University open days are carefully orchestrated events. The campus looks its best, the student ambassadors are enthusiastic and well-briefed, and the admissions team is doing everything it can to make a strong impression. That is entirely reasonable — universities are competing for students and they want to show themselves in the best light.
But what this means for you as a prospective student is that the open day gives you a curated, optimistic version of university life. Here is what open days typically don’t show you — and what you actually need to know before you commit.
Contact hours at university are significantly lower than most sixth formers expect. Depending on your subject, you might have as few as eight to twelve hours of timetabled teaching per week. The rest of the time you are expected to study independently — reading, researching, completing assignments and preparing for seminars. This is a significant adjustment for students used to the structured environment of school.
Open days rarely give you a realistic picture of how demanding this independent study expectation actually is.
The social life at university looks extraordinary on Instagram and on open days. The reality is more nuanced. Making friends at university takes time and can be harder than students expect, particularly in the first term. Living away from home for the first time, navigating new social dynamics and managing your own finances simultaneously is genuinely challenging.
This doesn’t mean university social life isn’t brilliant — for most students it is one of the defining experiences of their lives. But the glossy version you see on open days and in prospectuses doesn’t always prepare you for the adjustment.
The content of a degree as described in a prospectus and the experience of actually studying it can be very different. Module descriptions are written to sound appealing. The reality of the workload, the quality of teaching in specific departments and the actual content of seminars is something you can only understand from someone who has been through it.
University websites publish graduate outcome statistics that look impressive. What they often don’t tell you is the range of outcomes — what the top graduates from this course go on to do versus what the average graduate does. Understanding the realistic graduate landscape for your specific course at your specific university is essential information that open days rarely provide.
The best source of honest information about what university is actually like is a current student with no reason to tell you anything other than the truth. Already Doing It connects sixth formers with exactly these people — vetted, trained university students who are committed to sharing what they genuinely wish they’d known before they started.
Visit alreadydoingit.co.uk to book a 30-minute session with someone currently studying your chosen course. The conversation you have will be more valuable than any open day.
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. Insider Sessions and Our Insider Guides reflect perspectives; always verify specific course details, entry requirements, and module lists with the official University Prospectus before applying.
