My Cambridge interview was too easy...

Lol, well all I can say is all the best. My interview (this time last year) was kinda easy, but comparatively the course is a lot harder than anything they could have thrown at me in interview - so don't be fooled! Just put your fingers crossed for the EE offer.

Reply 62

ADREAM

11

Vivisteiner

And I'm scared.

I was psyching myself up for the interview big time; rereading the AS syllabus, reading ahead to A level, analysing every line in my personal statement. And then my interviews combined lasted only just over half an hour. And I was asked only one subject related 'proper' calculation question (I applied for Natural Sciences Physical). I started off on completely the wrong track (stupidly), but then he pointed me on the right track and I worked the answer out easily. The rest of the time was spent discussing stuff.

What I wan't to know is - is that bad or good? I got 11A*s at GCSE and 4As at A level (Maths 98%, Physics 97%, Biology 96%, Chemistry 94%).

I was expecting them to ask harder and harder questions until they found my 'ceiling'. This didn't happen at all. I could have been the best mathematician in the country and they would have had no idea...

Generally, if I find an interview easy, I do badly. If I find it hard/gruelling, my best flourishes! Sorry to put you down mate, but you never know - you could have done really exceptionally well or really bad!

Reply 63

OP

@ebam_uk: lol, yeah, EE ftw. That would be jokes.

Same here, pretty much. I wouldn't worry too much.

I'm starting to wonder how they're going to decide between the candidates now. Maybe (hopefully for me) they'll go mostly by exam grades.

@ADREAM: Who knows..? I sure as hell don't.

Reply 64

*Christine*

I really hope both of us get an offer...

Reply 65

Vivisteiner

@ebam_uk: lol, yeah, EE ftw. That would be jokes.

I'm starting to wonder how they're going to decide between the candidates now. Maybe (hopefully for me) they'll go mostly by exam grades.

@ADREAM: Who knows..? I sure as hell don't.

Well you would be surprised how many candidates start to differentiate when asked to integrate.

My thought was exactly this, this time last year, dont worry yourself - ask them when you start next year probably. Just be warned, getting into Cambridge is one thing, being the best on your course and getting a 1st does require S*** loads of work.

Reply 66

OP

@Christine: Me too. :biggrin:

And one more thing, the guy doing my first interview was 5 mins behind schedul and the guy doing me second interview was like 15 mins behind schedule. So maybe they were in a rush to finish. I remember the guy before me had a short interview as well (20 mins).

@ebam_uk: That's a slight problem. Trouble is, I'm a lazy bastard. e.g. I've wasted the whole of today instead of doing my homework. Then again, school is so uninspiring I may have an excuse. Hopefully at Uni I'll be able to motivate myself to work hard. I like how it has short terms.

Reply 67

*Christine*

Just wondering. What subjects are you doing at A2?

Reply 68

Vivisteiner

@Christine: Me too. :biggrin:

And one more thing, the guy doing my first interview was 5 mins behind schedul and the guy doing me second interview was like 15 mins behind schedule. So maybe they were in a rush to finish. I remember the guy before me had a short interview as well (20 mins).

@ebam_uk: That's a slight problem. Trouble is, I'm a lazy bastard. e.g. I've wasted the whole of today instead of doing my homework. Then again, school is so uninspiring I may have an excuse. Hopefully at Uni I'll be able to motivate myself to work hard. I like how it has short terms.

Well you find its slightly harder to be lazy because the workload is harder & much more intense than A levels. Looking back A Level's were a bit of a breeze compared 2 workload levels here.

Reply 69

Craghyrax

17

Vivisteiner

Oooh, and I just realised I'm not allowed to mention even the most trifling details about my interview. You mod people (yes, YOU) are pretty darn harsh. :wink:

To be fair, colleges have actually contacted TSR in the past and demanded that they stop applicants leaking the questions.. same as with the exams. Moderation don't have much choice in the matter.
Re: your interview - all the questions in my (bio)NatSci interviews were pretty basic too. I made alot of stupid errors as a result of being almost incapacitated with nerves. After the interview I got home and all of the correct answers and details came flooding into my mind all at once. Just put it out of your mind till January!

Vazzyb

lol i wudnt say which ones!

...anywhere as public as TSR or you'd be crucified :biggrin:

There aren't any 'crap colleges', but some are better funded than others, which can make quite a difference to one's student experience. For instance - a richer college will be more able to maintain the accommodation and stock their libraries...

Reply 70

OP

Just wondering. What subjects are you doing at A2?

Maths, Physics, Biology, Chemistry. I'm doing AS further maths as well.

Well you find its slightly harder to be lazy because the workload is harder & much more intense than A levels. Looking back A Level's were a bit of a breeze compared 2 workload levels here.

Yeah, I'll have to knuckle down.

@Craghyrax: Yeah, fair enough.

Btw, did you get in?

Reply 71

*Christine*

Vivisteiner

Maths, Physics, Biology, Chemistry. I'm doing AS further maths as well.

Yeah, I'll have to knuckle down.

@Craghyrax: Yeah, fair enough.

Btw, did you get in?

I dropped Biology, doing Chemistry, Physics and Maths and extending furthermaths to A2. :smile:

Reply 72

OP

^I was very tempted to do that, but I didn't. Mainly because I plan to choose the Evolution section in my first year, because it sounds like an interesting change of pace.

Reply 73

Mr Nonsense

13

well looking at your grades....is it a suprise that you didn't find it too difficult?
congratulations! hope it all goes well for you

Reply 74

OP

well looking at your grades....is it a suprise that you didn't find it too difficult?

Sort of, yes. I aced my A levels, but I'm not that good at Physics. So I was expecting some tough, beyond A-level questions on which I would fail.

For example, when I took the British Physics Olympiad, the hardest questions in that were very scary and beyond me.

congratulations! hope it all goes well for you

Thanks. Oh, and well done on the 11A*s!

Some people think you have to be amazing to get 11A*s or awesome at your subject to get 290/300, but thats not really true at all.

Reply 75