What to Ask at University Open Days This Autumn | Tutorful
Post-16 Pathways
The prospectus already covers the course content. These are the questions that tell you what it’s actually like to live there for three years.
Most university decisions are made quietly, often during an autumn open day. It’s not just about the course on paper. It’s the feeling you get as you walk around, the way students talk about their day-to-day, or a throwaway comment that lingers. The prospectus gives you the basics. What really matters are the questions you ask in person, and the honest answers you get back.
🎓 Beyond the Course Content
You’ll find the module list online. These questions are about what it actually feels like to study there, day in, day out.
How many contact hours a week, and what’s the split between lectures, seminars and independent study?
How exactly is the course assessed — coursework, exams, or a mix, and in what proportion?
How much flexibility is there to change modules or specialise later, once you’ve started?
Is the course professionally accredited, if that matters for the career path in mind?
What have recent graduates from this specific course gone on to do?
Is a placement year or internship built in, or something you have to arrange yourself?
What proportion of students go on to postgraduate study, and is that expected or unusual for this subject?
What does the careers service actually offer — is it generic, or does it have subject-specific support?
🏠 Where You’ll Actually Live
Halls tours tend to show off the best bits. These questions get you closer to what living there is really like.
Is a place in halls guaranteed for first year, and what happens after that?
What’s realistic private rent like nearby, for years two and three?
How far is accommodation from the actual department, not just “campus” in general?
What’s the process if halls don’t work out — is switching straightforward?
💰 Money, Bursaries and Hidden Costs
The most useful money questions are often the ones you have to ask yourself. They don’t always come up unless you do.
What bursaries or scholarships exist, and what are the actual eligibility criteria?
Are there course-specific costs beyond tuition — field trips, materials, specialist kit — and roughly how much?
How easy is it to find part-time work locally, alongside the course workload?
Is funding for placements or study-abroad years separate, or does it come out of existing student finance?
🧑🤝🧑 Ask the Students, Not Just the Staff
Staff will tell you about the university as it’s meant to be. Students will tell you what it’s actually like to live and study there. It’s worth asking both, but listen closely to the students.
What do you wish you’d known before choosing this course or university?
What’s a typical week actually like, once the novelty’s worn off?
What’s the social side genuinely like outside of societies — is it easy to make friends here?
Would you choose the same course and university again, knowing what you know now?
A useful distinction
Open days are great for getting a feel for the university as a whole. If you’re invited to an applicant day later, that’s when you can ask the really detailed, course-specific questions. Those events are smaller, and you’ll usually meet the department face to face.
Once the shortlist’s narrowed down
If open days have made you rethink your personal statement, a bit of friendly feedback can help you get it feeling right before the deadline.
Bring a notebook. Jot things down as you go, because by the third campus, it all starts to blur together. Don’t worry about asking the same question to more than one person. A tutor and a student might give you very different answers to ‘how much support is there if you’re struggling’, and both are worth hearing.
