Attending an Offer Holder Day might seem like it’s not worth the hassle: if you have already previously attended an Open Day, live far away, are in despair over train strikes, or simply in denial about taking the next step in your educational life, I know where you’re coming from! However, after attending both Warwick’s Open Day and Offer Holder Day for Modern Languages a couple of years ago, I can promise you that there is honestly so much to be gained from coming along (beyond the freebies)! Don’t believe me? Let’s see if I can change your mind with ten reasons to attend…

1. Help make your final decision: ‘When you know, you know’, might be a phrase most commonly applied to relationships, but I would argue it applies to universities as well! The general ‘vibe’ you get from walking around a particular university can help you see if this is somewhere you can imagine spending the next few years of your life…
2. Immerse yourself in your course: One of the key differences between Open Days and Offer Holder Days is that during the latter, you get the chance to experience taster sessions of current modules. Don’t underestimate how valuable these opportunities are — they’re your chance to really see what it’s like to study at university, and hopefully make you keen to get started! In Sixth Form, my concept of a university seminar was entirely based on the scenes of the strict professors in Legally Blonde who turned on you if you said one word wrong… Needless to say the reality at Warwick is more interactive, more enjoyable, and certainly much less terrifying — which you’ll see for yourself if you attend an Offer Holder Day!
3. Immerse yourself in optional modules: The focus of the sessions during the day might be on core modules, or there could be a chance to explore optional modules or perhaps even take a taster session in a language you hadn’t initially considered. Food for thought!
4. Explore accommodation properly: If you came for an Open Day, you may well have had a campus tour. But now that the university in question has become a significantly more realistic option, this is your chance to (re-)explore campus accommodation, and be much more observant! You can home in on specific accommodations you’re interested in applying for, and you might even get the chance to look inside!
5. Find your way around: Aside from accommodation, Offer Holder Days are your chance to work out where important buildings are, to get an idea of what your day-to-day might look like at university. At Warwick for example, this would probably include the library, the Sports Hub, Tesco and the Cannon Park shopping centre, and the Piazza. A very useful opportunity for people like me in particular who take a long time to learn their way around!
6. Meet potential course mates: Remember that during your taster sessions, you’ll be surrounded by other students who are also actively considering taking that course. An opportunity to make potential friendships before university has even started…
7. Talk to those who know it best — the teachers: During an Open Day, the questions you asked staff might have focussed on admissions, but now in a calmer atmosphere with fewer people, feel free to ask as many detailed questions about the course as you have! They are here to help!
8. Talk to those who know it best — the current students: Probably the most useful part of my Offer Holder Day experience last year was being able to talk to a whole range of current Modern Languages students at Warwick. As someone who is now a Languages Ambassador, I can promise you that we are very happy to share our experiences and tips that we’ve learnt over our time here! One opportunity that was particularly useful on my Offer Holder Day was speaking to a student who studied three languages, as I wasn’t sure whether this would be too challenging. Two years on, I’m so pleased with my decision!
9. Dispel myths: Thanks to current students I was also able to clear up a few rumours (usually about accommodation!). Namely, Westwood is not on the other side of town, and not everyone who studies at Warwick has to commute in from Leamington…
10. Free things: I know I said at the start of this blog that the advantages of Offer Holder Days extend far beyond freebies, and I hope to have convinced you of this with all the above advantages! However, if all else fails and you end up deciding a particular university is not for you, the day is still a great opportunity to benefit from free drinks, biscuits, pens, notebooks, and much more! Sounds like a good enough deal to me!