At a university open day, you typically hear about courses, explore the campus, and speak to staff and current students. Programs vary, with some offering accommodation tours, sample lectures, or practical workshops.
The aim is to picture both the degree and an ordinary week living or studying there. Choose activities that answer your questions, rather than treating the program as a checklist to complete.
Check The Program Before You Arrive
Read the university’s program and booking instructions. Check the campus address, where to register on arrival and whether individual sessions require separate bookings. Save the program and campus map on your phone, then mark your priorities. Allow time between activities for walking, questions and a break.
A sixth-form group using Coach Hire Huddersfield should allow time for check-in before the first booked session and agree a departure time that accommodates students’ chosen activities. Students can share the journey while visiting different departments.
Contact the university beforehand if you need access adjustments or help navigating the visit. UCAS’s preparation guidance recommends discussing requirements with disability support in advance. When you arrive, follow the check-in instructions and confirm the location of your first session before setting off across campus.
Discover How Your Subject Is Taught
A subject talk introduces the course’s content, structure and opportunities. Listen for detail beyond the degree title: two courses with similar names can appeal to different interests. Look at the modules and ask how much choice you have between compulsory study and optional subjects.
During a sample lecture or workshop, you explore a topic rather than simply hear about the degree. Notice what holds your attention, then ask how that session relates to regular teaching. Is this the kind of material and approach you would enjoy studying further?
Ask how assessment is divided between examinations, coursework, presentations and practical work. If placements matter to you, find out how students secure them and what support is available.
When sessions clash, prioritize the one that answers your biggest question. For example, choose your intended subject’s talk over a general tour, then check whether the tour runs again. Give yourself time to hear a complete session and ask questions, rather than catching fragments of several.
Explore The Spaces You Would Use
A campus tour helps you picture the route between your department, the library and places to eat or take a break. Look for the spaces that suit how you work: quiet study areas, rooms for collaboration or access to specialist equipment.
In a studio, laboratory or workshop, ask which facilities undergraduates use and how they fit into the course. Find out how access is arranged and whether equipment must be booked.
If accommodation is open to visitors, examine shared kitchens, storage, laundry facilities and the journey to teaching buildings. Identify which housing option you are viewing, since other rooms and locations can differ. Ask accommodation staff about costs and contract lengths so you can consider the room alongside the financial commitment.
Ask Students About Everyday University Life
Current students can describe the week behind the course description. Ask how they organize independent study, what a typical workload feels like, and what surprised them after starting. Follow a broad question about enjoying university with something specific: which part of the course has interested them most, for example?
For your intended subject, ask how students get help when they struggle with an assignment. Outside teaching, explore the practicalities that matter to you, such as societies, commuting or finding somewhere to study between sessions.
Use these conversations to gather individual perspectives. Direct questions about entry requirements, funding eligibility and formal support arrangements to the relevant staff, who can explain the policies and your options.
If speaking in a crowded question-and-answer session feels daunting, ask whether someone is available for a brief individual conversation afterward. Alternatively, get a contact address and follow up once you have had time to think.
Leave With Notes You Can Compare
Before the details blur, record one positive, one concern, and one unanswered question. Make each note specific enough to compare with another visit.
For example, record what appealed about a workshop, why the journey from accommodation concerns you, and what you still need to know about access to specialist equipment. Alongside each uncertainty, note who to contact or which published information to check.
Discuss your impressions with anyone who accompanied you, while keeping your own priorities in view. Follow up with the appropriate department, so your final comparison rests on clear answers about the course and daily life, as well as how the visit felt.
Photo by Amine Kübranur Çakıroğlu: Pexels