Benefits of university events

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!