Booking a subject-specific university event for your school

When your students start their higher education research, the biggest decision they need to make is choosing a course that is suited to their interests and ambitions. It can be a difficult choice with so many degree options available.

To help their decision-making, it's important for your students to engage in subject-specific events before they apply. These events can be equally beneficial for you as a teacher. You'll gain the opportunity to meet experts in your subject and create further links with universities at subject level.

This article offers an introduction to subject-specific university events, along with advice on how to request these for your students.

Universities offer a range of activities to help students engage with their subject-level research, often listed under the following names:

• tasters days
• tasters lectures
• masterclasses
• bespoke subject-specific sessions
• subject residentials and summer schools.

You can search activities by subject area and year group on UniTasterDays.com. It's worth checking the website regularly so you don’t miss anything. The title may not stand out to you at first because universities have different names for their subject events.

Subject-specific events offer students the opportunity to:

• visit a university
• explore university facilities
• meet current university students and staff
• take part in university-style lectures and workshops related to their area of interest.

Many universities can also arrange for guest lecturers to visit your school or college to deliver a subject session in person, whenever suits your term timetable. You can request visits from multiple universities at the same time by completing the UniTasterDays event request form.

Firstly, we recommend thinking about what you want your students to get out of the day. For instance:

• is it to support a particular topic they are covering at school?
• is it to assist with an assessment they're preparing for?
• will it help them research their future prospects?

You may have contacts with an academic area if you’re a graduate of the university. However, booking through a central team, such as a school liaison or recruitment team, allows you to receive a more structured visit. This could also include broader advice about UCAS and student finance.

To ensure that you secure a date that works for you, make sure that you speak to universities far in advance, as these events often get booked up quickly. To help these teams organise a visit that meets your needs, your initial email should include information detailing:

• the activity you want to book
• your estimated group number
• a date for your event
• any additional requirements.

Make sure your students know why they’re attending the subject event, and how the advice they receive is transferable for other post-18 pathways they may wish to explore. It is important to bring staff who can reiterate this throughout the visit to help keep students focused.

And a final piece of advice: keep in touch with us!

As your event approaches, please let us know about any changes to confirmed arrangements, such as your arrival or departure time. If universities know about these changes in advance, they can make alterations and ensure that your visit isn’t affected.