Oxbridge interview: top twenty tips for surviving - by graduates and tutors
牛津和劍橋大學(xué)面試：20條金科玉律-來自于畢業(yè)生及導(dǎo)師
Oxbridge interviews are shrouded in mysteryand dogged by myth so let us guide you through the process with the help of people who've been on both sides of the interview
Before the interview
面試之前來源:考試大網(wǎng)
1. Don't forget an alarm clock
It sounds mundane but could be make or break if you have an early interview and stay over in college the night before. Pack an alarm clock or a mobile phone that is charged so that you don't have a restlessnight's sleep worrying whether you'll miss it.
別忘了上鬧鐘來源：考試大
2. Brush up on your personal statement
Make sure you've done everything you put down in your personal statement. If you have time, quickly skim-read some of the texts you've mentioned so that you'll be able to quote in your interview or at least know what they’re talking about. “I hadn’t read one of the books on my personal statement so I got my dad to give me a quick summarybefore the interview. I got in there and they asked me about one of the characters and I had no idea who it was. It was so embarrassing,” says one graduate who read French and Spanish at Oxford.
復(fù)習(xí)一下你的個人陳述
樂寧雅思年會注冊得大獎
3. Know what your interviewer has written
Rosemary Bennett, who read Politics, Philosophyand Economics says doing your homework on the subject tutors at the college will make you stand out. “Be really prepared and read what they have written recently. It’s so easy to find out what they have done – not so that you can suck up to them - but so you know their areas of interest. If you know their take on a situation you won’t go in with half baked opinions to the expert.”
了解你的面試官寫過什么
4. Make an effort with your appearance
“Wear something bright to make yourself more memorable. Try to look smart but not too try-hard,” says one Cambridge Theology graduate.
Murad Ahmed, who studied Law at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge advises, “You just have to look like you've made an effort and take the interview seriously. That might mean a suit and tie, or just dressing smartly. The guy after me came dressed in a Gap hoody, and I never saw him again.”
注意自己的儀表考試大(www．Examda。com)
5. Keep an eye on the notice board
Your interview time will be posted on the college notice board in the college entrance and in the Junior Common Room. The times of these can change at the last minute and if you are required for another interviewthe only way of finding out is to check the board. Some colleges will take your mobile number and ring you to let you know of any changes - but it’s best to check it every couple of hours just in case.
6. Don’t be put off by other candidates
“Don’t be too intimidated by everyone else and what they know – it is your interview and you will be the only one in the room – not them – so be confidentin your own abilities,” says Laura O’Connor who got into Jesus College Oxford to study Geography.
不要收到其他的面試者影響
In the interview來源：考試大
7. Choose where to sit with care
The interviews are usually held in the tutor’s office and you will often have a choice of seats ranging from a plastic chair to a college heirloomwhich had seen better days when Henry VIII made a visit.
Kate Rushworth, who read English and German at Oxford says “I remember sitting on the sofa as instructed and it being so old and flat that I ended up practically sitting on the floor with my knees around my ears.”
Your choice of seat isn’t a test but it’s better not to be distracted by it. So pick a seat that looks half stable and try not to sit in such a way that your leg goes to sleep and you have to limp out of the room when you leave.
仔細(xì)選擇坐的地方
09年雅思考試展望分享考試大論壇
8. Make eye-contact
Murad Ahmed, now a journalist says: “It's a confidence thing. If you've got an interview, you've got the grades to be there.” He says tutors he’s spoken to are looking for something more than grades. “I took that to mean, that somehow we could ‘a(chǎn)dd’ to the institution. I think quiet confidence is what you want to try to evoke, and making eye contact is key.”
保持眼神交流
9. Don’t be intimidated by the tutors
“But be aware that they know everything you know - and a hell of a lot more,” says Rhiannon Evans, who studied Politics Philosophy and Economics at Oxford and is now studying for a PhD. “They are trying to explore your thought processes. Therefore make it obvious. Don't just jump it with your final answer as this suggests a lack of reflexivity. You're not on Family Fortunes. Fully articulate your evaluation and argument.”
不要被導(dǎo)師嚇倒
10. Don’t speak too soon來源：www.examda.com
Being enigmatic and thoughtful can count in your favour, says Nico Hines who studied history at Cambridge. “When they ask you a question, even if you can think of a decent response straight away - just keep your mouth shut for a few seconds and then answer, it makes you appear more contemplative and considered.”
不要太快回答問題
11. But do say something memorable
Rosemary Bennett says: “Get something in that is memorable because they see so many people. Say something that’s going to stick in their mind. The most wacky thing you have done, they are looking for rounded people, not just people who are studying relentlesslyfor A-Levels. Have something to say that isn’t studying – something not to do with school work because they are looking for someone with wider interest. Something that shows you’re not a cookie cutter exam person.”
給面試官留下深刻的印象來源：www.examda.com
12. Answer the question but ask if you don’t understand it
Dr Rhodri Lewis an English tutor at Oxford University says: “Do answer the questions you're asked directly and with any pertinent examples you have to hand; stick rigorously to the point. Don't blusterand attempt to download pre-fabricated answers onto questions that don't warrant them. Do ask if you don’t understand the question rather than attempt to answer questions that you don't understand.”
回答提出的問題，但當(dāng)你不懂時，要問出來
13. Show off your broader knowledge
Dr Lewis advises: “Do show evidence of having read and thought broadly around your subject, moving well beyond the A-level syllabus. Do show an interest and awareness in the Oxbridge course you're proposing to read.
Don't, if asked about the fifth act of Othello, say that you haven't got round to that part of the play in class yet. Don't make it look like you're desperate to get into Oxbridge come what may, and that you've no great interest in your proposed subject of study.
展示你廣泛的學(xué)識
雅思四項各自備考策略分析來源：考試大
14. But don’t show off
Dr Lewis warns: “Don't try to be wisecracking smart-Alec; You may well be as clever as you think you are, but your interviewers are often pretty intelligent too, and become rapidly bored with this sort of showboating.”
千萬不要賣弄
15. Don’t panic
“Keep thinking, even when you find yourself in the stickiestof corners; interviewers want to find out how your mind works, not to trick, humiliate or otherwise expose you,” says Dr Lewis.
不要驚慌考試大(www．Examda。com)
16. Be prepared to change your mind
The way you think and whether you can think on your feet is much more important than coming up with the definitive answer – which in most cases doesn’t exist.
“I was asked to review a passage from Othello, and went straight in, guns blazing, about the clever punctuation and the impressiveeffect it had only to be told that it wasn't actually Shakespeare's original punctuation. ‘Aha! Look - here is a copy of the original Folio and the punctuation is different you see! What else did you think?’ I was deflated and terrified having never even heard of the 'folio’”, says one student – who did get a place.
隨時準(zhǔn)備改變你的想法
After the interview
面試后考試大論壇
17. Don’t worry about what other people say
Try to avoid conversations with other candidates about what happened in their interview. No two experiences will be the same and you’ll just end up worrying that they did or didn’t ask you something.
不要擔(dān)心別人怎么說
18. Be prepared for more
The Oxbridge entrancesystem means that you could be called for an interview at another college. This is nothing to worry about and isn’t necessarily a sign you haven’t got in to your college of choice.
The tutor may want a second opinion or think you are a bright candidate but just doesn’t have space for you. Likewise if you don’t get another interview it doesn’t necessarily mean you have fallen at the last hurdle – they may have just decided you are strong enough to get straight in.
Laura O’Connor says: “Don’t worry if they keep you on for an extra day – I sat nervously as they dismissed people at the end of the Tuesday, stayed overnight and huddled into the Geography faculty on the Wednesday to sit on a sofa by a fire all day, and in the end I wasn’t called for any extra interviews," but she did get a place.
為下一場面試做好準(zhǔn)備來源：考試大
雅思考試全年考情總結(jié)
19. Congratulate yourself on having got through it
Getting through an Oxbridge interview with all your faculties still in tact is a reason to be proud. So don’t berate yourself by replaying what you said or didn’t say, just enjoy the fact that it’s over.
完成面試，值得慶?？荚嚧笳搲?BR> 20. Don’t set all your hopes on getting in
Finally, don't get too worked up about it and don’t place all your hopes for future happiness on a place at Oxbridge.
Wherever you go to university you will have three uniqueyears in a place you are likely to count among the best in the world.
不要將你所有的希望寄托在上面
牛津和劍橋大學(xué)面試：20條金科玉律-來自于畢業(yè)生及導(dǎo)師
Oxbridge interviews are shrouded in mysteryand dogged by myth so let us guide you through the process with the help of people who've been on both sides of the interview
Before the interview
面試之前來源:考試大網(wǎng)
1. Don't forget an alarm clock
It sounds mundane but could be make or break if you have an early interview and stay over in college the night before. Pack an alarm clock or a mobile phone that is charged so that you don't have a restlessnight's sleep worrying whether you'll miss it.
別忘了上鬧鐘來源：考試大
2. Brush up on your personal statement
Make sure you've done everything you put down in your personal statement. If you have time, quickly skim-read some of the texts you've mentioned so that you'll be able to quote in your interview or at least know what they’re talking about. “I hadn’t read one of the books on my personal statement so I got my dad to give me a quick summarybefore the interview. I got in there and they asked me about one of the characters and I had no idea who it was. It was so embarrassing,” says one graduate who read French and Spanish at Oxford.
復(fù)習(xí)一下你的個人陳述
樂寧雅思年會注冊得大獎
3. Know what your interviewer has written
Rosemary Bennett, who read Politics, Philosophyand Economics says doing your homework on the subject tutors at the college will make you stand out. “Be really prepared and read what they have written recently. It’s so easy to find out what they have done – not so that you can suck up to them - but so you know their areas of interest. If you know their take on a situation you won’t go in with half baked opinions to the expert.”
了解你的面試官寫過什么
4. Make an effort with your appearance
“Wear something bright to make yourself more memorable. Try to look smart but not too try-hard,” says one Cambridge Theology graduate.
Murad Ahmed, who studied Law at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge advises, “You just have to look like you've made an effort and take the interview seriously. That might mean a suit and tie, or just dressing smartly. The guy after me came dressed in a Gap hoody, and I never saw him again.”
注意自己的儀表考試大(www．Examda。com)
5. Keep an eye on the notice board
Your interview time will be posted on the college notice board in the college entrance and in the Junior Common Room. The times of these can change at the last minute and if you are required for another interviewthe only way of finding out is to check the board. Some colleges will take your mobile number and ring you to let you know of any changes - but it’s best to check it every couple of hours just in case.
6. Don’t be put off by other candidates
“Don’t be too intimidated by everyone else and what they know – it is your interview and you will be the only one in the room – not them – so be confidentin your own abilities,” says Laura O’Connor who got into Jesus College Oxford to study Geography.
不要收到其他的面試者影響
In the interview來源：考試大
7. Choose where to sit with care
The interviews are usually held in the tutor’s office and you will often have a choice of seats ranging from a plastic chair to a college heirloomwhich had seen better days when Henry VIII made a visit.
Kate Rushworth, who read English and German at Oxford says “I remember sitting on the sofa as instructed and it being so old and flat that I ended up practically sitting on the floor with my knees around my ears.”
Your choice of seat isn’t a test but it’s better not to be distracted by it. So pick a seat that looks half stable and try not to sit in such a way that your leg goes to sleep and you have to limp out of the room when you leave.
仔細(xì)選擇坐的地方
09年雅思考試展望分享考試大論壇
8. Make eye-contact
Murad Ahmed, now a journalist says: “It's a confidence thing. If you've got an interview, you've got the grades to be there.” He says tutors he’s spoken to are looking for something more than grades. “I took that to mean, that somehow we could ‘a(chǎn)dd’ to the institution. I think quiet confidence is what you want to try to evoke, and making eye contact is key.”
保持眼神交流
9. Don’t be intimidated by the tutors
“But be aware that they know everything you know - and a hell of a lot more,” says Rhiannon Evans, who studied Politics Philosophy and Economics at Oxford and is now studying for a PhD. “They are trying to explore your thought processes. Therefore make it obvious. Don't just jump it with your final answer as this suggests a lack of reflexivity. You're not on Family Fortunes. Fully articulate your evaluation and argument.”
不要被導(dǎo)師嚇倒
10. Don’t speak too soon來源：www.examda.com
Being enigmatic and thoughtful can count in your favour, says Nico Hines who studied history at Cambridge. “When they ask you a question, even if you can think of a decent response straight away - just keep your mouth shut for a few seconds and then answer, it makes you appear more contemplative and considered.”
不要太快回答問題
11. But do say something memorable
Rosemary Bennett says: “Get something in that is memorable because they see so many people. Say something that’s going to stick in their mind. The most wacky thing you have done, they are looking for rounded people, not just people who are studying relentlesslyfor A-Levels. Have something to say that isn’t studying – something not to do with school work because they are looking for someone with wider interest. Something that shows you’re not a cookie cutter exam person.”
給面試官留下深刻的印象來源：www.examda.com
12. Answer the question but ask if you don’t understand it
Dr Rhodri Lewis an English tutor at Oxford University says: “Do answer the questions you're asked directly and with any pertinent examples you have to hand; stick rigorously to the point. Don't blusterand attempt to download pre-fabricated answers onto questions that don't warrant them. Do ask if you don’t understand the question rather than attempt to answer questions that you don't understand.”
回答提出的問題，但當(dāng)你不懂時，要問出來
13. Show off your broader knowledge
Dr Lewis advises: “Do show evidence of having read and thought broadly around your subject, moving well beyond the A-level syllabus. Do show an interest and awareness in the Oxbridge course you're proposing to read.
Don't, if asked about the fifth act of Othello, say that you haven't got round to that part of the play in class yet. Don't make it look like you're desperate to get into Oxbridge come what may, and that you've no great interest in your proposed subject of study.
展示你廣泛的學(xué)識
雅思四項各自備考策略分析來源：考試大
14. But don’t show off
Dr Lewis warns: “Don't try to be wisecracking smart-Alec; You may well be as clever as you think you are, but your interviewers are often pretty intelligent too, and become rapidly bored with this sort of showboating.”
千萬不要賣弄
15. Don’t panic
“Keep thinking, even when you find yourself in the stickiestof corners; interviewers want to find out how your mind works, not to trick, humiliate or otherwise expose you,” says Dr Lewis.
不要驚慌考試大(www．Examda。com)
16. Be prepared to change your mind
The way you think and whether you can think on your feet is much more important than coming up with the definitive answer – which in most cases doesn’t exist.
“I was asked to review a passage from Othello, and went straight in, guns blazing, about the clever punctuation and the impressiveeffect it had only to be told that it wasn't actually Shakespeare's original punctuation. ‘Aha! Look - here is a copy of the original Folio and the punctuation is different you see! What else did you think?’ I was deflated and terrified having never even heard of the 'folio’”, says one student – who did get a place.
隨時準(zhǔn)備改變你的想法
After the interview
面試后考試大論壇
17. Don’t worry about what other people say
Try to avoid conversations with other candidates about what happened in their interview. No two experiences will be the same and you’ll just end up worrying that they did or didn’t ask you something.
不要擔(dān)心別人怎么說
18. Be prepared for more
The Oxbridge entrancesystem means that you could be called for an interview at another college. This is nothing to worry about and isn’t necessarily a sign you haven’t got in to your college of choice.
The tutor may want a second opinion or think you are a bright candidate but just doesn’t have space for you. Likewise if you don’t get another interview it doesn’t necessarily mean you have fallen at the last hurdle – they may have just decided you are strong enough to get straight in.
Laura O’Connor says: “Don’t worry if they keep you on for an extra day – I sat nervously as they dismissed people at the end of the Tuesday, stayed overnight and huddled into the Geography faculty on the Wednesday to sit on a sofa by a fire all day, and in the end I wasn’t called for any extra interviews," but she did get a place.
為下一場面試做好準(zhǔn)備來源：考試大
雅思考試全年考情總結(jié)
19. Congratulate yourself on having got through it
Getting through an Oxbridge interview with all your faculties still in tact is a reason to be proud. So don’t berate yourself by replaying what you said or didn’t say, just enjoy the fact that it’s over.
完成面試，值得慶?？荚嚧笳搲?BR> 20. Don’t set all your hopes on getting in
Finally, don't get too worked up about it and don’t place all your hopes for future happiness on a place at Oxbridge.
Wherever you go to university you will have three uniqueyears in a place you are likely to count among the best in the world.
不要將你所有的希望寄托在上面