Test taken: TSA

Number of interviews: 2

Skype interview: No

Time between each interview: a few hours

Length of interviews: 30 minutes each

Interview 1 (Philosophy & Economics): This started with a few questions about my background and personal statement. Then I was asked some very abstract questions by the philosophy tutor. These are the kinds of things which relate to some topic of philosophy which you wouldn't have heard of, but you couldn't directly prepare for. The best thing to do for these would have been to think about philosophical issues to prepare. These were pretty tough and there were points where I had no idea what to say, but the interviewer was helpful and made it a conversation so you do get into the flow.

I was then taken through a problem sheet for economics step by step. I hadn't done economics at A Level, so while I had the same questions as everyone else, I'm sure that was factored in. It wasn't as daunting as doing a problem sheet though. You're doing all (almost all) of the work, but they're walking you through it and giving help where needed. I'd make sure you can do basic maths by hand for this bit and don't be afraid to be creative where there's room to be. In general, the interview was a good experience. They really were looking for me to succeed and tried to make it a good experience. I think a major thing that helped me was that I didn't have any major expectations of receiving an offer. I thought it was possible and I wanted it badly, but I understood that it's really competitive and so chances are, there will be a lot of good candidates who don't get in. So for me, I just tried to enjoy my time there as much as possible and that really helped. But just remember, they want you to be an undergrad who they'll enjoy teaching so they're on your side!

Interview 2 (Politics): This interview was a lot more formal, with no introductory questions. This is mostly because of the personalities of the interviewers. I was taught by them later in my degree and they were all business then too so I don't think the formality of my interview was typical. I was asked questions about political theory - eg effect of free speech in political campaigns - and on comparative politics - eg on the nature of the state. It wasn't really a discussion. They just wanted to hear my thoughts and then moved on.So be aware that if this happens, it isn't a bad thing, it's just the interviewer's style.

Firstly, I attended college run help sessions. Secondly, I practised mental maths techniques on YouTube. I also practised thinking about a relevant current topic - eg "Should we have borders?" Finally, I practised TSA past papers (this was the most useful).

Firstly, become interested in the world around you - listen to podcasts and watch Newsnight etc. Also, make sure you can defend every sentence of your personal statement. If you can, do practice interviews with friends, family, teachers, whoever will give their time. For economics, if you didn't do A Level then learn some basic econ. It's great to be interested and read books, but you also need some formal grounding. I highly recommend Khan Academy for this or anything else. I personally wasn't asked about current affairs at all, but be prepared for that.

I think it's really important to prep as much as you can. It will hopefully make you feel more comfortable in the interview. Other than basic econ though, I wouldn't bother trying to remember study notes you made on books (unless you put them in your statement) or anything else formal.

I think the interviews were pretty much as I expected, except perhaps more social. I met a lot of nice people there, which made the time a lot less stressful. So I would say do whatever you think will chill you out. If you like being alone, do that. But if you prefer to be with people, then don't stay in your room - most people are really friendly and you're all in the same boat.

I now understand that the interviewers only care about one thing: "Do I want to teach you?". It's as simple as that. But that's great. It means that all you need to do is come prepared to talk about your own ideas and be prepared to put them forward. Come prepared to challenge what you're being told in a really polite way and ask questions. Come ready to take criticism - they're there to help you learn.