The official university open days tend to die down over the
summer, which is a pity since it’s a good time to visit the universities
without detracting from your school work.
However, some of the universities provide walking tours for
your mobile phone, or leaflets in pdf or paper, and these can be followed at
any time. If you are travelling round
the country for holidays or to visit relatives, take advantage of being near
universities which may interest you.
At the very least, you can get a feeling for the city itself. However, don’t be seduced by a bright and
glitzy city centre – as a student, you will greatly appreciate a town where the
cost of living is lower. Also check out
the “student quarter”. Most first-year
accommodation is in halls and is quite similar from one institution to another,
but you are likely to be in these halls only for your first year. For the next two years (or more) you will be
living in a rented hovel-er-house with your friends. In some places, there are well-defined student
suburbs, meaning that it’s easy to pop in on friends and the corner shops and
pubs are student-friendly.
Speak to the University Accomodation Office before you visit
the town and find out where these areas are and what the average rents are.