Are uni open days worth it?
Hi, I know this seems a bit of a silly question at first... but I am looking at some uni open days for places that are quite far away, say 6+ hours by train from where I live, meaning it would be unrealistic for me not to stay the night in that city. This will all cost alot of money for a place to sleep and travel, excess £250. I am just wondering, would it be worth it? My family are supportive but really want me to be sure I want to go, which I think I am but I feel bad asking for any money towards it if I end up not liking it there. Would it still be useful to take the risk and make the journey? How useful are uni open days, in your experience? Thanks
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Original post by elizarose06
Hi, I know this seems a bit of a silly question at first... but I am looking at some uni open days for places that are quite far away, say 6+ hours by train from where I live, meaning it would be unrealistic for me not to stay the night in that city. This will all cost alot of money for a place to sleep and travel, excess £250. I am just wondering, would it be worth it? My family are supportive but really want me to be sure I want to go, which I think I am but I feel bad asking for any money towards it if I end up not liking it there. Would it still be useful to take the risk and make the journey? How useful are uni open days, in your experience? Thanks
Probably controversial but I personally wouldn't bother at all. There is only so much relevant stuff to see, and a lot of places really aren't that different. Woah a generic lecture hall (which will be essentially your entire academic hub if doing a humanity), a student union building, some sports facilities. Unless you have unusually specific needs for a uni or you care tonnes about the actual city/location (which you'll get used to anyway even if you don't like it), travelling hours and spending hundreds would be a poor choice imo. Teachers will say otherwise but its not like they're gonna say nah dont bother.
Reply 2
Open days are so useful to get a feel for the place you can speak to the students the lecturers see the rooms get a city tour really worth while. Applicant days are also very worth while.
Reply 3
Original post by tony00005
Probably controversial but I personally wouldn't bother at all. There is only so much relevant stuff to see, and a lot of places really aren't that different. Woah a generic lecture hall (which will be essentially your entire academic hub if doing a humanity), a student union building, some sports facilities. Unless you have unusually specific needs for a uni or you care tonnes about the actual city/location (which you'll get used to anyway even if you don't like it), travelling hours and spending hundreds would be a poor choice imo. Teachers will say otherwise but its not like they're gonna say nah dont bother.
If you don’t like it you won’t last it’s better to get as much experience as you can especially if you’re considering going 6 hours away.
Reply 4
Im in favour of open days but accept that they can take time and money.
You can always check if the campus can be visited informally outside of formal open days where you can explore the general campus environment and the city and town. For example, they may offer an audio tour and online map even though you can't access inside buildings.
Think of it as an investment - going to the wrong Uni or course can be an expensive and demoralising mistake.
My niece came over from France amd undertook a visit with her mum to Aberdeen University on a formal open day.
My partner and I took her to Stirling, Strathclyde and Caledonian Unis for a wander around the campus and cities. She also had organised campus tours with Glasgow and Edinburgh.
It really clarified which one she wanted to study at and a back up option for not getting her first choice.
You can always check if the campus can be visited informally outside of formal open days where you can explore the general campus environment and the city and town. For example, they may offer an audio tour and online map even though you can't access inside buildings.
Think of it as an investment - going to the wrong Uni or course can be an expensive and demoralising mistake.
My niece came over from France amd undertook a visit with her mum to Aberdeen University on a formal open day.
My partner and I took her to Stirling, Strathclyde and Caledonian Unis for a wander around the campus and cities. She also had organised campus tours with Glasgow and Edinburgh.
It really clarified which one she wanted to study at and a back up option for not getting her first choice.
Original post by elizarose06
Hi, I know this seems a bit of a silly question at first... but I am looking at some uni open days for places that are quite far away, say 6+ hours by train from where I live, meaning it would be unrealistic for me not to stay the night in that city. This will all cost alot of money for a place to sleep and travel, excess £250. I am just wondering, would it be worth it? My family are supportive but really want me to be sure I want to go, which I think I am but I feel bad asking for any money towards it if I end up not liking it there. Would it still be useful to take the risk and make the journey? How useful are uni open days, in your experience? Thanks
Hi @elizarose06
I personally found Open Days incredibly useful to look around campus and the city, it really helped me picture myself at the university which was very important when it came to my decision. However, long journeys definitely add up in terms of expenses, so maybe try to prioritise which universities you visit?
Watching tours of campus and accommodation on YouTube (the university will probably have some up but also from vloggers, giving you a more realistic day in the life) can help fill in the info you might get from an Open Day.
If you can narrow your options down to the 5 you need, once you've applied you could get invited to an Offer Holder Day which will also allow you to see the campus. I believe sometimes universities offer funding to cover travel costs for Offer Holder events so it may be worth reaching out! 🙂
Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
I would have to say yes, because plenty of students visit a uni campus for the first time and hate it.
Better to find out now for the sake of 2 days and £250 then a year and £10+k.
Better to find out now for the sake of 2 days and £250 then a year and £10+k.
Reply 7
Original post by jonathanemptage
Open days are so useful to get a feel for the place you can speak to the students the lecturers see the rooms get a city tour really worth while. Applicant days are also very worth while.
Hi there.
I'm glad to see your question, and first of all I want to tell you that it's worth it.
The significance of an open day is that you can get a general idea of the university's teaching philosophy and atmosphere, and you can also find out what kind of content your favorite majors will have, and if you don't like the content or the direction you want to work in in the future, you can change it instantly.
Compared to going to a school blindly, it is better to get to know a school with less cost compared to tuition.
I hope my answer can help you.
Yu
Wrexham University Student Rep - 3rd Year Media Production student
Reply 8
Original post by elizarose06
Hi, I know this seems a bit of a silly question at first... but I am looking at some uni open days for places that are quite far away, say 6+ hours by train from where I live, meaning it would be unrealistic for me not to stay the night in that city. This will all cost alot of money for a place to sleep and travel, excess £250. I am just wondering, would it be worth it? My family are supportive but really want me to be sure I want to go, which I think I am but I feel bad asking for any money towards it if I end up not liking it there. Would it still be useful to take the risk and make the journey? How useful are uni open days, in your experience? Thanks
Hi!
Personally, I went to about 5 open days when I was looking at universities but most of these I could drive to and back from in a day so I was really lucky in that way. The open days I went to were really helpful to me, not only seeing the universities themselves but also the city they're in. From these open days, I decided that one place wasn't for me at all and then had one favourite as well which is great.
If you can make it they are really good especially if you are going to open days where they give some subject talks as well. A possible compromise you could do is to email the university and they will normally do a private guided campus tour for you. Obviously doing this in summer the campus won't be busy and as it's not an open day there won't be lecturers for you to talk to but it's still a good way to get a feel for the campus. This way maybe you could find a day that has good deals on accommodation and set it up for then to save some money.
For feeling bad if you end up not liking it honestly don't. It's kind of ideal if you go to an open day and decide that you don't like it at all because it'll save you from going and then having to transfer unis which is a lot more time-consuming and costly. It'll help make sure the place you end up going to is the right place for you!
It's so cliche but honestly trust your intuition when deciding which university to go to - I'm sure you'll make the right choice! If you have any more questions please feel free to ask!
- Jessica
2nd year, Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence)
Original post by elizarose06
Hi, I know this seems a bit of a silly question at first... but I am looking at some uni open days for places that are quite far away, say 6+ hours by train from where I live, meaning it would be unrealistic for me not to stay the night in that city. This will all cost alot of money for a place to sleep and travel, excess £250. I am just wondering, would it be worth it? My family are supportive but really want me to be sure I want to go, which I think I am but I feel bad asking for any money towards it if I end up not liking it there. Would it still be useful to take the risk and make the journey? How useful are uni open days, in your experience? Thanks
Hey there!
Firstly, I want to mention that some universities i.e. De Montfort University, do provide discounts on travelling and hotel stay during the Open Day, you can read more here: https://www.dmu.ac.uk/study/undergraduate-study/open-days/open-days.aspx
In general, Open Days are very useful, as you can see what the campus is like, meet your future teachers, have a taster lecture, do multiple interesting activities, meet admissions team, and much much more! I am very happy that I had a chance to be on the Open Day when I was choosing university.
Please, let me know if you have any question,
Take care,
Ilya
Reply 10
Personally i would really reccomend going to as many uni open days as you can (within budget and available time, of course.) I was lucky enough that my parents supported my want to visit the open days, and we ended up going to about 15 in total, including a couple repeats of some to get a second look. I really found them useful, got a complete experience of everything, the vibe, the accom, the vibe of some of the lecteururs and my experiences completely changed my view on whether i wanted to go to some of the unis. UCAS fairs are also good, i went to one, however i did like certain stuff from what i saw at it about certain unis, but when i actually went to their open days i was less than enamoured. For example, i found that one uni i didnt like their teaching style when i found out more of how the course would be, which i didnt get from the website (despite thm having an overview of the course, it was something that i gained in person.) One uni really got me interested with a taster lecture, with a really engaging and interesting teacher. While another made me not want to go with a teacher that didnt enthuse me or get me interested in the subject, just made me... meh. Furthermore, while certain modules for one uni that i was particularly interested in were included on their website, speaking to the faculty at the open day and taster session allowed me to find out that the lecturer who specialised in that area and taught those was leaving, and wouldnt be replaced by someone with the same specialisation in the field, so what had drew me to that course wouldnt be available to me.
of course its slightly different for me as none of the unis were more than 4 hours away (theoretically, one had a maaasssive traffic jam on the way back which wasnt fun with a car without working aircon in a summer heatwave), we travelled by car instead of train and i ended up staying overnight at 2 of the unis i visited. for those that we stayed at, we tried to get the cheapest place possible, which as we had a car helped as we were able to go for the cheaper places out of the city a bit as we could drive in to the city the next morning. but i super reccomend seeing the places, they were really helpful and helped reduce the stress and fear of the process and unknown for me a whole bunch.
of course its slightly different for me as none of the unis were more than 4 hours away (theoretically, one had a maaasssive traffic jam on the way back which wasnt fun with a car without working aircon in a summer heatwave), we travelled by car instead of train and i ended up staying overnight at 2 of the unis i visited. for those that we stayed at, we tried to get the cheapest place possible, which as we had a car helped as we were able to go for the cheaper places out of the city a bit as we could drive in to the city the next morning. but i super reccomend seeing the places, they were really helpful and helped reduce the stress and fear of the process and unknown for me a whole bunch.
Useful but honestly, not a must-do. How do you think international students choose their universities? I think you will be fine not visiting. A lot of videos about the universities can be found on YouTube and you can also search for virtual tours etc. Most important thing imo is that you read the course details very well, and understand that it is exactly what you would enjoy studying.
Reply 12
Original post by BubblesBB
Useful but honestly, not a must-do. How do you think international students choose their universities? I think you will be fine not visiting. A lot of videos about the universities can be found on YouTube and you can also search for virtual tours etc. Most important thing imo is that you read the course details very well, and understand that it is exactly what you would enjoy studying.
Thankyou, this is super helpful
Reply 13
Original post by elizarose06
Hi, I know this seems a bit of a silly question at first... but I am looking at some uni open days for places that are quite far away, say 6+ hours by train from where I live, meaning it would be unrealistic for me not to stay the night in that city. This will all cost alot of money for a place to sleep and travel, excess £250. I am just wondering, would it be worth it? My family are supportive but really want me to be sure I want to go, which I think I am but I feel bad asking for any money towards it if I end up not liking it there. Would it still be useful to take the risk and make the journey? How useful are uni open days, in your experience? Thanks
hi @elizarose06
I would really recommend attending open days as it is where you're (hopefully) going to live for a couple of years so it's good to get a feel for the university and the city! I would narrow it down to a 1 or 2 universities you want to visit so you don't end up spending too much on visiting them.
Lots of universities also have virtual open days so it is worth checking out if any you care looking at have these. This is a good way to find out a bit more about the university itself and what they can offer you.
If you're considering UCLan, we have an open day coming up soon!
I hope this helps,
Rebecca, UCLan
Reply 14
Original post by Admit-One
I would have to say yes, because plenty of students visit a uni campus for the first time and hate it.
Better to find out now for the sake of 2 days and £250 then a year and £10+k.
Better to find out now for the sake of 2 days and £250 then a year and £10+k.
Quoted for truth. I made the mistake in early 2007 of confirming a famous, very well-respected uni for my subject, as my insurance choice without seeing it. I was confident this was fine to do: I'd done very thorough online research, spoken to alumni, looked at the course content, etc. So I didn't bother with open days and just put it as the insurance.
Then I got invited to a successful applicants' open day. Went and within a few minutes of being there, realised I'd absolutely hate being there. This was even before any of the presentations at that open day or anything. But there wasn't really much I could do about it. I resigned myself to it being fine, because it was "only" my insurance, and I hopefully wouldn't end up there anyway.
Fast forward to results day. Missed the grades for my firm choice and had a major panic that I was gonna end up stuck in a university I'd hate for three years. Thankfully my firm choice let me in without the grades, but it was a very close shave!
Don't make my mistake if you have the option not to, would be my advice! There are things (like vibes of the uni, which I know sounds airy fairy, but it was def a thing for me) that you can't find out without visiting unis in person
Reply 15
Original post by elizarose06
Hi, I know this seems a bit of a silly question at first... but I am looking at some uni open days for places that are quite far away, say 6+ hours by train from where I live, meaning it would be unrealistic for me not to stay the night in that city. This will all cost alot of money for a place to sleep and travel, excess £250. I am just wondering, would it be worth it? My family are supportive but really want me to be sure I want to go, which I think I am but I feel bad asking for any money towards it if I end up not liking it there. Would it still be useful to take the risk and make the journey? How useful are uni open days, in your experience? Thanks
Hi there!
I would say university open days are worth it as you get to see what some of the courses will actually be like beyond a website search as some unis including ARU give you taster sessions. However, when I've spoken with prospective students the most useful thing they find from coming to open days is also getting a feel of the city and transportation around it which is something one doesn't usually consider as much when applying to universities they're mostly just focused on the course. One person I know decided not to go to her top university option because she went to the city and did not like it at all. So I recommend going to an open day. If you've been to a city of one of your university options maybe see if they conduct a virtual open day instead then you could go to physical open days of completely new unis in cities you've never been to then you could cut on cost that way.
-Salimatu ARU Digital student ambassador
Reply 16
Original post by elizarose06
Hi, I know this seems a bit of a silly question at first... but I am looking at some uni open days for places that are quite far away, say 6+ hours by train from where I live, meaning it would be unrealistic for me not to stay the night in that city. This will all cost alot of money for a place to sleep and travel, excess £250. I am just wondering, would it be worth it? My family are supportive but really want me to be sure I want to go, which I think I am but I feel bad asking for any money towards it if I end up not liking it there. Would it still be useful to take the risk and make the journey? How useful are uni open days, in your experience? Thanks
Hello there,
Open Days are very useful for prospective students who wish to explore more about the courses and campuses. At Cardiff Met, students are welcome to attend the course talks, campus tours and accommodation tours during the Open Days. Students will have the opportunity to speak to the academic staff about their interests and ask about some course specific questions you may have.
If you are unsure if the university or course is suitable for you, we would recommend you reach out the admissions team or the programme directors to discuss further before booking a place for Open Days.
We do have two more Open Days coming up on Saturday 12th October 2024 and Saturday 9th November 2024. Please follow the link to find out more information: Open Days - Cardiff Metropolitan University - Study in Cardiff, Wales, UK.
Cardiff Met is located in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. Cardiff is a small and vibrant city, and if you have a chance to attend our Open Day, it would be great to stay in the city for a night or two to explore the beautiful city!
Should you have any questions, please contact us on [email protected].
Cardiff Met Admissions 😃
Original post by elizarose06
Hi, I know this seems a bit of a silly question at first... but I am looking at some uni open days for places that are quite far away, say 6+ hours by train from where I live, meaning it would be unrealistic for me not to stay the night in that city. This will all cost alot of money for a place to sleep and travel, excess £250. I am just wondering, would it be worth it? My family are supportive but really want me to be sure I want to go, which I think I am but I feel bad asking for any money towards it if I end up not liking it there. Would it still be useful to take the risk and make the journey? How useful are uni open days, in your experience? Thanks
Could you round it down so you only visit your top few choices? I personally got a lot of value from attending my open day but I do know there's also online virtual tours and a lot you can learn from their social media pages too. You could also look into the universities on here and reach out to current students to get their perspective.
Original post by elizarose06
Hi, I know this seems a bit of a silly question at first... but I am looking at some uni open days for places that are quite far away, say 6+ hours by train from where I live, meaning it would be unrealistic for me not to stay the night in that city. This will all cost alot of money for a place to sleep and travel, excess £250. I am just wondering, would it be worth it? My family are supportive but really want me to be sure I want to go, which I think I am but I feel bad asking for any money towards it if I end up not liking it there. Would it still be useful to take the risk and make the journey? How useful are uni open days, in your experience? Thanks
Hi there,
I think it depends on the individual. I personally found university open days really helpful as I was able to get a feel for the city and the campus as a whole, as well as meet some of the staff and students to get their perspectives on the course. So for me, the open days were my main decider on which medical schools I applied for, both due to the course and the people I met at the stands. I think if you already know the city well or you are set on a specific place/course it may not be as necessary for you if it is not logistically plausible for you to attend. There are always online tours of campuses and facilities, and you can usually get in touch with individual faculties and ambassadors to ask them questions online.
I think if you aren't entirely sure which university is right for you, or you have specific questions, it would be worth going to an open day to be able to experience that university in person.
I hope this helps
Ellen
Y4 Medical Student
Uni of Sunderland
Reply 19
Original post by University of Sunderland Student Ambassador
Hi there,
I think it depends on the individual. I personally found university open days really helpful as I was able to get a feel for the city and the campus as a whole, as well as meet some of the staff and students to get their perspectives on the course. So for me, the open days were my main decider on which medical schools I applied for, both due to the course and the people I met at the stands. I think if you already know the city well or you are set on a specific place/course it may not be as necessary for you if it is not logistically plausible for you to attend. There are always online tours of campuses and facilities, and you can usually get in touch with individual faculties and ambassadors to ask them questions online.
I think if you aren't entirely sure which university is right for you, or you have specific questions, it would be worth going to an open day to be able to experience that university in person.
I hope this helps
Ellen
Y4 Medical Student
Uni of Sunderland
I think it depends on the individual. I personally found university open days really helpful as I was able to get a feel for the city and the campus as a whole, as well as meet some of the staff and students to get their perspectives on the course. So for me, the open days were my main decider on which medical schools I applied for, both due to the course and the people I met at the stands. I think if you already know the city well or you are set on a specific place/course it may not be as necessary for you if it is not logistically plausible for you to attend. There are always online tours of campuses and facilities, and you can usually get in touch with individual faculties and ambassadors to ask them questions online.
I think if you aren't entirely sure which university is right for you, or you have specific questions, it would be worth going to an open day to be able to experience that university in person.
I hope this helps
Ellen
Y4 Medical Student
Uni of Sunderland
I totally agree also if you are totally lost the UCAS fairs are really good too to at least narrow down how many places you feel you might like.
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