An open day is your first chance to get a real feel of a university, to see what they offer and what the whole thing looks like before choosing where, exactly, to apply for. As such, it’s a pretty big deal. You should know that and the university definitely knows that, so they’ll be intent on showing off as much as humanly possible. This is like a blind date and they’re the ones that should be trying hard, so play hard-to-get, if you like, and remember that while they want you, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make a good impression, too.

There are a lot of things to check out when attending a university open day; the facilities, staff, how well-prepared they are, the quality of the free sandwiches, the state of the union, how tired the students look… a lot. So we’ve knocked up a quick guide for you so you know what to look for and how to tell if a university’s made a good first impression. You’re welcome.

First Impressions

This is the big one – your first impressions of a university will have a big effect on whether or not you apply there; whether we tell you they are or not. Remember, it’s like a date, and the first impression you get of the university is likely to stick with you throughout your day. Make sure, though, to be careful with this one – that your first impression isn’t everything. It’s not really the university’s fault if it happens to be raining that day, or if you get attacked in the street by an urban fox. Although in that case, maybe you should consider somewhere different. Still, the point is that the university can’t control everything, and you should bare that in mind.

It’s not really the university’s fault if it happens to be raining that day, or if you get attacked in the street by an urban fox

That said, the university can do a lot to make your first impression of a place a favourable one. Generally there will be stalls, stands and guides waiting to help you get around OK and enjoy yourself whilst you’re there. Also, Coursefindr officially endorses any university that has an opening reception involving free sandwiches and possibly biscuits. That is a must, in our eyes.

So, remember first impressions aren’t everything but make sure to recognise what the university has and hasn’t prepared for you. This is your day, you’re the bell of the ball, and you’re the one that should be fussed over and lavished with attention. So they should be making an effort. If they’re not, then you may want to reconsider.

Things To See

If you do choose this university, you’re going to be working very hard here for – generally – at least three years. That means you want the facilities to be airtight, affordable, and enjoyable. The union should look nice, the toilets should be clean, and the library should be stuffed full of (the right) books and busy students. If that isn’t the case, you’ve visited the wrong university. Don’t be afraid to be nosy and check out places like lecture theatres (though make sure not to disturb anyone) and labs (ditto) to see where you’re going to be spending your time. It’s important you make the right choice; don’t be too embarrassed or lazy to have a thorough look around or you could spend the next three years regretting it immensely.

The first place you should visit is, without any doubt, the library. This is the most important place you’ll be spending time outside your department (which you should be shown round) and you should get to grips with the place and see if it’s up to your standards before anything else. Everything else outside the department is secondary – you won’t have to visit the union or the bookshop if you don’t want to; you will have to visit the library.

Don’t just see if the library looks nice, either – look for the practical things like plug sockets (a student can never have too many plug sockets), printers, desks, computers and staff. It’s also a good idea to see how crowded it is at peak time (which should be around 1pm) and see if there would be enough space to fit yourself into the mix as well – you may regret it later if you don’t.

The second thing that every good open-day visitor should check is the union. If they have a restaurant try the food and see what you think and if it’s affordable enough to be worth visiting again. If they have a bar see what drinks are on offer. Ask if it has any nightlife, have a nosy. Just generally look around and see what’s going on and think “would I come here again if I had the choice?”. It’s that simple. Make sure to also check out the more serious side of things that should be in a student union like the student support services etc. etc. You might not think you need them right now, but you never know what’s going to happen in three years and it’s a good idea to make sure there’s a system in place just in case you will ever need it.

Third, you should check the facilities around the entire university. Is the campus clean? Are there toilets dotted around the place? Is there a decent amount of cafes and things in the campus? Do you have a decent choice of places to go? Most importantly, could you kill an hour here without too much trouble? There’s a lot to think about here and a lot to consider, but remember, the university should be showing off its good side, so if you’re not impressed now; you won’t be impressed when you’re studying here full time.

Town

The university isn’t the only thing to visit when going on an open day – after all, you won’t be living there and you certainly won’t be spending every hour of your free time there. Another immensely important thing to consider is what the surroundings are like. A university could be the most prestigious in the world, but if you’re likely to get mugged on the way home it may not be the best choice for you.

Remember, the university should be showing off its good side, so if you’re not impressed now; you won’t be impressed when you’re studying here full time.

So, visit the area around the university and see what the scene’s like outside school hours. Stroll into a few bars and restaurants to see what it’s like, and try to ask one of your open-day guides to direct you to where the students live. And no, we don’t mean halls (though you should check them out if you get a chance, too). We mean the second and third year accommodation houses. Yes, we know that they’re managed by landlords generally and so could be dotted anywhere around the place, but generally student houses tend to stay in the same area near the university and more likely than not your future house will be in that area too. So make sure to see what the houses are like!

Also make sure to check out distances and shops and other practical things like that. Where are you likely to go out drinking? Is everything within a decent walking distance of the campus? Are there any dodgy areas you’d like to steer clear of if you can? All of these questions are, basically, intuitive, so you should act more from instinct than anything else. Be practical, be straightforward, and honestly ask yourself if you would enjoy living here for three years – this is a huge step, and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

What You Should Do

Now, we know we’ve gone on and on about this being the university’s chance to impress you, and not the other way around, but there are a few things you should probably take into account before lording your way around the place and demanding better sandwiches and a better-value lunch. This is also a good opportunity to leave your mark on the people you meet, and this could have some exciting and far-reaching consequences in the long run.

First off, ask lots and lots of questions as soon as you get a chance. Nobody likes enthusiasm like universities do, and this is your chance to learn as much about a university as you can. So; ask how the course is taught, if there’s many seminars, what’s the coursework based around, how many floors does the library have, what do the current students think of everything; and more and more and more. If you have any relevant questions at all, ask them. This is your one chance to really evaluate a university before you apply and so you need to find out as much as possible about the place. It is simply the sensible thing to do.

Make sure to take a notebook with you when you visit and make some notes on the place. This isn’t so you look good; it’s so you can remember everything about the different universities a month later when you’re trying to work out what to pick. Record as much as possible – and make sure to make a note of who gave the best sandwiches.

Moving anywhere new is hard and moving into halls can be a difficult experience and a lot of people, understandably, get homesick. We hate to seem cruel, but get used to it: you’re going to be at university for a long time, now, and even when you’re finished it’s pretty unlikely (in our experience) that you’ll want to move back in with your parents. So, it’s time to be pro-active – the only way you’ll start to feel more comfortable with moving away from home and into halls is if you start to make your halls feel like a home; that is what they are now, after all.

We’ve gathered a few suggestions that will help you start to consider your halls as your home, but the real message here is simply to make yourself feel comfortable with the place. If our creature comforts aren’t for you, then go ahead and do whatever you like. Sleep in handcuffs or keep a bucket of meat in your room if it helps you feel comfortable, whatever. Just make sure that you start to feel at home.

Everything else will come naturally after that, but feeling at home is something you should focus on – it’s how you’ll get the very best out of your first year.

So, without further ado, here’s our list of stuff that you could do to achieve that goal. You don’t need to do any of these, but in our experience they help. Go crazy, man. Do whatever feels right.

1. Posters. Paintings. Marker pen. Whatever. Just cover your room with a little bit of personality, and make sure you’re able to repair the damage once you leave, or you’ll get charged for holes in the walls left by blu-tac and that kind of stuff. If you’re going to use marker pen, then try in a corner of the room first and see if it wipes off with nail-varnish remover. If it does, then go right ahead and make sure you sort the room out afterwards.

   Generally, though, go for blu-tack – it’s the best thing to use. Oh, and never, ever use Sellotape. It will only go badly for you when it comes to taking stuff down – half the wall will come off with it and you’ll end up with a bill for re-plastering the entire block.

   It will only go badly for you when it comes to taking stuff down – half the wall will come off with it and you’ll end up with a bill for re-plastering the entire block

   Don’t limit your postering and painting to just your room if you don’t want to, either – you want all of the halls to feel like a home, and your house-mates may appreciate the odd poster.

2. If you’re a bit of a party-er (well done), then consider keeping some of your conquests for room decorations. And by that we mean keeping beer/vodka/rum/ohmygodisthatevenlegal bottles somewhere or even the obligatory traffic cone (Coursefindr does not condone the theft of highway maintenance equipment). It’s a timeless student classic, and offers unlimited excitement when mum or dad comes to visit and see what you’ve made of the place.

   On a serious note, it’s probably not a good idea to do that, in case you were wondering. Might make it more difficult to make friends. But definitely decorate your room to your style, is what we’re saying – that’ll be the fastest way to make it feel like home.

3. Lighting is a very important aspect in any living space, and you never really notice until you’ve bought an extra light how nice it is to have more control over the level of light. You can move from porn lighting to revision lighting to desperately-trying-to-stay-awake-because-you-have-an-essay lighting. Whatever your poison is, consider investing in an extra lamp or two to get a bit more choice and so you can decorate your room with a bit more ease.

   By the same token, consider getting your hands on some coloured light bulbs to generally jazz the place up a little bit – it’s just more fun that way.

4. Nice smelling stuff. Smell is neglected generally as just a thing that happens when you forget the pizza box under your bed. It doesn’t have to be this way, consider buying some nice smelling candles or incense (and don’t let anyone catch you burning them inside) or something a little more masculine if you really don’t want to be caught with smelly candles. Maybe taurine extract or testosterone spray. Whatever you go for, just make sure your room smells nice and habitable, if not good.

   By the same token, try to occasionally open your window and let some fresh air in – it’s all very well burning scented candles or spraying something, but in the end if you don’t have a window open you’re just going to end up in a room full of stuff-that-isn’t-oxygen. Which – and we might need to check a textbook on this one – is probably a bad thing.

5. Your collection of books. Or CDs. Or comics. Again, it really doesn’t matter what collection it is, and yes, it may be a bit of a pain and a little impractical to move it to a new place, but it’ll certainly help you feel at home in your environment, and give you a nice opportunity to show off the next time someone puts their head through your door.

   This is going to sound horribly cynical, but make sure that you keep whatever collection it is under careful scrutiny. There have been cases of students stealing from other students before, and there will be again – don’t be nasty about it, just keep an eye out.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, do whatever makes you more comfortable – that’s what being at home is all about.