Hi, I’m Sophie and I work as a Student Ambassador for the University of Chester. If you come to one of our Open Days, you will see lots of us wearing red jackets or t-shirts. We’re here to make sure you have the best day possible with us and that you leave with no questions unanswered. So please come and say hello and ask us any questions you have at all about the University, the facilities, accommodation or just life as a student in Chester.
When you arrive for an Open Day, you will be directed to the reception to register, where you will be given your timetable for the event as well as other useful information about the day ahead. You are then free to explore the University!
I’m going to break down a typical Open Day so you can find out what to expect before you arrive, in order to make the most of your day.
Campus Tours
We will be giving Campus Tours throughout the day. I strongly recommend you join one of the tours as there is so much information we can give you about the facilities on site. The information we give you is so beneficial to help you decide if the University of Chester is for you! Campus Tours are also a really great opportunity to ask the Ambassadors any questions you have along the way about life at the University or any leisure activities. For instance, if you love a certain sport, you can ask us if there’s a team and what Chester offers in the way of hobbies and interests.
Accommodation
You can visit and drop into the different types of student accommodation where you will be greeted by Ambassadors, some who may have lived in those halls (ask them lots of questions as they will be able to give you the inside knowledge about living there!). If you forget any of the key information about the halls you visit, you will find all the relevant information on the website here.
Subject Sessions
Throughout the day, there will be scheduled subject sessions which you should attend for the course of your interest. This will give you an insight as to what will be taught throughout your time at Chester if you choose to study here. It gives you the opportunity to ask the lecturers any questions you have about the academic side of university life.
If you think it might help you in deciding which university is best for you, make notes during this time of all of the course details and you can compare this to other universities when you visit them.
Student Support
If you have any general concerns and need advice about anything regarding financial support, disability and inclusion plans, volunteering and mentoring schemes or mental health to name a few, there will be an Advice and Guidance area set up so you can have a conversation about what they can offer and what plans they will have in place to support you. This is really helpful to put any worrying parents at ease, as well as students, too.
My advice for the day, in general, is to enjoy the experience! Ask any and all questions that you have - no question is a silly one. As a student myself, I know it can seem daunting when you have so many questions or concerns, but we have been where you are and we want to help put your mind at ease. Choosing the right university is a big decision and we want to give you as much information as we can that will make your choice, hopefully, easier. It’s important for you to think about all aspects of university life - from everything you see when visiting, to the location.
If you have some spare time, go for a walk into the city centre after your day at the University and explore the surrounding area. Plenty of Student Ambassadors will be able to give you recommendations of places to eat or grab a drink and there are so many amazing places to choose from in Chester!
Top Tips For Your Open Day Visit:
- Come prepared with a list of questions ready that you would like to ask
- Make pros and cons lists (you can do this for accommodation, the course, and the university)
- Ask about extracurricular opportunities for any hobbies and interests that you have
- Listen to the information given to you about the facilities
- Make notes!
(If you do forget to ask something or think of anything else you want to ask us, then don’t panic! You can drop us a message on our student messaging platform called ‘Unibuddy’. You can search for someone who is studying on the course you’re interested in and ask them course related queries too).
So if you’re considering studying at the University of Chester, come and visit us. If you haven’t already, why not book an open day?
