The FIVE things to know about
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ส.ค. 2024
- For loads more on interviews, see here: • Academic Spills All On...
00:00 Introduction
00:25 Why we use interviews, and what data we collect.
03:51 Example from Earth Sciences
05:25 How/when of interviews
07:58 Example from Economics
12:15 What interviews are not testing
14:14 Example from Engineering
17:34 Testing motivation
18:37 Example from English Literature
21:32 Standing out
22:30 Example from Medicine
24:01 Getting yourself ready for an Oxbridge interview - บันเทิง
I cannot begin to tell you how much these videos help me. I've been watching your videos since last year and it has given me such a confidence boost that I very much needed. I plan on applying to oxford in 2025 and these videos just makes me feel grateful in a way. Thank you Dr. Williams so much for these videos and please continue your work. It genuinely helps people.
That's so kind of you! Thank you very much indeed. I wish you all the best.
Dr Matt, I really want to thank you for constantly producing such informative videos. I applied to Cam this year and was offered a place, and I'm confident to say these are some of the best video you can find on youtube regarding oxbridge applications.
Oh, that's brilliant! Congratulations! Thanks for your kind words
Thankyou so much for your incredible videos. At my school there is no support with Oxbridge so resources like these are invaluable. I have an interview for Law at Christ Church and I'm very nervous but feel more prepared after this!
Thank you for your comment. Best of luck in your interview!
Hey! Thank you so much for all the videos you have posted! They have truly inspired me to attend Oxford University and understand that with effort I can get there. I made my Personal Statement about your "How to make a killer personal statement" video and I just hope it goes well. Now, I am preparing for my law interview! Can't really thank you enough. I suggest you have your videos with a higher volume as sometimes it is hard for me to hear them. Keep up the good work!!!
Great -- thank you for the comment!
howd you do
Thank you so much for this video! Hopefully, I will apply your advice this December during my interview.
Hello sir, I was at your talk at NCS and wanted to just say thank you as you have boosted my confidence and I am much more ready for the interview if I get one.
That's great! Thank you for your kind words. Best of luck to you!
Thank you so much Dr. Williams! Your videos have really helped me view working through the interview questions as a process not just reaching the final answer... Much appreciated.
Excellent -- thank you!
found you maple
@@milospollonia1121OMG HI
Found you Maple
u did this at my sixth form. Thank you so much for the knowledge provided.
We had a great time at NCS! Thanks for your comment!
Hi Dr Williams, I am fairly sure it was you who I met and had a mini tutorial from, as a young student on a school trip to Jesus College. I've recently discovered your online work and have found it very useful to my own applications.
Great! Lovely to hear from you. I hope all's well.
For history interviews should you try and link in other historical topics and periods, or is it okay not to if it doesn’t really come up and it would feel a bit forced?
You need to stay focused on the question. It's often very tempting to show off what you know, but that can easily get you sidetracked. If the tutors want you to make reference to other periods that you have read about, they'll ask you.
You could make very brief references to other periods, but that also creates the risk of making an inappropriate analogy -- as in this source from the Middle East reminds me of the Tudors.
could you do these videos also for graduate students' applications?
Hello again professor. From what I've observed, Oxford seems to have incredibly interesting interview questions, and so if you wanted to discuss the topic further at length beyond the interview, not related to the interview but just generally, would you be able to do so? I ask because personally I think on subjects at length and often for long periods of time after I need to however I think it would be very useful to have someone to discuss it with. Not only because it's often relieving to talk to someone and get your ideas out but because it often allows you to spot flaws in your argument by offering a separate perspective and enables you to explore more possibilities. I understand why this may not be allowed as I'm sure the tutors are all very busy, especially at this time, and it may arguably result in some bias, however I was curious about this and whether it occurs often (especially considering it could arguably count as another super curricular, exploring more about certain subjects within your free time, and more ambitious students may view it in that light)? Thank you for the video and have a nice week.
Hi there. Thanks for your comment. It's great that you enjoy discussing these topics! That's an excellent sign.
Tutors don't have capacity to discuss these matters outside of interviews, but you should discuss with friends, family, teachers, or even just think over the ideas yourself.
Hi professor. That’s a shame but I understand. Hopefully, if I were to succeed in the application process and get a place, the tutors may be able to talk more about it or about related topics (considering the questions are designed to test the skills you need for that course). Thank you for your kind response, and I hope you enjoy your day.
Yet another quality video! Thank you Dr. Williams! This will be super helpful in my information gathering for the interviews 👏😊
One question: how similar are the interviews from Oxford compared to interviews from Cambridge?
Thank you! As I understand it, interviews at Cambridge are effectively the same as those in Oxford. Both unis employ mostly academic interviews that gauge your suitability for small group teaching.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 That's perfect, thank you Dr. Williams!!
Hello Dr. Matt. Your video is really helpful and inspiring, as always. I have looked up the PPE website and saw they list A-level, IB and Advanced Highers certificates in Admissions Requirement. I’d like to ask whether I will need to acquire all of them for application because I, a free candidate, cannot sign up to take the IB exam (My high school is not licensed to teach IB). Thank you.
Thanks for your comment. No, you only need one of those three qualifications. A-levels are the most common, but IB and Higher (as well as many other international qualifications) are acceptable.
Hi Dr. Williams-
I've been looking at sample law interview questions and I have garnered some questions. I apologise for the seemingly endless inquires.
First of all, a lot of the sample questions contain words that may not necessarily be legal lingo but they are hard words/concepts nonetheless. Are we expected to have knowledge of such things? Let's say for example, if an applicant is asked: "How do you distinguish between intention and foresight?" and an applicant doesn't have much knowledge of the two words, would this pose a problem? (Just an example)
Also, on the websites it states that we don't require any subject knowledge for the interviews. However, some questions contain things like "What are the advantages and disadvantages to a non-written constitution?" (This is yet another hypothetical example) Yes, technically this isn't legal knowledge but for an international student or someone unfamiliar with Constitutional Law, this would be impossible to answer.
How do you recommend tackling such problems within an interview, especially if a question surrounds that one word? (therefore asking the interviewers to clarify it would go against the whole point)
Furthermore, within some sample answers it seems that they mention /make reference to legal scenarios or cases. I would just like to clarify this. I'm assuming we don't need extensive knowledge of different cases and their details do we?
One last one! (I'm sorry)
How do you recommend calming down before and after an interview and keeping your head and mind in the zone? To prevent us from blanking and stressing etc.?
I apologise for these unusual questions. I don't have contact with anyone else who is applying for law in the UK so I'm unsure about what the standard should be like.😅 I don't really know what information is necessarily needed and whether the way we articulate ourselves is important (some say it is, others say it isn't!)
I appreciate your time and effort Dr. Williams. Have a good week!
Thanks for your comment!
1) You can always ask for clarification if words/concepts are unclear. That's not a problem at all. The interviewers will aim to use plain language, but they may want to introduce you to new ideas, in which case they won't expect you to know them already.
2) I think it's unlikely that you would be asked about an unmodified constitution, because, as you say, it assumes knowledge of the UK constitution. However, if you are asked about it, the interviewers will not be judging your performance on what you know, but how you think. So, even if you don't know much about a subject, if you can start to solve puzzles with help, then all will be well.
3) No, you wouldn't be quizzed on specific cases. Although you could use cases (from any jurisdiction) to illustrate a point. This is not required.
4) Stress and anxiety are common. Good antidotes are to recognise that the interview is not everything. We consider all application data, not just the interview. It may also help if you frame the "interview" as a lesson. Because, in reality, that is much closer to the truth. The "interviewers" will be teaching a lesson to see how you might flourish under our educational method.
Good luck!
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 Thank you so much Dr. Williams. That does make a lot of sense. I appreciate your response and insightful replies. Yes, I am quite excited to have an opportunity to speak with some of the world's amazing researchers and academics, however, it is also nerve wracking for this very same reason. 😆 I am very grateful for your help and this has assured me a lot. Have a lovely Thursday and thank you once again :)
Thank you for the continuing dedication and helping out us though I have a question! You have repeated for a few times that our previous knowledge is not that important as it is not the objective of the interviews and critical thinking skills is more important. However, shouldn't it matter that we are engaged with our subjects? I do believe researching and spending time with the subject shows passion and willingness to study it at a higher level. So, shouldn't knowing about e.g 2008 financial crisis be important or beneficial at least?
Thanks for your question. There's a balance to be struck here. Yes, it shows motivation and engagement to know about your chosen subject. But, many students tend to go on and on about matters that are not entirely relevant to the question in order to show off knowledge. This therefore limits their time to show off their thinking skills. By all means demonstrate you have subject knowledge, but don't talk for too long on what you know. If the tutors would like an extended exploration of something like the GFC, they will ask you to expand.
Thank you very much for the insightful video! I would like to ask though, on average, how long before the interview should one start preparing? I would be very grateful if you could help me with this query.
If it's not too cheesy to say so, you've probably been preparing for your whole life! But, seriously, there is no specific time to start. I would try and make the process of preparing as fun as possible and start right away. Read some books/articles, watch some videos -- just really dive into your subject and have as much fun with it as possible.
Give yourself some time after you watch or read something to really think carefully about it and explain your thoughts in clear terms to yourself in the mirror, or a friend/relative.
Stretch yourself with content that comes from universities.
Take a look at my interviews playlist for practice questions.
Hi! I am applying to Economics and Management in my senior year of high school. Obviously ill need to take AP classes, Calculus AB and BC, and IB but does it matter if i take Business or not? I want to take the art pathway but I am wondering if not choosing the business pathway if I had the option to would affect my chances of getting in or not. That said, i would still be learning about economics and the like in my free time by reading books, articles, and listening to podcasts. Thank you.
You need to have mathematics, as you say, but don't need qualifications in business.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 Ok! thank you. I'll apply for the art pathway as a first pick, then choose business as a second pick in case art is full since i'm ok with both classes.
Hello! I was wondering whether you knew when we should expect interview offers or rejections for the fine art course?:)
It should be around late November, I believe. Do contact your college if there are any doubts/concerns.
Hi Dr Matt,
I’ve found the advice from your channel to be very useful. I have applied to study modern languages at Oxford.
At present, I’m studying for four A levels. I’m also studying for a language GCSE, and a relevant EPQ, which I would be loath to drop! One A level is a science and is not directly related to languages. I am considering dropping it, as I think I would prefer to focus on nailing the subjects that would relate to my course, but I am still undecided. The science subject is on my UCAS and so makes up part of my application.
I am worried that the act of dropping an A level at this stage may be seen as unfavourable by the admissions tutors, and will affect my application in some way. If you could give me any advice on this, I would really appreciate it. Many thanks
Hi there, if it comes to it, you would only be made an offer on 3 A-levels. You don't need 4, and having 4 will not have affected the tutors calculations as to your application strength. You can therefore drop an A-level, if you wish to.
Thank you very much for taking the time to reply and for your advice!
Hi Dr Williams, as always thank you for the great video. I just had a question regarding economics interviews. Ive heard that some colleges give students articles or extracts to read before the interview while other colleges don’t. Is there a way for me to find out if my college (Wadham) does this? For context i’ve applied to study economics and management. Thank you for your time and help!
Thank you! There's no way to find out if you'll have an extract far in advance of an interview, but you should be told within a few days of an interview. It doesn't much matter either way. The same sorts of skills required of analysing an extract apply to questions without an extract. It's worth preparing for both scenarios.
I studied at Wadham and used to teach there. It's an excellent choice!
Got it, thank you so much!
Hi, do international students also receive RIW invites in case we are band A, or is that strictly for home students?
I'm afraid it is only for home students.
If i have eligibility for RIW with a deadline of wednesday, will I hear if I have an interview at the start of this week?
You should do, yes. The colleges aim to give at least seven days' notice. If you haven't heard by Tuesday, I would give the college a call. Their admissions officer should be able to update you on when you can expect to hear.
Hello! I am homeschooled can i apply to to oxford even if I have done my A levels at different times (not all at once)
We certainly admit homeschooled students. You can apply with A-levels taken at different times, although medicine and maths prefer all three A-levels to have been taken at once.
@@JesusCollegeOxford1571 thank you so much! :)
Basically, think, think, think.