Open Days

Hi everyone, yesterday the Geography Department held a UCAS open day, and I thought I’d talk a little about them seeing as its very relevant for all the prospective students out there!

Open days are a really good way to get a feel for whether or not you like the place – it might sound a bit strange, but when I visited some universities I immediately didn’t like them because it didn’t ‘feel’ right. You need to know that you are going to be happy in the university you chose as you will be spending three or more years of your life there – so getting a good vibe is important.

They’re also a really important opportunity for you to learn more about Leicester University, the Geography department, and the course – as well as giving you the chance to ask any questions you have to lecturers and current students. There are plenty of different things to do on an open day, for example there are usually tours of the campus and student’s union building, as well as bus tours of the accommodation in Oadby student village. The geography department also gives a lecture (more of a talk but you’re in a lecture hall) about the modules on the course, the field trip opportunities, and how the department works. A geography student (or two) will also give a talk about their experiences, to give you a better feel for what it might actually be like to be a student here.

You will also be given a tour of the department and shown some of our facilities, such as the virtual reality theatre and the various labs. I remember feeling a bit lost on my open day, and all I really remember is that we went round in a big square. The upstairs of the geography department is organised into a square, with offices, labs and computer rooms located at various places around the square, so it’s really easy to get around, and you can’t really get lost, which is a bonus!

Basically open days are a really good opportunity to help you decide whether Leicester is the university for you, and if it’s on your UCAS choices I would definitely book onto an open day. There are a couple more coming up over the next few days, and three at the beginning of March. The University of Leicester Geography Department Facebook page has been posting details of open days (dates and timetables), as well as the website open day information, so be sure to check them out for the latest information.

P.S. The department’s Facebook page is something good to ‘like’ because they post about important things such as UCAS open days, but also things that have recently been going on in the department, such as photos from field trips and the recent exchange with a German university. Check it out!