Plan ahead.
Open Days normally consist of a timetable of different events happening throughout the day, such as information talks, mock lectures, campus tours and accommodation viewings. Therefore, I recommend that you have a look at what is happening during the open day prior to attending and plan your day around this to ensure you don’t miss anything important that you want to attend.
I always printed off a university's Open Day schedule and highlighted what I wanted to do during my visit and at what time, to ensure I didn’t miss out on anything I wanted to attend.
Go on a campus tour.
Going on a campus tour during an Open Day is key to finding out whether you can see yourself studying at a particular university! During a campus tour, you will have the opportunity to see and discover locations on campus such as lecture buildings, accommodation, facilities and much more! At the University of Chester, a current student will take you on your campus tour, so you can not only see the campus but also gain an insight into student life, as you can ask the student running the campus tour questions along the way!
View as much accommodation as possible.
If you are thinking of living at university as a student, or even if you are thinking of commuting, it is a great idea to view accommodation on an Open Day. I actually live within commuting distance of the campus and decided to live at university as I wanted to gain more independence!
You may have already decided that you want to live at university while you are a student, have had a look online at the accommodation on offer, and decided based on the images and videos which ones you want to view on the Open Day.
However, despite it being great that you have done some research, I would recommend that you view as much accommodation as possible during your visit to a university on an Open Day, as you may be surprised by what accommodation you like from viewing them in person!
Also, it is a good idea to have a budget in mind for how much you want to spend on your university accommodation and to bear this in mind when viewing accommodation as they range in price. You may want to do this if you are aware of how much maintenance loan you are going to receive so you will be able to work out your budget.
Chat to students and ask questions.
At the University of Chester, alongside staff members, current students volunteer to help run the Open Days. Therefore, there are many students you can chat to and ask questions about student life, and who’s better to ask than someone who has been in your position themselves?
Make the most of freebies.
Open Days can consist of the opportunity for you to pick up some freebies during your visit, such as stationery, water bottles, tote bags and much more! Also, remember to pick up any information leaflets you see during your visit too, as they are great for you to have a look at and read about student life at university.
If you're interested in coming to one of our Open Days at the University of Chester, you can find out more information and book your place on our website.
