Taking parents to university open days?

Apologies if this has already been done, but I'd like to hear other peoples' opinions and experience on taking parents to open days, or rather not doing so.

I've seen a lot of support reassuring people that it is ok to take their parents, but would it make me 'weird' for going alone? My parents are happy to ferry me along so I don't get lost and then skulk off whilst I 'do my thing' at the event, or are equally happy to join in too. It's not that I don't want their opinions, they're pretty chilled about it all and are not pushy like I hear some are, it just might be nice to do it alone. I don't know really, this is why I want your opinions!

Also, if anyone has any experience at Manchester or Edinburgh schools of art (particularly for fashion design) any input on those would be great! Thanks.

ALSO ALSO
I'm new here so more apologies if I've posted this in the wrong forum! If I have could you please notify me of where it should be :--)

(edited 12 years ago)

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Reply 1

JollyGreenAtheist

I don't know whether it would make you a pariah or not, but for what it's worth, I don't plan on taking my parents either. They don't drive, so it would just be extra train tickets and extra cost.

Reply 2

aefli

I think it depends how far you are going for example if you live in the south of england you may want to bring your parents with you to visit St. Andrews. I will probably take my parents to the uni open days. Perhaps just one of them.

Then again I went to a sixth form conference and only 10% of people had their parents with them.

It's just a matter of what you feel happy with. :smile:

Reply 3

HARRY PUTAH

Take them and they can make a day of it.

Something tells me you would prefer to do your own thing and not have them tagging along but you want an easy ride in a car :wink:

I took my dad to a uni open day and I was 26 :tongue:

Had a laugh and he had never been to sheffield in many years so it was quite a change for him.

Reply 4

yellowingfields

It was the open day just awhile back and nearly everyone had their parents with them! so it definitely won't make you seem a baby (if that's what's worrying you) to have yours come along!

Reply 5

mollyf

Original post by HARRY PUTAH

Take them and they can make a day of it.

Something tells me you would prefer to do your own thing and not have them tagging along but you want an easy ride in a car :wink:

I took my dad to a uni open day and I was 26 :tongue:

Had a laugh and he had never been to sheffield in many years so it was quite a change for him.

Well it would be rude to turn down the offer of a free car ride ;--)
To be honest I'd be a little worried they'd get bored or not really know what to do, nobody in my family is remotely 'arty'. They'd pretend to have fun though, they're too nice- though a few sly remarks about modern art might be slipped in, but I could join in with those hurhurhur.

Reply 6

mollyf

Yeah that seems to be the general consensus! It was actually my dad that suggested that I go alone "it's your choice" and all that, but I don't think they'd mind coming along. They'd pretend to have fun ;--)

Reply 7

LaEstrella

Original post by mollyf

I took my parents to all of my university open days, by all I mean like 8 different universities ranging from Manchester to Edinburgh funnily enough!

Biggest pro is that they have their own opinions about the place and they can give you a view that you may not see, me and my parents usually agreed on everything haha

Biggest con is that they can be overly judgemental, I'm not someone who likes to go and ask loads of questions because I get all the information from the paperwork or prospectuses, they did however push me to talk to loads of people and put me in very awkward situations and made me look like some immature person when I'm not at all.

I honestly do think you should go with your gut instinct! My verdict, I should have gone on my own and my parents could have gone on a virtual tour on the internet!

Reply 8

MelancholiCircus

Hah, I'm 22 (will be nearly 23 when the course starts) and still took both my mum and grandma to an open day at Lancaster last month (whom I've now firmed :biggrin:

). I found it extremely helpful and useful, having the opinion of family members you know will give you honest answers about their thoughts on the place.

Everyone else had parents and the like along, after a while they split us into groups of oldies and propective students to show us different areas. You're deciding where to spend the next three years of your life and a significant sum of cash, don't let the old teenage crutch of "omg so embarrassing to be seen with my mum" deprive you of their input.

Reply 9

mollyf

Original post by JollyGreenAtheist

I don't know whether it would make you a pariah or not, but for what it's worth, I don't plan on taking my parents either. They don't drive, so it would just be extra train tickets and extra cost.

They're pretty keen on making sure I get there with their aid (which makes me incredibly lucky, free ride and whatnot) so I don't get lost in the 'big city' but are indifferent on whether they come into event itself. My main reason for wanting to go it alone is because I'm a little worried that my parents will get bored/ not really know what to do with themselves as they're not really 'arty people', but I suppose that many parents will feel that way regardless.

Reply 10

mollyf

Yeah, I'm not really bothered about 'being seen with my mum' thing haha (it's not like I behold any coolness in the first place haha), it's just I'm not sure how much input they can put into a decision about a course that they don't really know about (my parents are typically arty people), but now I think about it (properly!) a lot of parents do different things to what their children do. How about you, did your mum/grandma have experience in your field?

Reply 11

mollyf

Original post by MelancholiCircus

Hah, I'm 22 (will be nearly 23 when the course starts) and still took both my mum and grandma to an open day at Lancaster last month (whom I've now firmed :biggrin:

Reply 12

ak137

Original post by mollyf

The open days ive been on, most A level students went there with their parents. Take them along with you, you wont regret it and im sure they wont either, making it a nice family day out ;-)

Reply 13

TheatreLovely

It's fine, I took my Dad to all of them and he really enjoyed it.

I always feel sorry for the people whose parents ask idiotic, irrelevant questions though, especially in lecture theatres of about 200 people...

Reply 14

SpicyStrawberry

I went with friends to uni open days, but we soon found out that most other people took their parents or went alone, so whatever you choose to do is fine as long as you are happy really.

Reply 15

roh

I work on open days at my uni and I would say over half have their parents with them, some even bring their grandparents and little siblings (wouldn't recommend that), so don't worry about it, though when I did them I preferred to go alone.

Also, if your parents are the sort who ask questions like this (I actually had to answer this): 'Well XYZ's going to get an Oxford offer, so would you recommend she turn it down for Leicester?' please don't bring them, because everyone will hate them.

Reply 16

supernova92

I went on my own to some unis up north( incl. manchester), and i'm from the south. I loved the independence of being able to do my own thing. I went to a couple with a friends who were also wanting to look around. When i went on my own, everyone was really friendly, and you will always meet people to chat to, if you let yourself, so don't worry :smile:

Reply 17

confusedexcited

i'd personally actually reccomend not going to open days with your parents. Though they often ask insightful questions, these can be counter-weighted by the way that you somehow become more introverted when you're with parents.

It's quite hard to explain, but if you go on your tod the way that you're alone forces you to ask questions, and to approach other prospective students confidently. This, I think, allows for you to get a better feel for the university and the kind of student you'd be sharing it with. :smile:

Reply 18

hannahchan

a lot of people go with their parents.

don't feel bad by going with them :smile:

Reply 19

*Joanna*

From their perspective, it might be nice for them to see where you could be living for three years (before you make a firm decision). Parents often spot more practical things that you might not in your excitement as they have different priorities, mainly ensuring that you're safe and healthy, e.g. yes the halls are lovely but they're five miles from lectures and there's no bus routes.

I went to some open days with a friend, another couple with just my mum, another with a teacher and some other students, and I went to the Cambridge one with my mum, dad and sister. I wasn't the only one that had their whole family there either! I think they might find it exciting too, particularly if you're the first of your siblings to go to university, or they didn't go themselves.