As a few of you might already know but on Wednesday I had my first and only university interview. I'm hopefully going to study TV and Radio Production at Salford University in September which is scary as it's creeping closer by the day.
With many prospective uni students who will be partaking in admissions interviews in the upcoming months. I just wanted to share my top tips and advice on how to schedule, what to wear, and what to expect! As well as focusing on frequently asked questions that you may get asked during your interview and advice on how to answer those questions too.
PLAN- Before the interview, make sure you know where you’re going, how you’re going to travel and how long your journey will take. To avoid extra stress, give yourself plenty of time on the day. Don’t be late!
READ CAREFULLY- Look carefully through any material that is sent to you before the interview, so you know what to expect when you arrive.
EXPERIENCES + ACHIEVEMENTS- Don’t forget to bring along any documents you might need, certificates or a portfolio – this is really important!
DRESS APPROPRIATELY- Think about what you’re wearing and what it says about you. For professional courses, smart attire is expected.
KNOW YOUR STUFF- Find out about the university and course you’re being interviewed for and think about latest news in the area too.
ENGAGE- Listen carefully to what the interviewer is saying and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Just make sure that they haven’t already been answered in information you’ve been sent by the university.
Finally, just BE YOURSELF! They want to know about YOU, what makes YOU tick, why YOU want to study the subject you’ve applied for and why YOU want to come to that uni. Don't try be someone you're not and pretend to be different as you'll get caught out eventually.
Just watch this clip from Friends it sums it up...
It also help to get someone (who hopefully knows a bit about your subject) to give you a mock interview. Having some interview practice beforehand will help to boost your confidence and expose areas you need to work on.
Obviously there is a lot of universities that aren't going to ask you to attend interviews but they may ask for a "portfolio" of your work or if you're one of the lucky ones you can get offers straight away, but that all depends on which course you're applying for and where it is too.
If you do have to submit a portfolio then don't panic it's not the end of the world. You'll obviously be applying for a creative course and they will give you details of what they want to see from you but just make sure you select your best pieces of work. whether it's a collection of art work, photography, a short film or an article. The key thing to remember is quality over quantity as they want to see your skill and not how much you can produce.
I understand not everyone will be applying for university but this advice is transferable to whether you're wanting to move on to college or move up to sixth form and in fact some of the questions can even be asked in job interviews or finding works experience. I hope you enjoyed this and find the advice was somewhat helpful.
Thank you
♡