How to make the most of your visit to an open day in four simple steps

It’s always a good idea to get a taste of a university before you apply there or accept an offer of a place from them. The best way to do this is by attending an open day! Not sure how to find them or why you should attend? This blog has it covered…

Why should you attend an open day?

They give you the chance to get a first-hand impression of the uni that you can’t get online – so important if you end up spending three years living there. You’ll get to see the university in action, find out more about the course, ask the tutors questions as well as the opportunity to meet their students who will know the uni inside out.

Search for open days and make a shortlist

There are over 370 unis and colleges in the UK, so you won’t be able to attend them all! Make a shortlist of the unis and courses you’re interested in by looking at our search tool.

Once you’ve done that, search for open days on our website. If the uni doesn’t have any listed, have a look on their website or give them a quick call to find out if they have any events lined up.  

Prepare for open days

The uni will have a planned itinerary that will usually consist of a tour of the grounds, staff and student talks, and opportunities to ask questions. Consider what sort of questions you’d like to ask and what departments you’d like to see before you attend.

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to arrive as you don’t want to miss any important info. Most unis will have advice on their website on public transport links and sat nav instructions to get there so have a quick look when you plan your journey.

Can’t make it? There are alternatives

We appreciate that trying to attend numerous open days can be expensive, tiring, and not always logical. If this is the case then try the next best thing, our virtual tours! These shouldn’t be seen as a replacement for open days, just an alternative if you can’t visit.

Some unis offer taster courses, which include workshops and seminar sessions led by academic staff. They provide you with valuable insight into how the university or college works. You can search for taster courses on our website.

If you have any questions about open days then have a look on our website. You can also get in touch with our advisers on Facebook or Twitter and they’ll do their best to help.