With three Open Days throughout October and November, now is the time to discover where you could be studying next September! With subject talks, campus tours, bus tours of Bournemouth and opportunities to visit our accommodation, an Open Day really is the best way to see everything BU has to offer.

I remember the three-hour drive to Bournemouth as my Dad and I were about to realise that BU was going to be the university that felt like home, and where I was to spend the next three years of my life (it’s now been 10!). And that’s what you get from an Open Day – the feeling that a university, and the location, might just be the best one for you. Having studied on our BA (Hons) Advertising & Marketing Communications , I’ve now worked at BU for six years, working to make sure the experience you have as a prospective student is the best it could possibly be. I had a think about all the things you could do to get the most out of the day:

1. Plan your day – even how to get there

It’s worth being prepared, so you – and perhaps your parents, family or guests, feel confident about how to get here and what to do when you arrive. We have two campuses here at BU, so make sure you’re arriving at the best one for the courses you’re interested in. Have a good look at the programmes you’ll be sent in advance, so you can see which talks you want to go to – you can even download our iBU app and plan your day using the interactive timetable.

Look out for the Student Ambassadors in pink hoodies (you can’t miss them!) – they’re really helpful and you can ask them about you course, or anything about BU.

2. Bring your questions – however big or small

This might be your first Open Day, it could even be your fourth or fifth, but it’s important to get the answers you need that could inform your decision of where to study. It’s helpful to ask the same questions so you can make a comparison between different courses and universities – as the same course name could be very different. Think beyond on the course too – how many clubs and societies are there [118]? Can I see in the Accommodation [yes – take a look now!])? How many students are employed or in further study after the course [93.6%!]? What happens if things don’t quite go to plan [lots of support]?

We answered a few for you before you get here ;0)

3. Don’t just visit BU

Don’t get us wrong – we can’t wait to welcome you to campus, but you’ve *got* to see more of Bournemouth too. It’s a beautiful place to live – we don’t all sit with folder studying on the beach, even if the odd prospectus picture tells you so – but we do have so much here to enjoy, so have a walk through the Gardens, dinner in the town and an ice cream or mocktail at the beach whilst you’re here.

If you’re really in for a sweet treat before a long journey home, the Nutella & Cookie Waffles at Sprinkles would be my choice!

4. Try not to feel overwhelmed

Hopefully you’ll be making your own way home thinking ‘BU is the place for me’. You might be feeling like there’s loads of information to take in, so it’s important to try and take the time to think about everything you’ve seen, heard and done on the day. University is a big decision – you could be spending the next three, four or more years in BU (like me!), so it’s important it’s the right place for you. There’s probably lots playing on your mind – what your parents will think, where your brother or sister said to go, where your friends are going, did your teacher ever mention BU?,  how long is the train journey to come back to visit your pets?! – but really, it’s all about you. It’s your decision.

So, I hope you’ll remember what an amazing day you had when you visit BU. It would be really great to meet you at our October & November Open Days. I’m Matt and I’ll be delivering the Accommodation & Funding talks, and generally running round making sure the day goes amazingly for you.

See you there!

Matt

BA (Hons) Advertising & Marketing Communications 2010 graduate, UK Marketing & Student Recruitment Manager