A UCAS fair is a big exhibition with different stands representing a large range of universities and apprenticeship providers. It’s very useful because all the institutions are in one central location and is a great opportunity to talk to universities. It’s for anyone who may be unsure about what’s next but also for those who may have an idea but would like to explore or narrow down their options. To search for a fair head to this website: Home | UK University Search
An open day is the opportunity for you to visit a university campus that you’re interested in! I found them useful as it helped me decide which universities I wanted to go to e.g., the lab facilities at York University were much better than the University of Bath. They normally offer different talks about different topics, such as student life, courses, student finance, accommodation etc. There is normally the opportunity for campus and accommodation tours as well as for different courses.
Open days are normally in September, October and November, and these are generally for Year 13 who are making applications. There are also open days in June and July which are generally for year 12 students wishing to make an early start on their research, or apply early, and for year 13 students wishing to revisit.
Before the day, it’s important to prepare for the event so you can make the most out of it and get all the answers you need to make those decisions!
- Plan how you will get there and who you will go with!
- Remember to register for the event and download the programme.
- Consider which course/courses you are interested in – university websites are the best place to start; look at what the course offers, does it interest you?
- Identify in advance the universities that offer the course(s) that you are hoping to study.
- Consider where you may want to live in the country.
- Create a shortlist of your top unis that you are most interested in and visit these stands/open days first.
- Draft questions in advance that you would like to ask university representatives.
- Visit websites to gather any information you might need.
University websites are the best place to start when planning for the event – remember to take a look at what the course offers and think about whether it interests you. The UCAS website is great for search courses: Courses | UCAS
The primary reason universities attend UCAS fairs and put on open days is to talk to the students, therefore it’s important to remember to:
- Be prepared and organised before the event.
- Ask plenty of questions which will help you to narrow down your options.
- Be open to considering other options.
- Talk to people; this will help build your confidence and communication, which are important skills you can develop for the future.
- Take note of any answers you receive so you don’t forget anything when you get home.
