Attending a UCAS fair is a good way to get advice and information about the universities you’re interested in, the courses they offer and what it will be like studying and living there.

Multiple fairs take place each year, with lots of universities attending events across the country.

So, how can you make the most of the opportunity to connect with the universities you’re considering? MA Politics & International Relations graduate, Sasha McCrory, explains the five questions you should ask at a UCAS fair below…

UCAS fairs are a great opportunity to find out more about which universities you are interested attending.

However, they can be a bit overwhelming because of how many universities and other organisations attend these events. To make the most of your time at a UCAS fair, it’s good to have some questions in mind relating to things which may be a deciding factor in your choice.

When I was attending UCAS fairs, I had a list of key questions that I wanted answered, which I found a useful way of determining which was the right university for me.

What is the student accommodation like and is it guaranteed for all first-year students?

Like most people interested in moving away from home, university accommodation was a deciding factor for me.

In particular, I wanted to know whether it was on campus or private accommodation in the city centre and if it was guaranteed for all first-year students.

What support is available to help students adapt to university life?

I wanted to find out was what support was available if I was finding the jump from A- levels to a university degree difficult and what other student support the universities offered.

What is the city like to live in and what are the university campuses like?

I had never been to Liverpool so I had no idea about what life was like in the city and as it was somewhere that I was going to be spending the next three years of my life I wanted to ensure that it had everything that I was looking for.

What would teaching be like and how will I be assessed?

A major question I wanted answered was what would a typical week in classes be like as a first-year student and how was the course graded. For examples, would I be assessed through essays, group work or exams.

I wanted to know this was because I was aware that some universities placed more emphasis upon exams that others – some unis have exams after Christmas or during/after reading weeks whereas others may just have them as a small component at the end of the academic year.

What opportunities are available outside of my degree?

Whilst getting a degree for many reasons is the core focus of going to university, there are plenty of other opportunities available to you such as getting involved with a sports team or society, enriching your CV with getting a part-time job or getting involved with some volunteer work.

I wanted to know all about the extra-curricular activities available to me so I could understand how I would develop outside of the classroom as well as inside.