We’re really excited about our upcoming open day (you can book here if you’ve not already done so), but what about if you go into a cold sweat at the very thought of having to spend the day in completely uncharted territory – especially with your mum and dad as part of your expedition team! To help combat these fears, we’ve put together our top ten tips for Open Day Survival.

1) Plan your expedition outfit beforehand

You might be desperate to break in those block heeled, 90s inspired sandals that you bought last week, but speaking from experience, a university open day is not the right day to do it.  To make the most of your open day you’ll want to travel to different buildings on campus. You may want to attend the Welcome Talk in the Business School before heading to the Geoffrey Manton Building for the Film & Media Studies talk, and then take a tour of the campus and accommodation.  If your feet are hurting you might not make it that far. Heed our advice and wear something comfy!

2) Leave the car at home

We know for some of our explorers coming from further afield this isn’t possible, but to help make your open day just that little bit less stressful, we recommend leaving the car at home.  Manchester is well served by three train stations and the university is on the busiest bus route in Europe. If you’re travelling by train to Piccadilly, lookout for our Student Ambassadors at the station, who will direct you to buses running from Piccadilly Railway Station to our campus. If you do need to bring the car, there is limited public car parking available around campus. Take a look at our travel webpages for more information.

3) Charge your batteries beforehand

We really want you to get social at MMU Open Days, so we’ve got free Wi-Fi available on campus.  Scout out signs dotted about the campus for the login and password.  We also want you to ask us questions, share your thoughts and your photos across our social media platforms @manmetuni/ facebook.com/manmetuni/ Instagram.com/manmetuni.  We’ll be live tweeting throughout the event, so make sure you batteries are fully charged so you don’t miss out.

4) Bring a brolly

At the risk of sounding a bit too sensible, we also recommend bringing a brolly. As much as we love Manchester, it is notorious for its rainy weather.  Just in case it’s one of those days, bring a brolly with you.  Soggy shoes are just as unpleasant as pinching shoes.  You can always check the weather around campus beforehand.

5) Look out for the men in black and boys in blue (and girls and women!)

Not quite sure where the Benzie Building is? Lost your Open Day Guide? Grandma in desperate need of a coffee, but not sure where to go? Our Student Ambassadors and Recruitment and Admissions staff are here to help guide you through the day.  We’ll be all around campus and even stationed on Oxford Road and Piccadilly Train Station to help you enjoy your  visit.                                                                                                                            

6) Visit the Student Life Fair  

You might have already been to the Accommodation Talk and been on the Accommodation Tour, but you’ve just thought of a burning question! ‘Can I bring my pet goldfish Harry with me when I move to halls?’ The answer can be found in our Student Life Fair.  We have a variety of stands from the Student’s Union and Student Finance to Accommodation and MMU Sport.  The Student Life Fair is your chance to speak to staff and Student Ambassadors about what life is like at University outside of lectures and seminars.                    

7) Bring some emergency nourishment

If you get peckish whilst you’re on campus, there are plenty of cafes and vending machines available to satisfy any appetite, but there is always the lurking danger of grumbling tummies on the journey home.  Stashing a packet of sweets or a bunch of bananas to share can help make that journey just that bit easier.

8) Grab some goodies

Your Manchester Met Open Day is your chance to get the information you need to help you make the life-changing decision of where you will go to university.  Make sure you pick up everything you might possibly need to help you make up your mind. Course brochures, Parents’ Guides, Money Matters Guides and prospectuses will all be available, along with our famous MMU bags!  Not forgetting the pens, chocolates (see survival tip 7) and other assorted treats that will be dotted about the Student Life and Courses Fairs.

9)Take a tour of the campus

So, you’ve heard that you can see the Degree Show over at the Manchester School of Art and you want to show your mum and dad where the Students’ Union is, but you’re not quite sure where they are.  Joining one of our campus tours can be the best way to get your bearings on campus.  Student Ambassador led tours are running throughout the day from the Student Life Fair and Birley Building.

10) Explore the surrounding city

Whilst you’re in our wonderful city, why not make the most of it by seeing what Manchester has to offer, Creativetourist.com has put together a handy guide of ‘the best places to take (or leave) your parents’ and we’ve also put together a video of our favourite things about Manchester, apart from Manchester Met of course!

We hope you enjoy your visit. Don’t forget to let us know that you get home safely after your expedition! @manmetuni #mmuopenday