Make the most of your visit
We can't wait to meet you
As well as learning more about your course and seeing the University, you can also get expert advice on applying to uni, funding your studies and exploring our island city. Here’s a rundown of everything you can do on the day. There's also information on planning your day and how to get here.
Don't forget to book your place
Checking in
When you check in, we give you everything you need to enjoy your visit.
Main Check-in:
- Ravelin Sports Centre (Cambridge Road) Open 09:00am - 3:00pm
If you’re running short on time you can head straight to your subject talk and check in later in the day.
Faculty Check-in locations:
- Park Building (King Henry I Street)
- St Michael's Building (White Swan Road)
- Richmond Building (Portland Street)
- Portland Building (Portland Street)
- Eldon Building (Winston Churchill Avenue)
Key talks
These key talks cover all your uni essentials. They’re repeated at various times throughout the day so you can fit them easily with other talks and tours.
- Welcome - Why study at Portsmouth, Ravelin Sports Centre – an overview of what we can offer you
- Student finance, Ravelin Sports Centre – information about what financial support is available
- Student accommodation, Ravelin Sports Centre – find out about halls of residence and other housing options
- Applying to university, Ravelin Sports Centre – everything you need to know about applying to university
- Careers and employability, Ravelin Sports Centre – information on the support we can give you with planning your career and getting work experience that complements your studies and career goals
- Personal statements, Students' Union - what you need to know to write the best personal statement
- Sports talk, Ravelin Sports Centre - find out how to make friends, stay active and develop your own skills at Ravelin Sports Centre, and hear about our activities, clubs, and the paid or voluntary development roles you can do during your studies
- Sports scholarship talk, Ravelin Sports Centre - an insight into the University of Portsmouth's Sports Scholarship Programme, which supports talented student-athletes to reach both their academic and sporting potential
Personal Statement workshops
Want to make your Personal Statement stand out? Not sure where to start? Want to know you’re on the right track?
Bring your personal statement and come to our workshops running all day on the first floor of the Students’ Union. Our experts will give you advice on how to put together a winning Personal Statement or receive feedback on what you’ve done so far. You don’t need to book in advance.
Subject talks and tours
The subject talks give you the chance to find out more about the courses you’re interested in and take a look at where you’ll be studying. You can also speak with teaching staff and current students. We’ll send you details of your course talk time and location before you visit.
If you change your mind about which course talk you’d like to attend or you want to see what other courses can offer on the day, it’s not a problem to switch talks or fit in an extra one if you have time.
Book your place on an Open Day
Hi, I'm Marlena and I'm one of the many student ambassadors here at the University of Portsmouth.
I'll be showing you around the campus of the university and we cannot wait to meet you at our next open day.
You'll start your day at the check-in where you’ll collect your guide, and then you can decide where to go from there.
It is really easy to get to campus, whether you're travelling by car or by public transport.
If you decide to use the Park and Ride, you’ll be dropped by check-in and that’s where your day would begin.
To help everything run smoothly on the day, please have your QR code ready to show at check-in which you should have received by email.
Hey, are you okay? It's just right there. No worries. Have a good day.
You can come and ask us questions at any time, even if you just want advice on where to get lunch.
One of my top tips is to use the planner, which is found at the back of the guidebook, to help you plan your day and make sure you don't miss out.
Once you're ready to start, one of the first things to do is to take a campus tour.
I'll be showing you around some of the main uni buildings, including the Ravelin Sports Centre, which is one of the most sustainable sports centres in the UK.
My favourite part of the campus tour is sharing my student experience and also sharing my favourite spots around the uni.
If you'd like to see more of the city, you can hop on the coach tour to see the beach.
My top tip is: you can do this tour at any time of the day so it fits around your key talks.
I’ll also show you the library, which is great if you need a quiet place to study.
During term time, it’s open 24 hours and you can book rooms for group assignments.
When I came to an open day, I immediately felt at home and could picture myself here.
On the day, you’ll have talks covering your uni essentials.
Speak to us about what's important to you and we’ll be able to point you in the right direction.
You might want to learn how to make the most of your student finance.
There’s a talk for that.
Or finding your new home in Portsmouth? There's a talk for that.
Or how to write a killer personal statement? There’s a talk for that.
And if that's not enough, you can speak to our student support teams at our information fair.
This is what you're here for, right? To find out if the course is for you.
The talk will most likely be in your course building where you get to see the facilities, and this will help you to picture yourself here.
When I came to the open day, I was able to meet the people who would teach me.
The lecturers were so friendly and informative.
My top tip for you is to give yourselves a bit of time between your lectures because the buildings are about 5 to 10 minutes’ walk apart.
On open days, we have a number of halls open for you to visit.
We'll show you around the rooms, the kitchens and social areas.
There are so many options.
You can choose between catered and non-catered, in the city or by the sea.
There's something for everyone.
We can't wait to see you at our next open day at the University of Portsmouth.
Halls tours
We know that moving away from home is a big step. We want to make sure you find accommodation to suit your needs.
Our Open Days give you the chance to look around many of our halls of residence to compare options and see where you’ll be living. Tours start at 9.30am with the last tour departing at 4.00pm. There’s no need to book – just turn up and join the next tour. Please note our halls tours are very popular and you may have to queue for up to 30 minutes.
Remember, you’re guaranteed a room in halls if you apply as a new, full-time undergraduate student starting in September or October 2023 or 2024 and make us your firm choice.
To request of viewing of one of our disabled access rooms, please contact us at opendays@port.ac.uk in advance of your visit.
Campus and city tours
As well as seeing our halls of residence, you can go on these tours:
- Walking campus tour – explore our campus and find out what university life is like with our current students, running between 9.30am and 4.00pm
- City coach tour - sightsee our historic city on our guided coach tour, running between 10.00am and 2.30pm
- Sports and recreation tour – our brand new Sports Centre has just opened for you to play, train and compete. Take a sneak peak of the superb facilities on a 30-minute tour, running between 12.00pm and 4.00pm. Book your place now
- Library tour – take a tour of our comfortable library, which is open 24 hours a day during term time, running between 10.00am and 1.00pm
Student Support Services information fair
Want to know more about tuition fees or studying abroad? Need help with your uni or student finance application? Got questions about where to live?
Our Student Support Services Information Fair takes place from 9.30am – 4.00pm in the Students' Union. You can put your questions to our student finance, admissions and housing experts and find out more about our sport and rec, study support and wellbeing service.
If you require any additional support to make your Open Day a success, please contact us at opendays@port.ac.uk in advance of your visit.
Food and drink
There’s a lot to do on an Open Day but there are plenty of options for keeping your energy up.
Don't forget to stay hydrated. Just ask an ambassador or a member of staff for directions to your nearest catering outlet.
You and your guests are entitled to free tea, coffee or soft drink at the cafes in Eldon Building, Park Building and Ravelin Sports Centre. For something more substantial, you can take advantage of our special Open Day meal deals.
If you’re out and about in Portsmouth, there are loads of cafes and restaurants throughout Guildhall Walk, Southsea and Gunwharf Quays featuring well-known names and independents.
We strongly encourage all guests to bring along their own reusable hot drink cups and water bottles to save on waste. You can refill your bottle at our catering outlets.
Planning your day
The day before, check the weather forecast so you can dress appropriately come rain or shine – you’ll likely spend a few minutes outside getting between venues on our city campus.
And, don’t forget to charge your phone so you can take snaps of anything you want to refer back to when you get home.
Getting here
Please note there is NO parking at Ravelin Sports Centre. If you choose to drive, please take a look at the options available to you:
1. Park and ride
Portsmouth has a handy Park and Ride service to save you the hassle of finding parking in the city, for only £4 per day, per vehicle. The car park allocated for Open Day visitors is at:
Park & Ride Portsmouth
Tipner Interchange
M275 Junction 1
Portsmouth
PO2 8AN
Payment will be taken at the ticket machines with cash or contactless bank card.
The University Park and Ride bus service runs every 10 minutes during peak times and every 15 minutes during non-peak times and will drop you off just outside the Ravelin Sports Centre next to Ravelin Park. Please allow about 30 minutes to get to us from the car park.
If you need help on arrival at the Park and Ride or when you get dropped off, look out for our student ambassadors (dressed in purple).
2. University car parks (Saturday only)
On Saturday, Open Day visitors can park for free in the University car parks listed below so please ignore any payment machines. They can be used on a first-come first-served basis and tend to fill up quickly on the day. Take a look at their locations below and plan your journey.
The locations are:
- Alec Rose Lane - PO1 2SA
- Anglesea rear car park - PO1 3DJ
- Eldon car park - PO1 2DJ
- St George's car park - PO1 2HY
- University House car park - PO1 2UP
Please note there are a reduced number of parking spaces available in Eldon car park due to building works.
3. City centre parking
To get to car parking closest to the University, use the M27 (from the west) or A3(M)/A27 (from the east) and take the M275 into Portsmouth (signed 'Portsmouth West'). Ignore the M27/A27 junctions signed to Southsea and Hilsea.
On-street, pay-and-display parking is available close to campus and to the check-in venue. There are also public car parks throughout the City. There's more information about city centre car parking on the Portsmouth City Council website.
4. Trains
The closest station to the University is Portsmouth and Southsea. It’s a 5-minute walk from the nearest University buildings and close to all parts of the campus.
Plan your train journey to Portsmouth on the National Rail website.
Further travel information
There's more travel information on our maps and directions page.
Experiencing Portsmouth – Discounts and Offers
Why not make a weekend of it? There’s so much more to see and do while you’re in Portsmouth.
Spinnaker Tower
End your visit on a high at the Spinnaker Tower in Gunwharf Quays and view the city from a height of 100 metres. Open Day visitors get 20% off the ticket price per person by showing their Open Day Guide.
Dice Board Game Lounge
Experience great food and drink whilst enjoying thousands of different board games. Show your Open Day Guide on arrival to get a special Dice Deal: toasted sandwich, soft drink and game entry for £14. Booking is strongly recommended: call 023 9261 4121, email info@diceportsmouth.com or book through their Facebook page.
The D-Day Story
Discover the personal stories behind one epic day at The D-Day Story. Open Day visitors get 10% off an admission ticket when showing their Open Day Guide at the museum.
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Experience history that comes alive at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, from the Mary Rose museum to Nelson's Flagship HMS Victory. Open Day visitors get 20% off the Ultimate Explorer ticket price when showing their Open Day Guide at the ticket office.
Gunwharf Quays
Set in a harbour close to the centre of Portsmouth, Gunwharf Quays is the south’s leading designer outlet and a superb leisure destination. Wander over to Gunwharf to shop and dine whilst you take in the coastal views of our city.
The Alchemist
Perfectly located overlooking Canalside and within strolling distance of the magnificent Spinnaker Tower, The Alchemist Gunwharf Quays will offer devotees of the divinely decadent, two storeys of our unique world of theatre served delights, plus an expansive outdoor terrace right by the waterside. Offering 20% off dining for groups of 1-6 during our Open Days. Just show your Open Day Guide when placing your order.
Southsea
To see a different side of Portsmouth, head to Southsea for independent pubs, cafes, restaurants and shops. You could also take a stroll through Southsea Common and finish off your day with fish and chips on the beach.
Love Southsea Market
Experience a beautiful collection of stalls offering locally made/sourced fresh food, gorgeous gifts, homewares, jewellery and much, much more. Find them in the Southsea precinct on the 7 and 8 October.