Open days are a good opportunity to get a feel for a university or college |
UNIVERSITY OPEN DAYS are a great way to get a feel for a university, to help decide you whether it is the sort of place you’d fit in and feel comfortable.
University and college websites and prospectuses will contain details of specific open day dates. Opendays.com also provides a centralised listing.
Open days also provide the opportunity to see what else the university can offer you – what extra-curricular activities are available, for example.
To get the most from an open day you should arm yourself with a clear idea of what you want to get from them. In fact, it is often worth writing yourself a checklist of things to find out. You’ll want to know about your course and department obviously, including where they’re based on campus, who teaches them, maybe how heavily the course relies on lectures, seminars or independent study. If you prefer to be led by a teacher, a course with very few seminars and 30 hours per week of independent reading probably won’t suit you. It’s worth asking how heavy the independent workload is.
Decision
Choosing a university is a big decision. You’re effectively committing yourself to a place for the next three years of your life, so make sure you talk to some existing students to see what they think of the place. Look at the available accommodation if possible, and ask about the quality of student houses in town, as most places will expect you to move out of halls in your second year. Check the town centre and shopping facilities – if you have allergies, for example, and need to buy specialist foods, a town without a health food shop might cause problems. Also ask about provision of transport to local supermarkets as some universities organise this cheaply.
If you like to cook and are competent, look at self-catering accommodation – if you’re less confident in the kitchen ask about catered options, where halls will provide you with three meals a day as part of your rent. If you’re an inventive cook and able to budget self-catering might save you a few pennies, but universities can generally provide decent, balanced meals for cheaper as they’re buying in bulk.
If you are sure which subject you want to apply for but are unsure which university, it is worth considering the modules available at each university. If you love literature but hate Shakespeare you’re unlikely to enjoy a course which dedicates 50% of the first year to Shakespearian studies, or includes it as a compulsory module in year two. This sort of detail can make all the difference to how enjoyable a course can be. Make use of the open days to talk to tutors – if you ask an honest question they’ll give you an honest answer.
Tutors can also help you in making the right decision for your future. They will be able to tell you the sort of career their graduates go onto, and tell you whether their subject is the right choice for your specific career aims. If you know where you want to be in five years time it is crucial to take the right steps towards getting there through the next three!
Experiences
You should also consider the experiences and skills that will help you on your way to your desired career. If you want to be a journalist a university newspaper through which you can build your portfolio can be a real boost. If you hope to work in the media universities that run radio and television channels can provide the work experience you’ll need to get a foot on the ladder, while institutions with volunteering societies can boost the CVs of anyone wishing to go into care or social work. Future translators might appreciate the opportunity to learn a language for free, an activity many universities provide. CVs providing proof of extra-curricular activity and dedication to an area of interest are far more interesting to prospective employers.
Once you have the academic and accommodation side of things sorted you should consider the extra-curricular aspect of your university education. What existing activities do you participate in that you would not wish to give up? Is there a club or society that accommodates them? How sporty are you, and does the university has a reputation for competing? Is there something you have promised yourself you’ll learn that can be learned at the university – ballroom dancing, Ultimate Frisbee, a second (or third or fourth) language? Check the student union for information on societies and clubs that may be of interest. |
