Open Events are a great way to explore your options in Somerset. You’ll have the opportunity to meet our team of experienced staff, ask questions, tour our facilities and experience what it is like to be part of the BTC community. Here are some tips about how you can make the most out of your visit.

• Register in advance – Sounds boring, but if you register for an open event in advance, we’ll send you additional information about what to expect, including a map of the campus. It’ll also speed up your check in on arrival – we just scan your e-ticket and you’re good to go!

• Do your research – Whether you’re a school leaver deciding what to do after your GCSEs, a current student exploring next steps, or an adult considering a career change, BTC can help. We offer hundreds of qualifications in all sorts of subjects, so it’s important that you do your research. Check out our website and prospectuses, talk with friends, family and teachers, and think about what you want and how you prefer to learn. This will help you decide which areas to visit when you come to the open event.

• Plan ahead – Think about where you want to visit and give yourself time to get there. Different subjects and information may be in different parts of the campus or a distance apart. Take a look at the map we send you before the event and work out your route so you know where you want to go. If you do need directions when moving around the campus our staff will be on hand to support, plus we’ll offer you a paper map when you arrive.

• Ask questions – Think about what you want to know. You may have questions about a particular course or subject, but you can also find out about support services, sports teams, our Academies (extra-curricular clubs), the timetable, bus routes or anything else to do with life as a BTC student. Make a list of your questions so you don’t forget!

• Bring family and friends – We want you to feel welcome when you visit BTC but understand that you may feel a little nervous about coming to our campuses for the first time, especially if you’re used to being at school or are thinking of coming back to education after some time away. We therefore encourage you to bring family or friends along for moral support and to support with your decision-making. They might even have questions of their own!

Whether you know exactly what you want to do or still aren’t sure, open events are a great way to investigate your options in Somerset. To find out when our open events are taking place throughout the year visit the Events page. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Information and Advice team on 01278 441234 or email info@btc.ac.uk.