Oxford Biochemistry 2017 Applicants.

Hi!! I'm applying for biochemistry at Somerville college, anyone got any good prep tips for interviews?

hey me too! I've been practising talking about concepts for a minute or two without sounding too dumb or unsure lol

Sounds like a good plan, I haven for even started preparing although I have a Mock interview soon so hopefully that'll help but I don't really know what to expect

ah I had a mock interview on Thursday but it felt more like a generic interview - not very academically challenging +didn't feel very tailored to oxbridge applications, although it was useful to be questioned on my personal statement. Hopefully yours is more helpful!

Sounds like a good plan, I haven for even started preparing although I have a Mock interview soon so hopefully that'll help but I don't really know what to expect

Did you guys just ask your chem/bio teacher for a mock interview, or did the school arrange it for you? thanks !

I'm a first year biochemist at Oxford and what I found most helpful was being 100% confident in what we'd covered so far in chemistry (I was asked to do some concentration calculations) and keep an eye on what's happening in the world of biochemistry. I spoke about CRISPR in my interview. Make sure you understand whatever you quote, because I was asked more details. Obviously it's impossible to understand it all when you've not even started the degree yet, but make sure you get the gist of it.

Did you guys just ask your chem/bio teacher for a mock interview, or did the school arrange it for you? thanks !

My college arranged it with like an actual person who has done interviews before as my college has its own uni building which you go to for it which will make it a whole lot scarier 😭

If you had to choose one or the other, I'd say chemistry is best. Biochemistry is honestly just chemistry with context.

Consider also that the only required subject to A2 is Chemistry.

Other than revising what you've already learned, I'd say it's very hard to prepare. The best use of a mock interview would probably just be nerves.

They want someone who likes the subject, because the work is bloody hard. Once you get in, that's just the beginning. It's taking a toll on me and I love the subject. I would be in hell if I wasn't such a biochemistry nerd.

The questions are deliberately done so that they're hard to revise for, you just need to think. The knowledge based stuff (eg. Drawing the structure of an amino acid, concentration calculation) felt more like a warm up. The thinking stuff is what separates you out.

On one of the questions I was asked, I had no idea, but made educated guesses. None of them were right, I had to be guided to the actual answer, but what I said was plausible and well reasoned, and one of my points made the interviewer stop and think for a few moments, because it was interesting (but still wrong). It felt like a discussion rather than an interview.

If you haven't studied something, say so. If they ask something difficult that needs some thinking through, don't just frown and think silently, talk them through your answer as it forms. They want to see that thinking process. If you get to a point where your knowledge is not adequate to finish the question, say so, while also giving your best guess/current direction of answer. If you're struggling, ask for a hint.

Bear in mind that you'll probably get two interviews also, so that's another chance to show your stuff. I interviewed at Catz and Magdalen and they were very different in tone.

What was your "difficult question" would you say?

I don't remember well. I guess the stress affected my memory. It was something to do with viruses. Something I'd never studied before, but could reasonably figure out.

Bear in mind that every interviewer will do things differently.

If you had to choose one or the other, I'd say chemistry is best. Biochemistry is honestly just chemistry with context.

Consider also that the only required subject to A2 is Chemistry.

Other than revising what you've already learned, I'd say it's very hard to prepare. The best use of a mock interview would probably just be nerves.

They want someone who likes the subject, because the work is bloody hard. Once you get in, that's just the beginning. It's taking a toll on me and I love the subject. I would be in hell if I wasn't such a biochemistry nerd.

The questions are deliberately done so that they're hard to revise for, you just need to think. The knowledge based stuff (eg. Drawing the structure of an amino acid, concentration calculation) felt more like a warm up. The thinking stuff is what separates you out.

On one of the questions I was asked, I had no idea, but made educated guesses. None of them were right, I had to be guided to the actual answer, but what I said was plausible and well reasoned, and one of my points made the interviewer stop and think for a few moments, because it was interesting (but still wrong). It felt like a discussion rather than an interview.

If you haven't studied something, say so. If they ask something difficult that needs some thinking through, don't just frown and think silently, talk them through your answer as it forms. They want to see that thinking process. If you get to a point where your knowledge is not adequate to finish the question, say so, while also giving your best guess/current direction of answer. If you're struggling, ask for a hint.

Bear in mind that you'll probably get two interviews also, so that's another chance to show your stuff. I interviewed at Catz and Magdalen and they were very different in tone.