University Open Days - are they worth it?
Hey guys! I do realise that in creating this thread I may be abusing your kindnesses as, being a long time lurker, I am hoping to now take advantage of any wisdom from yourselves... 
I'm currently in Year 12, and thinking about universities and whether it's the thing for me and which course I want to go on. I have a good idea but I'm not sure about whether I should go to open days.
Are university open days worth it? I've heard a lot of people saying that they are really important and all that, but I've also heard people whom I really respect (such as my parents) saying that they are actually a waste of time and that spending a day revising would be a lot better. I've tried to research but I can't really find out anywhere what actually goes on at an actual university open day at all. Obviously(?) I guess you would find out more about any courses you're interested in, but how? Do you just walk about and talk to teachers/professors/lecturers? Or do you have one-to-one talks, or mock lectures, or small groups doing a small bit of sample university work? And, for any of you who went to one and are now at university, were they worth it?
I mean, right now I'm not sure whether to go to university open days... some of the universities I'm considering going to are quite far away and the train fare would be very expensive, and I'm not sure whether that'd be worth it for a day which doesn't shed any more light onto a course than what I can see from a prospectus and a bit of research. Should I go to open days or not?
Thanks guys.
I'm currently in Year 12, and thinking about universities and whether it's the thing for me and which course I want to go on. I have a good idea but I'm not sure about whether I should go to open days.
Are university open days worth it? I've heard a lot of people saying that they are really important and all that, but I've also heard people whom I really respect (such as my parents) saying that they are actually a waste of time and that spending a day revising would be a lot better. I've tried to research but I can't really find out anywhere what actually goes on at an actual university open day at all. Obviously(?) I guess you would find out more about any courses you're interested in, but how? Do you just walk about and talk to teachers/professors/lecturers? Or do you have one-to-one talks, or mock lectures, or small groups doing a small bit of sample university work? And, for any of you who went to one and are now at university, were they worth it?
I mean, right now I'm not sure whether to go to university open days... some of the universities I'm considering going to are quite far away and the train fare would be very expensive, and I'm not sure whether that'd be worth it for a day which doesn't shed any more light onto a course than what I can see from a prospectus and a bit of research. Should I go to open days or not?
Thanks guys.
They can be yes. Its best to go after your exams where A2 teaching standards and attendance drops noticeably.
To be honest, its more than possible to learn about a uni without going to an open day. Its just a lot harder and slightly more risky. Some people act like you HAVE to go to open days. But in reality, an overwhelming amount of people apply to universities that they have no visited physically, but base it on their pre-exisitng knowledge of towns, asking friends, TSR people, older students etc.
Basically open days are usually just about the campus and accommodation 9/10. If you get an offer from a university during A2, they usally do 'Offers open days' or what not where you can actually learn about the course (+Accomodation and all that stuff)
To be honest, its more than possible to learn about a uni without going to an open day. Its just a lot harder and slightly more risky. Some people act like you HAVE to go to open days. But in reality, an overwhelming amount of people apply to universities that they have no visited physically, but base it on their pre-exisitng knowledge of towns, asking friends, TSR people, older students etc.
Basically open days are usually just about the campus and accommodation 9/10. If you get an offer from a university during A2, they usally do 'Offers open days' or what not where you can actually learn about the course (+Accomodation and all that stuff)
I visited all my unis before I firmed Sussex but not all before I applied. It helps to get a feel of the university and the department and a lot of people (me included) went to look round somewhere and just *knew* that that was where they wanted to be. Others never looked at the uni and found themselves to be perfectly happy there. I would recommend it but it's not essential. I was seriously considering Manchester and Oxford before the open days but then didn't like the feel of the uni. If you do visit - look at the town/city too. You'll be living there for 3+ years, is it somewhere you'll be happy?
yes they are. You need to find out who your teachers are going to be incase they're douchebags or are actually passionate about their job. WOuldn't have known if I hadn't gone to the open days.
Yes, I'd say so. When I think about it I applied somewhat blind this year, having only visited 2 of the 5 choices (I visited 3 unis pre-application) before I sent my application off. I wish I could've visited a few more unis I had considered before choosing so I knew if I liked the uni and the surrounding areas of the other unis rather than the ones I ended up choosing.
I got to see the 4 unis that gave me offers - 2 of them wanted an informal interview to give you the offer anyway. Some unis won't give you an offer if you don't come to an Open Day, too, so pre-application Open Days aren't essential. Personally I ended up basing my decisions on where I felt I would be happiest which was partially aided by visiting the uni as I saw what the city and surrounding areas also had to offer, not just the uni, and whether I loved the uni already or whether I would have to learn to love it. Visiting gives a gut feeling which you shouldn't ignore
Though bare in mind the decision had been between two respected unis with very similar statistics.
I got to see the 4 unis that gave me offers - 2 of them wanted an informal interview to give you the offer anyway. Some unis won't give you an offer if you don't come to an Open Day, too, so pre-application Open Days aren't essential. Personally I ended up basing my decisions on where I felt I would be happiest which was partially aided by visiting the uni as I saw what the city and surrounding areas also had to offer, not just the uni, and whether I loved the uni already or whether I would have to learn to love it. Visiting gives a gut feeling which you shouldn't ignore
Though bare in mind the decision had been between two respected unis with very similar statistics.
(edited 10 years ago)
I went to all my open days, and I still just ended up firming the university with just the best prospects for my chosen career path.
definitely visit-my preferences completely changed after visiting
I would say 100%. Helps you get a feel for a place, as well as get tons of info from them. You get the opportunity to speak to lecturers, get more info on your course. Cambridge is my firm and I don't know if I would have actually applied if I hadn't have gone to the open day. It was nothing like I feared it would be and I fell in love with the place just as much as my insurance, Southampton. If I could combine the two I would, it's a shame I can't!! Especially with Cambridge, I looked at 3 colleges and the one I was originally intent on applying to if I did, I absolutely hated upon visiting. The same could apply to a university as a whole, so visit where possible!!
Definitely worth it, especially if you're not 100% sure on what course you want to take. When I was choosing my universities I originally went for Graphic and illustration, and it was only though open days that I realised that the course and unis that did them just weren't for me. Later on open days (and interviews) helped me narrow down potential unis for my current course (game art design). Visiting gives you a feel for a uni and the area around it. Since you're going to be living and learning there for the next 3 years, one day out of your life isn't that bad 
.
.
Of course! For the love of god don't end up going to a university you've never visited before as you'll have no idea what you're letting yourself in for.
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Hi,
I'd say pretty much yes, but a few things worth bearing in mind:
Open Days are unis selling themselves, it will be all smiles, uber enthusiastic student ambassadors etc. Make sure you see through the style and look for the actual substance.
Uni year runs from end Sep / start Oct to mid / end June. So mainly through autumn / winter. Open Days are usually held May/June/July/ Sep so weather might be quite good. You won't be there for most of those months so just try to think what a cold, wet day in November might be like.
Above all listen. I'd even say take a parent / friend with you who can listen. Good to have an impartial person with you, plus one who when admission tutor talks about what they want / don't want in a personal statement actually listens, rather then hears what they (eg you / me) want to hear because we're a grade 7 in every instrument going, volunteer 168 hrs a week, work experience at the Un etc, etc
Should be combined with proper research - eg real detail on course content, modules, full detail on accommodation costs - that ensuite they show you may look great but is itreally worth an extra grand?- etc.
So yes go if at all possible, but not the end of the world if you can't.
I'd say pretty much yes, but a few things worth bearing in mind:
Open Days are unis selling themselves, it will be all smiles, uber enthusiastic student ambassadors etc. Make sure you see through the style and look for the actual substance.
Uni year runs from end Sep / start Oct to mid / end June. So mainly through autumn / winter. Open Days are usually held May/June/July/ Sep so weather might be quite good. You won't be there for most of those months so just try to think what a cold, wet day in November might be like.
Above all listen. I'd even say take a parent / friend with you who can listen. Good to have an impartial person with you, plus one who when admission tutor talks about what they want / don't want in a personal statement actually listens, rather then hears what they (eg you / me) want to hear because we're a grade 7 in every instrument going, volunteer 168 hrs a week, work experience at the Un etc, etc
Should be combined with proper research - eg real detail on course content, modules, full detail on accommodation costs - that ensuite they show you may look great but is itreally worth an extra grand?- etc.
So yes go if at all possible, but not the end of the world if you can't.
Original post by Skitee
Hey guys! I do realise that in creating this thread I may be abusing your kindnesses as, being a long time lurker, I am hoping to now take advantage of any wisdom from yourselves...
I'm currently in Year 12, and thinking about universities and whether it's the thing for me and which course I want to go on. I have a good idea but I'm not sure about whether I should go to open days.
Are university open days worth it? I've heard a lot of people saying that they are really important and all that, but I've also heard people whom I really respect (such as my parents) saying that they are actually a waste of time and that spending a day revising would be a lot better. I've tried to research but I can't really find out anywhere what actually goes on at an actual university open day at all. Obviously(?) I guess you would find out more about any courses you're interested in, but how? Do you just walk about and talk to teachers/professors/lecturers? Or do you have one-to-one talks, or mock lectures, or small groups doing a small bit of sample university work? And, for any of you who went to one and are now at university, were they worth it?
I mean, right now I'm not sure whether to go to university open days... some of the universities I'm considering going to are quite far away and the train fare would be very expensive, and I'm not sure whether that'd be worth it for a day which doesn't shed any more light onto a course than what I can see from a prospectus and a bit of research. Should I go to open days or not?
Thanks guys.
I'm currently in Year 12, and thinking about universities and whether it's the thing for me and which course I want to go on. I have a good idea but I'm not sure about whether I should go to open days.
Are university open days worth it? I've heard a lot of people saying that they are really important and all that, but I've also heard people whom I really respect (such as my parents) saying that they are actually a waste of time and that spending a day revising would be a lot better. I've tried to research but I can't really find out anywhere what actually goes on at an actual university open day at all. Obviously(?) I guess you would find out more about any courses you're interested in, but how? Do you just walk about and talk to teachers/professors/lecturers? Or do you have one-to-one talks, or mock lectures, or small groups doing a small bit of sample university work? And, for any of you who went to one and are now at university, were they worth it?
I mean, right now I'm not sure whether to go to university open days... some of the universities I'm considering going to are quite far away and the train fare would be very expensive, and I'm not sure whether that'd be worth it for a day which doesn't shed any more light onto a course than what I can see from a prospectus and a bit of research. Should I go to open days or not?
Thanks guys.
Well university open days are deliberately scheduled after AS exams are over at the end of June, July and in early September when there isn't any revising to be done! Personally I think the open days are worth it, there are things like the atmosphere and what the campus and accomodation actually looked like in real life that I picked up on which I wouldn't have known about had I not visited. You can also get an idea of how organised the university or department is. And potentially look at the area you could be living in for 3 + years too.
At a university open day a number of things happen, all of them offer:
-Campus tours
-Department talk
-General talks e.g. about finance
Most talks have a Q&A session at the end for any questions you/your parent might have
Then additional extras can include a tour of the city, as I got at Portsmouth which was v interesting, a session just to talk to lecturers about any questions one to one as in Sussex.
I would say they're useful if you go but not at all necessary. I didn't visit any unis before I went, and I applied to all the right unis for me. I used prospectuses and their websites etc and applied to all five without going the only things I went to we're the post offer visit days/interviews, those we're to pick my firm.
To be honest, I didn't feel like a day at a uni would be worth it for me because it wouldn't give me enough reason to pick a uni and not pick a uni, when the course is the most important thing to consider first. And I might draw conclusions on the environment, weather, whether I talked to anyone while there.
As I've heard only a few times, you're likely to enjoy it anywhere you go.
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To be honest, I didn't feel like a day at a uni would be worth it for me because it wouldn't give me enough reason to pick a uni and not pick a uni, when the course is the most important thing to consider first. And I might draw conclusions on the environment, weather, whether I talked to anyone while there.
As I've heard only a few times, you're likely to enjoy it anywhere you go.
Posted from TSR Mobile
they are worth it just to check out the gash you'll be working with come first year
Very much worth doing as no amount of staring at glossy brochures and doing virtual online tours can provide that gut feeling you get from walking around. Particularly important if you're looking at institutions of roughly equal status which is the case for most people.
My son was advised to put in a brief one line statement on his PS to the effect that he'd visited all unis he'd applied to (not stating where for obvious reasons). I suppose it shows you're serious but you couldn't lie about this as the dept you're applying to could always check if they felt so inclined.
My son visited about half a dozen unis pre application and the two he was considering as firm post offer. The post offer visits were particularly significant as he changed his mind from the uni he was favouring as firm to the other one. It's a bit like buying a house, first visit you might fall in love with it, follow up visit do the snagging and check the finer details.
3 or more years of your life and 40k or so debt is no small matter to shrug off for the sake of checking it out.
My son was advised to put in a brief one line statement on his PS to the effect that he'd visited all unis he'd applied to (not stating where for obvious reasons). I suppose it shows you're serious but you couldn't lie about this as the dept you're applying to could always check if they felt so inclined.
My son visited about half a dozen unis pre application and the two he was considering as firm post offer. The post offer visits were particularly significant as he changed his mind from the uni he was favouring as firm to the other one. It's a bit like buying a house, first visit you might fall in love with it, follow up visit do the snagging and check the finer details.
3 or more years of your life and 40k or so debt is no small matter to shrug off for the sake of checking it out.
(edited 10 years ago)
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