By Tilly Rose
Ok, so it's not exactly how you imagined. The vision of swanning around the magical streets of Oxford, gazing up at the grand architecture, meeting real-life Oxford tutors and students, lunching in the magnificent halls and visiting the beautiful libraries has let's face it, all been cruelly snatched away BUT all is not lost.
The Virtual Open Days on 1 and 2 July and on 18 September will still give you a taste of Oxford life.
All the events across the days will be run on a drop-in basis, so there is no need to book, you just need to hop online and get involved!
You may already know that Oxford is collegiate which means rather than having one central campus, it is made up of 38 mini-campuses dotted around the city, plus subject departments, labs and libraries. Had you attended the open day in person - I can assure you, your legs would have been tired and your brain frazzled from running around the city in a desperate attempt to get all the info!
This time you can sit back, relax and even catch up on some of the events once the day is over. Be sure to check out the timetable on offer, as separate colleges and departments will be running their own events - the choice is endless! There will also be events run by student service teams, for example the Disability Advisory Service and Fees and Funding, and admissions staff will be running general information and advice sessions.
Check out the timetable here: http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/virtual-open-day/complete-list-talks
Ultimately, the open days are no sort of test - they are just a chance to see whether you think Oxford life may be suited to you. Enjoy it!
Top Tips beforehand:
Make a list of colleges - even online it's unlikely you'll get around them all. So tune into the ones which, firstly, do your subject and secondly, already appeal to you.
Think about whether you'd like a college in the city centre of outskirts, a big or small one, an old or new one. These should help you narrow it down. Don't stress about this though, this should be the fun part!
Make a list of courses you're interested in and attend the department talks relevant to your subject
Write down any questions you have - this is your opportunity!
Remember you are not being tested - the open days are for YOU to decide whether Oxford is for YOU.
Have a pen and paper to hand - this is your chance to learn about Oxford life and there will no doubt be things you'll want to refer back to