My name is Katie Farmer and I’m from Edinburgh. After applying for five universities including Stirling for Primary Education with Specialism in environmental science I eagerly attended many open days in 2016.

Prior to the Stirling open day, I had researched the campus and course. However, as I was hopeful to move from home, the main influence for me was the feel of the campus, accommodation and course lecturers. Looking online and researching didn’t allow me to fully experience that first hand feel of the university’s atmosphere which was so important to me.

On the day I attended the welcome presentation, joined in the accommodation and campus tours and attended the informational talk for primary education which later I would become a student of. As cliché as it sounds, the beauty of the campus, friendly atmosphere and buzz of the university main buildings, and the enthusiasm and love for the course the lectures had while speaking at the information talk made it very clear to me I had found where I wanted to be. The atmosphere, which in my opinion can only really be experienced by visiting the university, was exactly what I was looking for.

Looking back on my experience at the open day, I believe it was paramount to helping me make my decision. Accommodation tours allowed myself and my parents to ask the questions we had and allowed us to really experience my future home before making the big leap to move away from home. The informational talk filled in the fine details of the course which research could not. Walking through the campus in person really solidified my love of the university and excited me for my future at Stirling which I still can’t believe came true.

Want to check out Stirling’s great atmosphere for yourself? Register for our next Open Day of the year on 8 June. Even if you can’t attend Open Day, we’ve got loads of other visiting opportunities you can sign up for.