Open day top tips
Find out more information from those who have attended our open days and follow our top tips for making the most of your visit
Undergraduate open days
Open days are the best way to get a real feel for an institution and its location, students and the facilities available. It's also the best time to meet academics and ask questions about the subjects you're interested in.
Find out more about our undergraduate open days.
Here are some of our recent visitors sharing their experience and top tips for making the most out of your open day.
Don't worry about asking silly questions
Before you arrive, it is worth thinking about your whole university experience. Things like your course, accommodation, study support, the city or societies you are interested in. Note down your questions and bring them along with you on the day.
We will have plenty of staff and current students on hand to help answer your questions or direct you to where you can find the answer. Our student ambassadors are happy to talk about their experiences and are always available to offer advice.
Bring friends and family with you
We know how important the decisions about your course and university are and how friends and family are there to support you in your decision making, and we encourage you to bring guests along to our open days…the more the merrier!
It is sometimes helpful if you have a full schedule planned to split some of your activities with your guests so they can go along and take notes for you, such as attending the finance or UCAS talks so you can fit more into your day.
Ask for help
Arriving at the university for the first time, especially at an open day where there is so much going on, can seem a bit daunting. Please don’t worry, we are here to make your day as enjoyable and stress free as we can.
In our Roland Levinsky Building we have a Help and Information desk where we will have staff available who can help plan your day if you are unsure about anything. We also have lots of student ambassadors around the campus who are ready to take you to where you need to go.
Go with your gut feeling
There is a lot to be said about going with your gut! From speaking to our student ambassadors, many of them have said that they just knew the University of Plymouth was the right place for them.
That is why it is so important to visit different universities so you can get a feel for the place and the city…can you see yourself living there for three or more years? Each institution is different, each city is different and your goals are your own - go with what is right for you.
Plan your day in advance of arriving including an order of priority
Open days start at 9:00 but our registration team will be available all day so please don’t panic if you can't get here till later. We will send you an electronic copy of the programme a week before so you will see what time you need to arrive at the campus for your talks.
As we are a city centre campus, sometimes traffic can get heavy on our open days so we recommend that you allow extra time for your journey. Plymouth train station is also right next door to the campus.
Get to know the city and surrounding area
A big part of your university experience is immersing yourself in your university city and its surrounding area. You need to make sure that you would feel happy living in that city for the duration of your studies. Therefore it is so important that you familiarise yourself before you make an application.
We offer city tours at our open day where you can get to see some of the beautiful sights right on our doorstep. Why not stay the weekend and explore what Cornwall, Devon, our coastline and Dartmoor have to offer!
Our recent visitors
1 / 10
Annie (animal behaviour and welfare)
"I’ve grown up in a city, but now I live in the country...I like how it’s close enough to the city to have a vibrant lifestyle but it’s still close to the countryside. It’s definitely been worth it. I’m at the early stages of deciding; it’s been helpful."
2 / 10
Aylish-Sinead (business management)
"I’ve absolutely loved it! I was so nervous this morning at the thought of seeing somewhere I’m potentially going to be spending the next three years! But everyone’s been so helpful and calming. The format of the different talks has been really good."
3 / 10
Elsa (medicine)
"I’ve been sure for a long time that I want to do medicine. I want to come to Plymouth because I love the way it teaches medicine, with a good mix of practical experience. Since looking at the facilities and being here, it’s now my first choice."
4 / 10
Emma (photography or forensic psychology)
"I’m not sure which course I want to do yet; I’m here to find out more. I went to the psychology lecture this morning, which was really good. In the photography building I took pictures and wrote down what I saw and what I thought about it, to help me."
5 / 10
James (economics)
"Plymouth is a high ranked university and has a good reputation, so I thought I’d come and see what it has to offer. The economics talk was interesting and made me want to come and do the course. I’ve got more out of the day than I thought."
6 / 10
Jennifer (photography)
"Mostly I want to find out if I like it here – so far I do, it has a feeling of calm and I think I'd get on well here. Everyone seems friendly and it has a really welcoming atmosphere."
7 / 10
Mireille (social work)
"I’ve always wanted to come here, and now that I’m here, and after talking to the course leaders, I’m sure this is the one. My mum likes it too ... talking to current students you can tell they really love it here. I feel at home. It’s perfect!"
8 / 10
Oluwatobi (politics)
"My first impressions of the Uni are that I love it! It’s cool and modern with big buildings and at the same time it feels welcoming. Today has made me seriously consider Plymouth University. I feel at home here."
9 / 10
Rahul (game art and design)
"I’ve never been to Plymouth before – it a nice environment and somewhere I can see myself. Everything’s close to campus and the city seems great. It’s a nice environment and somewhere I can see myself in the future."
10 / 10
Toby (environmental science)
"I was drawn to Plymouth by the league tables – it’s high up for my course and the location is great. This is my first time in Plymouth – it’s really a lovely city...I’ve been to helpful talks about finance and my course"
BSc (Hons) Business Management student Hannah Reek tells us about her own experience of an open day at the University of Plymouth.
What did you get out of your open day at the University of Plymouth?
The open day was such a helpful experience and showed me what university would be like. It was great to see where I could be living and studying for the next three years and I got an understanding of the course before making my final decision. Going to an open day really settled me and made me feel at home – I’m really glad I went.
What do you think are the most important things to do at an open day?
I recommend going to welcome and subject talks where you will learn about the University, what you will study, and find out what is expected of you. Plymouth is also a great city and you can take tours and learn about where you are going to live, who you’re going to live with and just get to know the area in general. It was nice to go down to the Hoe and Barbican and see some of the sights too.
Another really useful tip is to go and speak to the
Student Financial Support Team
, they helped me learn about how I could set budgets and stick to them. Finally, don’t miss out on the campus tours, these will help you get your bearings and find where your lecture theatres and other facilities are. The tours are a good opportunity to ask questions and the student ambassadors taking the tours are really helpful and friendly.
Did you learn anything or take anything away with you that you hadn't expected?
I didn’t expect the campus to be so central and to have everything I needed within such close walking distance. It was nice to know I could get from one place to another in a matter of minutes and that I wouldn’t need to have a car.
What were your highlights from the day?
All the students and staff at the open day were so friendly and helpful, I got loads of advice about jobs, accommodation and the different directions my degree could take me. This really helped to show my Dad that I would be in safe hands and able to look after myself. The food was really good too. Having food and drink available all day was great for me as it was a long day; we walked around a lot, taking in all the information and exploring the campus.
Did you bring any guests? If yes, what did they think of the day?
I brought my Dad with me on the open day. None of my family have been to university before so it was all a new experience. He came around with me, asked questions and checked out the university and city. He loved that it was so close to the sea and how modern the accommodation and facilities were. The university staff spoke to him as well as me, and because of this my Dad felt a lot more at ease about where I was going and that I would be looked after.
"Going to an open day really settled me and made me feel at home – I’m really glad I went."
Current student, Hannah Reek, BSc (Hons) Business Management.
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