By Cassie Melrose

BA (Hons) Retail Management Graduate

Attending an open day can be a massive blur of talks and leaflets to read which don’t necessarily tell you everything you want to know so therefore I have given some tips for how I suggest you can best utilise the day.

Tip 1:Pre-plan!! Look at and print off the information that Bournemouth sends through as it will often have details such as times and rooms for different talks. There will often also be a map so plan where you need to be at which time as some talks may be at completely different ends of the campus. Definitely aim to attend talks on accommodation, finance and your course. If you are interested in more than one course definitely go along to other subject talks. I thought I wanted to study Business Studies however after attending that talk and the Retail Management talk I completely changed my mind and chose the latter.

Tip 2: Don’t be shy!! Ask as many questions as you need. Making the choice about the university you go to is so important. You want to make sure you are somewhere that you feel completely suits you. Talk to lecturers if you have any questions about the subject. Also talk to current students. There will be student ambassadors on campus and they know more about life at the uni than anyone. I chose the halls I lived in based on discussions with a student ambassador as we decided together I would prefer to live in one of the halls in town, which I did and never looked back.

Tip 3: Take the bus tour. Although there are loads of things going on in the day and it can be hard to fit everything in, Bournemouth offers a bus tour which takes you into the accommodation and around the town. Seeing the accommodation first hand is an excellent way to make the decision of where you want to live. There are great videos online that show you inside halls but actually going in and seeing where they are in relation to your campus, shops and the beach is really beneficial.

Tip 4: Look around in your own time. Take time before the Open Day starts or after it finishes to have a look around the area. When I came to Bournemouth my mum and I went for a late lunch in the town and had a drive around Bournemouth as well as visiting the beach. You can then also see where everything to do with the uni is in relation to the shops, beach etc.

Tip 5: If you decide Bournemouth is the place for you then join the Facebook page. BU update the page regularly and it’s a good way to keep up to date with all the goings on at the uni.

Tip 6: Imagine the uni at it’s best. Don’t be put off if the weather is dreary; remember to imagine the uni on a sunny day as the weather really can make such an impact.

Here are the reasons I chose Bournemouth:

• THE BEACH!
• Bournemouth is a large town with plenty of shops, restaurants and nightlife with two unis. However at the same time it is not so big that you will never bump into people and feel like a tiny fish in a massive pond. There are set student nights that people can go to when going out and you will be guaranteed to know loads of people in each club even if you don’t go with them.
• The staff on my course had great knowledge and enthusiasm. The courses are updated regularly and the uni is innovative and modern with courses having loads of current industry links.
• Bournemouth’s reputation is amazing for fun, great people, courses that are famous for their high standards amongst employees and plenty of social life.
• Location- halls are just a walk into town and a 15 minute bus ride to uni. No long journeys to get anywhere and everything you could possibly want to do is just a short journey away. In other years all students tend to live in the same area, town or Winton, which makes it even more sociable.
• Events put on by the uni such as the Summer Ball which are absolutely amazing.

Given the chance I would pick Bournemouth every time as I have absolutely loved everything about my uni experience here and wouldn’t change it for the world. Come with an open mind and ready to meet as many people as possible and experience as much as you can and you will be given every chance to do this!

To book onto an Open Day, see the website.

Good luck!