Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

How important Is the open days?

I've missed all the open days :/ I'm jut wondering how actually important is it? I've researched the uni and looked at as many reviews as possible but I just haven't been there :/

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Reply 1

returnmigrant

In my opinion you need to go to at least one - simply to get an idea of 'what being at Uni' is actually like, and whether you would feel comfortable there.

Reviews are fine but that's other people's opinions of the only University they've ever studied at, so not exactly objective.

1) When the offers come in, what you going to base your decision on?

2) Are you going to be one of those people who in Oct/Nov next year, is posting plaintive messages telling us "I dont actually like the University I've chosen", because you didnt actually bother looking at it properly?

Reply 2

Londonred

I'm pretty sure ill be suited to uni I'm not worried about not enjoying uni cause I went to Brighton uni with my school so I know what a uni is like but it's not that I haven't bothered its just that I live on the other side of the country so it's quite difficult :/

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Reply 3

smartieslover

Honestly, I would say open days are so important to get a feel for what you like in a university. During year 12, I had looked at so many reviews, prospectuses and I had been so sure of where I wanted to apply to. Now I'm slightly more unsure after visiting them... I realised I love universities that are close to city centers (Sheffield!) but I dislike campus campus unis like Kent (no offence, just personal preference). That said, I've managed to fall in love with Nottingham.. It's so beautiful, I had to look past the campus(ness). So yeah. Open days help SO much. I understand it's hard! The costs have been tough on me too and travelling from London at times...
My advice would be to defo visit at least one you really like.. Its just not enough to read what other people think!

Reply 4

SleepySheep

I didn't go to one. They are completely pointless.

Fix your grammar mate.

Reply 5

kumori

I didn't go to one and it doesn't bother me that I didn't, its all good. Plus they only show what the uni wants, not the real stuff that happenes

Sent from my HTC

Reply 6

Londonred

Original post by SleepySheep

I didn't go to one. They are completely pointless.

Fix your grammar mate.

Nah I'm okay don't like it don't comment yeah :wink:

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Reply 7

3309will

To be honest, even though I went to open days, it was nothing like what the university is actually like at all. This is just my opinion. Even though I loved Sheffield on the open day and I am glad that I have gone there, I am down in London right now with one of my school friends and if I'd have known it's like what it is I think I would have applied here.

Above all, it is not representative of the university as a whole.

Reply 8

xoxAngel_Kxox

I'd say you should probably go. I had my heart set on one uni and then when I attended the open day (which I wasn't going to go to, but my parents said I should) I didn't like it at all. I just couldn't imagine myself being there for three years. But when I visited the uni I eventually firmed (in a bit of a blind panic, because I had nowhere to go and thought I'd made my mind up) I just fell in love with the place!!

Three years down the line I couldn't wait to get away again lol but I loved it while I lived on campus :biggrin:

Reply 9

Fish On A Stick

I've been to a few open days but haven t managed to get to one of my choices but lots of people have reassured me that Ill get to see the Unis at interview anyway. Now I know this depends on which course you ve applied for and that not all courses require interviews but lots of Uni s give offer days so maybe you can visit your two favourites then to help you decide. Failing that , most Unis do weekly campus tours so you could still take a look at one or two if your particular choices don't do interviews and offer days.

Reply 10

Dragonfly07

Not important at all. I haven't attended any open days and I'm very happy with the uni choices I made. I think the internet and/or word of mouth are good enough sources of information.

Reply 11

knight9434

Original post by Londonred

I think there really important, I loved one uni on paper I went there and hated it! I would advise you to go look contact unis and ask them about campus tours

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Reply 12

hothedgehog

I'd say very important. You need to get the 'vibe' of the uni which is something you can't pick out from a prospectus. For example, when I was choosing unis, Liverpool ticked all my boxes and was a solid choice but when I went there it just felt so generic and nothing really stood out for me. It was basically boring. When I compared this with other unis I went to it just didn't stand out at all. I definitely wouldn't have gotten that feeling just from the prospectus. In the same way, Southampton didn't stand out for me until I actually went there, then suddenly it jumped to the top of my list and hey presto, 4 years later I graduate and carry on living there. Basically, definitely visit as many as possible.

Reply 13

kka25

I didn't go to open days for my first uni; did well.

I didn't go to open days for my second uni; did horribly there.

Well... to those who didn't go to open days and said it's fine; probably they're lucky...
But, that doesn't mean if you did go to open days, you'd do fine either.

Reply 14

Origami Bullets

I went to them, and found them very useful, because if stopped me going to Exeter (turned out it focussed a lot more on middle eastern politics than I first realised, and thats not where my interests lie) and Loughborough (I came to realise just how crap the town is and how sports orientated the uni is - I'm not the sporty type at all).

On the other hand, Manchester just felt 'right' and I've been very happy here.

Reply 15

Londonred

ahh I'm going to have to go to one of the tours then. If I don't like it I don't actually know what ill do! I'm so convinced on it now

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Reply 16

TenOfThem

We have been on loads with my daughter

Some, she simply did not like the feel of
Some, the course lecture was poor
Some, the emphasis was on different aspects to the ones she expected
One, the accommodation was awful

All of them would have been potential applications but the above narrowed her down to 5

Reply 17

St. Brynjar

Original post by Londonred

They're pretty important I'd say. For example on the Bristol open day I found out I really didn't like the uni very much, whereas on the Birmingham day, which was a uni I thought I'd never like in a million years turned out to be one of my favourites.

Reply 18

Sharel

I'd give open days an 8/10 for importance. If you live far away it can be quite difficult. However, attending open days for me personally has determined which ones I've chosen to apply to and which I should've never considered in the first place lol.

On the other hand, if you've never visited any then you have nothing to compare the one you end up with. You'd never know what you've missed out on and that might not be an issue

Reply 19

SleepySheep

Original post by Londonred

Nah I'm okay don't like it don't comment yeah :wink:

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I commented because the advice you were getting was crap and I wanted to help you out. Comments like "In my opinion you need to go to at least one" and "Honestly, I would say open days are so important to get a feel for what you like in a university" aren't exactly going to help you considering you've already missed them all. If you've already visited the uni you're in a better position than I was when I started (didn't even know where my uni was until the first day), so don't stress about it at all.

And your title does make you look like a bit of a dickhead. Take good advice when you get it.