Going to a University Open Day Alone: Is It Weird? (Spoiler: No)

You won’t be the only one. Not even close.

Plenty of people walk into open days on their own — students whose parents are working, students whose friends are visiting different universities, students who just wanted to go and form their own impressions without anyone else’s commentary in their ear.

Here’s why solo open days might actually be the better choice, and how to get the most out of going by yourself.

You won’t be the only one — promise

Walk into any major university open day and look around. You’ll see students with one parent, students with two parents, students with friends in groups of three or four, students with siblings, students with grandparents — and a steady stream of students walking around on their own.

Universities are aware of this and have stopped designing open days as if everyone is in a family group. Student ambassadors are trained to chat with solo visitors, mini-lectures don’t seat people in pairs, and the campus tour doesn’t pause for a family photo.

You will not stand out. You will not be the only one. You will not get a sympathetic look from a student ambassador.

Why going alone is actually quite good

A few genuine advantages over going with a parent or friend:

You set the agenda. The whole day runs on your priorities. Want to skip the welcome talk and head straight to the subject session? Done. Want to spend forty minutes wandering around the library? Fine. Want to leave early because you’ve seen enough? You can.

You form your own impressions. This matters more than you think. When you’re with a parent, you’re partly absorbing their reactions to the place. When you’re with a friend, you’re chatting through everything in the moment rather than letting it land. Solo visits leave you with cleaner impressions — what you actually thought about the place.

You’ll talk to more people. This is the big one. When you’re with someone, you tend to ask them questions. When you’re alone, you ask the student ambassadors. You ask the academics. You strike up a conversation with another prospective student in the lunch queue. The information you get is much richer.

It’s practice for the real thing. University is, fundamentally, an exercise in operating independently. Navigating an unfamiliar campus, talking to strangers, making your own decisions — that’s exactly what you’ll be doing in week one of term. An open day is a low-stakes warm-up.

You’ll meet people on your wavelength. Some students who attended open days alone say they got chatting with another solo visitor and ended up sticking together for the day — and a few of them ended up at the same university and stayed friends.

What to do if you’re nervous

Some practical things that help:

Plan the day in advance. Look at the timetable, pick two or three things you definitely want to do, and book any sessions that require pre-registration. Having a plan stops the day feeling overwhelming.

Arrive a bit early. Get to the welcome point at the start, not in the middle when you’ll feel like you’re walking in late. There will be other early arrivals doing the same thing.

Have your subject talk locked in. Most universities run a flagship subject talk in the morning — book it, get there in time, sit somewhere you can see. This anchors your day around your actual reason for being there.

Ask the first question to a student ambassador, not a senior academic. Student ambassadors are paid to be friendly and to chat. They’re a soft entry point. Start with them and you’ll be more confident by the time you talk to a head of department later.

Don’t try to do everything. Open days have huge timetables and you can’t cover all of it. Pick four or five things — campus tour, subject talk, accommodation viewing, one-to-one Q&A, lunch — and accept that you’ll miss the rest.

Take notes on your phone. It looks normal, no one notices, and you’ll thank yourself when you’re comparing universities a month later.

The myth that you need someone with you

A few things people sometimes say that aren’t quite right:

“You need a parent to ask the important questions.”
You don’t. Universities have parent-specific talks because parents have specific concerns (cost, distance, support). But for the questions that matter to your actual decision — what’s the course like, what’s the campus like, what’s student life like — you can ask them yourself, more easily, alone.

“You’ll get lost without someone to navigate with.”
Open days are heavily signposted, with student ambassadors at every junction. You can ask for directions to anything. Most campuses are smaller than you’d expect.

“You’ll feel awkward at lunch.”
Open day catering varies — some universities provide free food, some have campus cafes. Either way, eating alone at a uni event is completely normal. Bring a book or scroll your phone. No one is watching.

“Talking to strangers is impossible.”
Student ambassadors are there specifically to talk to you. They will start the conversation if you don’t. You’re not imposing — you’re literally the reason they’re working that day.

Some questions you can ask just because you’re alone

A few questions that work especially well when you’re not with a parent — because the answer is sometimes different:

To student ambassadors:

• Where do you actually go out at weekends?
• What’s the social scene like for someone who doesn’t drink?
• How easy is it to make friends in first year, honestly?
• Is the city safe at night, particularly in the areas where students live?
• What’s the LGBTQ+ scene like?
• What kind of music scene does the city have?

To academics:

• What’s the most common reason students transfer out of this course?
• How do you support students who are struggling — academically or with anything else?
• What kinds of jobs do students from this course actually go into?

These are questions you might feel awkward asking with a parent next to you. Alone, you can ask anything.

If you change your mind

Some students start the day intending to go alone and find themselves messaging a friend or a parent halfway through, wishing they were there. That’s fine too. If it happens:

• Suggest meeting them at the train station after the open day for a debrief.
• Take notes during the day and walk them through your impressions later.
• Save the offer holder day for a visit you can do with someone.

There’s no rule that says every open day has to be a solo trip.

When solo open days work especially well

A few situations where going alone is particularly worth it:

• You’ve already done one or two open days with family and you want to make your final shortlist trips on your own terms.
• The university is local enough that the trip is straightforward — train, bus, or short drive.
• Your parents can’t agree on which university they think you should go to — going alone removes the in-the-moment commentary.
• You’re applying for a specific course your family doesn’t fully understand — you don’t want to spend the day explaining what software engineering or comparative literature actually involves.
• You’re a mature applicant or care leaver — going alone is the norm rather than the exception, and many universities have dedicated outreach for these visits.

When you might want company

A few situations where it might be worth bringing someone:

• It’s your first open day and you’re nervous about the format generally.
• The university is a long way from home and the train journey is more pleasant with someone.
• You’re seriously considering this as your firm choice and the second opinion would be useful.
• You want to look at accommodation and a parent’s eye on the practical stuff is helpful.

None of these are reasons you have to bring someone — just situations where you might benefit from it.

The one thing that actually matters

Whether you go alone, with a friend, with a parent, or with your entire extended family — what matters is that you go, you pay attention, you ask questions, and you form your own view of the place.

Going alone is one good way to do that. So is going with someone you trust who won’t try to influence your decision. The wrong way is going with someone who’s going to spend the whole day telling you what they think of the place — that’s true whether they’re a parent or a friend.

If solo is your only option, take it. The day will be fine. Better than fine, in many cases — students who go alone often come away with a clearer sense of what they actually thought.

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