Prospective students will get the chance to see first-hand what higher education is all about when the University of Essex holds opens days at its Colchester and Southend campuses.

The open days at the Colchester Campus take place on 17 September and 22 October and the open day at the Southend Campus will take place on 24 September. 

The open days allow students, their families and sixth-form groups to look around the University’s campuses, meet with staff and current students, and view student accommodation.

At the Colchester Campus, there will be talks on student life, finance and welfare, student and graduate employment, living in accommodation, admissions and applying, academics support and resources and study abroad opportunities.

Staff from the academic departments will be on hand at all events to answer questions about particular subject areas and course details and current students will be happy to talk about their own experiences of the courses and campuses.

Maxine Bell, Student Recruitment Assistant and University of Essex graduate, said: “The open days will give prospective students the opportunity to get a real feel for the campuses and to find out what it would be like studying and living in Essex.”

Because broadening social horizons is an important part of the overall university experience, prospective students can also learn about the Students’ Union (SU) societies and sports clubs at Essex, as well as other SU facilities and services.

Continued excellence in both research and teaching has seen current applications for 2011 increase by nine per cent on 2010, compared with a national average increase of two per cent. The University was ranked ninth in the UK in the most recent national assessment of research quality, and is in the top 20 nationally for student satisfaction, according to the National Student Survey for 2011.

The Colchester Campus open days run from 10am until 4.30pm and the Southend Campus open day runs from 11am until 2pm. Tours of the campuses and accommodation will run throughout the events.

At the Colchester Campus, free parking is available throughout the day and there will be a minibus running to and from Colchester North railway station. To book a place and for further information about the open days see: www.essex.ac.uk/prospective/open_days/.