Making the most of university open days

You might be planning to bring a group of your students to an open day, or perhaps they are attending with their friends and family. Either way, this article will help you support your students in making the most of their university open day.

Encourage your students to think about what they want to see and do. It’s easy for them to enjoy a day out with their friends and not focus on getting the information they need.

Ask them to consider the courses they’re interested in studying and what information they need to help them make their decisions.

Advise your students to prepare a few questions in advance of their open day. To get them started, you could suggest the following:

• What are the entry requirements for the course?
• Is a particular subject required?
• What modules are offered?
• How is the course assessed?
• How much is the accommodation?
• Is the accommodation on campus?

Visiting lots of open days can be costly, especially if students are interested in universities further afield. Information on travel contributions isn’t always easy to find on university websites.

To help, you can use the UniTasterDays event discount tool, which lists the financial support offered by universities for attending their open days. There is often support for travel, and sometimes support for accommodation and refreshments.

Your students might not find any financial support for their preferred open days. However, advise them to contact each university directly. They may still offer support, even if this isn't promoted on their website or the UniTasterDays tool.

If no funding is available, investigate whether a few students are travelling to the same open day. Encourage them to consider pre-booking group train or bus tickets, or organising a car share to save money.

Finally, if you’re planning to take a group of your students to an open day yourself, you may find some universities will contribute towards the cost of your travel. Again, you could check the UniTasterDays event discount tool, or contact them directly to find out if any funding is available.

Universities manage school and college group bookings differently. Some will ask your students to register individually, and ask that they book talks and tours. Others may be more flexible, with tours available to book on the day, with no booking required for additional activities. All this information should be accessible on a university’s website, but you can always get in touch to check arrangements.

Open days are busy and it can be a squeeze fitting everything in. Ask your students to make a list of their priorities and what they’d find helpful in terms of making their UCAS choices. Is it how much the university has invested in their facilities, accommodation and campus, or the course and teaching staff? Getting them thinking about these things in advance will help them to plan their day and focus on what matters most to them.

If available, request a copy of the Open Day guide in advance. This can help them to make the most of their day as well as provide a good overview of what’s happening when and where.

Subject talks and tours are normally offered as part of the open day experience. Consider making the most of your visit by speaking to the university lecturers delivering these activities. Ask if they’d deliver a practical subject taster session at your own school in the future. They’re a great way for your students to really understand how a subject is taught at university.

Finally, after the event, ask your students to reflect on their experience and make some notes, while it's fresh in their minds. They might attend numerous open days, after all. Who did they speak to? What did they like? This will really help when it comes to making their firm and insurance decisions later down the line!

Finally, after the event, ask your students to reflect on their experience and make some notes, while it's fresh in their minds. They might attend numerous open days, after all. Who did they speak to? What did they like?

This will really help when it comes to making their firm and insurance decisions later down the line!