How you can get the most out of your university How you can get the most out of
It’s university open day season for prospective students. Here the recruitment team at London’s University of Law give tips on how to make the most of the opportunity to find out all you can before applying
Its’s not just a tour
YOU may think that going to an open day is just about having a look around the campus and facilities, but most universities will be offering much more to experience on the day, so that you come away with as much information as possible.
Plan ahead
ONCE you’ve booked to attend an open day you’ll receive an itinerary from the university mapping out what’s planned. Think about whether there’s anything missing from their itinerary that you’d really like to see or find out about and make a note of it. There’s likely to be some points during the day when you’re left to your own devices and that’s the perfect opportunity to follow up on any specifics not covered in the open day programme.
The grand tours
IN addition to the main campus tour, there could also be some optional extra tours to do, such as the university’s accommodation or off-site facilities. If you have the chance and time to, tag along so that you can see what the halls, student houses, or other areas nearby are like.
Travel plans
PLAN your travel arrangements with enough time so you’re able to arrive before things kick off. Those welcome and introduction talks are going to be a great source of information that you won’t want to miss. Plus, you’ll get a bit of time to mingle with current students and tutors at the beginning of the day.
Make sure you give yourself plenty of time at the end of the day too. If you’re visiting a campus in a new city this is the perfect time to explore the local area and see what it might be like to live there.
Ask questions
IF there’s ever a time when that old idiom of “there’s no such thing as a stupid question” applies, it’s during an open day. The whole purpose of the day is to give you all the information you want and need to make a really important decision. So ask, ask, and ask. Have a set of questions ready with you before the day (including anything that parents or friends recommend you ask), but if anything pops into your head during the day, don’t be afraid to throw it out there. It’s probably something others are wondering about, too.
Don’t go alone
WHETHER it’s your parents or a friend or partner, it’s a good idea to have somebody else with you on the day. The better they know you personally, the more insight they can give about whether they can see you living and studying at the university. They’re also a good grounding influence in case you get caught up in the excitement of the day and forget about some of the things you wanted to find out about. Don’t be embarrassed about having your parents there with you either; they’re there to support you and will probably have their own questions they’d like answered.
Talk to everyone
TUTORS, current students, student services staff. They’ll all be around on the day, and happy to chat about the university. Try to talk to a broad variety of people so you get a well-rounded idea of what the university’s like from a bunch of different perspectives. ■ Remember your priorities WHILE the campus and facilities are a big part of student life, don’t forget that the primary reason you’re going to university is for the course. That should be your main focus for the day, followed closely by the staff and facilities such as the library – to make sure you’re going to have everything you need to succeed in your studies. While societies, cafes and clubs might be important for your social life, they’re not what gets you that allimportant qualification. And besides, so long as there are other students around there will be plenty of things going on for you to get involved with.
■ A final thought
REMEMBER that open days are a chance for the university to show off. They’re going to be making a real effort to impress, so take time to look beneath the surface and make sure that you base your decision on the reality rather than the good first impression.
Consider how the university concentrates their talks and tours: are they proud of their own qualities and promoting them directly, or are they comparing themselves to others? Do the staff and students have positive responses to questions or are they unsure about certain things? How willing are people to help or find out information for you? All-in-all, the big question you need to ask is if you can see yourself studying there for the next three years.
■ The University of Law runs open days at each of their campuses throughout the year. Visit their website to book a place at www. law.ac.uk