WHAT TO THINK ABOUT IF YOU'RE IN Y13

By now, you're probably hearing from most – if not all – of the unis you applied to. If not, don’t worry, they're supposed to let you know by 31st March, but if you if you just can’t wait until then, it won't hurt to give them a call. You have to make sure you've responded by the 5th May if you have heard back from them all by the end of March so keep that in mind.

Now while we’re sure that you made an effort to go and see all 5 of your choices before applying, we also understand that sometimes life and viruses can get in the way and you might not have had time to go and see them all (err... or any of them).

We understand, these things happen.

Don’t worry, all is not lost, just make sure you get round at least 3 before replying to your offers (deadline 5th May).

Unis usually hold several official open days a year, but you don’t have to wait – most unis are happy for you to come any time. Some will ask that you let them know you’re coming and it's only polite. Besides, they may be able to make sure you're getting the most out of your trip. It's certainly important to let them know that you'll be coming if you plan on talking to any of your potential lecturers (something we'd definitely advise, it's a great way of finding out about the course).

Open days involve a bunch of talks and presentations by lecturers and other staff. And there are campus tours, usually by current students. It's good to get an overview, but, it's also worth breaking away to have a bit of a nosy around yourself.

But don't just think about what they're most proud to show you. What do you want? How does what's on offer here suit you? Has it got what it takes to become a place you'd call home?

​You're going to be spending three or more years of your life in this place, and you're going to be paying quite a bit of money to do so. If you're not happy with it after an hour, imagine how you'll feel after a year. You can use your visit to answer some the other questions about university life, some of which you'll find here.

Even if you've already been, you could do worse than go back for another look. You get a different perspective on a return visit and it can help cement your choice, especially if you’re juggling offers and trying to decide.

In the unknown times of Coronavirus however it may be worth doing more online research. Look at the universities official pages and read up as much as you can so you're ready to go and ask the right questions once open days are running again.

Author

ARON TENNANT is  the Talks and Editorial manager for Push. He is originally from South Yorkshire and has a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Sheffield. He also has an MA in Creative Play and Screenwriting from City, University of London and came runner up in Nickelodeon's international screenwriting competition in 2018. Alongside Push he does screenplay work for independent production companies and is working on his own independent film projects