Under normal circumstances, we would expect students to be visiting universities and exploring their options for furthering their education. However, with universities shutting their doors to students and so much uncertainty surrounding travel, how can you best support students with their research for the next step in their academic journey?

University open days have evolved over the years and often become a great excuse for a mini-break or at least a great road trip. For a London-based student, trips as far afield as Aberdeen to the north or Plymouth to the south can be novel and exciting. The thrill of this, coupled with the much-sought-after free merchandise, is probably the biggest downside to the current situation.

Also, on the more practical side, students would usually be able to go into the local area, visit the shops, grab a bite to eat at one of the restaurants and get a general feel for the location. It’s important to like somewhere you’re potentially going to spend a significant amount of time living, after all.

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Alas, we are where we are. We can only work with what’s available and everyone is in the same boat. If the only option is one of the virtual open days on offer, then we have to ensure that we make the most of them. They, like the real thing, are still a great way to explore what a provider has to offer, while also enabling students to visualise what it would be like to live and study there. There are universities, such as Bath for example, that are offering the opportunity to register for open days in September, with a virtual alternative in the meantime.

How you can help

Students will be asked to register interest of attendance in advance and then go to the university website, or follow a link on the day. The huge advantage I see is that they are going to save a small fortune on travel and can now see many more universities than they may have been able to before. 

I would encourage students to:

• Make a shortlist of open days they want to attend and the courses they are interested in applying to.
• Make sure they understand the format. Virtual open days can include anything from online seminars and video virtual tours to chats with existing students or lecturers. The website should explain how it will work. Good preparation will ensure they get the most out of the experience.
• Make sure they are prepared about what they want to find out. They should have questions ready to ask. Examples of these would be: how many students are on the course? What careers have recent graduates progressed to? Is there an opportunity to take a placement? Do they hold interviews, or make offers based purely on the Ucas application?
• Talk to lecturers to get a good idea of how their chosen course will be delivered and assessed - presentations, essays, coursework or exams?
• Have a look at Unibuddy on the Ucas website - this is excellent for communicating with current and previous students.
• Have a look at this list of virtual open days.

We all know that there is so much more to university life than just studying, so be sure to remind students of the importance of finding out about the halls, societies and events that may be of interest. Many universities have virtual tours of their student accommodation; others have guides about what to do when lectures are over for the day. I have taken the tour of Newcastle University on its website; having studied there myself, I can confirm that the tour is an accurate representation. 

Students who may have felt anxious about relocating further away from home are perhaps more likely to do some further delving without the added pressure of the commutes to open days and maybe take that leap of faith. 

I wish you and your students every success in what is sure to be a memorable process.

Clare Foreman is a science teacher in the UK. She runs The Exam Mentor.