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An open day is your best opportunity to uncover what you really want to know about courses and universities – in other words, the stuff you won’t find in a prospectus
By Nik Taylor (Editor, The Uni Guide) | 01 April 2025 | 9 minutes read
Visiting a university on an open day is a unique opportunity. You get to discover a bit about what the uni's really like – spending a few hours exploring and feeling like you're already a student there.
After the open day is done, you'll have a much clearer idea of whether that uni is going to make it onto your application shortlist.
In this guide we'll share some tips that will help you prepare for your open days, including advice from Simon Fairbanks, head of community engagement at open day experts UniTasterDays.com. At the end of the article, you'll find a comprehensive list of questions to ask on the day itself.
Open days give you a real feel for a university and what life there is really like. It's a great chance to scope out your potential new home for the next few years.
There will be a tour as well as talks about accommodation, finance and student life. You can also speak to current students. Don't be afraid to ask questions and get their opinions – they are there to help.
All of this is great to experience in person if you possibly can. Yes, you can check out a virtual open day from your laptop instead - but it can't compete with actually being there.
"Choosing a university is an emotional decision," says Simon. "After all, you're choosing a home, not just a classroom. The sensory experience of being present at an open day cannot be replicated through a screen. It allows you to get a feel for a place. It brings you that intangible, instinctive, infamous 'gut feeling' about whether a campus is right for you."
Most universities will share their open day timetable in advance, so you can see what's happening when and plan out your time.
There will be a bunch of things to choose from: accommodation, campus and subject tours, as well as financial, subject and parent talks.
You don't have to go on every tour and sit through every talk – just pick the ones that will help your application decision.
Open days typically happen during the spring and summer before you apply to university, although many universities will hold another open day in the autumn.
You'll find specific information about each open day on the university's website.
Lots of universities will ask you to book your place on their open days. You can generally do that through their website: we've got links to these along with lots more information on The Uni Guide.
Although it's a great idea to go to open days in person, all that travelling around the country can get pricey.
Check the various travel options that might be available. You can get a third off all rail travel with a 16-25 Railcard, while good deals can often be found on coach travel - especially if you book well in advance.
Universities will provide financial help and incentives, to help students get to an open day. It's definitely worth taking a look at UniTasterDays.com (external link) for its huge, in-depth database of university travel incentives.
"After extensive research, we discovered a treasure trove of financial support offered by universities to make open day attendance more affordable," says Simon from the open day specialists.
"This includes free refreshments, free parking, discounted accommodation, local restaurant deals, and Uber Eats vouchers. However, the majority of universities focus on travel incentives. Travel incentives include discounts for train tickets and National Express coaches."
On top of those incentives, many universities also offer full or part-funded bursaries for open day travel. "Typically, students need to meet certain eligibility criteria to secure these bursaries," says Simon.
"Most commonly, they need to have a widening participation background. Other travel bursaries vary in amount depending on where the student lives, so those living further away from campus receive the highest level of financial support."
Nope. As we've covered above, getting along to an open day is hugely useful in helping you decide where to apply. And it's great to chat to lecturers and mingle with your potential coursemates. But it won’t affect your chances of being accepted if you don't go.
There's no dress code – just wear something you'll feel comfortable in.
It's completely up to you. Most students bring a parent but you can go with a friend or you can just go on your own.
Applicant days are something that happens after you've got your offers. Once you’ve submitted your Ucas application and universities have started offering you a place, they will probably invite you to an applicant day during spring.
Applicant days are specific to your course, rather than a general tour of the university; you can ask tutors and current students in-depth questions about course content.
Essentially, open days help you decide whether to apply for a particular university – and applicant days help you decide whether that university is going to be your firm choice.
You'll get the chance to chat with academics, staff and current students at an open day. They can all provide different perspectives on what the uni is like, so think of some questions you want to ask.
As well as asking about the course and facilities, think about things that could influence your life – what the city's like, the cost of public transport or if there's a society for your favourite hobby.
You might take a look through the uni's website to check for any questions covered on there. You'll feel better informed when you arrive - and it might spark some thoughts of other questions too.
Get these questions to the top of your list. This is where you're going to find out more about what you'll actually be doing at uni.
A lot of open days let you look around typical halls of residence. The likelihood is you'll probably be touring the best on offer, but it's a great time to do some fact-finding.
Don't be afraid to ask student ambassadors some probing questions, or politely approach a student on campus for a real-life student view of the uni and course. You could also swap notes with other visiting students.
This is another area that could be useful to discuss with current students who are already managing their finances.
The Student Room is proud to work with UEA, a UK top-25 university (Complete University Guide 2025) and UK top-30 university (The Times/Sunday Times 2024), as the official partner of our student life section.
Located on the edge of Norwich, a vibrant city full of secret gems just waiting to be discovered.
Visit their profile page to learn more or join the conversation on The Student Room's UEA forum.
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