How to support someone attending an Open Day
By Sachin, from the UK, studying Sports Management
Excited, nervous and confused. These were all the emotions I felt during my search for a university that fit me. You might ask what an open day is well in simple terms it’s a day when members of the public are able to visit a place or institution in which previously they may not have access to. Each university does it differently and coming into the University of Edinburgh open day I had no idea what to expect.
Arrival and first impressions
Having never been to Scotland before I had come by train for London Kings Cross with my parents. This helped to ease all the emotions I was feeling at the time as I knew I had support in my parents being there with me. The first memory I have of stepping off the train was the amazing view of the castle and the buzz around the city. Everyone seemed to have a beaming smile across their face which instantly put you in a better mood.
This was replicated on the campus; we first went onto the central campus seeing the impressive McEwan Hall first. Being told that’s the venue you could potentially be graduating from if you choose the University of Edinburgh planted a seed in my head where I began to envision myself going to the university. As well as looking around the campus, my parents (who had visited Edinburgh before) took me around the sites to get a real feel for the city which is vital when picking your university. I visited Stockbridge, Leith Walk, New Town and the Royal mile which made me fall in love with the city.
Talks, tours and information sessions
I also went to visit Moray House campus and attended a sports management lecture. The lecture gave me so much clarity and great insight into the course. As well as this, I managed to meet the course leaders who were very kind and offered honest but informative information. As well as this, the tours around the campus were very impressive and everyone that I spoke to that day were very kind always willing to answer any questions I had and made me feel incredibly welcome.
My parents also helped me to have the confidence to ask as well as approach the lecturers whilst also helping to pick the topics of what to ask about. Furthermore, they remained supportive consistently reminding me there were no stupid questions and that I was new to this environment.
Student interactions and university life
Through student interaction I gathered a great insight into what to expect in terms of university lifestyle. They gave great advice of how to manage social and academic life. In addition, they gave me a great advice on how to get involved with sports especially football which is something that has always been a massive part of my life. My student interactions also helped me to understand how societies work.
Coming out of school all of these new things can be very daunting and confusing however I felt constantly reassured throughout my open day due to the student interactions and simply having conversations with as many people as possible.
In conclusion, when coming to an open day anywhere it can often feel quite daunting and overwhelming. My advice would be to ask as many questions as possible, try to talk to as many people as possible and take the day at your own pace. If you are supporting anyone that is going to an open day the key is to be open and patient support them in whatever way you can. Ultimately, everyone working at the open day is there to help you so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
Tips for supporting someone at an open day
Whether you’re there as a parent, guardian or friend these are some way you can support a student attending an open day:
- Encourage your student to go in with an open mind
- Try to research the university and their preferred course before visiting
- Support your student to ask questions on the day
- Be patient with your student and support them in a way that suits them
- Make time to explore the city with them
