for your first graduate job is a way to show that you can apply your knowledge, and take responsibility for your own work and development. This doesn’t normally happen in the classroom, so you want to ask the university where this extra stuff does happen?
Exactly what opportunities do the Careers Service provide? If internships, then how many, how competitive are they, how well are they paid. What voluntary opportunities are available? What is available in the Students’ Union? What does each department do to support its students in gaining experience beyond the classroom?
Talks, talks, talks
Most open days will also have a series of talks, covering everything from UCAS to student welfare, finance etc. It goes without saying that you might want to go to a couple of these.
What they’ll offer
Student finance is the same anywhere, so go once, but don’t go to a finance talk at each university you visit. UCAS and Personal Statement talks are probably much the same too - though they will pitch these at the level of competitiveness that they have for their own courses! Student life and student support, however, can be real differentiators for you, so I’d definitely suggest having these on your radar.
What to ask
Student support and welfare is tricky, because right now you probably don’t expect to have any problems (unless you already have a diagnosed special need). However, it’s worth knowing how long, for example, a referral for counselling might take, or how straightforward it is to access hardship funds if you find yourself in real difficulty. If they cover this in the talk, then it's a good sign. If they don’t, then feel free to push them on the details.
With student life talks, you just need to realise that everyone’s experience is different. It’s literally impossible to get a definitive view from just one student. So speak to as many as you can to get all the different perspectives.
The organisation of the day
For some universities, the open day is seen as a key marketing event, and the university will spend a lot of money on it. For other universities, it might not be given the same priority, and (believe it or not), some staff might even see it as a hindrance to their daily work. You’ll see this through the way they organise it, and the effort they put into the event.
What they’ll do
Some universities will be brilliantly organised, sending out super-useful information before, easy registration on the day, plus useful follow-up after the event. They’ll have helpful information desks, good, clear signage, and plenty of ambassadors (who will be well trained). Other universities will be less so, with only brief information beforehand, bad signage, no registration process (so they won’t even know if you came along), and ambassadors who aren’t sure what they should be doing. Others may do lots of frivolous stuff; free goodie bags, balloons, and entertainment to ensure you enjoy the day and have a memento of your visit!
How you might view this
I expect you’ll find it no surprise that I’m not a fan of gimmicks. Free water bottles and balloons are just that; gimmicks that should have no bearing on your choice.
However, if a university can deliver a well organised event, with attention to detail, that gives you everything you were looking for, then that is a sign of an institution that cares about the applicant experience. It also suggests a university that will invest in your experience as an undergraduate student!
Similarly, if a university can’t organise an open day well, I think you can legitimately take it as a bad sign.
I’d like to finish with a couple of final thoughts…
The importance of gut feelings vs the importance of the detail
Clearly the main point of going to an open day is to find out whether you can see yourself living and studying there. Trust your gut on this; you will know whether it feels right.
If it does feel right, then it’s time to start digging into the details, using all the suggestions I’ve made above.
If it doesn’t feel right, then put it down to experience, learn what you can from the day, and head home knowing that you’ve just had a really useful day ruling out a university from your search!
And a thought about parents
It’s really helpful to have parents on board. But if you are a parent, please don’t make this day all about your questions and interests. And if you are a student, don’t let your parents take over. Use your initiative to plan the day that way you want to, and see the things that you are most interested in. For both of you, I’d suggest taking a good chunk of the day where you go your separate ways and see different things. This will enable you both to have your questions answered, without taking away from each other's experience! When you meet back up, you can compare notes!
Most of all, though, as you head off to different open days around the country, I hope you have a fantastic time exploring the weird and wonderful world of university life! Just remember that you don’t need to learn everything about a university in one visit. If this is a place that you like, think of the open day as a first date. There will be plenty of opportunity to get to know the university better over the coming months!
What next?
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like: Virtual Open Days vs Physical Open Days
If you want the definitive guide to when different universities have their open days, simply head to www.opendays.com
