Warwick Uni Open day

Smidster

To be honest you really don't need to go on an official open day at Warwick - feel free to just turn up and have a little wander around campus.

Most things they will show you at the open day is complete tosh anyway - Lets be honest here a lecture theatre in Warwick is pretty much the same as one elsewhere and the library is never how htey make it appear on open day. Accommodation is OK I suppose but again you won't get a true relfection at an open day as it will be clean andn ot the disgusting mess it is when you are there. They will also tell you about how they will help you find off campus accomm in later years - don't believe the lies!

Bennifred

Really interesting to hear people's opinions about the various universities and campuses - I firmly believe that open days are well worth attending - you might not get to know everything , but you can get a good feel for the place (agree with Lokolo about Wolverhampton :eek: )

Also good to hear which give good support to students with special needs - thanks f-s!

conradmum

For those considering Warwick, please be aware that they do not have the capacity to offer all first year students on-campus accommodation.

My son deferred for a year and was missed off the round of notification to apply for accommodation. As he missed the deadline (which they admit was their fault) the best they could offer him was off-site, privately owned, expensive halls. He has finally found lodgings one week before the start of term, but he will miss out on that whole first year on-campus experience.

One person he spoke to at the accommodation office said they will be having students sharing single rooms in order to accommodate everyone who applied before the deadline this year.

oystercatcher

Well we went, no one asked about booking, son's girlfriend also went without booking, they went by car and parking was fine (although expensive I believe) lovely uni. Well worth attending the open day to see the physics labs and speak to staff.
A lecture theatre may look the same but the laborotories certainly don't and the attitude of the staff and enthusiasm is what we are looking for.
Son liked the physics department, his girlfriend liked English. High expectations of grades from the uni ...... I think it will be on their applications among others, who knows where they will end up.

The accomodation looked nice, interesting comments over being over subscribed !!

Rosie75

conradmum wrote: »

For those considering Warwick, please be aware that they do not have the capacity to offer all first year students on-campus accommodation.

My son deferred for a year and was missed off the round of notification to apply for accommodation. As he missed the deadline (which they admit was their fault) the best they could offer him was off-site, privately owned, expensive halls. He has finally found lodgings one week before the start of term, but he will miss out on that whole first year on-campus experience.

One person he spoke to at the accommodation office said they will be having students sharing single rooms in order to accommodate everyone who applied before the deadline this year.

They usually are able to accomodate first year students - this year has been unprecedented. I know some departments have ended up recruiting at 30% over target as lots more students took up offers than had been expected. Consequently there is lots of doubling up of students in what should be single rooms as well as students living off campus. In the past they have occasionally doubled up single rooms but have been able to move students during the first term when other rooms became vacant due to drop-outs. I can see a lot of this year's first years being stuck sharing for the full-year, unfortunately.

rosalie-lavender

My son starts a physics degree at Warwick next Saturday. I certainly agree that one lecture room is much the same as another but the labs can be very different. We both loved Warwick and it was a very hard choice between there and Royal Holloway. Both were so welcoming and friendly.

We looked at Bath university and were very impressed by the obvious rapport all the lecturers had with each other and how happy they seemed to be working there. It is worth a look if your son is into sport and it isn't too far away for him. We looked at Bristol university and stayed overnight and had a look at Bath the next day. Royal Holloway is another lovely uni with a smaller department but very friendly and lovely surroundings. Neither of us were impressed with the department at the university of Kent and I hated Oxford.

I have it all again in a years time with younger son. I agree it is very expensive with train travel and hotels etc.

Factor in the cost of departmental visits after your son has chosen his choices of university. We had an unexpected visit to Bath to find the money for, they did a physics department day for students they were thinking of offering a place to. The same happened with Bristol. Warwick did their department visit after they had made offers but some of them do visits before the offers are given out. We didn't go to the Bristol open day as my Son had already got an offer from Warwick which was his favoured university. Bristol did still offer him a place but they wanted to know why you weren't going on the reply slip if you didn't go. I think it helps if you have already been to an open day and seen the department though.

Some physics departments still interview students so factor that cost in too. My son had to go for interview at Royal Holloway, although he had a lovely day and came home buzzing with enthusiasm.

Good luck, It gets very wearing in the end. I was worn out last year after all the travel.

Oldernotwiser

What happened to the days when students went for interviews/open days on their own? Are today's students so feeble that they can't manage it?

oystercatcher

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

What happened to the days when students went for interviews/open days on their own? Are today's students so feeble that they can't manage it?

I went to my interviews on my own 30 years ago. My parents didn't seem interested in what I was doing.
I'm sure my son would be quite capable in going on his own, he's not feeble at all. However I am very interested to know where he is going and what he will be doing. I'm not taking him, I'm tagging along behind !!

Oldernotwiser

oystercatcher wrote: »

I went to my interviews on my own 30 years ago. My parents didn't seem interested in what I was doing.
I'm sure my son would be quite capable in going on his own, he's not feeble at all. However I am very interested to know where he is going and what he will be doing. I'm not taking him, I'm tagging along behind !!

Sorry, my comment wasn't aimed specifically at you. It's just the way in which 30 years ago (and earlier) one got on a train on one's own and went all over the country for interviews without the help of one's parents whereas nowadays you rarely hear of a student going on his/her own, even when comparatively locally.

It always surprises me when today's young people are supposed to grow up so much earlier and to be so competent.

Rosie75

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

What happened to the days when students went for interviews/open days on their own? Are today's students so feeble that they can't manage it?

It's rare that students turn up to open days alone. My department doesn't interview but we make sure that we have small group chats (3 students) with candidates so that they get a chance to talk to us and ask questions since parents tend to monopolise staff. In fact, this is one of the reasons why open days get booked up quickly and why universities have to put on more of these events than they used to - ten years ago the typical student would turn up alone, now they bring two, or sometimes three (boyfriend, sibling, etc), people with them. But this is what happens when parents are expected to make a financial outlay for higher education.