Ask questions that reveal how the course works in practice, what your weekly life would involve and whether the university can meet your academic, financial and personal needs. Published course pages provide the basic facts; the open day gives you access to lecturers, current students, support staff and accommodation teams who can explain how those facts affect students.
Prepare a short list before you arrive and direct each question to the person most likely to know the answer. A lecturer can explain assessment and module choice, while a student is better placed to describe the timetable, feedback and everyday experience of the course.
Questions to ask about the course
Course titles conceal significant differences in content, teaching and assessment. Concentrate on the parts of the degree that will shape your experience after the introductory modules.
Ask:
- Which modules are compulsory in the first and second years?
- How much freedom will I have to choose optional modules?
- Which advertised modules ran this year, and which were unavailable?
- How many contact hours do students receive in a typical week?
- How large are lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical classes?
- How is the course assessed across exams, coursework and practical work?
- When do students receive feedback, and how detailed is it?
- Who teaches undergraduate classes: permanent academic staff, postgraduate tutors or a mixture?
- Are placements, field trips, laboratory work or study abroad included, optional or separately charged?
- What happens if too many students choose the same optional module?
Follow up when an answer remains broad. If you are told that students have “lots of flexibility”, ask how many modules they selected freely this year. If small-group teaching attracted you to the course, ask how many students attend those sessions and how frequently they take place.
Current students provide useful evidence about how the published course operates. Ask what surprised them after starting, which parts of the course have worked well and what they would change. Their answers will give you a clearer picture than asking whether they enjoy the degree.
Questions to ask about teaching and support
Find out what happens when you need academic help and how accessible that help is during an ordinary teaching week.
Ask:
- How are personal tutors allocated, and how frequently do students meet them?
- Can students speak to lecturers outside scheduled classes?
- What academic support is available for essay writing, mathematics, research or study skills?
- How quickly are assessed assignments returned?
- What support is available if illness or personal circumstances affect your work?
- How does the department support students who fall behind?
- Where do students on this course study between classes?
- Are specialist facilities available outside taught sessions?
- How are disability-related adjustments arranged for teaching and assessment?
- What careers support is built into the course?
Ask for concrete details when support is described as extensive or personalised. The name of a service tells you little about access. Find out how students arrange appointments, how long they wait and whether support continues throughout the degree.
Questions to ask about accommodation and costs
The accommodation tour will show you one room or residence, which might not represent the options available within your budget. Ask about the full allocation process and the costs attached to living there.
Ask:
- Is accommodation guaranteed, and what conditions or deadlines apply?
- Which residences are allocated most frequently to first-year students?
- What is included in the rent?
- How long is the contract, and what is the total annual cost?
- Are deposits, booking fees or advance rent payments required?
- How far are the residences from the building where my course is taught?
- What does the journey cost if I need public transport?
- Can I remain in accommodation during holidays?
- What happens if I want to leave the contract?
- What do students typically pay for accommodation after the first year?
- Are bursaries available, and how are they awarded?
If you are visiting with a parent or carer, these are useful questions for them to pursue while you speak to students or attend course sessions. You should still hear the answers yourself, particularly where rent, travel or contract terms would affect whether the university is affordable.
How to use the answers afterwards
Record the answers during the open day instead of relying on memory. Note who answered each question and separate confirmed facts from personal opinions. A lecturer’s explanation of compulsory modules carries different weight from one student’s view of the workload.
Review your notes within a day or two and compare the same points across every university you visit. Pay particular attention to answers that changed your understanding of the course, exposed an additional cost or contradicted information on the website.
Where an answer remains unclear, email the relevant department and ask for confirmation. You do not need to collect dozens of facts from every open day. You need enough specific evidence to decide whether the course, university and life attached to them belong on your UCAS shortlist.