University open days are designed to showcase university facilities and opportunities to prospective students and their families: the students’ union, the residential and teaching accommodation, the impressive lab facilities. But are they missing a key issue?
Discussions regarding mental health are usually not in the spotlight during tours and conversations on open days, but perhaps they should be. These are difficult and sensitive conversations to have, but maybe the university could explore the possibility of providing a safe space to students and, critically, their close contacts to open this discussion.
