How many times have you been encouraged to go on university and college Open Days? Have you been on any yet, and were they any use? In fact, a properly planned Open Day can save you hours and days on the web. Open Days will also allow you to gather information about a university that is not easily available from any other source, such as what do real students think of their course and the institution.

Click here for a listing of Open Days 

There are two headings that you might want to use when planning to go on an Open Day at a university. The first relates to academic information about your course and the second, more general information that you personally want to know. Before you actually go online to a university site to book an Open Day, try getting as much information before you go. The more you have answered before attending an Open Day, the more time you can spend obtaining those answers you cannot get elsewhere.

Academic Information

Make sure you are booking to attend the Open Day for the course you are interested in, and ask if you can speak to the relevant Course Tutor. He or she will be able to answer most of the questions you might have such as; what are the options and subject choices; are your predicted grades likely to get you on the course; what are the facilities like (such as laboratories, internet access, libraries etc); and what do most of those graduating from the course end up doing (employment prospects)?

On the subject of graduate employment prospects, speak to some of the current students on the course you are interested in. You may well end up being shown around on your Open Day by a student on an unrelated course, so try and speak to the ones you want to.

If in doubt, ask! A good place to spend 20 minutes will be with the university’s Careers Centre. You can ‘phone once you have a date booked for your Open Day, and ask the Careers Centre if you can have an appointment. They should have what are called graduate destination surveys, that will tell you where past graduates of your course have ended up, and what they are earning.