If I could only give one piece of advice to people planning to go to University it would be to go to as many open days as possible!
I'm very lucky because I have the most supportive parents anyone could ask for who are willing to take me all over the country on my own personal university tour, but even if you don't have parents like that, ask anyone you know who drives; Aunts, Uncles, Grandmas, Granddads, Friends, whoever and if that doesn't work then try to get there yourself. In my opinion the open day is the most important part of your decision. Obviously, i'm not at uni yet so take that judgement with a pinch of salt but it tells you so much more than a prospectus or a website can.
When I finish my tour I will have visited 8 universities which I suspect is more than most people go to see. This is because after the first open day I went to, I realised how important they were in my decision. Personally, I think that there are three equal weighted elements that guide your decision about a University when you visit an open day, so if you're short of time on the day, definitely go to these things.
1)The course talk should inspire you, especially with a course like Journalism. 4 out of 6 of the course talks I've seen have inspired me, which leaves the others falling a bit behind in my mind and makes me wonder if that's the place that will give me the best and most enjoyable degree.
2)The Accommodation is crucial. It is most likely to be where you are living for at least a year of your life. It's enough of a shock to be away from home and the people you've seen every day for your whole life, without being thrown into awful living conditions. The first halls I visited were dirty and quite small, which I just assumed was how halls are, but after seeing other accommodation I now know that it's not supposed to be like that. If the place you are living is a tiny box filled with dirt and is an hours walk away from your lectures then you might want to question if it is actually worth it.
3)Finally, you need to be able to live there. Like I said before, it's a big shock to your life, there is so much change so I feel like I need to like the place and the university. Look around the town and see if you can imagine going shopping there or just living in that area. Most importantly though, I think you get a feel for the University as soon as you arrive. There was one university that I could imagine myself going to and many of my friends thought would be the place I'd end up but it confused me beyond belief. As soon as I arrived, I knew it wasn't somewhere I could see myself being, the course talk was amazing but in the end I knew that I wouldn't be happy living and studying in that place so it isn't one of my choices.
I'm interested to see how the final two open days go, this week and next because I'm banking on them being my 3rd and 4th choices but it could all change, they could be completely erased from my UCAS application or they could go higher up or lower down, we'll just have to see. They're going to have a hard job beating my first choice though, which ticked every single box, however I'm definitely going to need other choices as it really is one of the best of the best. The open day really showed me why everyone I have spoken to about Journalism there raves about how much respect they have for the inspirational Professor.
Also, along with this university tour I somehow managed to fit in going to see Katy Perry with one of my best friends on Saturday night at the O2. It was genuinely one of the most fun nights of my life and if you ever get the chance to see her, it is definitely worth it. The brilliant costumes and amazing vocals are great selling points but a candy floss scented arena and a foam and confetti party to finish the night off is a big bonus. It was also a bit strange though because I am also Katy and although the crowd weren't referring to me, having the whole of the o2 chanting your name makes you feel very good about yourself.
