Open Day

Top Tips Before Attending an Open Day

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Welcome to Maynooth

We are looking forward to seeing you at Maynooth! While this is a welcoming and friendly campus, visiting for the first time can be a little overwhelming. To help here are the top ten times for going to a university open day.

1. Give yourself time

Timing helps everything fall into place. Be sure to arrive on time or even a little early so that you can be sure that you are where you should be. There will be lots of things going on for you join in to help you find out more, so give yourself time. Check the train timetables, bus schedules, and length of travel, so that you won’t arrive late and flustered.

2. Prepare key questions

Think about what you might like to ask the staff and students you will meet. To help, it might be good to do a little research about the university and its courses. This helps in getting the most out of the day. After all your future is important, so making the right choice is key.

3. Go with somebody who knows you

A new university can be daunting. Some find it helpful to have someone come with them – a friend, parent or family member. They can give you the courage to ask that important question or provide valuable second opinion, on whether a programme is right for you.

4. Listen about your course

Key to enjoying university is enjoying the course. After all, you will be dedicated three years or more to it! Therefore, find out the important elements of the course. Go to the Programme Talk and listen to the lecturers tell you more. They are here to help and answer all your questions.

5. See where you might live

Another vital aspect of university is accommodation. It is common for first years to live on campus. Some might like to stay throughout their studies; while others might like to rent a house or room. Either way, it is worth visiting the halls of residence to see what kind of living environment you might be experiencing.

6. Explore the campus

We like to think that Maynooth has the most beautiful campus in Ireland. Take the opportunity to walk it see it all by taking a Campus tour or just exploring for yourself. Look out for all kinds of things: are there good public transport links? Can you get a coffee while studying in the library? What are the student supports like? Will I feel safe here? Talk to the students who give the tours. They will have the inside track.

7. Explore the support supports

Being at university can be a challenging in all sorts of ways. It is really important to seek out the student supports available. This is certainly true if there are additional needs that you may have such as a learning difficulty or disability. Maynooth campus has some of the best student supports in the country to help you get the most out of the university experience.

8. Collect the freebies!

Most open days will have freebies! They could be food, sweets, leaflets, prospectuses, stationary. Do take them. They are meant to be reminders of the university. Especially, take the Prospectuses and leaflets. They provide all the information you may need as you reflect back on the day and make your decision.

9. Speak to the staff/student ambassadors

One of the best ways of learning more is to speak to the staff and students from the university. You will see the student ambassadors roaming about or at the stands. Staff will be at the programme talks. Feel free to approach them before or after. They are more than happy to help.

10. Enjoy it!

We want you to enjoy the open day because we know that if you make the right decision in coming to Maynooth, you will enjoy your years at university. A lot has gone into the open day in hope that you will enjoy it. So, come with an open mind. You may end up becoming excited at how much Maynooth is the right place for you.



Adapted from St Mary’s University, Twickenham. (See: https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/news/2018/11/opendayguide)

If you live outside Ireland, check out our dedicated area for international students.

Let’s talk

For Undergraduate queries: email admissions@spcm.ie.

For Postgraduate queries: email pgadmissions@spcm.ie.

For The Centre for Mission & Ministries queries, email: cmmadmissions@spcm.ie.