Test taken: None
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: They were about midday on two consecutive days
Length of interviews: 30-40 minutes
Online interview: No

The tutors in the first interview settled me in by asking a question about myself but the answer that I had prepared was way too long and I only got to say the introduction before we moved on, as they were satisfied I was comfortable and ready to get going. Then they asked me about a topic related to what I had discussed in part of my personal statement. After that, all of the questions were pre-planned and not governed by what they knew about me. Some were physics-related problems that they set out by drawing diagrams, others were about samples they handed me. In the other interview, they went straight to pre-planned technical questions, again using samples sometimes but also testing 3D thinking and visualisation by having me do some of the drawings, and these are important skills for understanding cross-sections. Lastly, they asked if I had any questions and we chatted for a couple of minutes about what I'd asked. Overall I found I was nervous beforehand, but once I was in the interview room I was able to relax. I made sure I smiled and didn't look terrified, and this was made easier by how friendly and welcoming the tutors were. They never tried to trick me, and were happy to answer questions I had as I worked through the problems they set.

I practiced thinking and talking about interview style questions which I found online, with my parents mostly. I also did a sort of mock interview with one of my Dad's friends who is an academic at another university, which helped get me used to the environment in which the interviews are conducted. Lastly, I prepared some good, long answers to the classic "Why do you want to study this subject" style of wordy questions, however this was mostly a waste of time as I only got to say the very start of my answer before the technical part of the interview began.

Giving yourself time to think about the questions is really important, as they require some consideration and the tutors don't want to see you just blurt out an answer, they want to see you work it out. Sometimes I would hit a bit of a wall in my understanding so I would ask for a hint which they happily provided. Also, don't be disheartened by getting a question wrong or not having an answer even after thinking about it. Nobody I know had perfect interviews, in fact most of us still think about things we wish we had said, but the tutors know that it is a stressful situation and you will make mistakes. Just show that you understand what they have said when they explain it afterwards and you will be fine. Lastly, I think looking happy and confident is very important in the perception the tutors have of you. It shows that you love the subject, and have belief in yourself that you can become great at it, however much of a cliche that sounds.