Your offer holder day guide

Make the most of your offer holder day 

Once you arrive on campus, pick up your event pass from our General Information stand outside the Students’ Union, or from one of our Information Hub tents spread around campus.

Each pass  contains a QR code linking to this page, plus a £5 voucher to spend in one of our food and drink outlets across campus. You don’t need to register on arrival, as attendance will be recorded at your pre-booked subject activities.

In addition to your pre-booked subject session, remember to allow time in your day for all of the central activities listed below - especially if you're visiting a subject in the afternoon, and need to allow time for these in the morning.

For more helpful information, explore our offer holder day frequently asked questions (FAQs).

If you have any further questions or queries, get in touch by email. Our team will also be available via live chat from this page 10am to 2pm on the Monday to Friday before the event, and 8 to 11am on the morning of the offer holder day - look for the speech bubble in the bottom-right corner of this page.

Getting here

We recommend travelling to the University via public transport. Sheffield has great transport links, with several park and ride sites, and is easily accessible by train. We are unable to offer visitor parking on campus and the public 'pay and display' parking close by is very limited.

• Check available parking spaces for the blue badge holders.
• Find more travel advice and plan your journey to our campus.
• If you or your guests have a disability read our guidance for disabled visitors.

If you arrive by train you can also join a one-way student-led walking tour of the city centre between the train station and the Diamond. Full details of our "City tours: Campus ↔ Station" can be found in the tours section of this guide. 

30% National Express discount

You could travel to our open day for less with a 30% discount on return tickets to Sheffield from National Express.

The link below will direct you to the National Express website to book your travel, simply select your journey and the correct event date and your discount will be applied during checkout.

Book your travel

Offer holder day discounts

Visitors to our offer holder days can take advantage of a range of hotel, travel and local business discounts as part of their trip to Sheffield. Keep checking our discounts page to see the latest offers available.

View offer holder day discounts

Subject activities

You will have booked to visit your chosen academic subject(s) in a morning sitting (10am to 12.30pm), or afternoon sitting (2 to 4.30pm for most subjects, 1.30 to 4pm for engineering subjects).

These details will be linked from your booking confirmation and reminder emails. If you’re having trouble finding them, you can also look up the itinerary for your subject activity (including starting location), from this page. Please arrive in good time for the start of your booked subject session, as we'll need to scan the QR code from your booking to register you.

Please note: Not all subjects will be running a morning and afternoon session on each date, and many subjects will begin activities outside of their department buildings, so please check your booking for full details.

Visit our accommodation 

10am to 3pm

Visit our award-winning Endcliffe accommodation site. View our catered and self-catered accommodation, the outstanding facilities and beautiful green spaces, and get your questions answered by our accommodation experts at The Edge Hub.

Take our free accommodation shuttle bus from beside the Information Commons on Favell Road, or from outside the Wave on Whitham Road. The last bus departs Favell Road at 3pm, and returns to campus at 4pm.

We advise allowing one hour from stepping on the bus shuttle to stepping back off at campus.

Alternatively, you can walk to or from the accommodation using our online walking maps or join one of our neighbourhood tours.

Information about our accommodation rent prices

Accommodation information points

Our accommodation team will be ready to answer all of your questions about our award-winning accommodation from the following locations:

• At the accommodation exhibition stand in the Octagon Centre
• At the accommodation information point inside the Wave

Tours

The best way to find out about our world-class facilities is to see them for yourself.

• Tour start and end times are listed on this page.
• No pre-booking is required for any tours
• The last tours of campus, libraries and sport will depart at 2pm
• The last accommodation tour bus will depart Favell Road at 3pm, and the last return bus will depart the accommodation at 4pm.

Campus tours

Duration: 45 mins

10am to 2pm

Our walking campus tours will depart every 30 minutes from the campus tours stand outside the Octagon. Our students will show you some of our iconic buildings and excellent teaching spaces. Alternatively, explore campus at your own pace with a self-guided tour leaflet and online audio guide.

During the 10:30am and 2pm campus led tours, one of the Student Ambassadors leading the tour will have experience of accessing disability support at the University of Sheffield.  As well as the usual tour, they will share their experience of support and university life, and you'll have the opportunity to ask questions. 

Please note that Sheffield is a hilly city, and the main campus tour covers approximately one mile. If you have any mobility or accessibility requirements, please inform us when you arrive for the tour.

Library tours

Duration: 15 mins

10am to 2pm

Meet our student ambassador tour guides at reception of the Information Commons and Western Bank Library. 

The Information Commons offers a comfy, inclusive study environment with bookable spaces, core reading books, and a Garden Room for relaxation.

Western Bank Library, a Grade II listed building, has 1.2 million texts, 730 study spaces, and serene views of Weston Park for a tranquil study experience.

Sport and physical activity tours

Duration: 15 mins

10am to 2pm

Meet at the Sports Hall Foyer at Goodwin Sports Centre for a tour of the site’s impressive facilities, including synthetic 3G pitches, sports hall, studio spaces, squash courts and brand new Fitness Suite.

Students' Union tours

Duration: 15 mins

10am to 2pm

Departing from just inside the Students’ Union main entrance, learn why our SU is consistently voted the best in the country and how it makes the student experience at Sheffield exceptional.

City tours: Campus ↔ Station

Duration: 25 mins

9am to 3pm

A one-way student-led walking tour of the city centre between the train station and the Diamond.

• 8:45am to 1pm - Tours depart every 15 minutes starting at the train station foyer and concluding at the Diamond
• 12.40 to 3pm - Tours depart every 15 minutes starting at the Diamond and concluding at the train station 

Neighbourhood tours 

Duration: 30 mins

10am to 3:40pm

A student-led walking tour between the Octagon pick up point and the Edge at Endcliffe. 

This is an alternative to the shuttle bus and provides visitors with a tour of the Broomhill neighbourhood. 

Tours leave every 20 minutes in both directions. 

Departing from the campus tours tent outside the Octagon.:

• First departure: 10am
• Last departure: 2.20pm

Departing from Endcliffe: 

• First departure: 10.40am
• Last departure:  3.40pm 

Central exhibition

11am to 2pm, Octagon Centre and Students’ Union

Showcasing everything you need to know about the support and services on offer at the University. Talk to the experts and start thinking about your future at Sheffield.

The first and last 30 minutes of the exhibition (11 to 11.30am and 1.30 to 2pm) in the Octagon Centre will be dedicated to “quiet times” with no music playing.

In the Octagon Centre:

• Access Sheffield
• Accommodation
• Admissions - offer advice
• Careers and Employability Service
• Disability and Dyslexia Support Service
• Global Opportunities (spend time abroad)
• IT Services
• Learn a Language
• The University Library
• Safety on Campus
• Guidance for parents & supporters
• Student Support Services
• Student Fees and Funding
• 301 Academic Skills Centre

In the Students' Union plaza:

• Students’ Union information stands
• Sport and Physical Activity information stand 

Sheffield - Your University City

11am to 2pm, part of the central exhibition in the Octagon Centre

The big city vibe that feels like home. Sheffield has lots to discover.

Come and talk to our Student ambassadors about the vibrant city of Sheffield and their favourite places/recommendations.  You will also have the opportunity to chat to one of our city partner exhibitors.

Don’t forget you can also get a taste for Sheffield’s food scene at our local food vendors, and take a student-led tour of our neighbourhoods and city centre as part of your day.

Sports clubs and societies exhibitions

11am to 2pm, Sports Clubs and Societies exhibition in the Students’ Union Activities Zone

With over 300 societies and over 50 sports clubs there are hundreds of ways to make friends and build communities. Come along to our mini club and society exhibition where you will find a small selection of sports clubs and societies. 

You will have the opportunity to speak to club and society members, find out more about how to join, and even watch some club and society demonstrations and performances.  

If your sports club or society is not here today, please feel free to speak with the exhibiting club and society members to learn more about how to join. Alternatively, you can find our full list of clubs and societies here.

General information stand

9am to 4pm, Students’ Union concourse

Head here to pick up maps and guides, and to ask our event staff for tips on what to do next.

Additional information 

Food and drink

​​There are loads of places to eat on campus, whether you want to grab a quick sandwich on the move or a chance to sit down and reflect over lunch. You can take food away from any of our venues.

Please note that all campus outlets are now cashless.

In our Students’ Union

• Coffee Revolution (8.30am to 4pm), Level 3
• Grill & Go (11am to 3pm), Level 3
• Our Shop (8.30am to 4pm), Level 3
• Baked (10am to 2pm), Level 3
• Bar One (12 noon to 11pm, food served until 9pm), Level 1

In our academic department buildings

• Arts Tower cafe (10am to 3.30pm)
• Octagon cafe (8am to 2pm)
• Information Commons cafe (9am to 4pm)
• Diamond Kitchen (9am to 4pm)
• Heartspace cafe (9am to 4pm)
• Wave Kitchen (9am to 3.30pm)

At Endcliffe student accommodation

• Endcliffe - Edge Bar (10am to 4pm)
• Endcliffe - Village Store (10am to 4pm)

On the Students’ Union concourse

• Visit one of our external food vendors offering a variety of cuisines (9.30am to 4pm)
• The Original Baristas mobile coffee cart

Inside the Octagon main hall

Complimentary hot chocolate (11am -2pm)

Inclusive facilities for visitors

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all visitors.

Our campus offers several facilities and services to accommodate diverse needs, including:

• Quiet spaces and prayer rooms - We offer several quiet spaces and prayer rooms with wudu facilities near campus during offer holder days for religious observance or quiet reflection.  You can locate your nearest prayer room via our Belief, No Belief and Religious (BNBR) Life Centre webpages. We would like to wish a Happy Ramadan to all those who will be observing Ramadan during their visit to the University.
• Gender-neutral bathrooms - We have gender-neutral toilets accessible to visitors across our campus. You can find the location of gender-neutral bathrooms via the map on our visitor web pages.
• Dietary requirements - We have Halal, vegetarian and vegan options available across all catering outlets on our campus. For further information, please visit the dietary requirements page of our website.
• Accessible routes - In partnership with AccessAble, previously DisabledGo, online access information is available for all our buildings and services and includes a number of route plans to help visitors navigate across campus. We have also developed the dedicated mobile app ‘AccessAble - UOS’ to make accessing this information even easier. The app is available free for both Android and Apple devices.

Please note that not all buildings and facilities are open at weekends and during our offer holder events.

For support with finding available facilities and services during your visit, please feel free to ask our event staff at the Information Hubs or General Information stand.

Talented Athletes: Unleash Your Potential

Are you a talented athlete, competing at a national or international level, and aiming to excel in both your sport and academics?

Our Elite Sport Performance Scheme (ESPS) provides a unique support system to help you flourish on the field and in the classroom. You can get mentoring and coaching, discounts on physiotherapy and potentially a financial award - and more.

We’d love to tell you more in person as part of your offer holder day visit. 

Drop us an email at performance-sport@sheffield.ac.uk or give us a call on 0114 222 8735 to arrange your session.