University Open Days - views/insights/opinions etc.

[hellsbells99]

We have just done a couple of open days and wondered if anyone else has. Do we want to share views on this thread?

From parental experience and as a 6th form tutor I would strongly suggest that you need to be aware of the smallest details when visiting/reading the literature.For example some will have small print regarding payments due before loan date for halls, distance from cheap shops, ease of travel to and from home etc. I have known past students who weren't aware prior to them starting about how much this affects their lives and a couple have left due to these types of issues even when the course was brilliant

Chemenger The best open day we had last year was definitely a cut above the others. They went beyond "talks" into at mini taster sessions both in classrooms and labs, with hands-on activities as appropriate. They also hosted an informal refreshment session where we could chat with admissions staff and postgrads, and seemed genuinely warm towards the open day visitors. We must have spent 4 hours in that department alone and DD was sold. It was so much more than the talk, tour and (impersonal) tea I was expecting.

Most seemed to have parents with them and I appreciated the fact that the department and univ made us feel welcome as well.

Petrasmumma, can I ask if that was a general university open day or a post-application visit? For our university open days we generally have several hundred potential students registered so what you describe would be challenging! Most people want to attend the talks on finance, applications, sports facilities, accommodation visits etc as well as seeing more than one subject area so fitting in the enhancements you describe would be difficult, it's hard enough to shoehorn in 40 minute tours! I do agree than giving the idea of a welcoming atmosphere is very important. Maybe we could run a parallel programme with the main open day for people who are committed to our subject and aren't as interested in the other parts of the day.

Need to let your child decide. As they will need to feel happy at uni to succeed. Daughter knew she hated Oxford brookes soon as she went to open day.She now at northumbria uni and felt at home straight away. She three hours from home by car ir train. Other daughter went to aber and has loved it. It was a toss between Bangor or aber.i said you came back really excited from aber even though you were car sick on the open day. She got the train most of time. That three hours by car. Just doable as a day trip. Son just start as level in sept he would like to go but will need a small campus not large uni. Depends going out type or not.

Chemenger it was a pre application open day.

I'm sure it's extremely difficult to handle the numbers interested, you have my sympathy.

Each department's sessions were repeated in the afternoon and the more centralised talks on finance, accommodation, etc ran repeatedly throughout the day, which meant we could build a day that suited us.
I also liked the fact we could "self guide" around areas like the library, some of the accommodation, and seek people out in open Q&A rather than sit through a more formal presentation if we chose. The added flexibility meant we could squeeze more in and have lunch when it was less busy too.

DC4 is currently looking at Uni's and its going BADLY! DC1, DC2 and DC3 are all currently at Uni so you would think we would have got the hang of this by now . The problem is that each child is so, so different that our previous experiences aren't as useful as you might imagine.
Poor DC4 doesn't know what she wants to study and she is not too sure what her grades will be, this makes going to Uni Open Days seem a bit aimless. She looks like she is a borderline A/B student which isn't that helpful just yet as there is such a huge difference between Uni's that typically ask AAA and those that ask BBB. I think it might be best to wait until she gets her AS grades before going to too many open days.

My other DCs all knew what they wanted to do which made things a 100x easier. They could sign up for taster days, work experience and book targeted open days.

Mine said he wasn't keen on the accommodation at M'cr because 'there were marks on the wall'

Think he's expecting 5* palatial!

Just back from B'ham, which I loved! It's a beautiful campus with gorgeous buildings. It is my first one though, so I have nothing to compare it to. I could have quite happily signed up myself though

Lots of coffee/food places on campus. Students very well catered for imo.

We saw several rooms in The Vale Village. Some with shared facilities and some en suite. Fantastic location not far from the campus or the city centre. Very scenic overlooking the lake.

All the students we spoke to were very happy and enjoying their time there.

Off to Nottingham tomorrow!

Just back from Surrey particularly to look at the vet school. Lovely campus and fantastic sports ground.

Unfortunately DD found out today she has lost her equine work experience over the summer (3 weeks so a big gap) and her large animal vet work experience was cancelled with no explanation - she is gutted.

Message me HPparent. I might be able to help with arranging equine work experience.

Back from Nott'm. We were looking at Jubilee Campus which is very nice, small and compact.

Accommodation on Jubilee is fully catered. We also saw 2 self catering blocks about 5 mins walk from campus. Loads of uni accommodation off campus, between the main University Park campus and Jubilee. All rooms were a very good standard.

Great staff and students.

Thanks Horsemadmom that is incredibly nice of you!

DS is at Nottingham: campus is beautiful; the halls, generally, are good and he has had a very positive first year. Two DDs went to Exeter- excellent uni with the campus very close to town. Another DD went to Sussex- Brighton is a great place to study, though she did not get great value from her course/ personal tutor.

Echo positive comments about Nottingham. We went to see the Sutton Bonington campus earlier this year. What really came across was the strong emphasis on pastoral care.

DD2 is struggling with the idea of having to make plans for the future, so is strongly resisting visiting uni towns this summer (she starts Y12 in September). On one hand I agree with her that it's pretty early to be starting to think about what she might do, but on the other hand, if she can weed out some places she doesn't want to go to, that will help in the which subject/course decisions.

Also it's going to be a lot harder for her anyway as she has a medical condition which will need support from the disability teams, so we need to speak to them at each possible place as well. If only she would agree that a gap year would be a good idea [sigh].

Is anyone encouraging their DCs to go to a uni near home to save on accomodation costs? We live in central London. My DD hated the one college in London which does her course. She will only get the minimal maintenance grant which doesn't even cover the cost of accomodation if she moves away from home. Her course is 5 years and at least the first two could be spent in London. I know it is about the whole experience but the costs plus DD2 close behind will cause me some sleepless nights.

LeapingOverTheWall I've got a disability and went to uni - I started looking just before easter in year 12, it can definitely be done. One thing I will say is if DD would need support at open day it's worth checking the set up in advance - I use a wheelchair and at one they did "prospective students go off here and parents go here" which is a nightmare when you need a wheelchair pusher. And another had students giving the tour, planned route had no access and we lost them.

Eldest is another one who doesn't know what he wants to study and what grades he'll get. It really hasn't occured to him to look at unis yet, so I am quite panicked that the open days have already gone for some.

It kind of creeps up on you, doesn't it weasel?

I was chatting to a couple of parents whilst waiting for accomm tours last week and although they were from cities with really excellent unis, their DC wanted to move away and didn't want to be 'too close to home'!!

Horsemad ".. didn't want to be 'too close to home'!!"

Yes we had this discussion. We live relatively close to Manchester and I went there myself as a student in the 80s. When DD was drawing up her shortlist I was slightly disappointed that Mcr wasn't on. I assured her that just because it was close we wouldn't expect her to live at home or to come home more often and we wouldn't keep turning up if that was what she was worried about. She said it wasn't that and she knows it is a good Uni and does a course she is interest in; however it doesn't feel "adventurous" enough. Manchester is where she will go for a day shopping with her mates in the holidays, she wants a city that is totally new to her for Uni.

I've just finished my degree course at Nottingham (mature student), did some modules at UP and some at SB. Feel free to ask any questions although won't be much help with accommodation I'm afraid!

hellsbells99 - what did you think to B'ham & Nott'm?

Weasal. I'm in the same situation with DC4. All my other DC knew exactly what they wanted to study ahead of time and all had a good idea of what their results would be. It made it so much easier, we could plan work experience,taster days and opendays. DC4 just doesn't know.

The lack of January modules hasn't helped either.

She has decided not to attend any open days until September after her AS results. I am not sure I think it's the best thing but it's her choice.

She can always take a gap year.

HP. My DD is doing a course at a university in a London and lots live at home. However they are not particularly integrated into the life the other students have carved out for themselves. They are somehow seen as separate. This may not happen of course, but it is a consideration. The living at home students find it more difficult to meet people from other courses because they don't live in halls but, again, that may not matter. Therefore some of the good things about university appear to be lost.

Before loans, most parents had to pay something towards their child's living costs at university, so nothing has changed. Topping up the loan is normal and I would let a child go to the most suitable university, not the one that costs less because they can live at home. It is fairly vital to ensure they are happy and not resentful that you have dictated the choice of university. Most universities have bursaries too, so investigate that.

I went to university in London and relatively few of my peers lived in halls, I lived at home throughout and was not unique. I think I was fully involved in the life of my college and the union. I imagine it depends on the course and peer group and personality.

DH and my wages are too high to qualify for a bursary. We just don't have an extra £4k per annum to spend on accommodation. Wherever she goes we will have to subsidise it for at least 3 years but at least this gives us a bit more leeway.

I was not subsidised by my parent who was a low earning widow. I had a part time job but the nature of DD's course makes holiday working quite difficult.