How to organise a university campus visit for the first time

Last month, I organised a university field trip for the first time. 

When I started out as a college counsellor, I definitely did not think that organising a field trip would be part of my job description. But once I had attended a university open day, it quickly dawned on me how incredibly beneficial in-person visits would be.

Sure, scrolling through college websites or listening to application workshops can provide you with plenty of information. But visceral engagement and deep-seated knowledge about a place can be gained only by strolling through the campus. This is a precious type of experience that no website can provide. So I sought to provide my students with such an opportunity.

Keep in mind that I am by no means an expert on this – this was just my first trip. But I want to share with you the lessons I’ve learned as a first-time field-trip organiser, so that, should you decide to include a field trip as part of your counselling curriculum, you feel a bit more prepared.

Some of these tips may not be applicable to you, as all field trips look different, depending on the context. My field trip involved crossing the border from mainland China to Hong Kong on a bus (the journey took two hours in one direction) with 40 grade 11 (Year 12) and grade 12 (Year 13) students. We visited two universities (University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) and returned back on the same day. All in all, it was a long day, starting at 6am and ending at 8pm.

Even if you’re not planning a cross-border full-day trip, I hope some of these tips will be helpful for you. They are organised chronologically: steps to reflect on before, during and after a trip.

Planning the trip

Picking dates

Look at the school calendar to see which days are feasible for taking the students out. Pitch the idea to your secondary leadership team early, including the tangible benefits of such a trip. And search for an ideal date together, with a few possible alternatives.

A good time to go is the annual camp week, if your school organises one – it’s ideal as there are no classes during this week for the older years, which gives room for more non-academic activities.

Picking universities

When choosing universities to visit, you can consider two factors: accessibility and popularity. Regarding accessibility, think about how easily the university can be reached, in terms of physical distance. A trip to a closer university would surely be easier, but if your school or students have the means to pay for it, perhaps you can arrange an international trip.

This would depend on the second factor: how popular it is for your students. Including a popular or a well-known school would get your students and parents excited (and thus give grounds for paying for an international trip).

However, exposing your students to a lesser-known school is also beneficial, as an in-person visit can be the best way to nudge a student to seriously consider a university. If you can, why not devote a whole day – or more – to the trip, and include both?

Contact the universities early

Since a campus visit involves organising effort on the part of the university, too, reach out to them early and propose the dates you picked out. The date is possibly the most important element to nail down as soon as possible, since all other decisions in the preparation process follow on from this. If the universities are in a different country, ensure that you’re not picking dates on their public holidays.

The standard set-up universities offer includes a presentation by the admissions office and a campus tour. Don’t forget to express your gratitude, as the university representative is taking time out of their busy schedule to meet you and your students.

Follow the field-trip processes in your school

There is normally a set of school-trip policies that should be followed for each school – ask your leadership team or another teacher who has organised a field trip already. These policies may include conducting a risk assessment, drawing up a timeline, outlining communication plans and ensuring that emergencies are planned for.

Prepare timely announcements for parents

Well in advance of the trip, inform the parents of the schedule, give them information about the activities at the universities and provide a list of necessary items to pack. If you append a schedule and a detailed information sheet about the visit to the permission form, and send out another reminder email shortly before the trip, this should cover all bases.

Don’t forget essential items

Since this trip involves taking students beyond the school walls, consider taking items that you wouldn’t usually think of when planning for activities at school. This may include food, water, petty cash and a first-aid kit – the list should be outlined in the school’s field-trip policies.

During the trip

Schedule buffer time for transport

Leave enough time in the schedule to account for buffer time as you are travelling with a group. This may involve leaving a bit early, especially considering the size of your group. If you’re scheduling multiple visits, it may also involve leaving enough time between universities.

Ask your chaperones for help

Delegate administrative and headcount tasks to chaperones if possible, and train them beforehand. You are the main organiser, and will have a lot on your mind during the day.

Consider having lunch at the university canteen

If possible, schedule time for the students to have lunch at the university canteen. This allows them first-hand experience of the lives of university students. Just do your research first and ensure that any special payment system is explained before the trip.

Arrange to meet alumni at the university

Contact alumni from your school who are studying at the university and arrange for them to join you during the field trip. This can take the form of a Q&A panel, a short presentation or even just accompanying your current students during the campus tour.

Spending time with current students will add a fantastic personal touch to the field trip, and provide an opportunity for your students to receive insider tips about university life and application.

After the trip

Provide students with reflection questions

To ensure that students engage more deeply with the experience, prepare reflection questions for them to answer. Here are my sample questions. 

Tell your community about the trip

Write a short article about the trip for your school’s social media, and your marketing team will likely be more than happy to receive it. This can be a great opportunity for the wider community to find out about your college-counselling initiatives.

Lastly, have fun with the students, and give yourself a pat on the back afterwards.