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Interview rooms

Probably 2 or 3 months early to ask, but it just crossed my mind; what were the rooms that you got interviewed in like?

Are they quite cold and empty, where you're given a plastic chair and have to face two or three people, also on plastic chairs, behind a hard wooden desk?

Or are they nice and cosy, with sofas, carpets, display cushions, indoor plants, and free tea and coffee?

Just wondered, cheers for any replies,

Joe

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Reply 1

tinaturnerbunsenburner

depends on which uni i would say.

Reply 2

tinaturnerbunsenburner

depends on which uni i would say.

Reply 3

JoeJBB

tinaturnerbunsenburner

depends on which uni i would say.

Well this is in the Cambridge forum, so that one :P

Reply 4

Luxun3

From my experience I can say that they are pretty nice. I felt pretty comfortable being there, especially because the interviewers also do everything they can to put you at ease

Reply 5

tinaturnerbunsenburner

my bad. My friend said that they're quite cosy but i think it might differ from college to college.

Reply 6

Excalibur

My first interview was in a smallish room, carpets, thick curtains etc. The interviewers were behind a wooden desk, while I sat at a sofa on the other side. In the second interview, all three of us sat around a low coffee table on sofas and that felt cosier. Can't remember whether there were any indoor plants and there was definitely no free tea or coffee :p:

(although there were tea/coffee and biscuits in the waiting room)

Both at Downing btw. Obviously depends from college to college, but from my friends' experiences most of them aren't that scarily sterile. Anyway, you're far too busy concentrating on the actual interview that the surroundings don't really matter!

Reply 7

JoeJBB

I might bring my own tea and coffee and then offer them a brew - might influence my chances :p:

what biscuits were they?

Reply 8

Happiness

The interviews are usually in the interviewers' offices, which are usually pretty nice. I was sat on a sofa for both of my interviews, with thte interviewer either sitting on an armchair the other side of a table or just on a chair opposite me.

The waiting room was the B dining room (in trinity hall) and was quite nice because there was free tea and coffee, everybody sat in a circle and was generally nervous together. We got led to the interview rooms by 4th years, and once I was there I felt a lot more comfortable. I hadn't got too worked up about it in the first place, but it really did prove that it's just a coversation about the subject you want to study to see if you're interested in it and can think think independently. It's not about being perfect and they're there to put you at ease.

Reply 9

Mithra

Happiness

The waiting room was the B dining room (in trinity hall) and was quite nice because there was free tea and coffee, everybody sat in a circle and was generally nervous together.

I'm not sure whether that would make me feel better or worse, I think I'd just end up sitting there sizing everybody up :s-smilie:

. Ooh theres a new thread, mindgames for other candidates :biggrin:

Reply 10

JoeJBB

Mithra

Ooh theres a new thread, mindgames for other candidates :biggrin:

That is actually a well good idea, if we get some good suggestions I will definately try at least one of them :biggrin:

.

The sitting round and being nervous together sounds like some weird religious ritual.

Reply 11

Jigglypuff

Mine was in one of the oldest buildings in King's...in a room above where the legendary Popper/Wittgenstein poker incident took place. It was a set of rooms-- the waiting room was massive with a few sofas, big dining table, book cases, chandalier...then the interviewers told me to come inside the room which was pretty small, with more bookcases and just three chairs and a desk. There were no other applicants in the room, but there was a girl sat there when I came out.

Reply 12

7589200

Mine was at Caius for Medicine...

It was a comfortable set of rooms with a fireplace n nice pictures up n nice furniture.

Reply 13

Simba

The room was rather cosy, but it certainly wasn't filled with sofas - I was on a wooden chair at the head of a table with my interviewers either side. I was guided mostly on any problems by the guy on my left whilst the guy on my right read through my solutions to the test questions. I had a discussion with both about group theory after I'd done a few questions :smile:

. The interviewers put me at ease. The room had a nice carpet, there were plenty of maths books in a bookcase on one wall, and it generally felt quite nice :smile:

. That said, I was very nervous and certainly underperformed in the interview.

Reply 14

MrMat18

JoeJBB

I might bring my own tea and coffee and then offer them a brew - might influence my chances :p:

what biscuits were they?

Biribery!

Reply 15

Rudrax

The armchair I was given to sit down in for my interview was so deep and I was practically lying down. Definitely not a plastic one.

Reply 16

The West Wing

At Cambridge both my rooms were identical, and they were reasonably small, comfortable sofas and rustic furniture. Very warm and unintimidating IMO.

Reply 17

JoeJBB

Jigglypuff

Ooo what is this legendary poker incident?

J

Reply 18

Jigglypuff

JoeJBB

Ooo what is this legendary poker incident?

J

It's all a bit of a mystery, but this article explains it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/nov/21/guardianfirstbookaward2001.gurardianfirstbookaward

We still have similar discussions in King's, last year in the rooms two floors above the one the incident took place in, but no pokers are involved. :yep:

Reply 19

Jacobite

My first interview room at Peterhouse was like a particularly plush and old-fashioned living room (which is in all probability exactly what it was), with a very comfortable chair. The second was like a little clearing in a labyrinth of heaving bookshelves (a very nervous / mildly traumatised interviewee could easily have got lost on the way in or out), but was also very appealing when reached. The most impressive aspect of it however was the fact that the interviewer provided a copy of the Times Literary Supplement outside the door for those waiting.