So you?ve received a bundle of offers for the next stage of your academic life. Well done, but what next" Thalia Thompson finds that even if you?ve visited your top-choice universities on an open day, attending an offer-holder day is a must
Now that students have their university offers, an offer-holder day is a way of deciding between them. Even if you?ve been to one of the university?s open days, it?s still worth attending.
Offer-holder days are much less busy than open days, so you have more chance to speak individually to academic staff or current students. You?ll meet your prospective coursemates and see how you fit into your peer group.
Sample lectures or seminars will give you an idea of the teaching style and there should be plenty of opportunities to talk to current students about workload, contact time or anything else that is important to you. Durham University perhaps goes to the greatest lengths to give offer holders a full picture of university life, with an optional overnight stay with dinner and evening entertainment laid on as well as academic taster sessions during the day. ?We feel it?s very important that we do all we can to help and support offer-holders in making an informed next-step decision that?s right for them,? says Karen Wilson, Student Recruitment Manager at Durham.

Going solo
While most students bring their parents to open days, at offer-holder days it?s likely that almost half the students will be on their own. ?I was a bit nervous, b...