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Southampton Uni open day

71 replies

RoundsRobin · 15/05/2024 15:16

My DC is down to attend the Southampton Uni open day and I’m at that stage of booking train tickets, can anyone advise how long we should allocate for the visit? Is 2-3 hours enough time? Or longer? Thank you!

OP posts:

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nozbottheblue · 15/05/2024 15:22

I'd suggest looking at the University website, there will be information about how the day will be organised and probably talks and tours to plan your day around.

RoundsRobin · 15/05/2024 15:27

Thank you @nozbottheblue I have taken a look but can’t find anything (it’s probably staring me right in the face!) and I’m just wanting to get the train fares booked early before the prices go up.

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TizerorFizz · 15/05/2024 15:27

@RoundsRobin
We looked at timetables for open days. We then worked out what dc wanted to do and looked at the time slots when various talks are available. DD1 was Joint honours so two subjects. Allow time to look round the department. the uni itself and the city where the uni is if it's a city uni. You might need time to look at accommodation. We hardly had time to do this anywhere!

Add in coffee, lunch and dc touching base with you for reflection and deciding if you go home or stay a bit longer! Also, how long to get to and from station?

2-3 hours is too short generally speaking. 4 hours minimum I would say . A campus uni is perhaps quicker than a city but we mostly left mid afternoon.

jennylamb1 · 15/05/2024 15:30

It can take half an hour on the bus from Southampton Central to Highfield Campus so that's an hour travel time, I would give yourself as much time as possible on campus. There are lots of nice cafes and places to sit if you have spare time.

RoundsRobin · 15/05/2024 15:31

Thank you @TizerorFizz that’s really helpful and I’ll definitely look for a longer visit then. In our email, we are told that no need to book a tour as they are held throughout the day which is helpful in case of train delays but that’s good advice to give plenty of time to look at accommodation and to touch base too. Thank you!

OP posts:

TeenDivided · 15/05/2024 15:32

If there is spare time there are loads of cafes or even IKEA. Surely better to have time to spare than be rushing?

TizerorFizz · 15/05/2024 15:32

Here is what you can do at Southampton. It doesn't mentioned timed subject talks but after applying, do they not give a timetable? It could be it's informal of course!

Southampton Uni open day

jennylamb1 · 15/05/2024 15:33

What is he looking to study? (I work at the Uni).

RampantIvy · 15/05/2024 15:35

I agree with @TizerorFizz that you need longer. The only university that we struggled to fill our time at before our train was Bristol, which DD disliked pretty much straight away.

bizzey · 15/05/2024 15:55

If you are looking at an Earth Science type of degree they also do a tour of the NOC department down by the docks.

That has timed tours as well and adds a lot more time to your day.

There is a lot to see in Southampton!

RoundsRobin · 15/05/2024 16:11

Thank you everyone, it definitely sounds like a longer day is needed (and I like the idea of a more relaxed approach too rather than rushing).
@jennylamb1 he is looking at Politics.

OP posts:

jennylamb1 · 15/05/2024 16:15

RoundsRobin · 15/05/2024 16:11

Thank you everyone, it definitely sounds like a longer day is needed (and I like the idea of a more relaxed approach too rather than rushing).
@jennylamb1 he is looking at Politics.

Politics is a good subject there, I think Jon Sopel studied politics at University of Southampton and was North American Editor for the BBC for a long time. It's based on the Highfield Campus which is very nice.

Iggleoggledaffy · 15/05/2024 16:16

Depending on where you’re coming from, getting off at Southampton airport can be slightly quicker than central station to get to the main campus, and the bus takes you past one of the main halls of residence sites. Just to walk and explore the main parts of the campus and go to a talk or two I’d leave 4 hours, and I do think getting a feel for the city is a nice thing to do on an open day. Southampton Uni is a great compromise between a campus university with close access to town and city.

WibbleWob · 15/05/2024 16:17

It may be worth looking at tickets to Southampton parkway- it’s opposite the uni sports ground and probably a quicker taxi ride to the high field campus itself, unless you want to look around Southampton (ikea and John Lewis!) itself.

TizerorFizz · 15/05/2024 16:18

Do they have shuttle buses from the stations? Taxis could be very busy.

Wakemeuuuup · 15/05/2024 17:17

We went 2 years ago with dc1 and are going back in July with dc2.

We were there for about 6 hours. If you want to see accommodation, sports facilities and take time for lunch etc you'll need it.

I would definitely get the train to Southampton parkway as the parking for open days is in Wide Lane sports centre right beside it.

The courtesy bus goes from there every 10-15 minutes and is free

MarchingFrogs · 15/05/2024 21:46

I went with DS1 (admittedly 10 years ago now) and we were advised to pick up.the shuttle bus from the Southampton Airport station. Slight panic when we got there and all the buses were apparently off shuttling and the SU bods playing invisible, bur apart from that, it worked fine. I had bought us off-peak day returns to Southampton Central, though, as we planned to go off into the city for a while at the end of the open day, or once he felt he'd seen enough. I'd say we were around campus for about 4 hours, including a subject talk and a good poke around the Glen Eyre accommodation and looking in estate agents' windows to get an idea of second / third year costs.

Perfectlystill · 15/05/2024 21:59

I'm thinking about this for DD3. Is Southampton well regarded? Is there an issue with accommodation or is it ok?

jennylamb1 · 15/05/2024 23:09

Southampton is well-regarded- Russell Group. Accommodation fine, loads of halls and student lets.

TizerorFizz · 15/05/2024 23:43

In general Southampton, as RG, will be in the top 25 for many subjects. For a few near the top. For others, nearer 25. Always depends on what dc wants to study. Also well regarded by whom? Employers, other uni staff on MN or because a journalist in his 60s went there? It's also not the best of cities in the uk.

My DD wasn't keen on Exeter. Loved Bristol - dc are all different.

dragonscannotswim · 15/05/2024 23:56

We were there most of the day - visit faculties for joint honours, visit accommodation, go to lectures, etc.

ErrolTheDragon · 16/05/2024 00:00

Perfectlystill · 15/05/2024 21:59

I'm thinking about this for DD3. Is Southampton well regarded? Is there an issue with accommodation or is it ok?

It's certainly well regarded for engineering and comp sci (I'm sure other subjects too). Accommodation seemed fine when we were looking with dd a few years ago, and unusually they guaranteed accommodation if it was your insurance choice too. Which, in the end, it was for dd, who was seriously torn between Southampton and Cambridge. (I was slightly surprised it didn't win out as she's into watersports)

TizerorFizz · 16/05/2024 00:10

Yes. That's why I said it depends in subject. Law is 25th, Economics 29th and Politics 31st. Sciences tend to be higher ranked. There are better unis for Politics.

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AIstolemylunch · 16/05/2024 00:21

My child is at Southampton. Has a great time. No different from any other city and less grimey than places like Bristol. Its as well regarded as many other unis and higher in the tables for many subjects than Leeds, Nottingham etc. Dont know why being in the top 30 would be seen as an issue anyway when there are nearly 300 unis in the UK. Halls are same as any older uni, accommodation is guaranteed in first year and there's tonnes of uni lets for the other years. Accommodation is cheaper than friends in Leeds, which surprised me. I think its one of the few unis with no accomodation issue. They get a free bus pass in most (all?) first year halls. Also free laundrettes!

TizerorFizz · 16/05/2024 07:50

@AIstolemylunch

How odd. Have you been to Clifton in Bristol where houses are £ millions? It's where the uni is. I thought it was lovely. Some Southampton wards have a far higher crime rate than anywhere in Bristol. 144 vs 98 per 1000 people. Unis tend to be in pleasant areas so comparing these unis based on areas they are in would reveal they are not dissimilar.

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