University open days are a valuable part of the decision making process. Visiting a campus, getting a feel for the city, seeing the facilities and meeting current students in person are all genuinely useful experiences. Nobody is suggesting you skip the open day.
But here is what the open day cannot give you — and why Already Doing It exists to fill that gap.
Open days give you a sense of the physical environment, the scale of the campus and the general atmosphere. They help you rule out universities that clearly aren’t right for you based on gut feeling. They give you the opportunity to ask questions of admissions staff and student ambassadors. They are a necessary part of the process.
Open days are marketing events. The university is trying to attract applications. Every element of the day is designed to make the strongest possible impression. The student ambassadors are selected and briefed. The facilities are at their best. Difficult questions about graduate outcomes, workload or the less appealing aspects of the course are handled carefully.
What you cannot get on an open day is an honest, unguarded conversation with a student who has no incentive to impress you. A student who will tell you what the worst parts of the course are. Who will tell you whether the social life lived up to expectations. Who will tell you honestly whether they’d make the same choice again.
Already Doing It gives you a 30-minute honest conversation with a current student or recent graduate from your chosen subject at your chosen university. No script. No briefing. No incentive to tell you anything other than the truth.
You choose your mentor based on their specific subject and university. You ask whatever you actually want to know. You get honest answers. It takes five minutes to book and can be done from home at any time.
Already Doing It rated the most useful source of pre-university guidance by students surveyed — ahead of open days, prospectuses and careers adviser meetings. |
The best approach is not to choose between open days and Already Doing It — it is to use both, in the right order. Book an Already Doing It session first to pressure-test your shortlist and clarify your real questions. Then attend the open day with specific, informed questions that go beyond the standard script. You will get significantly more value from the open day if you have already had an honest conversation about the course.
Visit alreadydoingit.co.uk to find a mentor and book your session.
One honest conversation before you commit is worth more than ten open days.
© 2026 Already Doing It Ltd. All rights reserved. The information on this site is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional career or admissions advice. Student Mentor Sessions and Our Insider Guides reflect student perspectives; always verify specific course details, entry requirements, and module lists with the official University Prospectus before applying.
