An open event at Dearne Valley College

What to expect at a college open event

9 June 2023

If you’re thinking about applying for college after you finish school, you’ve probably spent hours flicking through a prospectus or reading online about all the different courses available. But how do you know if you’re making the right choice without actually seeing where you’ll be studying?

Choosing a college should be about more than just location and course. You’re going to be spending the next couple of years at college, so can you actually imagine yourself there? And will the course you’ve got your eye on offer you the right opportunities?

That’s why college open events are worth going to. They give you a chance to see what a college is really like, speak to tutors and other students, and explore what career choices are available to you.

If you still haven’t made your mind up about what to do from September, the RNN Group of Colleges is hosting its final open events of this academic year at the end of June. Why not book your place and come see what we have to offer.

What happens at an open event?

Open events are basically your chance to have a nosey around the college’s facilities to see if you like it before applying. It only takes an hour of your time and means you’ll be able to get your bearings around the campus so that you don’t feel like a fish out of water when it comes to starting in September.

Come and see things like our hair and beauty salons, working restaurants, gyms, construction centres, music studios, performing arts theatres, and motor vehicle workshops. Each campus has its own unique facilities such as study areas, libraries, food halls and chill-out areas.

You’ll probably already have an idea in mind about what course you’re interested in studying, but you’ll get to know more about the course structure, content and how it’s taught. As we offer vocational courses with lots of hands-on learning, there’s also the chance to take part in interactive demos and see what technology or specialist equipment you’ll be using when you start college.

Course leaders will be there on the day to answer any questions you may have. You’ll be able to ask their advice about whether they think the course will suit your learning style and future ambitions.

You don’t have to come on your own if you don’t want to. If you have a group of school friends thinking of applying to the same college, you might like to book on the same time session. Or you can bring a parent, carer or even an older sibling who’s already been through college. It’s your choice where you study, but a second opinion might be helpful.

What sort of questions should you ask at an open event?

It’s not an interview by any means. But you might find it useful to ask some questions while you’re there.

Some things you might want to ask about are what your timetable might look like, how many students are usually on the course, or how your course will be taught. Will there be more practical than theory work, or are there any assessments? And what if you don’t get your predicted GCSE grades?

Maybe you’d like to know more about work placements, what companies previous students went to, and will staff be able to arrange any placement you need to do.

Perhaps you’ll need extra support while at college and want to know how we help students who might have additional learning or financial needs. You might be unsure how you’ll get to college and what the best public transport route is or where you can park your car.

As well as tutors, there will also be current students helping on the day who you can chat to about their college experience and what they enjoy the most about the course or college.

You might feel nervous about speaking up in front of everyone else, but we’d hate for you to leave thinking ‘I wish I’d asked about…’ Remember, there are no daft questions and you can guarantee there will be others thinking the same as you.

When are the RNN open events taking place?

Rotherham College – Wednesday 21st June

Dearne Valley College – Thursday 22nd June

North Notts College, Worksop Campus – Thursday 22nd June

North Notts College, Retford Campus – Thursday 29th June

All open events run from 3.30pm until 6.30pm. There are three one-hour sessions that you can book onto here.

We will also be running a 30-minute myth busting session about T Levels at 4pm, 5pm, and 6pm at Rotherham College and North Notts College, Worksop Campus Open Events which you can sign up to when booking your open event slot.

Will there be any more open events this year?

All our Colleges will be open throughout the summer holidays on Tuesday and Thursdays if you would like a personal tour to help you make up your mind and every day from GCSE results day until the start of the new College year.

In fact, we are open during the term time for personal tours just for you and any family member or friend at any time between 9-5pm. Just email schoolevents@rnngroup.ac.uk to book!

We will also be hosting a late applicant enrolment day on Saturday 2nd September between 10am-12pm for any students who do not apply for a college place before they finish school in the summer.

After that, our college open events begin again for 2024 enrolment, in November.

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