If I were the rector of a university, the first thing I would do after boasting about the degree of “magnificus” that the position confers, would be to establish, without a doubt, the open day as the only day of compulsory attendance common to all courses, and what about the rest of the absences? Well, we could talk about it… Hearing about “Open Day” may not sound all that appealing if it is not organised by an amusement park or McDonald’s offering an open bar of McFlurries, but, just like tasting the chocolate sprinkles of this famous dessert, visiting a university’s Open Day can change your life. What is an Open Day? Let’s start by clarifying what an open day is. These are one or more days of free access to universities so that prospective students and their families can visit the university, explore the campus and residences, discover the different degrees, courses and opportunities offered, participate in workshops, attend orientation talks on the different degrees with students and teaching staff and experience the university atmosphere. What can I do on the Open Day? If you are still exercising your legitimate right to not be sure what to study, visiting an Open Day and delving a little into the methodologies, the subjects that make up a degree, the possible job opportunities or simply, which speaker you liked the most, can help you clarify those doubts. Maybe you already know what you want to study, but you haven’t decided yet where. During Open Days, with a visitor sticker on your chest, you can move around the campus like any other student and literally go right into the kitchen. Who doesn’t like the feeling of sneaking through doors with a sign that says Staff Only? Between sandwiches and snacks, you can walk up and down the facilities, visiting the gym, cafeteria, laboratories, classrooms, common areas, libraries, conference rooms, gardens, dormitories, etc. Considering that the university you choose is where you’ll be spending a lot of your time and making connections over the next few years, it’s also important to be able to savor the atmosphere and imagine yourself walking through the halls between classes. You’ll have the chance to talk to students and, in addition to solving your academic questions, you might meet like-minded people with the same concerns and motivations and end the day thinking, “Holly guacamole, this is where I belong!” It’s all well and good to procrastinate and leave the dishes undone until the last minute, but don’t do the same with choosing your university! Sign up for an Open Day and start enjoying the feeling of being a university student right now. While COVID doesn’t let us return to normal, Did you know that Open Days are now VIRTUAL? SIGN UP!
