UCAS Discovery Exhibition Farnborough – Nabihah Abedin, Heathside.

Over 136 institutions set up stalls inside an vast exhibition centre, each one detailing key aspects any prospective student would have weighing on their mind. There were signs which described the multitude of different courses on offer, as well as key cities around each individual university. The representatives from the universities were both incredibly friendly and helpful, showcasing detailed and precise knowledge of any questions posed, including accommodation and social activities around the area.  Of course, it goes without saying that the free things on offer were incredibly appealing too, most notably chip spice from the University of Hull as well as coffee cups and sunglasses from the University of South Wales.

The event didn’t stop there: stalls were set up for other careers, including that of the Army, as well as an Apprenticeship and Degree-Apprenticeship help-point. There were also other events taking place around the venue, from specific subject talks such as Law and Medicine, to Q&A sessions focusing on how to make your application stand out and understanding student finance. These proved to be very impactful, greatly illustrating various aspects of the topic at hand, thus making university life incredibly easier for students to understand.

A prospective medical student mentioned how they found it ‘very exciting as we had the opportunity to talk to universities firsthand, instead of just searching up online with limited results’. Furthermore, she mentions how ‘it allowed me to see how each university fits with me as a person and overall, the event expanded my previous choices for university’.

Events such as these really are useful to any student: they greatly help in understanding what university has to offer and thus help to bridge that daunting gap between leaving somewhere familiar for years and moving onto a new chapter. Without these events, many may struggle to make informed decisions, which may create unwanted ‘domino effects’ and regrets to linger for years. Therefore, it’s incredibly important for any student to really take advantage of these opportunities, and use them to the best of their advantage, and to ask any question on their mind and talk to any university, even those you may be tentative on.

Overall, the event was very engaging and fun, and a great opportunity to be able to gain detailed insight into what university life offers. It provided the chance for hundreds of Year 12s to talk to potential universities and understand how each one distinguishes themselves from one another.