HOW CAN YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR INTERVIEW

Proving Your Suitability To The Course

Expressing Yourself Clearly Under Pressure

Formulating A Strong And Convincing Argument

Proving Your Suitability To The Course

Demonstrating Your Passion For The Subject

Showing An Awareness Of Wider Implications
Responding To Questions Taken From Your Personal Statement

Speaking Clearly
Sitting Still

If you are invited to interview at Oxford or Cambridge you will find yourself
competing for a place alongside over 90% of the overall applicants. Almost every
one of those candidates will be in the top academic percentile of his or her school.
Like you, they will be high achievers who look great on paper.
Those around you will no doubt be telling you to, Just be yourself! which is certainly
sound advice. This does not mean, however, that you should just turn up,
unprepared, having done nothing to psychologically and academically prepare
yourself.

Expressing Yourself Clearly Under Pressure
TIP: The best way of dealing with this is simply to practise. There is no need to go
out of your way doing extra study for this one　　　　　　　　　: take your weekly A-Level work and
use it to test your verbal aptitude. Take a piece of class work and talk through it step
by step preferably to an audience such as a class-mate. Try writing an essay not on
paper but aloud. It is a lot harder than you may imagine and it is an exercise that
really hones your ability to articulate an argument in a succinct, sophisticated manner.

Formulating A Strong And Convincing Argument

TIP: Take a controversial topic on which there are a number of diverging opinions:
either on paper, or out loud, produce a one　　　　　　　　　-minute presentation demonstrating your
own feelings on this issue, taking a more one　　　　　　　　　-sided approach than you normally
would. Onc　　　　　　　　　e you have done this, try to formulate a case for the other side and argue
it with as much conviction and evidential sturdiness as you can. The opinions may
well be entirely contrary to your own, but remain rational and logical in approach,
backing your case with as much empirical evidence as you can and you will discover
the incredible importance of argumentative method.

Proving Your Suitability To The Course

TIP: Make sure you know what the course involves. The best way to do this is to go
through any literature that the department or the college has provided. Try to get a
feel for how the system works, and if possible you could even take a look at what
classes/seminars/lectures are offered.
Remember, they are trying to make an informed choice in choosing you, so they
need to know that you have made an educated decision in choosing them.

Demonstrating Your Passion For The Subject

TIP: The onl　　　　　　　y way to prove that you are one　　　　　　　　　 of the genuine one　　　　　　　　　s is to truly be one　　　　　　of them. You may take for granted now that you want to be an engineer, and that
you always have, but it is vital that before you walk into the interview room you
remind yourself of the reasons why you have chosen to be there. This does not
simply mean having a scripted answer to the question, Why do you want to study X?
It means you have to sit down and think hard about why you chose this course.
Your reason does not need to be logical, or rational, and you do not need to tell
anyone. Often the best reasons come from a gut feeling that you cannot easily
explain. What you need to do is revive within yourself the driving force that has been
pushing you in this direction. Perhaps it was something as simple as making Mecano
cranes, or reading Roald Dahl as a child, in which case you should go back and reread
that favourite book and re-ignite your fundamental love of the subject. As well
as giving you extra impetus to go for what you want, the authenticity of your feeling
will not go unnoticed.

Showing An Awareness Of Wider Implications
TIP: The most basic thing you can do for any subject is to keep an eye on the news.
Get in the habit of reading a broadsheet newspaper on a daily basis. If you want to
take it further, go to a good newsagent and buy a copy of a specialised monthly
magazine or journal. There seems to be a publication for every topic imaginable and

if you are going to study something for three years, reading a few pages about it
should not be too laborious. Linguists, keep an eye on what is going on in your
various countries: look into the history of the country and probe its culture a bit
deeper. English students, go to the theatre and read the national reviews of big
productions.
It might be a good idea to find a particular event/story that interests you and to
follow it through the media. Research it a little on the internet perhaps. An hour’s
work will give you enough information to be able to talk confidently about it in
interview. You might even be able to tell the interviewer something they did not
already know.

Responding To Questions Taken From Your Personal Statement

TIP: Make your Personal Statement work for you, not against you. Go through your
own words with a highlighter and make a note of every time you mention somethingthat you have read, done or enjoyed, writers that you admire, articles you have
studied, even places that you have been. Draw up a list of all these things and make
sure that you know what you are talking about. If you have discussed an educational
trip to Morocco, make sure that you remember where you went; if you express a
love for theatre, do not draw a blank when they ask where and what the last
production you saw was.
Having them jotted down on paper will refresh your memory and help to keep you
calm as you wait outside the interview room.

Sitting Still
TIP: Some people have fidgeting-habits of which they are aware, and that their
parents and teachers probably nag them about. However, the majority of us have
fidget-monsters that onl　　　　　　　　　y rear their heads when we are under stress or in the
spotlight.
Mock interviews are obviously the best way to practise, but you can also just keep
yourself in check on a day-to-day basis. When you are on the phone, stop doodling
and see how difficult you find it to keep your hands unoccupied and still. In the
classroom and at the dinner table, start sitting upright and do not slouch or wriggle
in your chair. Small changes like this will get you into good habits for both this
interview and hopefully the rest of your life.

Speaking Clearly

TIP: If you know you are a mumbler, or if you are often told that you speak too
quietly, too quickly or even too slowly, then you should start practising right away.
Try to improve your day-to-day speech, even with your friends and on the phone.
There is absolutely no need to change your accent or adopt a feigned voice, simply
work on speaking at a reasonable pace and with clear enunciation. Ask friends and
family to help you by making sure that they tell you when you are speaking
unclearly.
Alternatively you can help yourself by reading aloud, reciting poetry, even singing in
the shower. The onl　　　　　　　　　y way to improve is to practise, so get talking.
Remember, however silly you may feel talking to yourself, keep in mind that it does
not matter what you say in your interview if the interviewer cannot understand what
you are saying.


3. WHAT CAN YOU DO ON THE DAY?


This section will look briefly at how you ought to present yourself, looking at what
not to wear and how to use your body language to make a strong positiveimpression. It will also offer some advice on how to keep your cool just before,
during and after the interview itself.

Self-presentation

Unless your college specifies otherwise, there is no official dress code for the
interview day at Oxford or Cambridge. This is not to say, however, that there is not
an unofficial one　　　　　　　　
　…
Suits: Boys often seem to find themselves stuck in the dilemma of whether or not to
wear a suit. The universities do not insist upon everyone wearing suits, and this is
because they want everyone to feel at ease. Do what suits you. For some, wearing a
suit will put them in the right frame of mind and give them confidence. For others
wearing a suit would be distracting- opt instead for a pair of smart trousers or jeans
and a shirt.
If you are staying up in college the night before your interview, why not take a suit
with you and decide when you get there. If everyone else is wearing one　　　　　　　　　, you might
(though you needn’t) feel happier being the same as everyone else.
Skirts: Apart from the fact that a very short skirt would look out of place, you
would inevitably spend half your time tugging it and pulling it and annoying everyone
in the process. Skirts of a decent length, however, are absolutely fine as long as you
are comfortable in it.

Rips, Tears, Slogans and Stains: As a sign of respect for both your interviewers
and the interview process, you ought to wear clean, unstained clothing. Fraying
holes in denim or indeed any thing else may well be fashionable but is not
necessarily appropriate. Use your own judgement on this one　　　　　　　　　, but be sensible.
As for
slogans: wearing big brand names across your chest is not recommended because a)
you will possibly look inappropriately dresssed and because b) you will end up
distracting the interviewer and will be remembered onl　　　　　　　　　y as the FCUK kid.

Accessories: There is nothing wrong with wearing jewellery to your interview, but
with jewellery comes two issues that you must consider: the distraction to you and
the distraction to your interviewer. So if it’s your lucky bangle; fine, wear it, but not
if you plan on twisting it and rubbing it and pulling it on and off every time you get
nervous. Your focus needs to be 100% on the interview.

Hair: Like your clothing, hair should be kept neat, presentable and clean. Keep hair
out of your eyes. There should be no tugging, tucking, twirling or twitching of the
hair. It is irritating and distracting!


Waiting for the interview

Those last few hours as you wait around college before and between interviews can
be the most nerve-racking.
Here is some advice on how best to handle the excruciating waiting game:Academic preparation: Hopefully, at this point you will have already done all the
revision and practical preparation that you felt was necessary. It would be useless to
try and cover new ground now; this is not the time or the place to whip out huge
text books full of unrevised stuff. Instead, concentrate on what you do know. In
place of text books and heaving files, condense a few important formulae, facts or
words ont　　　　　　　　　o one　　　　　　　　　 or two A4 crib sheets, no more.
Everything you need to know should be in there already, what is important is getting
it out at the right time.
Mental preparation: It would be unusual if a candidate were not at all nervous
while waiting for his/her interview, and a bit of adrenaline can be a good thing.
Everyone has their own ways of relaxing, but here are two things that might help
you. First of all: breathe. If you feel that you are beginning to panic in the waiting
room, pop out for a breath of fresh air. Give yourself a mental talking-to: this is just
an interview. The interviewers are not going to attack you physically or emotionally.
They may push you intellectually but you are ready for this challenge.
The second thing you can do and which can be done anywhere is called
visualisation. Mentally envisage the interview taking place. Imagine yourself going
in, confidently and enthusiastically, and taking a seat. Play out the moves that you
imagine they might make, the questions that they will ask and the fantastic way in
which you will answer. This technique of visualising the event before it takes place is
one that many sportsmen and other performers employ on a daily basis. By mentally
seeing one　　　　　　　　　self undergoing the task ahead, the mind becomes more prepared. Then,
when the interview itself takes place, the brain will recognise it as something familiar
and unthreatening and it will put you in that positive mental gear that is essential to
a successful interview. And remember, the interview is not so foreign an unknown as
you may think. Everyday you all partake in fluent, intelligent conversation! So when
your nerves are running away with you, remember that the interview is not so
different.
Those around you: If you wait for your interview in the candidate waiting room,
you will find yourself in the company of all the other applicants. This has its ups and
downs. On the one　　　　　　　　　 hand, being surrounded by nervous people can make you more
nervous. If you are likely to compare yourself to others, you will have more than
enough subjects for comparison. On the other hand, however, being with a bunch of
contemporaries who are all in the same situation as you can have a lot of benefits.
For a start, it is a great opportunity to make friends. If you get in, some of these
people are sure to be with you next year. Aside from socialising, chatting to these
fellow applicants can also calm your nerves. Who else understands your situation like
they do? Friendly chat will occupy your mind and stop you from panicking and it can
also make for a great day.


Inside the interview room

The time has come, you are finally being sent into the interview room, what do you
do now? Here are some key points to keep in mind.
Entering the room. As you walk into the interview room, shake off the last of those
pesky nerves and enter the room brightly and confidently. As with so manyencounters in life, the first impression you make is often the most important, so
make it a good one　　　　　　　　　. Enter with a smile and shake hands with your interviewer if it is
appropriate. Most often you can take your cue from them. If you do shake hands,
look them in the eye, smile and get a good grip. A limp fish is not the hand shake of
a dynamic, confident and brilliant candidate. The interviewers will indicate where you
should sit, whereupon you should take your seat without a lot of fuss and confusion;
flapping around with handbags and bits of paper etc.
Body language: Your body language can often say as much as your mouth. The
way you sit and the way you hold yourself will convey the type of person you are and
the interviewer will, consciously or unconsciously, be reading it.
Things not to do are: Fidgeting, wild gesticulating, slumping in your chair, shaking
your leg and crossing your arms (this is defensive measure and is an example of
closed body language.)

Do: Sit upright (though not rigid) and be physically present in the conversation.
Use open body language- this includes exposing your most vulnerable points, the
jugular and the wrists, as well as leaning forward and raising the chin. These things
will all come naturally to you if you go in with a positive, confident mindset. Try to be
relaxed and natural and you will find that an interesting conversation will organically
draw you out of negative or stiff body positions.
Interacting with the interviewer: In order to prove yourself ‘teachable’ you will
need to demonstrate an ability to interact with other academics while maintaining
your argumentative confidence. If the interviewer challenges a point that you have
made, do not immediately crumble. It does not necessarily mean that what you have
said is incorrect or silly. As long as your case is backed up with logical thinking and
empirical evidence, you are justified in defending your viewpoint. Stick to your guns
if you feel you have a point. You should be willing to challenge the views of others,
but you should always remain respectful of these views.
Do not, however, stick to your guns without listening to what is being said to you. If
you do this you will come across either as bad listener, or an arrogant student. If,
after some discussion, your interviewer makes a worthy point that proves that your
argument was flawed, do not kick back and say, ‘agree to disagree’. An arrogant
student cannot accept he/she is wrong but a confident student will admit when they
are defeated and be flexible and humble enough to revise their ideas.
When the interviewer is talking to you, show interest, responding to what they are
saying physically as well as verbally. There is no need to do a dance, but being
physically alert will show the interviewer that you are interested and involved. Make
eye contact as this will hold your interviewer’s attention and will also allow you to
read his/her body language.
Leaving the room: At the end of the interview the interviewer will draw the
conversation to a natural close. Even if you feel that you have not yet proved your
point or said that clever thing that you were hoping to, do not try to drag out the
interview. Stand up and gather together any belongings that you brought with you.
If appropriate, shake hands in a warm, friendly and courteous way. You are an adultleaving an adult meeting, so be sure to be polite and thank them for their time. Just
like first impressions, last impressions are lasting!


After the interview

The interviews are over and it is time to go home. What now? Remember that what
is done is done and cannot be undone. Parents and friends will no doubt want a blow
by blow account of everything that everyone said. In recalling the encounter you will
inevitably find fault with things that you said. There will be questions to which you
responded strangely, or answers that were not fully expanded. Everyone has regrets.
Try to put your interview out of mind onc　　　　　　　　　e it is done. There is nothing that you can
do and no amount of worrying and mental replaying of the event will change
anything. Relax and continue to work hard on your A-Levels.
Good Luck!
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