Last week I did a road trip around the country, visiting different universities on open days to work out which I want to apply for. It was tiring, tough and pretty damn stressful at times - but so, so useful. Here are the top 8 tips I picked up for having a successful open day, without losing your head.
1. Plan Ahead
It’s really tough to get a sense of if somewhere suits you if you have no idea what you’re looking for. That’s why it’s super important to think about what you want in a university beforehand, and write a list of questions to ask. Most will be covered in various talks and tours, but if you tick them off and see what’s left, it’ll save you kicking yourself when you get home and realise you’ve missed something. You could use
my list of questions as a starting point for your own, and tweak it to work out what’s most important to you. I also made a weighted scoring model on Excel (something like
this template I found online) to give a ranking that wasn’t affected so much by my mood, which was helpful in organising my thoughts after seeing so many places in such a short time.
2. Take Someone With You
You will be overwhelmed. You will forget stuff. You will be too busy scribbling to take in everything that is said in the talks. Having someone with you is so helpful, even if all they end up doing is carrying the mountains of leaflets you pick up. It can be really reassuring to have a friendly face with you who you know will catch the facts you miss, and they can ask the questions for you when you’re feeling too tired and frazzled to do it yourself. I took my Dad and he was really good at helping me realise how much of a problem certain factors would actually be (like distances between campuses and accommodation). Plus, he now has a much better understanding of how the funding all works.
3. Write Everything Down
You’ll be given far too much information to take in on an open day, so it’s a good time to brush up on your note-taking skills so you don’t forget anything. It’s super useful to be able to go back and look at what you thought on the day about certain departments, and sometimes the student ambassadors say things you really need to know - how long the walk to the shops is, for example - which you won’t find on any website or prospectus. Use a decent hardcover notebook and don’t forget to bring at least 2 pens in case.
4. Don’t Be Afraid To Get Free Stuff
A well-done open day can stock up your pencil case for a good few months. Bags, keyrings, fancy triangular highlighters - there’s always a ton of free stuff to loot in the main exhibition room. I think the best things I managed to get were a small diary and a collapsable water bottle. Pick something up, get your plus one to do the same and, if it’s something decent, go back for seconds later on in the day. They want to give it away! And don’t neglect the bowls of sweets, you’ll need that sugar boost.
5. Keep Your Bag Light
This one is one I learnt the hard way. You’ll spend a lot of time walking around, talking to people, so the last thing you need is an aching arm/back. I recommend a rucksack (so you can move your arms for writing) with no more than 1 bottle of water, some money, any booking confirmations and a snack. Any more food and drink can easily be bought onsite, and it’s a great way to check out the uni’s catering facilities.
6. Wear Sturdy Shoes, and Track Your Steps
You will walk a lot. Like, A LOT. Seriously. On my first open day I walked just under 26,000 steps, just looking around the university. You don’t want to be getting any blisters, so opt for some decent trainers. And tracking your steps (even with just your phone) can make you feel much better about how much your legs ache afterwards. Because it’s much easier to complain guiltlessly when you know you’ve walked that far.
7. Be Open Minded
My prediction of what order I’d like my universities was completely wrong. My last choice ended up as first by a mile. Don’t just expect a university to be rubbish because it’s not top of the league tables, and similarly don’t expect a university with great statistics to blow your mind. Different places suit different people and, even though everyone in a talk wants to do the same subject, they all want different things out of it. It’s not about how ‘good’ somewhere is, it’s about the opportunities it can give you and how happy you’ll be there.
8. If You Don’t Get ’The Feeling’ Straight Away, That’s Fine
I’ve heard people say choosing a university is like buying a wedding dress; when you find the right one you ‘just know’. Don’t panic if you don’t get that feeling everyone talks about straight away, or even at all. It took me until my third university to feel anything positive, even when the unis themselves technically suited me. In the end you’ll likely love wherever you choose, and right now it’s just hard since you’re not actually there.
If anyone is curious about where I’m considering and what course I want to do, I’m looking at Biomedical Science. I had a nosy round Oxford, Imperial, Newcastle, York and Sheffield - Newcastle is definitely my standout favourite. But everyone wants something different (for me accommodation is a huge factor) so you really need to look around places for yourself to know where to apply to.
Good luck!
