How Open Days Can Help You Choose Which Uni to Go to

"Make sure you know what the university can do for you."

This post is presented in partnership with UNSW Sydney. Register for their Digital Open Day on Saturday 5 September here!

It is no secret that 2020 has been one highly chaotic year. With social distancing restrictions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, students have had to adapt to remote learning, and universities have needed to ensure COVID-19 does not prevent students from completing their degrees.

But no matter how wild this year has been, university-bound Year 12 students still face one very important question: Which uni am I going to go to?

There is undoubtedly a lot to consider when choosing which uni you should attend. For instance, you want to make sure it offers the right learning environment for you, aligns with your values and interests, and has opportunities to help you get job ready.

As UNSW Sydney expert student advisor, Chris Lewis told Student Edge on the first episode of our special podcast series, Goodbye High School, Hello Uni, attending an Open Day can help you get all of your questions answered.

"If you come in with a plan and you come in with a set of things that you really need to understand, then any university can really direct you to the people that can give you the answers to those questions," Chris says.

Pictured: Chris Lewis (supplied).

Of course, given that we’re living through a global pandemic, Open Days look a little different this year. UNSW is holding a digital Open Day, offering online campus tours and advice sessions.

Chris explains that there are still six questions you should ask yourself before attending any Open Day in order to make a well-informed decision about which uni you want to go to.

These include reflecting on what your interests are, how you like to learn, what kind of people you want to be around, how you stay motivated, what you need to feel comfortable at uni, and what excites you most about the prospect of heading to uni.

"If you don’t have a shopping list of what you want, how are you going to be able to check that the university can actually deliver on it for you?" he says.

"So, getting that continuity as you transition to the next phase in the university is really important."

Chris highlights that around 800 staff members will be available to answer every sort of question at UNSW’s Digital Open Day, which takes place on Saturday 5 September.

"So, you’ll jump into our advisory centre and chat with us one-on-one. If you want to connect with students we’ll connect with you students, if you want to connect with academics, we’ll connect you there," he says.

"Come in and ask us these questions as opposed to sitting back in a webinar in a passive sort of environment. We want those enthusiastic and excited students to join us at digital Open Day."

UNSW students Jenni Tyler and Tom Beak also joined us on the podcast to stress how important it is to get your questions answered at an Open Day.

Pictured: Tom Beak (supplied).

"Make sure you know what the university can do for you, and make sure you know those other opportunities that are around and available," says Tom, a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering student.

"Getting into Open Day with those questions about 'How can I start doing this?' or 'How can I get involved in this?' can really set up your entire university career."

Jenni, a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Fine Arts student, points out that it’s okay if you’re not entirely sure what degree you’re interested in. Instead, she thinks it’s equally as valuable to use Open Day as a way of finding out whether the uni can support your soft skills.

"It might be something more along the lines of I work really well with people, or I’m really good at problem solving, or I’m really interested in other cultures or working in large corporations.

"It’s about knowing how you work and what you want and the sort of skills you have that you can bring not just to your degree but to the workforce.”

Pictured: Jenni Tyler (supplied).

Discover the opportunities that will help shape your future with UNSW Sydney’s Open Day. Register now to gain access to the digital event on Saturday 5 September.

Header Image: Fox