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

Did you visit your uni?

Apparently, a high proportion of uni-goers never actually visit their chosen uni, let alone any of their chosen 5 or 6 despite investing, on average, £17,500 there.

So, did you visit yours, and what others did you visit?
Did going to an open day encourage or discourage you from certain unis?

I didn't visit Durham (firm), but I have visited Kent (insurance), Coventry, Greenwich, Birmingham, Imperial, Nottingham Trent, Sussex, Royal Holloway, LSB (I was in the area...), UCL, LSE, Brighton, St Martins and Kings.

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Reply 1

lizzierocks

Yes!

it would be mad not to, in my opinion, for the exact reason that you stated!! im going to be in debt there, so im going to check it out :biggrin:

Reply 2

L i b

I did not, I must confess.

I would, however, recommend visiting a lot of universities. Nothing really gives you an impression of the place better than that.

Reply 3

Jabbamuffin

Yeah I know lots of people who didn't visit...

I visited Liverpool and Bangor as well as Manchester.

It was a tough choice, but I think that visiting them actually really helped me make it. Especially by seeing the surrounding area, as well as talking to the students (the ones that tell the whole truth, or who I thought did).

Reply 4

kingofgods

I didnt visit for the simple reason i thought it would be useless...im not going to be visiting the actual lectures or having a feel for the uni...and seeing as im going birmingham and alot of friends have already gone and i have been there shopping before i know what thats like too...so no point.

Reply 5

vi_26

I visited it after i'd put it down as my firm

Reply 6

Miss.Naughty

I went to my firm university choice when i had an interview there, you went on a tour around the campus also, so it was a bit like an open day. I haven't visited my insurance...

Reply 7

TheUnbeliever

I've visited both universities that I've decided on applying to, as well as Imperial. I'm glad I did, as it meant I could decide I didn't like the feel of Imperial.

Reply 8

JocastaJackal

Yep, both my firm/insurance, I put my firm down the night I visited the open day as I liked it that much.

Reply 9

Peanut42

I visited all but one of the 4 unis I applied to, but I pretty much knew which one I wanted to go to anyway.

Reply 10

Dstbgre

Yes I visited Reading multiple times.

Reply 11

lily_blue3

Early in my AS year I visited Heythrop College.

When I applied in my A2 year, I picked 5 without visiting any of them. Having received offers from all of them other than Bristol, I visited Sussex on an open day, Exeter on an open day and UCL on my interview/open day.

Wish I'd visited a few more before, I made some really hasty choices thinking I'd fit in with / like certain unis but when I visited found they really weren't what I was looking for.

Reply 12

Sarahl89

Yep i visited all of my choices apart from Glamorgan, cause i never really wanted to go there anyway.. have visited Kent, Essex, Exeter and Plymouth.

Reply 13

Truered

I visited Kent having been thinking about choosing it as my first choice. Fell in love with the campus, chose it as my first choice.

All but one of the other uni's had the same entry requirements (ABB) and I liked the Uni so I saw no need to visit the others

Reply 14

Officer Dibble

I visited 2/3 that accepted me. Only a campus tour mind.

Reply 15

Jadel_L

Nope i didn't visit it and i haven't visited any others. I'll probably go up in a couple of weeks to have a look around though, depends on the train fair

Reply 16

.ACS.

So far I have only visited Southampton (because it's really close by), and may visit Birmingham and some others if I have the time or can be bothered. This is all pre-application though, and I think once I apply and get offers, I'll definitely visit to decide my firm/insurance.

Reply 17

GeorgEGNT

No couldnt afford the train at the time lol, and up until after I left sixth form I thought I wasnt going to accept my offers so didnt see the point.

Reply 18

koshtoom

I visited St Andrews, Edinburgh and Oxford pre-application, and then visited York at one of their post offer open days.

Visiting all of them stamped in my mind that I'd be happy to go to any of them, but gave me more pros and cons that a prospectus could never had.

Reply 19

silent ninja

Absolutely. Definitely visit.

In particular, I really did not like a certain highly reputable uni, so it saved me an application-- rep means nothing when you get there and don't like it, whether it's the atmosphere, students or staff that put you off.
Also, if you go to an open day, you can learn a lot more about your course to ensure it's right.