Ingrid

St Hugh's

My interview was five years ago, and things have changed since then, but hopefully this will still give you a taste of an Oxford interview experience.

I applied to Oxford for several reasons. First, I really liked the look of the course. It’s so important to remember that whilst being at Oxford in its own right might seem a great idea, you’ve got to love your subject. If you don’t enjoy what and how you’re studying, it’s unlikely that you’ll enjoy university. I knew I wanted to do History and I liked the look of how the History course here is structured – lots of variety, a chance to do some really in-depth study, and also an opportunity to do some more outline papers, giving a real breadth and depth to your knowledge. Second, I relished the idea of tutorials – I’ve always been someone who likes discussing and debating ideas, and the thought of spending hours every term with some of the world experts on particular subjects was very appealing. Third, I loved the thought of being a member of a small college, rather just a huge university. The joy of the collegiate system is that everything becomes very personal – you get to know other students, tutors and staff incredibly quickly. And you can get involved with music, drama, sport, politics etc. very easily – you don’t have to be absolutely amazing at something to join a college club or society. Finally, I visited Oxford and loved the city – it truly is a wonderful place to study.

Before interview, I read around my subject more than I would have done usually for A Level. I knew I was submitting essays on Louis XIV and the Earl of Stafford (1640s…), so I spent a bit of extra time reading around these figures and periods of history. My school history teacher was great and recommended some good texts to give a go – just to have some more concepts and ideas in mind. I also paid close attention to current affairs, reading a few newspapers regularly. I also spent some time with my history teacher looking at some written sources on topics I have never studied, to get used to looking at texts “blind”.

I only had one interview (this has now changed – there’s an aptitude test and you would usually have more than one interview, I think). My interview was with two history fellows at my college and was based mainly on the two essays I had submitted. Before the interview, we all met the tutors and they were very clear with us that if they were pursuing a line of questioning that we knew nothing about, we should say so. This was good advice, and exactly what happened in mine. The tutors were keen to ask me about Charles I later in his reign – something I had not yet studied. Although I said I was happy to try to answer their questions, I pointed out that this was an area of history I knew nothing about. In fact, they stopped those questions and were very happy to move into areas I had content-knowledge for. They wanted to see what I could do/how I thought with content I knew; they didn’t want to watch me struggle to think of things when I didn’t feel confident about the subject.

The interview centred around questions which made me think more deeply about the topics I raised in my essays. I wasn’t being tested on how well I could remember things; I was being asked to show how well I could think and make an argument. That was what was crucial. Could I make an argument, listen to their responses (at times in disagreement with me) and judge when I should stand up for my point of view and when I should agree that I had to amend my argument? The questions also put my essays in context more broadly –for instance, we went back to the Magna Carta and thought about parliament in a far broader context. Could I be resourceful and think on the spot, or did I shy away from thinking about something a bit broader? The interview is almost a mock-tutorial. These are tutors who are going to spend a great deal of their time teaching you, and they want to see what you’re like in a tutorial-type setting. In essence, will you be up for a challenge?

The interview period is in itself quite tiring and also at times quite dull. There’s a lot of waiting around, and you can’t be too flexible about going off for ages, in case you get called back. But that’s not to say it’s not enjoyable. You’re meeting loads of new people and you’re spending time in a beautiful setting. Current students at the college are likely to be on hand organizing activities – do go along if you can. There are probably lots of DVDs around in the common room, and it’s well worth bringing a good book which has nothing to do with your interview! Make sure you get enough sleep and food, and most importantly don’t get too stressed. Interviewing is an experience in its own right – you’re getting to spend half an hour with someone who’s an expert on your subject and just enjoy it. Feel comfortable and relaxed and you’re likely to come across far better than if you’re very nervous and uptight.

Good luck!