Our Open Days are a chance for thousands of visitors to get a taste of what it's like to live and study at Warwick.

Find out what's involved from the people who help to make it all happen.

Jean Noonan

Departmental Secretary, History

Role for Open Days: Staff in charge in Humanities

My usual job involves...

My day-to-day job mainly involves planning. My main two key areas of responsibility are as Departmental Timetable Representative preparing and submitting the annual academic accommodation round bid for academic, teaching and social space. I am also responsible for organising pre- and post-offer open days for my department; meeting with prospective applicants and their families who need to make an independent visit.

For Open Day I...

Prepare by ascertaining all information I need to know about general Open Day events and locations and in particular within Humanities Building, where I am normally based. I request to be based in Humanities as that is where I have worked since 1984 in my current role; I am very familiar with the building and it is also very useful to be able to keep an eye on my own departmental Q&A event that is scheduled throughout the day and gain some feedback from that event.

The role in Humanities is as part of a small team (usually two staff and two students). Our role is to welcome all comers to the building, re-direct those who need to attend events elsewhere, to manage queues for events taking place in Humanities and to answer all manner of queries from potential candidates and guests passing through the building that can come thick and fast at peak times.

I really enjoy being involved with...

The open days as part of a team. It is particularly rewarding to chat with potential applicants and their parents and to provide them with key information that will help them to make such an important decision about their university career.

Open Days are special because...

So many thousands of people attend these days and pass through the area where I am based. Just to be able to help these people to make the most of their day at Warwick and to go away with a very positive experience about the University as a whole is very satisfying and, hopefully, to also assist with decisions about which course and which university to aim for.

If there was one thing I could change about Open Days it would be...

To order good weather for every Open Day to enhance the visits of all and enable them to fully appreciate what we have to offer, both intellectually and environmentally.

What would you say to colleagues considering getting involved?

It is fun and rewarding to work as part of a team dedicated to promoting what Warwick has to offer.

My top tip for our visitors

Research, Visit, Go!

Enjoyed hearing from Jean? Read more from some of our other volunteers