You can attend many different types of university event. Each offers a opportunity for you to understand student life first-hand. This articles explores the benefits of three of the most common events.
Open days are the university event that you probably hear about the most. These
flagship events are spread throughout the academic year and
provide an opportunity to visit a university
campus and your chosen subject.
Open days
can be attended individually, or you can bring
friends and family along with you. You’ll usually
get involved with subject-specific activities
and attend more general talks about applying
to university. There’s usually the opportunity
to take a guided tour of the campus and
accommodation too.
The overwhelming benefit of attending an
open day is to find out a lot of information
in a short space of time. Within a few hours
of the event, you may have already decided
on your first choice, and gained clarity
on applying and funding.
You’ll meet
academics who teach on the course who
can answer your questions. If
you were thinking of moving away from home,
the accommodation tours will also give you a
chance to assess what’s in your price range
and what set-up you prefer.
Most universities offer a ‘second chance’ for
you to visit their campus on an applicant day (sometimes called
an offer holder day). These take place after the
UCAS deadline has passed and before you
make your firm choices.
These events
are intended to go into even more detail than
an open day, especially when it comes to the
subject you’ve applied for. You’ll get the chance
to take part in taster lectures or workshops
and hear from student ambassadors about
what university life is like day-to-day.
The value of an applicant day is that you’re
able to really immerse yourself in the academic
experience. The teaching staff will involve
you in workshops that reflect your
university course. It will also give you
a great taste of whether the mode of learning
is for you. And a bonus: you’ll get to meet fellow
applicants who you might be studying with
in September!
Another way to visit a university is through
taster days which happen throughout the
academic year and are usually offered to teachers and advisers
in your school or college. A taster day could be
subject-specific or involve a general overview
of a specific university campus.
The teams that
lead the events are experts on all things higher
education. Have a question about your personal
statement? Let them have a look and provide
their recommendations. Have a query about
student finance? They’ll do their best to answer.
Sometimes, taster days will give you a more
in-depth insight into your chosen subject area
and they’re a great addition to your personal
statement. Just remember to mention what you
learnt from the experience!
Whatever your purpose,
attending a university event
is a good chance to solidify
your top five choices for
your UCAS application.
It’s very easy to get lost on a university website
as you attempt to learn about modules and
entry requirements. However, attending an open day, applicant day, or
taster day will provide you with this information
in a succinct way, whilst offering face-to-
face contact with key people.
After all, the best
way to pick your top choice university is to visit their campuses and discover what it’s
really like. Take all the opportunities that come
your way!
This free newsletter includes information about university events added to UniTasterDays, as well as details on new webinars, resource releases, and more.