Chloe's top questions to ask at a university open day

Student ambassador Chloe shares her top questions to ask at an Undergraduate Open Day.

A university open day is the golden opportunity for you to get a glimpse of your upcoming university life and ask multiple questions. A typical University of Warwick Open Day is packed with informative events such as campus tours, accommodation tours, academic sessions and sports and societies fairs. It allows you to step into the shoes of a university student and gain a full understanding of what university life is all about. In this blog, I have highlight some key areas which I would recommend for you to ask a range of questions about during a university open day.

Academic Life

If you are aiming to get a university degree, you will have to dedicate time for studying and completing coursework. Having a thorough understanding of the course allows you to know whether it is the right choice for you. If you are feeling unsure about which course you’re interested in, attending academic talks and asking current students about the course content is really useful.

You could also ask some of the following questions:

• What is the structure and content of the course?  
• How will the coursework be assessed? Are they mainly individual or group work?
• Are there any exchange or year abroad opportunities during the course?  
• What is your favourite part about studying at this university?
• What academic support services are available? (e.g., personal tutor, mentorship scheme, buddy scheme

Career support

Who doesn’t want to successfully graduate at the university and get their dream job offer? It is crucial to explore the career prospects of the course you are planning to take, the career services available at your faculty and the other careers support available to you by the university. For example, the WBS CareerPlus team offer career-related guidance to business school students exclusively. They do not only provide services such as one-to-one counselling, mock interviews, CV workshops, but also organise several career fairs and networking events with large corporations throughout the year.

You could ask some of the following questions:  

• How does the careers team help me secure an internship or work placement offer?
• What industries do students enter after graduating from this course?
• What are the career support services available?
• What training can I do at university to become more employable?
• Are there any connections with local employers?

Campus life

Explore the campus! This is where you are potentially going to spend 3-4 years of your life. Make sure you walk around the buildings on the campus and check out the facilities and social spaces. At the University of Warwick I would recommend that you check out the newly opened Faculty of Arts Building, Central Library, and the Sports and Wellness Hub.

Helpful questions you could ask about campus life could be:

• What’s your favourite spot on campus?
• What are the nearby towns and cities like?
• What sort of events and activities are organised by the university? What is the best event so far?
• Are the facilities and buildings well-maintained?
• Are there any cafes or restaurants nearby?

Extra-curricular activities

There is nothing more fun and memorable than joining a few societies and extra-curricular activities whilst you’re at university. It is crucial to have a work-life balance and what’s more, extra-curricular activities provide you with a great way to make lifelong friends.

Helpful questions you could ask could be:

• What sports team or societies can I take part in?
• How do you balance your society activities and academic life?
• Are there any volunteering opportunities available at university?
• Are there any part-time jobs available for university students?

Accommodation

Most students and parents are concerned about the overall environment and security of university accommodation. Living away from your family might seem daunting at first, but you can learn to be more independent. Moreover, living with your friends and flatmates is a unique experience.

Here are some questions you could ask about accommodation:

• How do you get along with your flatmates?
• Do you feel safe living on campus?
• Are all the on-campus accommodations self-catered?
• How do you secure off-campus accommodation? Does the university provide any support for you?
• Are they any public transport links from the off-campus accommodation to the university?

A university open day is the perfect opportunity to get a genuine feel of what it is like to study and live as a university student. Ask an array of question and remember the more inquisitive you are, the more information you can obtain to prepare for your future university experience. Keep an open mind and take notes of the advice you receive on the day. This will help you make a clearer decision on what university is right for you. Most importantly, enjoy the open day and try to experience the life of a university student!

If you do have any questions or queries you can always contact our Undergraduate Recruitment Team via email at ugrecruitment@wbs.ac.uk.

Interested in attending our next Open Day? Find out more here.