Making the most of open days
It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog post, as I only finished my lab work last week, so there’s lots to catch up on! But with Warwick’s summer open days taking place tomorrow and Saturday, I thought it would be fitting to write a post about how to make the most of your first time on campus.
First off, I would recommend that you look out for the Warwick Welcome Service ambassadors (we’re the ones in the yellow t-shirts!). There’ll be plenty of us on campus and to greet you from various train stations etc. We’re here to help, have a chat, and answer any questions you might have. I’m working on the park and ride from Stoneleigh Park, so hopefully I’ll get the chance to meet lots of prospective students!
A few weeks back WWS ambassadors and bloggers were asked to submit their open day experiences and top tips for making the most of an open day. Here’s what I wrote:
"I still remember my first open day at Warwick really clearly. I say first, becasue I just couldn’t get enough of campus and attended a second open day before I recieved my offer! It was a beautiful day, and the atmosphere on campus was infectious. Warwick felt like home almost immediately, and I knew it was the university for me! Open days give you the perfect chance to get a feel for a university, and at Warwick in particular, all the best it has to offer is on display. It can seem overwhelming at first, but plan and prioitise what is most important to you. Don’t worry if you don’t see everything on campus, you can always visit again, just like I did!"
And while it may sound simple, I do think that the best thing you can do is just prioritise what is most important, whether that’s your seeing your department, accomodation or wider campus. I didn’t have time to see all the accomodation on my first open day, hence coming to a second, but I also ended up having an offer holders day that included a campus tour, so there may well be other opportunities outside of open days!
In my opinion, prioritising the things that you would only experience on an open day, such as soaking in the atmosphere (campus will surely be heaving!) having a wander around campus to enjoy it for the very first time, and attending the specialised talks, would be a good place to start. Chances are you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see accomodation etc. and I found the University’s online resources to be really helpful too. I’d say to just take some time to enjoy campus and get a feel for whether or not it could be your new home!
There’ll be plenty to keep you occupied, from Creative Warwick to society demonstations and information stands – watch out for the lovely folks at Warwick Boar distributing the latest issue of the University’s paper (shameless plug). Maybe grab yourself some lunch from the Bread Oven and enjoy the sun (fingers crossed) on the piazza. Most importantly relax, and have a lovely day!
