I’m a Welsh girl, with my mum’s side of the family from Northern Ireland (hence the name Niamh!) so Belfast was a place that I had visited before. But until attending an Offer Holder Day in March 2022, the city was not somewhere I seriously considered living for the next 3 years. I unexpectedly fell in love with Queen’s and because of this experience, I am now a huge advocate for attending Offer Holder Days - so it’s definitely worth attending even if you currently don’t think it’s the university for you!

David Keir building, home to the School of Psychology

How I found out about the Offer Holder Day

I was applying for a deferred place in Psychology, with plans for a gap year working and backpacking before university. I applied for universities in England and Scotland, with my heart set on studying in Edinburgh, and had put down Queen's University Belfast as a final option on my UCAS form (as I didn’t know what else to put down!). When I heard about the Offer Holder Day through an email, I was interested in the opportunity to look around a university in person, as similar events for other universities had been online due to the pandemic. 

Travelling to Belfast

I flew over from Bristol to Belfast International Airport with my mum and aunt the day before the Offer Holder Day, as we wanted to make a whole weekend out of exploring Belfast, rather than fly in and out on the same day. I would highly recommend this to any prospective GB students planning to attend the Offer Holder Day, as having a little longer in the city gave us the time to truly explore and get a real feel for Belfast without having to rush back to the airport. 

Hearing about the GB student experience

At the event there were so many students available to help and point us towards the Psychology Department for the subject-specific talk. The student ambassador’s friendliness made me feel so much more at ease and as I had felt nervous about not being able to find my way around the campus. I joined a group tour which showed us around the university campus led by a GB student. This gave me a beneficial opportunity to hear about the experience of living in Belfast as a GB student.

The campus tour guide also gave me insight into the joys of experiencing a different culture in Belfast, through Irish trad sessions in pubs and interacting with a diverse group of individuals at the university.

Student-led tour of the campus

Subject-specific talks (and freebies!)

Visiting the Psychology department in the David Keir Building was a real highlight of the day. There was a talk from lecturers on the course about what to expect from the first year of the degree and Psychology student ambassadors who shared their own experiences. I found being in the actual department where I would be studying made the whole idea of going to university so much more real and so much more exciting. I could actually visualise myself being there every day! The whole Psychology department was so bright and inviting, with beautiful murals on the walls and views of Cave Hill from the seminar rooms. 

Of course, another highlight of the day was the multitude of freebies secured throughout the day. From a tote bag (that subsequently travelled around the world with me on my gap year before coming to Queen’s), to donuts, a s’more station, lots of pens and the classic Irish crisps - Taytos!! Freebies really do sweeten everything!

Repping Queen's abroad!

Exploring Belfast

When we finished with the Offer Holder Day activities, I spent the rest of the weekend having quality time with my Mum and Aunty exploring the rest of Belfast. We had a lovely time in Cathedral Quarter, walked around the Botanic Gardens and visited the iconic Crown Bar.  What genuinely struck me most about Belfast was the kindness and warmth shown to me by people who lived there. From the taxi drivers to the people we met in coffee shops and the lovely students at the Offer Holder Day; people were so friendly. 

I had arrived on the Offer Holder Day, with my mind still set on studying at Edinburgh university and was totally surprised by how much I had fallen in love with Belfast and Queen’s University. I loved the university buildings, I loved the friendly atmosphere, I loved the enthusiasm of the Psychology lecturers, I loved the bustling culture that was both familiar (because of my Irish family) but also new and exciting. Suddenly Edinburgh was forgotten, and I couldn’t imagine myself living and studying anywhere except for Belfast.

Inside the Crown Bar

Advice for prospective students

My main advice for any prospective student thinking of attending an Offer Holder Day would be to GO! I was on the fence about attending and I feel that actually talking to students and walking around the university gives the best understanding of what life studying at Queen’s is actually like. Use the opportunity to ask questions about the university experience and join the tours and talks. Most of all, arrive with an open mind, you could, like me, fall in love with Queen’s and change your university choices entirely!

Find out more

Why attend Queen's Offer Holder Days

A-Z of reasons to make Queen’s your firm choice

Information for GB students

Student life in Belfast

Niamh Rind Psychology | Undergraduate Student | Wales, UK Hi, I’m Niamh, a Psychology student from Cardiff. I love studying at Queen’s and love to share my passion for the University by working as a Student Ambassador. I’m the social secretary of QUB surf society and am always busy sea swimming, hiking and doing social runs.