Having a complete brain block re Uni open days!

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

Hi - I’m having a complete brain block in when to attend open days. DD is in Year 12 right now so we would be going to open days in this calendar year wouldn’t we?? Can’t remember when they are - June-ish?? - but year 13 is too late isn’t it?

Some will be in the summer, so you can go before she starts Yr 13. Then there are more in the first term of year 13, but by then they may be focusing on their UCAS forms.

Additionally, some unis offer post offer open days.

We went in Year 12.

Year 13 gets busy quickly so it's one less thing.

They usually run through the year. Check the relevant uni/college. Some do tours.

There are a few already advertising dates and some where you can sign up and they’ll let you know - my ds has expressed an interest in Newcastle and Nottingham - one of which has open days at the end of June

Thanks so much! You wouldn’t believe I’ve got a DS in second year Uni, but a combo of some of his open days being online due to Covid, stress in my life + joys of menopause seem to have turned my brain in to a sieve and I just couldn’t remember the timeline!!

We did them summer Y12 and one or two autumn Y13. If they are an early applicant best to do them summer Y12.

Likewise, I have a second year uni dc too - but their open days were definitely not normal... I've had to look all this up as it feels like I'm starting from scratch with dc2!!

Yes, year 13 is too late. It's best to start them in the autumn of year 12 (or even in year 11 after GCSE's) because often they are all on the same day and you can struggle to fit them in.

Also open days are often held when the uni term has ended so for campus universities especially it can feel very quiet and the opposite of what it would usually feel like. We used February half term of year 12 to go and walk around some uni campuses lots welcome this "self tour" and it is on the uni website. That gives them a feel of a bustling uni. Plus visited cities where the unis are too.

So my son who is in year 13 now toured them in February of year 12 and then attended the open days later in the year. He also had his older sibling with him for the open days as he is more familiar with uni life than either Dh or myself as times have really changed since we were at uni.

Thanks all, great info 😊

I would sign up as soon as you can but take logistics into account and what distances and dates you can actually manage. Some popular ones get busy very quickly and student subject talks have few places left. I would do summer of y12 too. Definitely make a short list and start looking.

At the moment most facilities are knocking themselves out with UCAS dates and other course applications for this Sept entry/summer short courses and postgrads.

They like to run OMs during course time as the campus can look a bit dead if there are no students around but it depends on the size I suppose.

There might still be some virtual tours going ahead/on websites (or YouTube) from Covid times.

Generally they run with student ambassadors. Unis tend to be fairly quiet or thousands of visitors would not see anything.

Yes there’s a glut of open days in Feb then in September. Check the potential universities websites for their access courses now, completing these will mean they will give a reduced offer. You do have to qualify but worth it eg first person in family to go to uni, low parental income, student receives a bursary, DLA etc.

@SayNoToDoorToDoor Feb is unusual. June is prime time. A few faculties might have earlier days in the year but it depends where you are looking.

Feb/March are usually offer holder days not general open days.

I found that most are June and Sept/Oct

Most places will have their dates on the website for the spring now.
You want to start shortlisting and looking at your diary as some will clash and you can’t go everywhere. Some might need a night of accommodation too or train tickets.

May and June seem to be big times - you see them in the sun then and can have nice days out.

Premier Inn do flexible rate bookings which are more expensive but you can cancel up to the day. Can be useful if you’re not sure you’ll go. They also do advance rate which is cheap but no refund. Book early for better prices.

Most kids seem to have an idea of predicted grades or likely predicted grades by June, so you know the process that are realistic. Deciding which course can be the tricky part.

Enjoy it. We had some lovely days and weekends visiting places and I loved seeing the places through DCs eyes, who to start with had no idea what a uni even looked like - had just thought it would be like a big school!

Some are like a big school!!