The Student Room answers your top 3 questions about COVID-19 and your studies

We know that you have many questions about the new way of remote studying that has recently come into place, so we asked our expert advisor at The Student Room to answer a few of the questions that are on your minds.

Will university open days still go ahead, if not, how will we plan what uni to go to?

While we’re on lockdown with non-essential travel banned, there will be no university open days taking place. Although we can’t tell how long the lockdown period will ultimately last, it seems sensible to assume the busy open day period during May and June will be impacted. For the time being, you will find that many universities are still taking bookings for open days in those summer months, but that they might later be cancelled.

When real open days aren’t available, the next best option is a virtual open day. Most universities offer these via their websites and many are adding to them with extra online features such as livestream talks and Q&As. You can also do plenty more research online, including reading university reviews on The Uni Guide and talking to current students on The Student Room.

Don’t forget, universities also offer applicant days in the spring. So, if you’re in year 12 and you can’t get to an open day this summer, you can still go to an applicant day next year before you decide on your firm and insurance offers.

Are students going to be awarded fair grades?

With exams cancelled, the system that’s been announced will see exam boards working closely with schools and teachers to define the grades a student would probably have got. Although we’re all still awaiting the finer detail of how this system will operate, we do know there will be an appeals process for anyone who feels their grades aren’t right.

In addition to the appeals process, students will also have the opportunity to sit the real exam in the summer, should they choose.

Will I still be able to go to Uni in September?

Students should absolutely expect to start university as planned in the autumn. The government has been very clear on this point. The education secretary and the universities minister have both gone on record to say the uni application process will not be disrupted.

UCAS has also extended the deadline for students to decide on their offers, to ease some of the pressure on making decisions. If you’re due to start uni this year, keep making those plans!

Check out our top tips for adapting to studying from home, minding your student finances and also our top tips on how to practice mindfulness and self care when studying from home.