Uni open days- silly question

[homebythesea]

If it says 0930-1630 do you have to be there that whole time or is it a drop in type situation between those times?

One thing I learned from DS1 was that parent and DC look at completely different things on an open day. He was entirely focussed on the subject and couldn't care less about accommodation and facilities. I was the opposite .
When the offers came in and it came to accepting them, suddenly the accommodation became important to him!
Worth asking about the allocation of accommodation for firm or insurance students. There will be some who are genuinely not bothered but also many who are not so confident and mature. It's a big leap of independence for most. The unhappy students I know are all enjoying their courses but miserable in the accommodation. In every case this is where they are feeling isolated in a shared house some distance from campus for the first year.

Ive really enjoyed going on open days with my DCs. It's been a nice way to spend time together at an age where they are busy with their studies and their friends. It's nearly always been cheaper for me to drive than for them to use public transport especially when they have had to arrive early.

DC4 is hopefully going to a uni next sept where the accommodation isn't great but the course and staff are excellent. The slightly grotty accommodation isn't great but at least she knew what about it beforehand.

I suspect most problems with accommodation are based on bad luck with flatmates rather than the physical condition of the flats.

I'd advise turning up early at the department you are interested in if it is a popular course. The students and staff will have a lot more time to answer questions and talk to you.

Ugh, sorry about all the typos

This is all great stuff! Yes I'm looking forward to some one on one time, and he will be in a state of post exam euphoria I hope! Have looked at public transport and there's no real time saving and a whole lot of hassle so we will drive. I'm quite looking forward to it all- I was very focussed on where I wanted to go (Cambridge) so never bothered looking at anywhere else! I will try not to let memories of this particular institution not even making an offer nearly 30 years ago cloud my judgment

I do agree about not living in a small student house in the first year. I think you can consider accommodation on line without looking at every possibility during a busy open day. Some universities such as Bristol have lots of accommodation 2 miles away from the main university area so it is worth having a parent there to do a drive around. One other tip: if your potential student is travelling on trains, book the ticket well in advance. I know that sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how many just walk up and pay a fortune! We split away from our DDs on open days. Also they often will be there on the same day as other friends and they are likely to meet up. Mine were aware of the course content before the open days so getting into the minutiae of that was not a big issue for them.

Backforgood - I think so many of us have read it is the course that must be the total focus of university applications on this forum, and from schools, that a few of us who have been through the process actually realise there is more to university than the course. Friendships and a sense of belonging are equally as important so I think we have all come to a consensus of opinion!

not living in a small student house in the first year
Yes, blocks of halls may seem large and impersonal but in fact they offer flexibility in the company. DS is in a flat of 8 within a block of 20 flats. He has been lucky in getting on well with his flatmates but it is also easy to wander to the flat next door or below.
On the other hand my friend's DD is in York in a beautiful, brand new shared house. The problem is that she has nothing in common with her flatmates and she is miles from the campus.
Year 2 is different because they have had time to meet up with like minded people.

Has anyone else noticed that Saturday June 20th seems a favourite at many unis for their open day? We cannot be in Leeds and Bristol on the same day! It looks as though we will have to do some in September which isn't as relaxed because they are back at college.

Bristol have Friday 19th June! Also 12 September. You do not need to be in two places at once. When we were looking, Bath and Bristol were on the same day - both midweek.

Yes we are going on the 20th Junr, lots also on 27th which we can't do due to school event and some on the 3/4 July which I can't do . So we are doing a bunch in sept/oct but I actually think this is better because we will have AS results by then and so can evaluate whether the ones we have earmarked are a realistic possibility, or even if he shocks us all whether we might be able to look at the next tier up IYSWIM. At the moment there's an element of guess work as to likely end results and therefore which courses to look at. An A* student he ain't!

Something that put me off some acomodation on some of the places we looked at, was the fact there was no communal space in the flat / floor of rooms. Quite a few seemed to have a tiny galley type kitchen - or just a really small kitchen for all the people using it, so you had to cook, and get out - it seemed there was nowhere to just 'be' and get to know the others in your flat / on your floor unless you all went into someone's bedroom. I have a theory it's because there is les space than there used to be due to the number of en-suites they are cramming in, but I don't know if that's the case. It just struck me it's difficult to get to know people if you can't "hang" (probably not what the teens call it ) in the same space at all.

It's very possible that older accommodation is like that, as it would have been converted from catered halls where the students would go to a dining room for meals.

At our gaff (York), three new colleges have been built over the past 5 years with 1800 rooms. The flats have large kitchen / living rooms shared by 6 or 8 students. There are houses too. Some choose to stay in uni accommodation throughout their time with us because it is so nice.

There is still some of the older type of halls accommodation, but that is reflected in the price - much cheaper!

Sorry - that sounds like a sales pitch. Wasn't meant to be!

Not at all, I just thought I'd throw it in the mix as something to think about when lookig at accomodation.
ds too, has a flat with 7 of them sharing a lovely large kitchen / diner - but he was really clear about specifying he wanted that on his accom. request so he didn't get one of the towerblocks which lacked the communal space.

We thought the York accommodation was fabulous. So much choice. Love the way they can list so many preferences and to be able to live in with friends during 2nd year is a real bonus. Just hope she gets her grades now.

DD1 is in small accommodation with no hanging out space, but it doesn't seem to have mattered as her flat holds events in their room. Film night in one room and so on. I think students can be very adaptable. The advantage is that it is very cheap accommodation (unlike 2nd year, where she does have hanging out space). Pros and cons to both.

Littleham - did you see the new accommodation on Heslington East, the new campus?

I think it's a good idea to arrive by the opening time so that you can get onto the various tours (accommodation/campus/library - you will want to do the accommodation tour and they get booked up).

Other than that, see what the timetable is. If there are subject specific events, there may be just one of them in the day.

No - we only went to Heslington West, but I believe that the East site isn't too far away. She is just debating which accommodation to put on her list.

Hes East is about a 10 min walk from hes West and there is a free bus service between the two every few mins. It's a regular bus service across town but is free to everyone within the campus.

The advantage of hes East is that it's all brand new. The down side is that there isn't a proper shop and only one bar (good in the evenings, apparently), plus a cafe and a daytime coffee bar. There is much more on hes west in terms of bars and cafes.

having said all that, it's only 20 mins by bus into town.

Depends what your dd is looking for really: being in busier surroundings, or somewhere a little quieter. Both have lots of ducks!

What has she applied to study? Some choose to live / study in close proximity; others like to have space between the two.

History (with year abroad). She likes peace and quiet, so is going to ask for a quiet corridor / flat. Definitely wants to self cater. Also very musical. She was thinking of putting Alcuin & Vanburgh on her list, but she seems to like most of the accommodation.

Thanks for the information about Hes East. I'll pass it onto her, especially the bit about the free bus.

Tbh, nowhere is very far from anywhere else. Derwent is next door to Vanbrugh - both well placed for History and a very short walk from the Jack Lyons building where a lot of music societies do their thING. They have practise rooms there, too.

Campus university accommodation - maybe worth a quick visit. Visiting various halls miles away is very time consuming when you only have a day. We only toured 2 accommodation options at one university on a private visit. We did quite a few open days for 2 x DDs. No accommodation is awful and can always be visited another time when you have drawn up a short list. Does anyone choose a university based on accommodation? If you have a special requirement (plush shower, large room with a view, walk in wardrobe) then it might be worth it on the open day, but you will never know if it is quiet because there won't be anyone there! It is down to luck regarding who is living near you and whether they are your type of person or not. If the whole corridor turns into Party Central that will not be evident on an open day.

DS has been booking lots of open days, and for Durham and Warwick some of the talks were already booked up. It may well be that they put more on later but thought it worth a mention.

Agree with Millymollymamma re accommodation. With my uni I hadn't seen the accommodation until I arrived as it was a mile from where I had my interview and I didn't go to an open day (not even sure if they had them in the 80s). My son didn't have time to see accomodation at his first choice uni as too busy doing other stuff at the open day (that was just an evening) but did see it at the applicants day but not the actual building he chose. the website had a good section with pictures of the halls though and TSR was very helpful.
How quiet your flat is seems a bit random. he really likes his flatmates and had to put down his interests on the form but his flatmates are different in interests and personalities. That has been good for him in getting him socialising more although he hides in his room if the rugby club are round for predrinks!

Yes I agree don't bother with accommodation at this stage. Even if you choose the uni in question you may not get your first or second or third choice of accommodation.