[Misc] University Open Days - what to look for.

BrightonCottager · Oct 13, 2023

Turning to NSC for advice on accompanying your offspring to University Open Days. We're going up to MASSIVE Leeds today.

I'm pretty much going to follow this advice
and ask about accommodation options not just in the first year as I know this is a massive problem in some places.

Also any advice from parents, current and ex-students of Leeds, Sheffield, Cardiff and Bristol is much appreciated. Ta

BNthree · Oct 13, 2023

That guide covers most of it. Ask about pastoral care and support for students.

Ding Dong ! · Oct 13, 2023

One of my daughters is off to Uni next year as well. My only advise ( which was given to us a year ago ) was to make sure you're putting away about £500 pm towards their living costs. ( Accom, clothing, food, etc etc ). Won't cover all everyday living costs but will go a long way to helping.

Chicken Run · Oct 13, 2023

BrightonCottager said:
Turning to NSC for advice on accompanying your offspring to University Open Days. We're going up to MASSIVE Leeds today.

I'm pretty much going to follow this advice
and ask about accommodation options not just in the first year as I know this is a massive problem in some places.

Also any advice from parents, current and ex-students of Leeds, Sheffield, Cardiff and Bristol is much appreciated. Ta

Two of my children are currently at Leeds

Chicken Run · Oct 13, 2023

One is in halls the other in his 4th and final year, both sorted out all their own accommodation, didn’t need to get involved, just drove them up there helped them move in etc, my daughters halls this year are superb

Edit in fact they both decided on their University as well, didn’t need to do any tours, these young people are quite organised when you let them crack on

Horses Arse · Oct 13, 2023

BrightonCottager said:
Turning to NSC for advice on accompanying your offspring to University Open Days. We're going up to MASSIVE Leeds today.

I'm pretty much going to follow this advice
and ask about accommodation options not just in the first year as I know this is a massive problem in some places.

Also any advice from parents, current and ex-students of Leeds, Sheffield, Cardiff and Bristol is much appreciated. Ta

Leeds is fine for accommodation - Hyde Park has loads of cheap student places. Bristol is a real problem one apparently re accommodation.

Also, some uni's still seem to be doing on line stuff, which is a piss take. Southampton was apparently, according to students when I visitied last yeat, acoustics course. Worth asking about that.

Also a great opportunity to behave embarrassingly and really freak out your offspring - great fun.

Deportivo Seagull · Oct 13, 2023

Advice I gave my two was when standing in the middle of the campus. ”it’s a wet Tuesday in November and you have had a bad day. How do you think you’ll feel being here“. Apparently both thought this was sound advice and helped with deciding which Uni they went to.
FWIW, my daughter did this at dirty Leeds and wasnt a fan of city campus. My two ended up at Uni of a york and Uni of Nottingham.

Goldstone1976 · Oct 13, 2023

BrightonCottager said:
Turning to NSC for advice on accompanying your offspring to University Open Days. We're going up to MASSIVE Leeds today.

I'm pretty much going to follow this advice
and ask about accommodation options not just in the first year as I know this is a massive problem in some places.

Also any advice from parents, current and ex-students of Leeds, Sheffield, Cardiff and Bristol is much appreciated. Ta

One of my daughters graduated from Leeds three years ago. She had no problem finding a house to share with 4 or 5 other students for years 2 and 3. She was in Halls in year 1.

Harry Wilson's tackle · Oct 13, 2023

Look at the national student survey for specific uni and courses to see whether the staff are decent or not.

National Student Survey data - Office for Students

This section contains data from the National Student Survey (NSS).

www.officeforstudents.org.uk

Look only at last year's comments. Some places are still in a mess with post covid arrangements. Here at my uni (one of the big 3 in London) there is a strong drive to put everything on Campus, but this is not always appropriate. Recently we made 50 students and 2 staff schlep all the way to a satellite campus so that a session could be done in person because there were no theatres available on the man campus. It should have been delivered via Teams.

Also all unis are buggered to a greater or lesser extent due to 'unforseen' high intake owing to A level grade inflation during Covid. We ended up with 800 in our common year 1 for biomed sci instead of 400. This has meant delivery of lectures twice to split cohorts. In itself this is OK but it means that staff can be twitchy. It may be worthwhole asking about this.

Finally our open days are set up and run by the marketing department so, guess, what, they are a bit shit. I am admissions tutor for my degree programme, and I find the whole thing a bit embarrassing. We are still inundated with students, though and have a high entry bar because our programme is popular, in London, and the staff are, by and large, really decent.

Bottom line - trust your gut (and your kid's gut - some places may 'feel' to them too academic and others may 'feel' to happyclappy).

Muzzman · Oct 13, 2023

This is more or less my job working for University of Sussex, I'm an Admissions Coordinator there. You've covered what you need to do, there's not much more advice I can give.

Most universities have a Student Hub, and if you haven't already, it's good advice to read through the information they provide. Leeds student hub can be found here: https://students.leeds.ac.uk/

Doonhamer7 · Oct 13, 2023

From my experience (one just graduated and one in 2nd year) don‘t ask any questions - you’ll just embarrass your child. Our son wouldn’t take us to most visits after my Mrs started asking questions. With my daughter we didn’t go to any visits - she went with her friends.

They have to feel they like the university, the accommodation and the city as they have to live there not you. The questions you may want to know (you can get from internet) Such as employment chances (what percentage get job in the industry / profession 6months after graduation), is specialisation(s) in 3rd / 4th year in fields your child wants to move into, is it a Russell Group University (this does make a difference to recruiters), where does the degree sit in league tables, if it requires industry placement - do they do it or is it on your child to find it. You / your child is going to get £50k+ debt so has to add value.

I did none of this when choosing mine!! choice for me was whether I wanted to live in Glasgow or Edinburgh, which university was secondary choice

BrightonCottager · Oct 13, 2023

This is all brilliant advice. Thank you.

I work at the University of Brighton but have only been on the receiving end of queries about the course I teach on, not all the other stuff that's changed since I was at universityin the late 70s / early 80s. As for embarrassing her, I'm planning to meet up with an old mate from University days tonight for a skinful - and she's coming too!

Giraffe · Oct 13, 2023

Mine is in her third year at Uni now. We did all the rounds, probably 6 or 7 Uni's for the course she wanted to do. My advice would be chose what feels right. Some are pretty run down but most are decent these days with a good level of onsite accommodation, or purpose built privately owned accommodation blocks. Students nowadays shouldn't have to live in the dregs like my generation did. I wouldn't send her anywhere that didn't have good accommodation options, as that is more the norm now.

In terms of the courses, it is hard to pick between all the similar ones but in general they are all distinct for some reason or other and if it matters to your child I guess that's a distinction. But for me it was Accommodation and campus buildings and general vibe that we went with.

She is very happy at Uni of Nottingham by the way.

ps) in general, but not always, the ex Poly's are less well funded and feel more run down. Not all but mostly.

dazzer6666 · Oct 13, 2023

Giraffe said:
Mine is in her third year at Uni now. We did all the rounds, probably 6 or 7 Uni's for the course she wanted to do. My advice would be chose what feels right. Some are pretty run down but most are decent these days with a good level of onsite accommodation, or purpose built privately owned accommodation blocks. Students nowadays shouldn't have to live in the dregs like my generation did. I wouldn't send her anywhere that didn't have good accommodation options, as that is more the norm now.

In terms of the courses, it is hard to pick between all the similar ones but in general they are all distinct for some reason or other and if it matters to your child I guess that's a distinction. But for me it was Accommodation and campus buildings and general vibe that we went with.

She is very happy at Uni of Nottingham by the way.

ps) in general, but not always, the ex Poly's are less well funded and feel more run down. Not all but mostly.

Interesting….our eldest was far more concerned about the course, ranking and being a Russell Group place than the (fairly rank tbh) accommodation she ended up in for her first year (Edinburgh). Guess it comes down to what’s important to the individual - her course was small (they only essentially take one class of about 30 per year for her course) and was exceptionally well run by an obsessively committed principal. She ended up doing a Masters through the same school and under the obsessive tutor……..

Our youngest didn’t get any further than Brighton Uni (Eastbourne campus, and lived there) and then Chichester (during covid so was most at home/on placement at his football club) for his MSc as he wanted to be within striking distance of friends, the Albion etc.

Gwylan · Oct 13, 2023

The only thing I'd suggest (apart from the obvious question of accommodation) is how near the city centre everything is. I chose my uni partly because it was based near the centre so shopping, nightlife, station etc was very convenient. But some people (my sister, for example) actually liked being in the middle of nowhere.

On a minor point, when did uni open days become a thing? I didn't go to any in the mid 70s, nor did my sister in the mid-80s, but they seem to be everywhere right now. You had an interview at your top choice uni and that was it

Mackenzie · Oct 13, 2023

The two eldest are both at Bristol University, they love living there and the place feels pretty safe to me (which is important when you worry about them).

jackalbion · Oct 13, 2023

SU Bar, and local non league clubs is what I'd recommend. You've got to have a good feel for the place, the moment I stepped foot in Huddersfield I thought it was the right place.

Harry Wilson's tackle · Oct 13, 2023

Gwylan said:
The only thing I'd suggest (apart from the obvious question of accommodation) is how near the city centre everything is. I chose my uni partly because it was based near the centre so shopping, nightlife, station etc was very convenient. But some people (my sister, for example) actually liked being in the middle of nowhere.

On a minor point, when did uni open days become a thing? I didn't go to any in the mid 70s, nor did my sister in the mid-80s, but they seem to be everywhere right now. You had an interview at your top choice uni and that was it

I'm the same age as you. I went to open days at Aston and Bath, and UCL.

Deportivo Seagull · Oct 13, 2023

jackalbion said:
SU Bar, and local non league clubs is what I'd recommend. You've got to have a good feel for the place, the moment I stepped foot in Huddersfield I thought it was the right place.

my lad went to York and new within minutes that it was the Uni for him. He completed 4 year MChem and is now just starting 2nd year of his PhD. I can’t see him ever leaving York.

Herr Tubthumper · Oct 13, 2023

To answer the question, fit students.

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