Warwick Uni Open day

Voyager2002

Oystercatcher, I suggest you telephone the department of interest and explain. Most university secretaries are pleasant and helpful, and since you have got train tickets for that day it would be sensible to visit the department then.

The main reason for limiting the numbers has got to be car parking, so there should not be any difficulty letting you attend since you are coming by train. Just a question of getting hold of someone with a brain.

giantmutantbroccoli

Your best bet is to try phoning rather than emailing, that way you've got some proper person-to-person contact. People in university offices are used to dealing with homesick students and the like, so they're usually pretty helpful, and if you're lucky they might know a way round the H&S rules - although I wouldn't ask for that direct!
I never went to any open days, I only got a look round the uni I went to (Manchester) when I went in for an interview. You're not under any obligation to accept a place just because they offer it to you, so if your son doesn't mind leaving it a bit late you could try that?

It sounds like they just ran out of space - there's only so much room after all, and I imagine they're quite popular. Depending on the department there could be genuine H&S worries if they have more people than they can keep an eye on at once. And of course if there was an accident during the open day, even something as simple as somebody slipping and falling, the insurance company would refuse to pay out if there was an unsafe number of people there.
Obv. I don't know what an unsafe number would be for a university dept, but you can be sure the insurance company will have it written down somewhere!

To my mind I am put off already as they are so unwelcoming. Maybe they feel they don't need to be as they are so elite ??

Surely it's not your decision to make?

Lokolo

They are an extremely popular university. If more people turned up than they can handle, this would make a bad impression for everyone.

They want the day to be a success, hence why they ask people to register and such to make sure they know whose coming to see what areas etc.etc.etc.

oystercatcher

Ooooh I HATE making phone calls !!!

..................... But I did and the physics department were very welcoming, quite happy for us to turn up. She couldn't be sure about the rest of the tours but we could certainly join the departmental talks !!

So there we are, why did I put off making the call in the first place ???

Giantmutantbroccoli yes you are quite right it's not my decision, I was going to add that but thought I would cut the woffle !

I think open days are very important, several places we have looked at have been very different to what we expected. It is costly travelling all over the country, especially by train with hotel stops for the more far flung. However I think it would be more costly to chose the wrong Uni and they are very different! ( We did this all last year with my older son, now happily ensconced in Manchester Uni)

Lokolo

oystercatcher wrote: »

I think open days are very important, several places we have looked at have been very different to what we expected. It is costly travelling all over the country, especially by train with hotel stops for the more far flung. However I think it would be more costly to chose the wrong Uni and they are very different! ( We did this all last year with my older son, now happily ensconced in Manchester Uni)

I didn't have any expectations of Wolverhampton, then I went, and realised what a s***hole it is.

I also went to Abertay, which was my favourite until they said theres no broadband in halls, which are also 3 miles away from the campus..... useful for a computing student!

:cool:

Kess

oystercatcher wrote: »

Uni accomodation is all much the same and they only open up the nicer blocks for the open days, to my mind it's not really worth looking at as there's not much choice as to where you get allocated in the end.

I would agree that that's true for most modern accommodation blocks, but there are exceptions at older universities. Some of the accommodation at Bristol Uni reminded me of an old Victorian hospital or institution...

oystercatcher

Kess wrote: »

I would agree that that's true for most modern accommodation blocks, but there are exceptions at older universities. Some of the accommodation at Bristol Uni reminded me of an old Victorian hospital or institution...

We saw those ! Reminded me of the nurses home I lived in nearly 30 years ago! I would actually have been quite happy to have my son in those they were much more spacious than the modern blocks!

The point is there will be loads of students there together so you'll still meet people and have fun and there will be a way to get to the uni because everybody has to get there ! If the uni is supplying the accomodation they will have to make sure it is adequate.

The worst accomodation we have seen so far was modern at Sussex Uni, a minute shared kitchen, no communal living space and landings cluttered with belongings which constituted a fire hazard to my eyes ! My son thought it looked fine though !

clozza_90

Most of the accommodation is quite nice at warwick uni, from my experience, and I think you can see some pictures of it on the accommodation part of the website

mumps

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Oystercatcher, I suggest you telephone the department of interest and explain. Most university secretaries are pleasant and helpful, and since you have got train tickets for that day it would be sensible to visit the department then.

The main reason for limiting the numbers has got to be car parking, so there should not be any difficulty letting you attend since you are coming by train. Just a question of getting hold of someone with a brain.

Some departments will be really busy, when we went to maths dept two years ago, it was bursting at the seams and I'm not talking about the car park.

flossy_splodge

Superb Uni, excellent campus, great accommodation.
You'd be lucky if your son was offered, they are hugely oversubscribed and they are developing the Oxbridge attitude of if we don't feel we are at the top of your list then don't waste our time.
Even so I would have been delighted if either of my two had chosen there!
Enjoy your day and be reassured it's a great Uni!
I work there with a disabled student and I am amazed at the lengths they go to to provide whatever is needed.
When I highlight some new software or a need for further facilities it is always provided, and quickly.
Good luck.:T
ps Only Uni I think is better is Liverpool!!