We all lead busy lives, and thinking about heading off to Open Days could just feel like more chores to add to your list.
But we know that Open Days are so beneficial in helping you to decide what’s next for you after high school. So we’ve put together some tips and reminders that could help you to stay in control and get the most out of your Open Day experiences.
Pre-Launch List:
- Decide what’s really important to you. If you head off and wander round 5 different campuses aimlessly, you’ll probably have a good time and you’ll definitely learn a bit about uni. But unless you know what you’re looking for in advance you might just add to the muddle inside your head.
Start by thinking about which of the following points are most important in your decision making process:- Location
- Reputation
- Facilities
- Career/internship opportunities
- Course prerequisites
- Alternative pathways on to that course
- Core modules
- Majors choices
- Resources available
- Contact hours per week
- Additional hours of study required per week
- Support services available
- Career outcomes for that course
- Flexible and remote learning options
- Costs
- Search the open days happening this year. You can search online, or if you’re a member of Study Work Grow you can use the Study Work Grow Open Day Planner.
- You’ll need to register online if you plan on attending most Open Days.
- Set up your reminders with the right dates, times and locations.
- Download and save any programs, directions, transport timetables, plus a map of the campus (or print them off). Channel your inner show planning ninja – remember the way you planned your show bag route? It’s the same idea.
- Mark up the events that are most relevant to you or that you really don’t want to miss out on.
- If you have time and you’re super keen, you could even create your own itinerary for each event based around the workshops, talks, information sessions, or tours you’ve identified.
- Make a list of questions you’d like answered – ask your friends and family what questions they’d ask, there might be some great suggestions in there.
- Ask a friend, parent or sibling to come with you.
D-day
We recommend that you get there early to make the most of your day. Wear comfortable, practical clothes and shoes. Remember to take a pen and all of your paperwork, or your phone if you’ve downloaded it all.
Try and get along to all of the events you have highlighted.
Speak with lecturers, current students and staff, ask them your questions or just have a chat and find out what they have to say.
Learn about any support services that will be available to you if you enrol – financial, study, mental health, health, etc.
Do a campus tour and get a feel for the facilities including libraries, cafes, banks, book stores, security services.
Ask about accommodation options nearby and if possible take a look at a few.
See what social clubs and student activities are offered.
Don’t forget to grab any freebies, enter the competitions and sample the food available.
Reflect on your day
Once you’ve been to each Open Day, take some time to ponder if that uni or a specific course they offered ticked all (or lots) of the points back in the first checklist.
- Talk to the person you went with, find out if their opinions and impressions match your own.
- Make some notes about the Uni; with study and life to think about it’s easy to forget your thoughts on the day. And, if you decide that one uni isn’t for you, then one of your friends who couldn’t get to the Open Day might benefit from your insights.
- Found a uni or course that’s a perfect fit for you? Get your application started sooner rather than later – it’s one less thing to worry about down the track when exams are looming.
- Follow the Uni on Facebook and keep up to date with what’s going on.
For more information about Open Days head over to our page, or to access a copy of a comprehensive list of all the Open Days happening in 2022, you can download the Study Work Grow Open Day Planner.
