Before you decide on a foreign school, it might be helpful to pay a visit to the campuses on your list. Aparna Sundaresan tells you what to look for during your visit
Visiting a school before deciding to study there is an axiomatic part of the admission process. This is when you assess if a certain institute lives up to your expectations and everything else you have heard and read about in your research. Virtually all universities and other higher education institutes hold open days – days prospective students are invited to the campus to have a look at the place for themselves.
The open day
Open day visits are organised and overseen by the institute. You are given a guided tour of the campus and are shown a variety of things – accommodation, classrooms, libraries, hangout spots; some even allow you to sit for a lecture and meet the faculty.
Behind the scenes
A guided tour of the campus is the safest way the institute can show you the cleanest, prettiest and best parts of itself, which means what you glean from your visit could be misleading. To make the most of an open day, you will have to see more than what is shown to you.
Classrooms
It is more likely that you will be shown the ‘hi-tech’ lecture halls and classrooms on your tour. Ask the tour guide to show you some regular classrooms, either in the same building or another. You could even ask to be shown the lecture rooms in the department building you might be studying in. You could even peep into some classrooms as you walk around campus.
Accommodation
Plush, hotel-like rooms and residences will be the star of the show, but it may not be revealed to you that those rooms are reserved for final year students, postgraduates or PhD students. First-year accommodations tend to be far more modest. Request your guide to show you residences reserved for the freshmen.
Library
Libraries usually occupy an entire building, spanning over many floors. While you might be shown the floor with the best collection or the most facilities, you might also be given time to yourself to explore other floors. Do visit the floor that houses books of your subject interest. See how thick the shelves are. Survey the variety available.
Student hangouts
Pubs, restaurants, cafes and clubs that dot the campus make for a pretty picture. The ambience in these establishments will give you an idea of what the student body is like. Do also visit the students’ union building to see what the students themselves offer to their mates. It would do well to scan through the university newspaper to discover the activities on campus. University newspapers are also the best sources of information on the problems that plague the students.
Meet the faculty
The itinerary might include a meet-and-greet with professors. Take this opportunity to ask them how the course is conducted, how many lectures are in a week, how many students are taught in a lesson, etc. Find out who might be teaching your class. Are they top faculty members, or are they reserved for PhD students?
Book your place
Several universities earmark certain days as open days in their calendar, and you may choose one of them as your day to visit. However, as an international student, some universities also allow you to pick a date as per your convenience as they understand the constraints of international travel. In either case, you must inform the university well in time of your plans.
Travelling overseas is an expensive affair, so if you have made the decision to visit international campuses, utilise the time wisely. Do not treat campus visits as mere holidays, but consider them with seriousness, as they are an integral part of your research.
GOING OFF THE TRACK
When you have the campus to yourself, either after the end of the tour, or when you are visiting independently outside of an open day, evaluate the place on these terms:
* Where is the university? Does it have a campus in the outskirts or is it in the middle of a bustling city/town? Which ambience is better suited to you?
* Observe the general mood of the students milling about. Open days are held in the best season of the year – usually summer – and at this time students feel the best. If you can afford it, visit during a lesser pleasant season to gauge the state of the campus then.
* Talk to the students on campus, either in the canteens or the grounds, and ask them for their honest opinions.
* Get ‘lost’ in the campus. Take roads that were not taken during the tour. Explore the area.
* Check out how well the institute is connected by public transport. Hang around at a campus bus stop and make a note of the bus schedule. How far away is the nearest city or town?
Volume 3 Issue 11
