University open day questions: the checklist that gets honest answers

An open day is not a campus tour - it is the one chance to interrogate a course before you spend three years and £27,000-plus on it. The prospectus questions are answered online already; the questions below are the ones that surface what a university is actually like. Bring this list, split it between staff and students, and write down the answers - you will want them when you compare your five UCAS choices later.

Questions for course staff and lecturers

About the teaching:

1. How is the course taught week to week - how many lectures, seminars, labs and how much independent study?
2. How big are classes in year one, and in later years? (First-year lectures are big everywhere; the later years reveal the real experience.)
3. Who teaches first-years - professors, lecturers or PhD students?
4. How much assessed feedback do students get, and how fast?
5. What do the contact hours look like on a real timetable, not the marketing average?

About the course itself:

1. Which modules are compulsory, and how much choice is there in years two and three?
2. How is the course assessed - what percentage exams vs coursework?
3. What changed about the course in the last few years, and why?
4. What do your graduates actually go on to do - and what support is there for placements or a year in industry?
5. What do you look for in the personal statement and at interview, if there is one?

About support:

1. What happens if a student struggles academically in first year - what catches them?
2. How does personal tutoring or academic advising work in practice?

Questions for current students (the least filtered source)

1. What surprised you most about the course - good or bad?
2. What is the workload honestly like? How many hours a week do you actually study?
3. How easy is it to get help when you are stuck?
4. What would you change about the course or the university?
5. Would you choose the same course at the same university again?
6. What do you wish you had known before you applied?

Student ambassadors are briefed, but they are still students - ask follow-ups and you will get the real answer.

Questions about money and accommodation

1. What does first-year accommodation actually cost per week, and what is included?
2. Is accommodation guaranteed for first-years, and what are the deadlines?
3. Where do students live in years two and three, and what does private rent cost in this city?
4. What bursaries and scholarships exist, and are they automatic or applied for?
5. What do students here typically spend per month beyond rent?

Cross-check the money answers against the official numbers - our student finance guide has the 2026/27 loan figures, and the gap between your loan and the real costs is what you need to plan for.

Questions about the place itself

1. What is there to do in this town or city when you are not studying?
2. How safe do students feel here, day and night?
3. What is the students' union actually like - societies, sport, nightlife?
4. How good is the transport - can you get home, get to placement, get to a part-time job?

After the visit: make it comparable

The checklist only pays off if you can compare answers across universities. After each open day, score the same things: course fit, teaching feel, cost, location, gut reaction. Our course-comparison checklist has a ready-made framework, and the Tansiky £9.99 report builds your five-choice shortlist from your grades so you know which open days are even worth the train fare - the free preview shows that in two minutes.

Most 2027 entry open days run June to October 2026; dates are on university websites and UCAS's open-days listing. Book early - the popular ones fill.

Frequently asked questions

What should I ask at an open day?

What you cannot find online: teaching quality, feedback speed, later-year class sizes, real costs, what current students would change, and placement support.

Are open days worth it?

Yes - for talking to students and staff and testing your gut reaction to the place, not for the tour.

What should I ask current students?

What surprised them, the real workload, how easy help is to get, whether they would choose it again, and what they wish they had known.

When are open days for 2027 entry?

Mostly June to October 2026, listed on university sites and UCAS. Book early.

What if I cannot attend?

Use virtual open days, on-demand tours and online student Q&As - or email departments directly.

Checked against UCAS open-day guidance on 20 September 2026.