Open Days: What to Ask

This post was inspired by Erika’s great piece detailing How to make the most out of an open day. I’ve been a helper for the Mathematics Open Days this year, so have a little experience about the types of questions prospective students ask. Following on from her first point about not being shy and just asking questions, I thought I’d give you (our lovely prospective students) a few tips on what to ask current students and staff when you attend an open day:

What to ask Students:

• Do you like it here? (You will always be able to tell if someone is being honest when you ask this question!) Everyone’s different, and what works for them might not work for you; but it’s always good to ask this question to get a general overview of how students of the university feel towards it.
• Why did you choose this university? You might come across a student who had 3 or 4 of the same universities as you on their UCAS application, so seeing why they chose Leicester over the others will give you a great insight into the pros and cons of those universities.
• Where did you live in first year? This is one of the most asked questions I get since just before the Maths Lunch, visitors go to view the university accommodation. The reaction from the prospective students is usually the same: it’s a bit far from campus. Whilst this is true, there are so many benefits of living in Oadby, as well as in the City, so asking current students where they, and people they knew, lived (and what they thought of it) will give you some things to think about.

What to ask Lecturers/Staff

• Is there a chance to change courses? Again one of the most asked questions I hear, some students are unsure whether they want to do (for example) Pure Maths, Maths with Management or Financial Maths. So asking whether there is a chance to change between them should you not like the course you are on, is important.
• What’s the most difficult thing for incoming students? Most lecturers and staff will have a different answer to this, so it’s nice to find out all the possibilities!

Of course there are many many more, so always come prepared with a list of questions you want to ask!