Open Days
Open days are important when researching which HE institutions/courses you want to progress to after college.  
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Open Days give you an idea of what the university/course/city is like, and whether this suits you. Check university websites for more details. 
Why go to an open day?
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You can talk to tutors who teach the course, current students and other students who are thinking about applying for the course.
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You can ask any questions you have that are important to you, as well as hearing what other people ask that you might not even have thought about!
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You can ask questions about things like:
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Accommodation
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Course content
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Social life / clubs and societies
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Safety
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Support available (such as financial, careers etc.)
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?
Physical vs virtual open days
Physical open days
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Go to the university in person to see things like the teaching rooms, library and accommodation.
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Get a feel for the campus / location – could you imagine yourself living / studying there for a number of years?
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You can see what the other people who are applying for the course seem like. Do you think you could imagine getting along with them? (Remember not all of them will end up going there!)
Virtual open days
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Online webinars, webcasts and zoom meetings.
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These allow you to virtually view the area and listen to talks by academic staff on what the course content is like. You may have the opportunity to ask questions.
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While this doesn’t give you the full feel for a university, if this is the only option due to things like distance making visiting in person not practical, this is better than nothing!
Top tips:
Try to attend as many open days in person as you can - this will give you a better understanding and feel of a place. It really does help to compare places to each other.
Don’t be afraid to contact departments and lecturers at your chosen university to find out more. Usually they’ll give you their email address during the open day if they’re happy for contact.
University social media pages are a good way to keep up to date about Open Days and other events at the university as they are updated regularly.