My Open Day experience

Preparing for Open Day

You need to register to attend an Open Day and plan your day by booking in subject activities. You can hear from students and staff at the drop-in sessions which is a brilliant opportunity to really understand the course and ask your questions. There are subject specific talks as well as building and accommodation tours alongside talks on student life and information around funding and years abroad! All the information is provided for you when you register via a personalised itinerary. I love this as it takes the stress out of navigating around a large campus!

The day has arrived, what should I expect?

The University of Birmingham campus is big, with lots of entrances from car parks, the train station and bus stops. But don’t fear - there are loads of people around to help! You will see volunteers wearing distinctive gold tabards ready to help. When you arrive, make sure you check in! You can do this on your phone (sent by email), or on campus. 

Make sure you visit the Medical School. It is open to the public for the day, so definitely take this opportunity to explore! Here is where you can chat to staff and students at drop-in sessions and attend a subject talk. Visit the Medsoc stall to find out what the biggest and best Medical Society in the UK has to offer! There are also demonstrations from the Basic Life Support student team where you can practice your life saving skills.

In my opinion, the University of Birmingham boasts the prettiest campus. The red brick buildings surrounded by the orange and green trees in autumn is the best place to explore! The buildings surrounding Old Joe are my favourite, so take a minute, grab a coffee and relax in the gorgeous scenery! You will be spending a long time at university, so it is important you like it!

The Guild of Students and Sport and Fitness are worth a visit! Find out about student events (including bingo and FAB!) and how to join a sport society (university or Medsoc). Explore the amazing facilities, great if you enjoy the gym or swimming.

Within a 10-minute walk of campus, you have all three accommodation villages; the Vale, Selly Oak Village and Pritchatt’s park. These are signposted, and there are tours of each accommodation available. You can see all of them online, but it is nicer to see them in person. The Vale is a gorgeous place to live, and it is a lovely place to walk around! I lived in Selly Oak Village and loved my year living here.

My top tips

• Go to subject talks - This is the best way to learn about teaching methods and course content. If you see any current students around, make sure you say 'hi' and find out about university life!
• Explore the campus – Our campus has so much to offer! You will be spending several years here so make sure you like it!
• Look at the accommodation – Visiting student accommodation gives you a taste of what living away from home is like, and what is involved in living there
• Explore the city – Birmingham has so much to offer so take some time to explore all of it. The University has it's own train station, located right next to the Medical School, which is only 8 minutes to the heart of the city.