Lucy Cavendish Outreach Officer shares her five top tips for interview preparation.
Interviews are academic, subject-related discussions which, alongside the information you provide with your application, help assess your ability and your potential.
Here are five useful tips to help you prepare from Lucy Cavendish College Outreach Officer, Hayley Hilson:
1 - Get used to talking about your subject
This could be talking to your parents about an interesting article you read, or your friends after class about an interesting podcast you listened to, but just get used to talking about your subject in informal settings.
2 - Practise thinking out loud
Practise structuring your thoughts by thinking out loud. You can do this as part of your daily routine. If you are a Science student, practice doing your maths or physics homework and just say out loud what you are doing while you are doing it. Equally, if you are an Art or Humanities student, practice planning your essays out loud. You can voice record yourself if you want, but just get used to thinking about these complex questions through speech.
3 - Refresh your memory about your personal statement
This is something that interviewers do often ask students about in their interview, so make sure that you are up to date with everything you have mentioned in your personal statement.
4 - Continue engaging with your subject
Even though you have written your personal statement, the more books you read, the more podcasts you listen to, documentaries you watch, the more you find out about your subject, the more confident you will feel going into your interview.
5 - Practise solving challenging questions
For students applying to scientific subjects especially Maths, Computer Sciences and Economics, where you have some very maths-focused questions, practice trying out some of the most challenging questions. There are fantastic resources online that can help you explore, and solve the more tricky ones.
Overall don’t worry too much about your interview. It is just one part of a much bigger application process, and is really just an opportunity for you to let your interests and personality shine.
Good luck!