What I Gained from Attending a Warwick Open Day

The summer is almost here, which means the opportunity to attend numerous university open days has arrived. Brochures, websites and endless subject rankings can only reveal so much; there is nothing quite like attending a university in-person to learn whether it’s the right educational institution for you. With Covid-19 restrictions having all but ended in the UK, open days are back. If you can, it’s well worth taking the time to visit. 

I explored Warwick back in June 2018 as an A-level student at the end of year 12. I knew politics was the subject I wanted to pursue further and Warwick’s reputation in that academic discipline kept reoccurring online. Visiting was a necessity. My sixth form thankfully allowed students two days per academic year to use for for open days, even though many take place at the weekend. 

Apart from Warwick Castle (quite a distance from Warwick’s campus!), I knew nothing about the University of Warwick’s geographical location or history. The Open Day was therefore essential for getting my bearings and making the reality of university clear. Upon arrival, a friendly tour guide took a group of us around the campus, with a chance to see the library, Students’ Union, Arts Centre and key helpful locations on campus. This general tour was extremely useful for showing me how close together everything was – indeed, that’s one of Warwick’s many strengths. 

After this, I wanted to visit the Politics and International Studies department. After all, they would be in charge of I was accepted. There was thankfully a talk in one of the Arts Centre cinemas (before all the refurbishment) as well as a chance to visit the department and learn more about what the course’s content. I would really recommend using the Open Day to ask lots of questions. Yes, a Google Search is available but there is something far more reassuring about speaking to an actual person. 

This was particularly relevant when visiting the Disability and Wellbeing team. I am hearing impaired and wear two hearing aids, meaning an awareness of the services Warwick specifically provided were essential. Speaking to the team was therefore invaluable for making me feel at ease and knowing support was available. Similarly, a talk on becoming more financially independent at university was very helpful and something that’s easy to forget. Again, the people speaking fundamentally want you to do well by ensuring you have the necessary support in place.

Open days therefore offer a great mixture of talks, lots of stands to ask questions and a chance to visit the departments of your chosen subjects. Perhaps the best part of the day though is just walking around campus to gain your own impression of the location. Whether it’s sitting having lunch on the piazza, visiting Curiositea or looking inside the Oculus, there are numerous chances to learn about Warwick’s great educational prospects. Though Zoom and Teams have improved the world in many ways, an open day is an educational experience and opportunity you don’t want to miss.