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Open days 2022 - what are your thoughts so far???

Hi. Have been to four open days now - U of Notts, Exeter, bath and Bristol. I loved the look of Ex, Bristol and Bath but found UON poorly organised, unhelpful, kept being told ‘refer to the website’, told we would receive further info before the day and didn’t - know others also didn’t get further info so wasn't my email falling through the gap. There was a 40 odd page pdf on the website about the day with plenty of info but had some connection issues now and then so that didn’t help. Went to meet the sciences team but the onus was on us to ask the questions rather than what we’d had from other when they tell us what they provide. Couldn’t see the labs or where I’d be spending my time - Biochemistry so would be in the on-site hospital and due to Covid no access so am no clearer as to what my time would be like. Sports talk was fab and vibrant though so that was good. Just felt disappointed by the open day pitch.

How much should we place on a uni’s ability to sell itself on the day or should that all be taken with a pinch of salt.

Going to visit Birmingham, UEA and Southampton and hopefully Surrey if I can fit it all in.
(edited 1 year ago)

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Original post by Maddie57
Hi. Have been to four open days now - U of Notts, Exeter, bath and Bristol. I loved the look of Ex, Bristol and Bath but found UON poorly organised, unhelpful, kept being told ‘refer to the website’, told we would receive further info before the day and didn’t - know others also didn’t get further info so wasn't my email falling through the gap. There was a 40 odd page pdf on the website about the day with plenty of info but had some connection issues now and then so that didn’t help. Went to meet the sciences team but the onus was on us to ask the questions rather than what we’d had from other when they tell us what they provide. Couldn’t see the labs or where I’d be spending my time - Biochemistry so would be in the on-site hospital and due to Covid no access so am no clearer as to what my time would be like. Sports talk was fab and vibrant though so that was good. Just felt disappointed by the open day pitch.

How much should we place on a uni’s ability to sell itself on the day or should that all be taken with a pinch of salt.

Going to visit Birmingham, UEA and Southampton and hopefully Surrey if I can fit it all in.


I was at the UoN one yesterday with my son and I have to agree, it was very poorly organised, I don't think they realise how bad an impression this leaves when most others are far better run.
We were there also yesterday (for Biochemistry) and felt exactly the same (before yesterday this was probably one of our top choices).Bristol and Bath seemed to demonstrate so much more passion and enthusiasm for both the course and the uniWe left just feeling flat. On paper it seems great (and the campus was lovely) but it just didn't feel good
Reply 3
Original post by Julieb3108
We were there also yesterday (for Biochemistry) and felt exactly the same (before yesterday this was probably one of our top choices).Bristol and Bath seemed to demonstrate so much more passion and enthusiasm for both the course and the uniWe left just feeling flat. On paper it seems great (and the campus was lovely) but it just didn't feel good


Yep felt exactly the same. Really thought it could be a contender but it fell very flat. I think Bristol biochemistry talk and labs set the bar really high. They seemed to excited and delivered it so well. Totally agree that they didn’t sell the uni at all. About to take on a huge debt so I expected a good pitch as to why I should do it with them. Loved the campus also and the hockey is fab. Back to the drawing board.

Are you seeing others? Have you seen more than those three?
Original post by Maddie57
Hi. Have been to four open days now - U of Notts, Exeter, bath and Bristol. I loved the look of Ex, Bristol and Bath but found UON poorly organised, unhelpful, kept being told ‘refer to the website’, told we would receive further info before the day and didn’t - know others also didn’t get further info so wasn't my email falling through the gap. There was a 40 odd page pdf on the website about the day with plenty of info but had some connection issues now and then so that didn’t help. Went to meet the sciences team but the onus was on us to ask the questions rather than what we’d had from other when they tell us what they provide. Couldn’t see the labs or where I’d be spending my time - Biochemistry so would be in the on-site hospital and due to Covid no access so am no clearer as to what my time would be like. Sports talk was fab and vibrant though so that was good. Just felt disappointed by the open day pitch.

How much should we place on a uni’s ability to sell itself on the day or should that all be taken with a pinch of salt.

Going to visit Birmingham, UEA and Southampton and hopefully Surrey if I can fit it all in.


Hi @Maddie57,

It is great to hear you are planning on visiting a Southampton open day! If you have any questions about what it is like studying and living in Southampton, I would be more than happy to help.

Jasmine (an Official University of Southampton Rep):smile:
Hi @Maddie57,

I'm glad you enjoyed your Exeter Open Day! Open Day's are a great way to get a general feel for the university, the surroundings, and general feel for the city you will be studying in. It's also a great way to speak to students about their experiences. However, it can be difficult to gain a comprehensive understanding if access to certain areas are limited, etc. For this reason, it's also a good idea to go online and take a deeper look at course content, accommodation descriptions, societies on offer and so on - this might help with your decision! I've also attached a link here if you had any further course or student life related questions and wanted to speak to some of our current students: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/life/ask-a-student/

Please feel free to get in touch with any further questions and we'll be happy to help!

Kitty, University of Exeter Student Ambassador.
Original post by Maddie57
Hi. Have been to four open days now - U of Notts, Exeter, bath and Bristol. I loved the look of Ex, Bristol and Bath but found UON poorly organised, unhelpful, kept being told ‘refer to the website’, told we would receive further info before the day and didn’t - know others also didn’t get further info so wasn't my email falling through the gap. There was a 40 odd page pdf on the website about the day with plenty of info but had some connection issues now and then so that didn’t help. Went to meet the sciences team but the onus was on us to ask the questions rather than what we’d had from other when they tell us what they provide. Couldn’t see the labs or where I’d be spending my time - Biochemistry so would be in the on-site hospital and due to Covid no access so am no clearer as to what my time would be like. Sports talk was fab and vibrant though so that was good. Just felt disappointed by the open day pitch.

How much should we place on a uni’s ability to sell itself on the day or should that all be taken with a pinch of salt.

Going to visit Birmingham, UEA and Southampton and hopefully Surrey if I can fit it all in.
I went to birmingham’s one earlier this year and thought it was great :smile:) they have great facilities for literally everything- would be great to hear what you make of it if you visit
Reply 7
Original post by musicalrose
I went to birmingham’s one earlier this year and thought it was great :smile:) they have great facilities for literally everything- would be great to hear what you make of it if you visit


Good to hear. I’m going to visit Birmingham in Sept. I will report back. Really enjoyed Exeter, Bath and Bristol. I’m in the south so probably won’t go higher than Nottingham. So many to visit.
Reply 8
Original post by ExeterStudentRep
Hi @Maddie57,

I'm glad you enjoyed your Exeter Open Day! Open Day's are a great way to get a general feel for the university, the surroundings, and general feel for the city you will be studying in. It's also a great way to speak to students about their experiences. However, it can be difficult to gain a comprehensive understanding if access to certain areas are limited, etc. For this reason, it's also a good idea to go online and take a deeper look at course content, accommodation descriptions, societies on offer and so on - this might help with your decision! I've also attached a link here if you had any further course or student life related questions and wanted to speak to some of our current students: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/life/ask-a-student/

Please feel free to get in touch with any further questions and we'll be happy to help!

Kitty, University of Exeter Student Ambassador.

Thank you. I will ask your students some more questions as Exeter is my top atm.
Original post by Maddie57
Good to hear. I’m going to visit Birmingham in Sept. I will report back. Really enjoyed Exeter, Bath and Bristol. I’m in the south so probably won’t go higher than Nottingham. So many to visit.


It's a pity that you won't consider northern unis as you could be excluding some great choices. We had a really positive open day at Leeds uni last week. For biology there were talks, lab tours and a drop-in. My son is loving his time at Lancaster - fabulous campus with great sports facilities. Leeds, Lancaster, York and Manchester all have fast rail connections with London.
Well it's my daughter calling the shots on where she wants to go but we're off to Oxford this Wednesday and then undecided this weekend - either Cardiff or Southampton. Think both would be a bit of a push due to distance between them (we're in the Midlands).
Nottigham was a risk as it's only 30 mins for us (so thought it might be a bit 'close') but on paper it's perfect for her. She wants to study Biochem and know it's a great uni for that, she loved the actual campus (would prefer a campus uni to a city uni) and like you loved the sports area (she's a swimmer). Maybe they were just having an 'off day' but like you said, there was no enthusiasm, apart from the swim team!
Original post by Maddie57
Yep felt exactly the same. Really thought it could be a contender but it fell very flat. I think Bristol biochemistry talk and labs set the bar really high. They seemed to excited and delivered it so well. Totally agree that they didn’t sell the uni at all. About to take on a huge debt so I expected a good pitch as to why I should do it with them. Loved the campus also and the hockey is fab. Back to the drawing board.

Are you seeing others? Have you seen more than those three?
Original post by Maddie57
Hi. Have been to four open days now - U of Notts, Exeter, bath and Bristol. I loved the look of Ex, Bristol and Bath but found UON poorly organised, unhelpful, kept being told ‘refer to the website’, told we would receive further info before the day and didn’t - know others also didn’t get further info so wasn't my email falling through the gap. There was a 40 odd page pdf on the website about the day with plenty of info but had some connection issues now and then so that didn’t help. Went to meet the sciences team but the onus was on us to ask the questions rather than what we’d had from other when they tell us what they provide. Couldn’t see the labs or where I’d be spending my time - Biochemistry so would be in the on-site hospital and due to Covid no access so am no clearer as to what my time would be like. Sports talk was fab and vibrant though so that was good. Just felt disappointed by the open day pitch.

How much should we place on a uni’s ability to sell itself on the day or should that all be taken with a pinch of salt.

Going to visit Birmingham, UEA and Southampton and hopefully Surrey if I can fit it all in.

Hey,

I am a current student at the uni of Nottingham.

Sorry to hear you didn't have the best experience at the uni.
If you have any questions about the uni or courses then just let me know as I know trawling through the webpages can be a bit tedious to find one bit of information.

Best wishes,
Emily :smile:
Reply 12
Original post by normaw
It's a pity that you won't consider northern unis as you could be excluding some great choices. We had a really positive open day at Leeds uni last week. For biology there were talks, lab tours and a drop-in. My son is loving his time at Lancaster - fabulous campus with great sports facilities. Leeds, Lancaster, York and Manchester all have fast rail connections with London.

I want to be within 3hrs drive from home ideally. I’ve heard Lancaster is great but feel it’s just too far from home, Leeds is fab also I hear but I think I’d prefer a smaller city. It’s hard to get to all the open days, especially with rail strikes and the 6 hour round trip to Nottingham was harsh enough. Your experience at Leeds sounds just like mine at Bristol bath and Ex. Can only put 4 hopefuls down anyway and I’m filling my choices quickly. 😎
Reply 13
Original post by Julieb3108
Well it's my daughter calling the shots on where she wants to go but we're off to Oxford this Wednesday and then undecided this weekend - either Cardiff or Southampton. Think both would be a bit of a push due to distance between them (we're in the Midlands).
Nottigham was a risk as it's only 30 mins for us (so thought it might be a bit 'close') but on paper it's perfect for her. She wants to study Biochem and know it's a great uni for that, she loved the actual campus (would prefer a campus uni to a city uni) and like you loved the sports area (she's a swimmer). Maybe they were just having an 'off day' but like you said, there was no enthusiasm, apart from the swim team!

I do think they must have just had an off day because it is a fab uni with a great reputation, I loved the sports facilities. Southampton is a great campus uni but it’s too close to home for me.
Reply 14
Original post by EmilyClarke24
Hey,

I am a current student at the uni of Nottingham.

Sorry to hear you didn't have the best experience at the uni.
If you have any questions about the uni or courses then just let me know as I know trawling through the webpages can be a bit tedious to find one bit of information.

Best wishes,
Emily :smile:

Hi Emily, Just was surprised it was a better sell I think. Have been seeing others and they’ve all been trying v hard to sell. I think not seeing the areas where I’d spend my time was frustrating- Covid I know so totally understand but I’m no clearer with what it’s like. What is the uni like with helping student with issues etc. Is the uni organised and well run? The campus is fab so a huge tick and your sports facilities are a massive bonus. Hockey player so loved that. Thanks
Original post by Julieb3108
Well it's my daughter calling the shots on where she wants to go but we're off to Oxford this Wednesday and then undecided this weekend - either Cardiff or Southampton. Think both would be a bit of a push due to distance between them (we're in the Midlands).
Nottigham was a risk as it's only 30 mins for us (so thought it might be a bit 'close') but on paper it's perfect for her. She wants to study Biochem and know it's a great uni for that, she loved the actual campus (would prefer a campus uni to a city uni) and like you loved the sports area (she's a swimmer). Maybe they were just having an 'off day' but like you said, there was no enthusiasm, apart from the swim team!


My daughter studies at Lancaster and one of her flatmates does biochem and loves it there. Gorgeous campus uni. might be worth checking out a blog I did https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6562744 Its got Lancaster and Oxford ( we are from Nottingham)
Reply 16
Only problem is
Original post by Ghostlady
My daughter studies at Lancaster and one of her flatmates does biochem and loves it there. Gorgeous campus uni. might be worth checking out a blog I did https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6562744 Its got Lancaster and Oxford ( we are from Nottingham)


I play hockey, I’m not performance, but I’m not far from it so I need that as well. It’s one of the requirements for me along with a campus uni. I will check out the Hockey at Lancaster. Thank you for the link
Hi! I've only been to Newcastle for an open day so far (last saturday) and it was amazing!! I love that its quite a compact, small campus but that its also in the city so you dont feel cut off in that way. The staff were all very friendly and it was really well organised too. And the accommodation is incredible and only something like 5 minutes from the main buildings. York was my top choice (familiar with the city and its very good for social sciences) but I think Newcastle is probably at the top now, although I won't be able to say for sure until more open days (York this friday).

(For the record I'm looking at sociology and politics and I'm from Manchester) :smile:
Reply 18
Original post by izzy4509x
Hi! I've only been to Newcastle for an open day so far (last saturday) and it was amazing!! I love that its quite a compact, small campus but that its also in the city so you dont feel cut off in that way. The staff were all very friendly and it was really well organised too. And the accommodation is incredible and only something like 5 minutes from the main buildings. York was my top choice (familiar with the city and its very good for social sciences) but I think Newcastle is probably at the top now, although I won't be able to say for sure until more open days (York this friday).

(For the record I'm looking at sociology and politics and I'm from Manchester) :smile:


Great that you have found one you love, I’ve found that in Exeter and Bath so far, Be interesting to hear what your think of York, I hear it’s lovely also. I’d love Loughborough as it ticks all my boxes except they don’t offer my course!
Original post by izzy4509x
Hi! I've only been to Newcastle for an open day so far (last saturday) and it was amazing!! I love that its quite a compact, small campus but that its also in the city so you dont feel cut off in that way. The staff were all very friendly and it was really well organised too. And the accommodation is incredible and only something like 5 minutes from the main buildings. York was my top choice (familiar with the city and its very good for social sciences) but I think Newcastle is probably at the top now, although I won't be able to say for sure until more open days (York this friday).

(For the record I'm looking at sociology and politics and I'm from Manchester) :smile:


I loved York uni. The eldest chose Lancaster but they are both on a par with each other. Some people just thrive on the busy of a city and the uni being super close. Others love a campus uni a little away from the city and the chill relaxed feel espeically if its a green campus. Its always good to see both sides. If you love the buzz of the city/uni Life I would recommend Leeds as well.

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