Tips for using the UQ Open Day app

The UQ Open Day app is your tool for getting the absolute most out of The University of Queensland Open Day.

The app is updated and re-released in July each year, to coincide with UQ's Open Day events. Whether you’re joining us for UQ Open Day at St Lucia or Gatton campus, the app will help you plan your day, get around and find answers to all your questions. It’s also your chance to win fun prizes!

There’s stacks of info in the app, so it really is a must-have for anyone looking to make the most of their Open Day experience. We hope you use the app on Open Day as often as you find yourself scrolling your For You Page on a regular day. It may not be full of catchy tunes and cute dances, but it’ll be the pocket pal you need to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the fun.

Download the app

• Download the UQ Open Day app from the App Store.
• Download the UQ Open Day app from Google Play.

Here are our top tips for how to use the UQ Open Day app before, during and after Open Day.

Planning your day

One of the most valuable features of the UQ Open Day app is the 'information sessions' section. This, alongside ‘tours’ and ‘my agenda’, are your most useful resources for planning your day. In each of these features, you’ll be able to see information for both St Lucia and Gatton Open Days. Tap the relevant date tab at the top of your screen to access information for the campus you're attending.

Information sessions

In the information sessions section, you can scroll through the list of information sessions running throughout the day. You’ll notice that some of the more popular sessions will be scheduled for several time slots, to minimise clashing with other sessions you’re keen to attend. If a session name is numbered, this means it's a repeat.

If you're a bit overwhelmed with the sheer amount of information sessions on offer, never fear - just hit the search icon in the top right and you can filter by study area.

• Choose ‘general information’ if you want to know when sessions covering topics like scholarships, admissions, accommodation and info for parents will be happening.
• Otherwise, tap on the study area/s you’re interested in and discover the range of topics and degrees the sessions cover.
• You can also sort information sessions by morning or afternoon so you can plan ahead if you're only available to attend Open Day for half a day.

Tours and facilities

You can browse the wide range of tours running throughout the day by tapping on the ‘tours’ icon. You can also use the search icon here to filter relevant tours. To see when campus walking tours, accommodation, library and other general facility tours are departing, filter by 'general information'. Some schools covering specific study areas (like Law or Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences) will offer tours of facilities distinctive to their degrees. Again, some of these will be scheduled for several time slots, so you can find the one that fits into your timetable best.

Activities and demonstrations

There will be a huge range of exciting hands-on activities and demonstrations happening around the campus on Open Day. At St Lucia in 2023, attendees had the opportunity to see a fire tornado brought to life, explore what's inside a medical helicopter and discover the latest drones and robotics. They could also see our amazing occupational therapy dogs in action, or head to the Antiquities Museum to handle real ancient artefacts. Many activities run all day, but some are only at certain times, so be sure to check out the 'activities and demonstrations' icon in the app to browse all the fun things you can fit into your day.

My agenda

You will need to create an account and log in to access this app feature.

Whenever you find an information session, tour or hands-on activity you’d like to attend, you can tap the star icon to add it to your personal agenda. This will help you see where you may have timetable clashes so you can try and find another session time or tour. Most importantly though, it’ll help to keep you on track on the day, so you don’t miss a thing.

Getting answers to your questions

Open day is all about getting answers to your questions so you can make an informed decision about whether UQ is the right university for you. The presenters will often leave time for questions at the end of each information session, and you can also visit the information hub in the Great Court to chat to someone one-on-one. 

Information hub

The information hub is your one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about life at UQ. Both St Lucia and Gatton Open Days will have an information hub (located in the Great Court at St Lucia and the Central Walkway at Gatton) that consists of many different marquees, covering everything from student fees to UQ Sport. At the marquees you’ll find handouts, freebies and friendly staff happy to answer your questions.

Tap on the ‘information hub’ icon in the app to find out what marquees you can check out on the day. There’ll be marquees for all the major study areas, and also for accommodation, QTAC, international students and admissions, to name a few. If you want to find a marquee's exact location in the information hub, tap on the name of the marquee you're interested in visiting in the list, then hit the down arrow on the profile and you'll see a link 'click to get directions'.

Navigating the campus

Campus maps

UQ campuses can seem a little daunting to navigate – but with a good map, you can get where you need to be with minimal fuss. Tap on the ‘campus map’ icon and you can access the full interactive campus map, or download the event map.

In the interactive map, if you tap 'view list' in the bottom right of the map, you can search for a wide range of useful utilities on campus including drink bottle water refill stations and toilets.

Food and drink

Avoid getting hangry and stay focused at Open Day by nourishing yourself with delicious food and drinks. Tap the ‘food and drinks’ icon to discover the wide range of food vendors available to satiate your tastebuds throughout the day. Some of them will be established UQ institutions (like The Lolly Shop) and others will be food trucks we’ve brought in especially for you. Hit the link to get directions to your dish of choice (you'll have to allow location services to be switched on if you want to see a specific route from your current location).

Finding your way to information sessions

If you're having trouble finding the building and room an information session you wish to attend is in, never fear! Follow these steps to get there, without the stress:

1. Open up the 'information sessions' section of the app and find the information session you want to attend (if you've favourited it, you can find it via the 'my agenda' section instead).
2. Tap into the session details.
3. Tap on the blue hyperlink 'click to get directions' (you may need to scroll down to see it), which will open up a map of the campus.
4. Tap the 'navigate' button.
5. In the 'starting point' box, choose 'my location' and allow the app to use your location, if you haven't done so already.

Winning prizes

You will need to create an account and log in to access this app feature.

Attendees will have the opportunity to go into a prize draw to win a UQ hoodie on Open Day (150 up for grabs at St Lucia Open Day, and 50 at Gatton). All you need to do is:

1. Find one of the QR codes to enter the prize draw, hidden around campus.
2. Tap on the 'win prizes' section of the app.
3. Tap 'Scan now' down the bottom of the screen.
4. Allow the UQ Open Day app to access your camera when the popup appears.
5. Scan the QR code via the app.

You only need to scan one QR code to go into the draw. There's a max of one entry/10 points per person.

Staying in the loop

Ensure you have all the latest information to help your Open Day experience go as smoothly as possible. The ‘event updates’ icon will highlight with a number when you have notifications to read.

Remembering stuff for later

You will need to create an account and log in to access this app feature.

Make use of the ‘my notes’ feature and keep all the important info you need to remember in the one place. Tap in notes from the sessions you attend, interesting facts, directions, the names of the food outlets you intend to make your regular haunts – anything you think will be useful to you at a later date. At the end of the day, you can export all your notes to your email.