Plan ahead to get the best out of Virtual Open Days
Public health guidelines and Covid -19 restrictions mean that college open days/evenings and information sessions will be virtual for the foreseeable future. Naturally it is disappointing that you can’t visit the college campuses to get a real feel for the physical layout and atmosphere there but the virtual events give you a great opportunity to find out a lot about the courses that are on offer from the comfort of your own home. By doing some preparation you can ensure that you get the best out of the experience. There are other benefits to the virtual event, namely that you are assured to get into the talks once you have registered unlike the queues to attend subject talks ordinarily which often result in being disappointed because they are full as you race from one talk to another.
Start by registering for the event online, once you do so you should get a confirmation email from the university/college with a link inviting you to the event online. Make sure you have downloaded the right app/software for the open day for example Zoom or another system. On the day you may get a calendar alert reminding you of the start time so make sure that you are logged in on time for the welcome talks. All colleges are different in terms of the layout of the online event but in the main they will have a schedule that includes a general welcome talk, course specific talks and information about careers, finance and other information talks such has HEAR and DARE schemes, scholarships, accommodation etc, information from the student’s union on college life, clubs & societies, student services and so on. All colleges provide a virtual campus tour which sometimes includes a tour of campus accommodation. There will generally also be a Live Chat function to give you the chance to chat directly to admissions and academic staff, as well as current students. You may also have the opportunity to attend specific workshops.
To get the best out of the event it helps to have a thorough look at the courses that you are interested in beforehand on the college website and prepare any questions you have. During the live sessions jot down the contact details for the academic staff so that if your question is not answered you can email them afterwards. Take notes about the key information, this will help you when you are trying to make decision later on about what to include in your CAO application and in what order you will list them. One major benefit of the virtual event is that recordings of the talks are usually made available afterwards on the college websites and social media platforms so you can look back on anything you missed. The next couple of months will see all universities and colleges showcasing what they have to offer virtually so check out their websites for details of registration for each event and search www.qualifax.ie and www.careersportal.ie for a complete list of dates for this academic year.
See the college websites and their social media platforms for further details and get planning!