A couple of years ago, when I was in my final year of secondary school, I went to an open day at a university in Bristol. I was pretty undecided about what direction to take with my higher education, so my father suggested we take the train down on a Saturday morning to check out their media and communications faculty.
When we arrived, the campus was buzzing with energy. There were student ambassadors guiding visitors around the main quad, handing out prospectuses, and answering questions. We kicked things off by attending an introductory talk by the head of department, which gave a brilliant overview of the course structure and potential career paths. After that, we joined a guided tour of the facilities. I was really taken aback by the state-of-the-art recording studios, the editing suites, and the massive library. We even popped into one of the halls of residence to see what student accommodation looked like, which made the whole idea of moving away from home feel a lot more real.
What really swung it for me, though, was speaking directly to a couple of current undergraduates. They were completely candid about their workload, the teaching quality, and social life on campus, which was far more reassuring than any glossy brochure could ever be. Up until that point, I’d been leaning towards staying in my hometown, but walking around the grounds and getting a genuine feel for the atmosphere made me realise I wanted a fresh start. It gave me the confidence to apply there as my first choice, and luckily, I ended up getting a spot.