Parents of prospective 2028 uni starters - open days?

[Ironfloor269]

When do your YP start attending university open days? I’ve looked online and the last few open days for this year are September. They are also on week days. I understand DD can go on her own for some of them but for some she would like me to take her.

Do you as parents take time off work or are there more open days later on in the year, maybe during weekends?

DD just started Year 12. Is now too soon to start going to open days? There’s no way she could have gone to this summer’s open days as she was too busy having fun after the GCSE slog.

Please help, I’m totally clueless.

@U53rName he loves a spreadsheet, we all do. My sons are maths nerds so like ordering and methodical ways to set out data.

It also depends what course they are doing too, my two took economics and computer science so at top ranking unis they are all pretty much the same maths heavy courses. My friend's DD took History and that was different at every uni.

We are in the final year for my youngest so we have done uni runs for the last 5 years. 3 year age gap. As one left, one started.

Thank you all for the very helpful replies.

My DC just started year 12. She is keen on Oxbridge, Imperial, Durham and Edinburgh. She has been to Oxford university for a course so has an idea.

Cambridge’s last open day for this year is on a Friday so that’s out. Imperial’s is also on a week day. Do you think it’s enough to have a walk around the campuses to get a feel of the place or should DC actually go when there’s an open day? If it’s the latter, we will most likely have to wait till next year.

@Ironfloor269 won’t school authorise any days off for open days? DS did. If your dd needs her application in by October next year, she’ll need to get her choices clear in her mind well before summer holidays so that she can start work on her ps and prepare for any additional entrance tests. Year 12 is a very busy year!

@Ironfloor269 Usually schools allow reasonable time off for open days. My DC were allowed 3 days, hence our fairly short shortlist . The annoying issue is wasting a day on a uni that dc then doesn’t like much!

We actually could not make Durham but DD contacted the department and someone saw her about the subject and we had a look around 2 halls of residence. They were helpful and UCL admissions had a chat too but as a result of that chat, she ruled it out.

So you can draw up a list of 5 and ask if you can visit in May half term if school won’t allow time off for all. Some open days are weekends of course. Plus there’s offer days. Dc can usually go to one or two of them in y13.