How can students make the most out of open days and conventions?

The key is preparation and research. Although they will be under the pressure of exams and coursework, they do need to set time aside to be sure of ending up at the right university or college and on the right course. Some people are lucky enough to know what they want to do but, for most people, the choice is far from obvious so it is worth investing time and effort to weigh up the options.

Once students have narrowed down their choices, attending university and college open days is a great way to get a feel for a place.

three students chatting outsideWhen are they?

Students can find out dates of open days by visiting the institution guide within Course Search - they click on the university or college they are interested in to see what open days are available. Alternatively, they can contact the university or college direct.

We also produce a publication each year, Open Days, priced £3 and available from UCAS (tel: 01242 544610 or email publicationservices@ucas.ac.uk). This contains advice and listings of open days, and includes lists of taster courses and UCAS conventions.

What do they involve?

During the open day, students should be shown round, have a chance to look at the facilities and ask questions. They will be meeting people well placed to provide an insight into both the course and the university or college. They will get the chance to meet current students, which can be far more revealing than reading a prospectus.

Most students agree that open days helped them to make an instinctive decision and confirm what felt right for them. By making an effort to do this sort of research, they can avoid the disappointment of starting a course and finding that it is not what they expected.

If you are taking your students to an open day, you may find it useful to use the where to study guide in the classroom resources section on this site. Although the guide is designed for use at conventions, the exercises can also be used at open days.