Once your student has made a shortlist of the
universities they are considering, the next step
is to visit their chosen universities.
Most universities host their main open days
on a Saturday, and some host events more
frequently than others. You can usually find
out when their next open day is by visiting
the university website or browsing events on
UniTasterDays.com.
Most universities can accommodate school
group bookings for their open days too. If you
email their recruitment team in advance, they
will be happy to organise your trip to come and
see them.
• Register in advance – signing up to the
open day in advance means they will
receive the open day programme ahead
of time. This means your students
can plan if they need to book travel or
accommodation, and if there is anything
going on in the town or city, they may wish
to spend a weekend there, exploring the
feel of the area.
• Travel costs support – some universities
offer a reimbursement of travel costs, so
make sure your students look out for this
and see if they are eligible. They may also
provide refreshments, and some even
provide lunch!
• Timetable talks and tours – using the open
day programme, they should make a list
of the talks and tours they want to attend,
so they don’t clash. Make sure they leave
enough time to see and do what they want
to, without feeling rushed. Universities may
repeat their most popular subject talks in
the morning and afternoon, so they can
attend more than one subject talk.
• Prepare questions – get your students
to write questions beforehand to ask the
academics. Whether it’s about module
content or hours of study per week,
their answers will help when comparing
subjects at different universities.
• Attend the finance talk – if the university
has put a finance talk in their programme,
I would encourage your students to
attend it. It will provide information on
how university funding works, when and
how to apply for it, and what students are
eligible for based on their circumstances.
This information is crucial for guiding your
students through the application process.
• Speak to current students – all universities
have student ambassadors on hand during
an open day. These ambassadors are
current students who are there to guide
them around the university. They are also
there to talk to your students about their
chosen course and what it is like to study
there. Getting first-hand accounts from
their peers is invaluable when making such
a big decision.
Once your students have visited their chosen
institutions, they will usually have an inkling of
where they feel the best place for them is. It is
important that they choose somewhere that
they feel they will belong, and where they will
feel safe and supported to achieve their goals.
Check out episode 8 of The UniTasterDays Uni guide Podcast , a university open days special!