<p><strong>Introduction</strong></p><p>This is an event organised by the university. Prospective applicants get to visit the university free of charge and tour the various subject departments, colleges and student rooms. They also get to meet and chat with current students as well as professors. This helps you to give you a better sense of what life at the university is like.</p><p>Oxford and Cambridge conduct their Open Days typically in early July and the middle of September.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Oxbridge College Selection</strong></p><p>Open Days are a great chance for to compare the different colleges in terms of location, accommodation offered as well as the college environment in person. But the real value lies in getting to know the people who will be tutoring you for the next three to four years. Indeed, some colleges may also offer Q&A sessions where you can have more in depth interaction with them.</p><p>Here’s what one Biochemist applicant at Oxford (2010 - 2014) has to say:</p><p>“I attended two subject tutor sessions. The first session was really intimate; there were only 2 other applicants in the one hour session, including me. We got to ask the tutors about what to expect in the interviews, general admission matters and also some specific Biochemistry topics. Apart from the first 15 minutes, our whole conversation felt like an actual lesson with the tutor teaching us about a new topic. <br><br>The second session I attended had about 9 people for a 30 minute session. There was one prospective student who tried asking an academic question but the organisers took into account the size of the group and decided that it would just be a Q&A session on the admissions process. </p><p>For me, meeting my tutor at the July open day had a huge influence in terms of which college I chose to apply to.”</p><p><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/TYX9glj-sgfkcxr88LZMdYE6gOacpuhGz_uXflKxTMzgErgoGAXUaHMvT9LoebV26V3X-E3OBCYsEwJBLgoS-ad4ga4IOvQia52UvnWIlO_fAbEzrk-r__laFrhfgVvgUSrGcjWD" alt=""></p><p> </p><p><strong>How to Plan the Open Day</strong></p><p>Not all colleges will offer subject tutor sessions. If you have not decided on a particular college yet and don't know which colleges to visit, it might be a good idea to visit the ones which have sessions where you can interact with the subject tutors.</p><p> </p><p><strong>What Are Some Possible Questions I Can Ask The Tutors?</strong></p><p>Before the Open Day, make sure you read through the resume of the various subject tutors at the college you’re visiting. Take note of their academic interests and research areas. Also, think about what you would like to know about your subject.</p><p>Here are a few possible types of questions:</p><p>Life as a student</p><p>"I heard that some students might only have one tutorial per week. If that’s the case, what’s the workload of one tutorial homework like?” </p><p>Course related questions</p><p>“I looked through the syllabus and was wondering how much students will be studying about stem cells during the 4 years?" </p><p>Questions designed to impress</p><p>"I had a look through your paper on ‘potential vaccine therapy for HIV’ which is absolutely fascinating. Do you have some more resources I could look into? The text books suggested by the department is quite hard to get hold of.”</p><p> </p><p><strong>How Do I Sign Up to Meet My College Subject Tutor?</strong></p><p>The colleges that offer subject tutor sessions will usually have a sign up form or email address on their Open Day page. Here’s an example for Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge: <br><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.fitz.cam.ac.uk/onlineforms/view.php?id=45343">www.fitz.cam.ac.uk/onlineforms/view.php?id=45343</a><br><br>Do sign up early for these sessions since space are typically limited.</p>