Priorities?

You certainly need to brush up on your Elizabeth Gaskell. *sniff*

And if they don't let me go part-time? (which is likely).

I know it doesn't revolve around Cambridge, but let's face it, I turned down a great university to give me another shot at the best university - isn't it then worth a little bit more effort?

Also, I would spend the majority of the time as I did at school (ie. reading but also doing other things). Put it this way - I'm not going to lock myself away for two months doing nothing but studying.

It's your funeral. Personally I think it's unhealthy to quit this far ahead, but I obviously can't change your mind. Do it if you will, and good luck. I'd never go that far just for the sake of being here though.

Thanks.

I am going to sleep on it. I don't want to become obsessive about the whole thing... I do want to give myself the best chance and I think that will involve sorting out a balance. At the moment, I feel that full time work is taking up too much of my time and reading not enough. At the end of the day it's also about doing what I enjoy to a certain extent - and that is reading (as well as other stuff work is limiting at the moment).

And if they don't let me go part-time? (which is likely).

I know it doesn't revolve around Cambridge, but let's face it, I turned down a great university to give me another shot at the best university - isn't it then worth a little bit more effort?

Also, I would spend the majority of the time as I did at school (ie. reading but also doing other things). Put it this way - I'm not going to lock myself away for two months doing nothing but studying.

I seriously doubt whether doing two months of reading preparation would improve your chances that much. You can only be asked about so much in the interview! I don't think it would be useful to try to 'fill in gaps' that you're unsure about when you're more likely to be questioned on the interests expressed in your personal statement.

At Queens', I had one short (30 min) interview. I was asked about topics we were doing at A-level, then a couple of things from my statement, and finally was given the unseen poem to analyse. I did a good deal of preparatory reading, and listed dozens of interests on my statement, which there simply wasn't time to discuss! There was no 'general knowledge' element to the interview except when I was asked to date the poem.

I had a friend interviewed at Trinity, whose process seemed much more extensive (group interview, etc.). Still, he wasn't given a timeline of authors to put in order, or something like that (but was handed a list of words and asked to choose five to define). Apparently, they discussed his submitted work, then asked him "What would you like to talk about?".

After all, they'll admit people due to the manner in which they discuss things, and how well they argue, not due to their knowledge of an arbitrary canon (which is too large to have taken in comprehensively at our age anyway!).

I think you'd be better staying on in your job - two months without anything to do but worry over a couple of hours of conversation does not sound healthy! You sound well read, and certainly will have a wider general knowledge than most other people there. It would be more important to get to know the interests you've discussed on your statement thoroughly, and to read up on practical criticism, etc. And, of course, to practise discussing literature with people face-to-face.

(This said, I voted 'yes' in the poll by accident!)

that said you are likely to have to date a poem (which isn't difficult if you listen to the divine comedy attentively enough ). although this poem dating business doesn't seem too important- my mate got into st hugh's oxford by asserting that a shakespeare sonnet was written by yeats. figures...