1. Plan your schedule for the day
First, it is important to plan your schedule for the day in advance. Check which studies interest you and register for them. Also, take a look at the university's programme. Often there are extra activities for which you need to register in advance, such as the Campus Tour at the University of Twente. With such a personalised plan ready, you will be prepared for the big day.
2. Do some preliminary reading
It is a good idea to do some reading beforehand. In fact, I highly recommend it. On the university website, you will find a lot of information. Take your time to read through the information on the study programmes you will be attending. This way, during the open day, you will already know what the study programme entails, and you will already have some background information to ask more in-depth questions.
3. Set a goal
Ask yourself the question: What do I really want to get out of this day? Are you exploring different studies because you have no idea what you want to study yet? Or are you almost sure, but still hesitating between different universities? Having a clear goal in mind allows you to approach the day with more focus (and prevents you from getting distracted by the free snacks and goody bags).
4. Make a list of questions
The open day is the ultimate chance to ask everything you want to know. After you have searched the website and set a personal goal, there are bound to be a lot of questions left unanswered. From study content to student life, write down the questions you want answers to. During the open day, there will be plenty of opportunities to ask all your questions, both to students and teachers.
Typical questions might include:
- What does the average week of a first-year student look like?
- What is the balance between contact hours and self-study?
- What kind of profession can you pursue with this study?
- What is student life like here?
- Can you easily find a room in this city?
- What are the downsides of this study?
Above all, think about what is important to you and what you would like to know.
5. Ask someone along
Everything is more fun together, right? That's why I recommend bringing a friend or family member to the open day. You will get to see and hear a lot during the open day and therefore, two pairs of eyes and ears come in handy. Besides, it is also nice to be able to discuss your ideas during the day and evaluate the different studies and experiences together afterwards.
6. Take notes
An open day can be quite overwhelming. Especially if you visit several open days and different studies, at a certain point you don’t remember what was told where. So make some notes on your phone or in a notebook every now and then. It doesn’t have to be a full summary (that will come when you are a student😉), but write down the most important information and what you thought of a study programme in keywords. This will help you make sense of it all later.
7. Enjoy the day
Last, but not least, don't forget to enjoy yourself. Of course, making a study choice is exciting and important, but the decision does not have to be made right after the open day. Furthermore, an open day is not only informative, but also an opportunity to get a feel for the atmosphere and discover a new city and university. So, relax, trust your gut and above all, have a fun day!
