Open days are not just for students and regardless of whether your child is planning to go to college or not, they are a fun day out for you both. They remind students of what they are working hard towards and are an opportunity to ask any questions about the college courses they are interested in. These 6 tips will ensure your Leaving Cert student gets the most from their college open day.
Students should keep an eye on when the college(s) they're interested in is having their open day. There will be lots of information on the courses as well as the chance to look around the campus, meet lecturers and ask any questions they have. Your school’s guidance counsellor should have all the dates for upcoming open days but the college’s website and social media pages will have all the information too.
To get the most from a visit to a college, students and parents will want to come home having their questions answered. It’s a good idea to make a list beforehand of all the things you want to find out. Here are a few questions you might want to include:
What courses are on offer?
Is there an interview involved?
What were the points required last year?
How do I apply?
Is the course that I am interested in covered under the grant scheme?
What’s the weekly timetable like?
What are the career prospects once I graduate?
What are other graduates of this course doing now?
Sometimes, new courses are introduced as a result of the demand in the job market. These are always worth checking out, especially if they pop up in the field your child is considering pursuing. Make sure to ask any lecturers or current students you come across on the day about any new courses, what's involved and the possible career opportunities that come with them.
There’s usually quite a lot going on at an open day so if you don't want to miss anything, print out a timetable of the events taking place on the day. Highlight the events you don’t want to miss and then try to fit in all the other things you want to do around that. College campuses are sometimes bigger than you’d expect so consider printing out a map of the campus so you know where all the events and talks you want to attend are, making sure to allow enough time to get around.
At every open day, there will be lecturers and current students on hand to answer questions. Don't be afraid to approach these people with your questions. The last thing you want is to come home with unanswered questions because you were too shy to ask.
If you’ve followed our advice it’s likely that when you get home your head will be full of information and impressions. It’s a good idea to sit down and write out the name of each of the courses that interested you along with all the pros and cons of that course. This way you’ll have a record of your first impressions while they are still fresh in your mind.
Happy course hunting!
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