An Alternative Guide to University Open Days

How to Survive University Open Days

Written by Sara, a parent of four and Sherpa user.

With schools breaking up for the summer, for those considering university, the flurry of university open days have begun along with all the conundrums they throw up.  

At Sherpa Tutors, we tutor A-Level and BTEC students across all subjects and examination boards, and at this time of year we’re often asked by both parents and students “How many university open days should we attend?”

As a parent of four, university open days have played out very differently for each child, ranging from high-level engagement and organisation, to waking quasi-comatose child, deeply fuggy from party the night before, to attend far-flung open days that proved of little value in said state! My fourth child, independent as ever, completely bypassed the formal open day route, and instead took herself off to stay with friends at different universities to get a real flavour of university life.

Two ended up at university, two have taken different paths. So to answer the question, how many university open days should we attend, the truth is as many as is right for your circumstances. If both of you find the prospect of open days stressful, then limit them, however, if you see it as an opportunity to spend valuable time together making important decisions consider going to more.

Not All University Open Days Are Equal

The quality of university open days vary enormously. At some, queues spill out of popular course sessions, that fill up incredibly quickly so make sure you in book early! 

By contrast, I recall an incredibly warm, thoughtful and useful session with professors of maritime engineering, who after the formal lecture and tour of facilities, sat down in their common room with prospective students and their parents for informal chats about the course, university life and A-Level expectations.

So, before you spend the next six months eating up weekends, travelling up and down the country, here are a some practical considerations from one who's been round this particular block a few times…

Don’t Feel You Need to Attend Every Open Day

The best way to save both time and money is to do as much research as possible, assess options carefully, and eliminate non-starters.

Nowadays, there’s a plethora of content online to choose from, ranging from forums where students give first-hand advice on universities, A-Levels, revision techniques, clearing, and more, to university guides (some ranked by students), university websites themselves, and, of course, AI (we’ve compiled a list of useful sites below).

Some questions to consider ….

• Does the university offer the right course?
• Even if the course title sounds right, what does the content look like? Compare course modules, optional units, teaching hours and methods of teaching and assessment.  
• Is it mainly exam-based, coursework-based or a mixture?
• Will the course actually lead towards the career they're hoping for?
• What grades are needed and are they studying the right A Level or BTEC subjects?
• Does the application process involve interviews, admissions tests or portfolios?
• Roughly how competitive is entry?
• What do current and previous students have to say about the course and the university? The Student Room has dedicated forums for each university, so offers unique insight into student views. Whatuni is also pretty good because it’s students that rank the universities.  
• Prioritise university options, it's sensible to have an aspirational choice, a couple of realistic choices and perhaps one safer option. You never quite know how A-Level results day will pan out, so it’s best to be prepared for all eventualities.

How to Make the Most Out Your University Open Day From Sherpa Tutors

Useful University Research Resources 

While this list is by no means exhaustive, they offer a good starting point for research.

• UCAS the official site for undergraduate applications, course information and entry requirements.
• The Uni Guide is part of The Student Room, it profiles universities, offers student reviews and has a degree ideas tool based on the A-Levels studied.   
• The Complete University Guide, a very good resource with a university league table, evaluating metrics such as student satisfaction and graduate prospects. It’s also a good tool to find out when university open days are taking place.  
• The Student Room is a great resource for first-hand opinion from students on all sorts of matters, accommodation, nightlife, teaching qualify, revision techniques for A-Levels, thoughts on finance, basically you name it, it’s there. As it’s a forum you can also pose a question and get answers directly from students.



Book Your Spots Early

Once Decided on which to Open Day to Attend, Book Your Space Early... Popular University Open Days Fill up Fast!

Believe it or not, places on university open days book up remarkably quickly at popular universities.

Also don't just reserve your place for the day itself. Many universities also ask you to book onto individual course talks and subject sessions, and these can fill just as quickly. And here is where parents might need to be selfless, and allow the student to attend alone, rather than take a space away from another prospective student.

If a session is full on the day, and you haven’t booked, you will be turned away and either will need to wait for the next session, or miss out entirely if that is at capacity as well.

It’s Your Chance to Ask Direct Questions

The course sessions are generally run by teaching staff, sometimes with input from current students so they offer a great opportunity to ask questions about course content and admissions. Sometimes with interesting and candid responses.  

I remember one professor responding, when asked directly about what they look for in students, that selections are based almost entirely on academics and A-Level results, and that in reality extracurricular activities carried very little weight.

However, every university admissions criteria is different, so it’s worthwhile asking the questions yourself.

University Life Isn’t Just About Studying… 

For many students, understandably accommodation and living costs have a huge bearing on their university choice. Also it’s worth remembering that it’s not just the first year accommodation costs that need to be covered. Consider…

• Do they offer guaranteed university accommodation for first years
• How competitive is this process and what is the allocation criteria
• Location, location, and transportation. How much are buses and do residences that are situated further out offer free bus passes
• How much is average accommodation for future years
• How easy and safe it is to get around the city, particularly late at night. Those late night bus and Uber costs quickly mount up!!

And here’s a slight word of warning, once again from personal experience. While the newest accommodation might have an ensuite, library and entertainment room, it might come at the expense of location.

A beautiful ensuite loses a little of its appeal if it involves two buses to get to campus, or back from a club late at night. Also new accommodations might not be in the most desirable area, since prime locations come at a premium.

Talk to Students for a First-Hand Account

The student ambassadors aren't there simply to point you towards the next lecture or hand out free tote bags. They really do have the inside track.

So it’s worthwhile asking them (however, cringy it might be) about what bits they’re enjoying and why, and get a real feel for the pros and cons of the university.

Where do they live and where they lived in the first year, and if they had their time again where would they be…

Ask if the university is supportive if you encounter a problem with your course or your accommodation or suffer a family or wellbeing issue.

You might want to ask if they know how the university handles clearing, and if it’s well managed? Also how flexible the university is if you slip an A-Level grade?

From personal experiences I know that some universities are better at handling accommodation and course change requests, while others can be inflexible and require ingenuity to break down their call centre façade.

And last but not least, ask what the city is really like to live in and go out, consider its costs, social scene, and friendliness.

Advice from existing students is something you can’t find in the official prospectus.

The Alternative Guide to University Open Days from Sherpa Tutors

Open Days Are Like Window Shopping 

So while it’s great to get a flavour of universities and student life, unless A-levels have already been sat, there is something of the window shopping about the process.

Falling for a university can present a great incentive to work hard in order to secure the A-Level Grades needed. However, no open day can tell you exactly what university life will be like. The step up academically is significant, and friendships, teaching, societies and simply growing up all play a huge part.

In fact, around one in ten UK undergraduates don't continue at the same university after their first year. Some transfer elsewhere, change course or decide university life just isn’t for them. It's a reminder that no amount of research can predict the reality.

However, what open days can hopefully do is help you get a feel for a place, meet teaching staff, chat to current students and sometimes rule universities in—or out.

And Finally... 

While some parents might be organised and line up multiple open days, the aim isn’t to collect as many open days as possible, because ultimately you’re only going to go to one university.

So if you find the process the whole process of open days stressful, nowadays there’s so much you can find out on forums, from visiting the cities or staying with friends independently, there’s nothing wrong with bypassing the whole open day process completely.

The reality is, if your child is aiming for a competitive course, then A-Level and BTEC results are often the determining factor to which university they finally attend.

That’s where the right support can make a real difference. We have a brilliant cohort of A-level tutors at Sherpa tutors, including:

🌟 59% with SEN teaching experience

🌟 46% Qualified Teachers

🌟 16% Qualified Examiners

So if your child is looking to maximise their A-Level grades, personalised tutoring can really help achieve ambitious university goals, and at Sherpa tutors, we’d be delighted to help you find the right A-Level tutor.