Introducing the different types of university events for school and college groups

Introducing young people to the idea of university can seem like an incredibly daunting task. With the academic and social jump from secondary education to higher so large, it can be difficult to dissect each new aspect of university life to students. New terms such as lecture, literature review and Harvard referencing can seem overwhelming at the start of a student’s journey.

Universities have set recruitment activities that can slowly introduce an individual to the lecture hall, straight from the classroom. Here I will introduce them:

A visit in slowly introduces the individual into the idea of being a part of the university community. The full day generally includes an introduction to the institution, along with a campus tour. This is usually led by either a student ambassador, or a member of the recruitment team, allowing the opportunity for questions. Classroom based sessions will follow, usually based on personal skill building, accompanied with team work and individual activities. By the end of the day, the student will gain an outline of knowledge on university life, and know the next steps to take if they wish to continue in this journey.

A subject taster follows the same general format as a visit in, however it is catered specifically to one degree area. Normally, classes can be taken in larger groups to match that of a lecture setting at university. However, smaller groups can often be geared more towards a seminar based activity. This session gives students a chance to experience a real, undergraduate lesson, led by an academic who researches specifically in that field.

As work experience closes, a lot of students are keen to gain interview practice so that they can begin applying for employment outside of their studies. Many universities offer mock interviews, hosted by their student recruitment team. These sessions provide a one to one interview experience for the student, followed by honest feedback which supports their future development.

The UCAS Exhibitions take place across the UK from February to June. UCAS stands for the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. It is the UK's shared admissions service for higher education. Hundreds of Universities attend exhibitions across the country, speaking with prospective students and giving them a clearer perspective on the course. Throughout each exhibition, different universities hold seminar sessions. The subject can vary from choosing the right course, to student finance advice. Each stand may have interactive activities the student can complete, and normally come with university merchandise and prospectuses, that can be taken home to look at when making higher education decisions.

Melissa Grindon is a Creative Projects Officer at Liverpool Hope University. She has completed a BA (Hons) degree in Dance, followed by a Masters in Writing. Melissa is also a qualified Youth Support Worker and a member of The Girls Network.