Open Day on a Sunday?!

SuperSue77 · 2025-04-28T19:17:00+00:00

My DD wants to attend a Southampton uni open day and they have various dates, some on Saturdays and some on Sundays - do you think a Sunday will be a different vibe to visiting on a Saturday? The Sunday date suits us better but I don't want her to get the wrong impression, but maybe it would be no different? Anyone got any advice?

Iwiicit · 28/04/2025 20:23

I can't see what difference it would make.

MumChp · 28/04/2025 20:24

Can't see the difference.

CasparBloomberg · 28/04/2025 20:40

We're local - it's always busy with visitors on both days of the open day weekends. A lot of the current students won't be around for the June one though (term ends around 14th and exams before then). So if wanting a more busy with students vibe, then wait until October.

Original poster

SuperSue77 · 28/04/2025 20:55

CasparBloomberg · 28/04/2025 20:40

We're local - it's always busy with visitors on both days of the open day weekends. A lot of the current students won't be around for the June one though (term ends around 14th and exams before then). So if wanting a more busy with students vibe, then wait until October.

Thanks! Actually, it was the June one we were thinking of, so maybe not a good one to go for, but I assume they must have some students there as I thought a big reason for visiting the unis was to speak to current students. Mind you, as her first open day it might be a bit of an easier intro if it is quieter - a Sunday at the end of June, what a time to visit!

OP posts:

CasparBloomberg · 28/04/2025 21:29

@SuperSue77 They will still have some students there as ambassadors and helping out. There just won't be the normal numbers there doing normal student life as well.
We're also going to be visiting with DD that Sunday as her first practice open day. For us being so local it will be somewhere she knows very well so it will be a gentle start to the process.
Its a lovely campus on a nice day.

clary · 28/04/2025 21:50

IME open days are often when there are not many students about - for obvious reasons in a way, so there are no lectures or exams to interrupt. So in June/July or early September.

Yes some students will show you round or talk to you about the accommodation- they will be paid to work for the day or the weekend.

Saturday or Sunday it won’t make any difference as others say.

Original poster

SuperSue77 · 28/04/2025 22:53

CasparBloomberg · 28/04/2025 21:29

@SuperSue77 They will still have some students there as ambassadors and helping out. There just won't be the normal numbers there doing normal student life as well.
We're also going to be visiting with DD that Sunday as her first practice open day. For us being so local it will be somewhere she knows very well so it will be a gentle start to the process.
Its a lovely campus on a nice day.

Thanks! Your DD isn’t interested in medicine is she? My DD is so we’re starting the open days early as next summer she’ll be working towards her UCAT test. This is the first open day after her GCSEs finish. Southampton is quite hard to get into for medicine (as is pretty much any med school!) but it’s only about a 90 minute drive for us so thought we’d check it out.
I hope you DD enjoys her day!

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pineisland · 29/04/2025 15:19

When my dd was looking at unis one weekend we did York on Friday, Leeds on Saturday and Southampton on Sunday! The Sunday Southampton ones are fine you just get less time checking out the West Quay shops at the end due to Sunday trading laws! For Southampton we did the uni arranged park and ride near the airport and used the uni buses for the day which were free for prospective students and parents. It is worth visiting the Wessex lane accommodation a short bus ride from Highfields campus.