Written by Jamie Murphy, Editorial Team, CSU Ltd..
If you’re seriously considering taking up a postgraduate course, keep this November open in your diary. Over the next few weeks and again in January and February of the new year, there are a number of postgraduate fairs and open days up and down the country. One such event is the Manchester Postgraduate Fair at the GMEX on 20 November run by the careers service of Manchester University and UMIST. The organiser of the Manchester fair, Julia Carman, describes the usefulness of such events: ‘The fair is an opportunity to speak to representatives from over 70 universities, business schools and colleges. It’s a good way to start investigating further study options or to supplement existing research by talking to individuals and getting on-the-spot personal advice.’ You’ll probably be familiar with the form and procedure of fairs by now, something like a cross between Euston Station and a cattle market, bustling with people on the look out for information. There to answer questions at the exhibition stands are various representatives. ‘Generally speaking,’ says Julia, ‘the stands are managed by a mixture of admissions staff, who can give a general overview of the university and their entrance requirements and people who work within departments such as lecturers who can talk about specific courses.’ Once you have gained more knowledge about a course or institution, paying a visit to an open day at a university can offer more insight. Virinder Lail of the University of Nottingham describes an open day as a way of getting a deeper understanding of the course and also a feel for the institution: ‘People can come and meet people, both staff and students and can ask detailed questions. At a fair you’ll meet a representative of the university but they may not be able to answer specific questions about a course or a piece of research you’re interested in. At an open day you have access to people in various different departments with various specialisms who can tell you more about current research, and more about how a course is taught.’ It’s also an opportunity to check out the institution’s facilities first hand, all of which are of extra importance to those considering a research specialism. At the Nottingham Postgraduate Open Day on 13 November, for example, all taught courses and research opportunities as well as academic schools and research institutes will be represented. Open days like these, Virinder says, are an opportunity to go into the actual school, look around laboratories, libraries and the computing and teaching facilities relevant to the area you’re interested in and check that they are up to the quality that you need.’ Fairs and open days both offer much more than a prospectus and it’s important to be proactive exploring the range of opportunities available. Of the Manchester Postgraduate Fair – the biggest in the north, Julia Carman says: ‘There are a wide range of exhibitors, with institutions based in the north-west, across the UK and overseas. There’s a huge range of courses, from general arts, humanities, business, sciences, computing and engineering subjects to specialist areas such as tourism, fashion, music and journalism. As well as the exhibition there is a programme of talks covering subjects like postgraduate funding, teacher training and studying overseas. Also there will be a team of professional careers advisers on hand to give individual careers advice.’ Related topics
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