UCAS Exhibitions and Open Days

So last week we hosted the UCAS higher education exhibition at our Bedford campus. For anyone that hasn’t heard of this event before, it’s our biggest recruitment event in the year. Located at our Bedford campus, we host many other universities and higher education institutions on campus, and are visited by approximately 10,000 students from schools and colleges within the region.

This year I was one of the staff working on the University of Bedfordshire stand. Over the course of two days I spoke to many students about the various courses that we offer, provided information about our accommodation and transport links, and was asked by a couple of students what was the best thing about Bedfordshire (to which I replied “Go Global – I wish my university offered something like that when I was a student!).

There were a couple of questions however that have really stuck with me.

What exactly am I meant to be doing here?

Excellent question! Stupidly I assume every year (well, this is the third year I’ve worked at the UCAS exhibition), that students will come into the exhibition with a plan of action, but not all students know exactly what they want to do at this point – I certainly didn’t. So for those students who don’t know what, or where, they want to study, or even if they want to go to university, it’s a chance to attend subject talks, which will give you an insight into what you may learn from a degree in that area, and where it could lead you. It also gives you a chance to speak to universities and find out a little more about them. Even if you’re not sure what you want to study at this point you may be able to find out what universities offer placement years, internships, scholarships, and opportunities to work abroad, to name just a few, which may influence your final decision.

I don’t need to attend an Open Day now do I?

At the exhibition I invited many students to come along to our next Open Day and a couple asked why they needed to, if they’d spoken to us at the fair – another excellent question! Although the UCAS exhibition is a great way to gather information, you will probably end up speaking to many universities and institutions, and you may feel like you have been overloaded with information. I would recommend using the UCAS exhibitions as a starting point – speak to as many universities as possible and, from this, choose your favourite universities and book to attend an Open Day at those institutions.

At an Open Day you’ll be able to take a tour of the campus, which will help you to really get a feel for the university. You’ll also be able to meet current students and hear about their experiences, and find out exactly what that university offers in terms of extra-curricular activities, career support, internship opportunities and facilities etc.

At the exhibitions the stands are typically run by someone from the Recruitment team. At an Open Day you’ll have the opportunity to speak to academics from your chosen department – the people that you’ll be dealing with on a day-to-day basis if you chose to study at that institution – and they’ll be able to talk in detail about your subject and how it is taught at that institution.

And finally, I can't talk about Open Days and UCAS exhibitions without talking about the freebies! Most institutions will at least have some free pens which you can stock up on. And if you do attend our UCAS exhibition next year make sure you grab your friends and visit our photobooth. 

Reflecting on my university experience

I recently read an article on Marketing Week questioning whether marketing experts really need a degree in marketing. It's an interesting question - and I'm sure the debate could go on for hours and hours with many pros and cons for each side. However the article did make me reflect on my time at university and how my degree has paved the way for me.

I studied Advertising and Marketing Communications, intrigued by the world of advertising and eager to find out more. Within the first year I knew that advertising wasn't for me and started considering the world of marketing more and more. During my second year of university I was able to choose between a 6 week advertising placement or a year-long marketing placement, due to commence that summer. You can probably guess what one I chose. I worked as a Marketing Assistant for an organisation in the higher education sector, where I got to put my theoretical knowledge into practice and helped to implement marketing campaigns, undertake market research, dabble at design, practice my copy writing skills, and many other tasks.

In my final year at university I also worked as a brand ambassador for a student travel organisation. As part of my role I implemented social media campaigns, was responsible for maintaining a brand presence around the university and helped to boost the brand reputation. Both roles enabled me to experience various aspects within marketing, and enabled me to identify what areas I really enjoyed and some areas that I wasn't as keen on.

Both placements have undoubtedly shaped my career path - and more importantly I wouldn't have been considered for either placement if my degree wasn't of a marketing discipline. The experience I received from these placements helped to enrich my CV - highlighting transferable skills that I had gained such as organisational skills, presentation skills, communication skills and the ability to make it through a working week and return the following Monday!

To anyone starting their university journey I would highly recommend that you seek out the opportunity to gain work experience, whether this be through a placement year or an internship. If you feel that you don't have enough time for such a commitment why not take a look at some of the other activities that we offer at Beds - from volunteering opportunities, to writing for our student magazine, to joining a club or society - there's plenty of options available to fit around your schedule and help to ensure that you get more than a degree.

More than a degree

Over the next couple of days hundreds of UoB students will be graduating from university officially, with many leaving the world of university behind and stepping into the world of employment. Kylie and I will be going to meet some of the graduates and interview them about their UoB experience. There's always such a buzz at the graduations and I can't help but remember my own (although I still can't believe mine was four years ago this year!!).

With the job market the way it stands currently, it's so important that graduates can differentiate themselves from other graduates, whether this be with an internship, volunteering, or simply being a member of a club or society. As mentioned in one of my previous blog posts, I've been working on a section of the website called more than a degree, which highlights many of the co-curricular and extra-curricular activities available at Beds. The pages highlight the various ways students can get involved at the university, whether this be writing for the SU's magazine, taking part in the Go Global programme, or learning a language, as well as many other opportunities.

As part of this project I've had the opportunity to meet with some of our students and graduates that have already benefited from taking part in some of these amazing opportunities. Keep your eyes peeled on our website, and across our social media accounts for more information!

What's great about the more than a degree project is that it is still expanding. There's so many fantastic things happening at the university that I'm still learning about all of the different opportunities myself! If you run, or know, of any activity that isn't currently listed on the more than a degree pages please let me know.