The Student Room Group

Year 12 Uni Open Days - Bristol, Cardiff, Keele, Newcastle

This question mostly concerns people who are already studying medicine at these four unis (or any), but they can be for aspiring students too.

About Year 12 Open Days (that take place June-September 2017), are the open days worth going to?

Though I want to go, my parents argue that you get the exact same experience once you get your place at the Medical School (after applications, UKCAT, interview etc), and it's only then that you should go and not "waste time going to places when you could be studying to get maximum grades".

What do you guys think? Should I go to these early open days or just wait 'til I actually get the place at the Medical School?
Reply 1
Original post by Fractite
This question mostly concerns people who are already studying medicine at these four unis (or any), but they can be for aspiring students too.

About Year 12 Open Days (that take place June-September 2017), are the open days worth going to?

Though I want to go, my parents argue that you get the exact same experience once you get your place at the Medical School (after applications, UKCAT, interview etc), and it's only then that you should go and not "waste time going to places when you could be studying to get maximum grades".

What do you guys think? Should I go to these early open days or just wait 'til I actually get the place at the Medical School?


The point of the open days is to learn about the courses, the area, and accommodation, etc. and other stuff that will help you pick where to apply. Although arguably you can find that stuff on the internet, it's the "feel" of the place that you're really attending an open day for - can you see yourself living and working there for 5+ years? For that reason, the open day really is invaluable. I wouldn't recommend applying to a medical school without visiting it beforehand.
Original post by Fractite
This question mostly concerns people who are already studying medicine at these four unis (or any), but they can be for aspiring students too.

About Year 12 Open Days (that take place June-September 2017), are the open days worth going to?

Though I want to go, my parents argue that you get the exact same experience once you get your place at the Medical School (after applications, UKCAT, interview etc), and it's only then that you should go and not "waste time going to places when you could be studying to get maximum grades".

What do you guys think? Should I go to these early open days or just wait 'til I actually get the place at the Medical School?


The open days are more than worth going to in my opinion. They allow you to get a grasp of how happy the students are there, and you get to ask current students about how they are finding the course, as well as asking them why they chose the university and what they don't like too. Sometimes, what they don't like is quite an important factor to you.

Usually, people go to visit a university to get a feel of it. For example, in 2016, a lot of people went to King's and Imperial (both London universities) for their open days for 2017 entrance. A lot of people said that they loved King's but really disliked the mood of Imperial. For me, I found it the other way round. Imperial felt welcoming and friendly, and exactly in the heart of London where I used to go as a kid. To me, it was the perfect environment that I would love to work and thrive in, but wasn't for others. King's to me felt a bit rigid. The students may as well have been made out of porcelain, but clearly that's not what it felt like to others.

My parents were like yours. Go after you've applied. I went before, and they were a little mad, but when 41 universities/colleges (UK only) offer the course I want to do, I needed some way to narrow them down after reputation and entrance criteria was checked out.

To me, in the end, I chose to ignore reputation. I absolutely hated Oxford when I went, but liked-ish Cambridge, but didn't think I'd have a chance in the moons to get in. You need to make a list of things that the university must/must not have for you to apply there. For example, some students want to go to a top uni for that subject, or want the uni to be more/less than X distance from their parents.

I based my decision on entrance criteria and therefore probability of getting in, how close/far it was from home, the GCSE requirements, how much lecture time and free time I would get, what the hours of lectures were like, if there was accommodation that wasn't student accommodation and how much it was, etc...

Your criteria may be different to mine, but I hope that this somehow helps you and others reading this

P.S. Cardiff is number 2 and Keele is number 3 on my list. Bristol and Newcastle narrowly missed it on my list...

Good luck and let me know if you want any more help
You have to like the university and city, as well as consider the location of placements and so on. It will only be a few days and you can't study all the time. Personally I wouldn't have applied to university without visiting the places I was applying to - as Beska said you need to get a feel for it.
I went to the Bristol and Newcastle open days last year and found them informative and useful. I ended up applying to Newcastle but not Bristol despite loving it due to circumstances surrounding my application. However, I would never have applied to Newcastle if I didn't visit it first!
Reply 4
Visit unis before AS results day where you have a realistic chance, i.e. the uni that best suits what you offer. (As with medicine it's what you offer them, not what they offer you)

After AS results day, perhaps venture out to unis that are a little more difficult to get into or ones that will suit your expected grades.

Best ways to narrow down the unis initially are your GCSEs, A-level subjects, UKCAT score and other emphasis unis might put on things. I'm not well versed in medicine applicantions, but that's what I've read on here and heard from friends applying.

Tip - don't narrow down your choices geographically (such as don't refuse northern unis) or from league tables when it comes to medicine.
Reply 5
Open days are vital, regardless of subject because what is you get 2 offers and cannot decide which to firm? You choose one because you think you will prefer it, but then you go and hate the city, or the fact it is a campus in the middle of nowhere?

I would have probably applied for Lancaster, but I went to an open day and hated it, so I am glad I now didn't waste a choice (I have offers for Biomed but it's similar)

I have firmed Manchester because I liked the friendliness and the BMHS faculty (medicine is in this faculty too) was incredible. I insured QMUL because I loved the campus and that it was ideally placed in London, along with the fact the course is joint taught with Barts.

I would not have formed Manchester if I had not have visited on the open day and the interview

Quick Reply

Latest