“A university fair is a great opportunity for college students to meet the representatives from a number of universities in one place and for universities to promote their universities to potential candidates” says a branding expert at Yo Promotions. Students can get all of the answers they need regarding admission, study options, course content and graduate careers. However, students need to ensure that they prepare for the university fair correctly to ensure they get this information. If you are a student, there are a number of tips that can help you make the most out of the experience. So, listen up!
Research the Study Options
It is important that you research your study options before you attend the event. This ensures that you are able to truly benefit from the knowledge of the representatives and advisers. Without doing research before you attend the fair, you could end up asking the representatives about information that you could easily get online.
Have Some Questions Prepared
While you are doing your research, you should write down any issue or questions that you would like to ask or discuss. These questions could be very specific or you could create a checklist of topics that you want to discuss such as admission requirements, the application deadline, tuition fees and course structure. You should look at no more than 5 key points that you want to discuss and focus only on the topics that are most important to you.
Look at the Schedule Beforehand
It is important that you check the schedule for the day a few days before the university fair. You need to make a note of the start times of presentations or panel discussions that you feel you want to attend. You should also not down information for panels that you are partially interested in as well.
Orientate Yourself When You Arrive
You need to give yourself enough time to get oriented once you arrive. You will be given a floor plan for the fair, but you need to take the time to study this. The plan will have information about the schools attending the fair and where you will be able to find them. It is important that you use this information to plan your route.
Have an Open Mind
While you need to be prepared and have a clear focus, you also need to be open to new possibilities and options. It is possible that you find your dream course in a form that you did not know about or that there is a niche scholarship you could get in a country that you had not considered. It is important to remember that the universities attending want to recruit students from your region and they all have something that they could offer you.
Talk to Other Candidates
While the primary reason for attending the university fair is to meet the university representatives, it also gives you a chance to talk to other candidates. Speaking to some of the other potential students is recommended and you should listen to some of the questions that they are asking. They will have done their own research and could be looking at everything from a different point of view which gives you additional information.
Know What the Time Is
When talking to someone you should not get too caught up and miss out on other opportunities. You should consider having an alarm on your phone or watch to alert you to when the event is almost over. You can then make sure you have all the information that you need. The event staff will announce the start of each presentation and panel so you need to listen to all of the announcements.
Consider Taking a Guest
All potential students are encouraged to bring a guest along. This can be very helpful as they will be able to remind you about the questions to ask. They will also help you stay focused and help you recall and sort through the information after the event.
Have a Pen, Paper and a Bag
You need to be prepared at the fair to ensure that you make a note of everything you want to follow up. You may think that you will remember, but there will be a lot to take in. You are also going to end up with information packs so you need to have something to carry them in.
Be Ready to Sell Yourself
It is important to remember that the representatives of the universities are also going to be looking for the top applicants at the fair. You need to consider your appearance, how you introduce yourself and the overall impression that you give. Providing quality questions will leave a good impression.
Of course, it does not end when the fair does. You will need to sort through all of the information you have and follow up on any interesting opportunities before making a final decision.
