Uni Interview

[sonicyouth]

I've got questions about the facilities and the course itself. Any other things I should ask about? Career opportunities afterwards?

I'd think they would hope you've already researched that yourself.

[Ardiles]

Think about it from the UCL's point of view.  These days, the decision to award a place is more financially based than it used to be...so the first question they will be asking themselves is 'Is he going to drop out before completing the course?' (which would hit them financially).

To this end, they will want to assess whether you are going to stay the distance.  So:

*  Are you academically able enough?
*  Are you sufficiently interested in/committed to your course to stick with it?

are going to be high up on their list of things to check out.  As Sonic points out, asking naive questions about career opportunities after you leave will simply indicate to them that you have not really thought this one through.  They would hope and expect that you will have researched that already.  I think your questions will need to be a little more targeted than that.

Don't mean to put the wind up you...but better to be prepared and have thought things through before you get there.

[Coca Fola]

It was retarded enough the first time....

Put your reading glasses on.

[iffy]

It is reasonable to ask about graduate destinations for any course. What % of grads go on to employment and onto Masters courses? (They have to track this). Do they have particular links with employers? To what extent is the faculty about grads or undergrads? (LSE, for example, treat undergrads pretty badly because they focus on their grad base). They're looking at you, but you're looking at them. It's an investment decision. You're about to spend north of fifty grand and three years on something, what are you going to get out of it? How else could you make that investment?

[DMR]

It's basically a load of cobblers, as long as you dont come across as a complete mong or they're gonna look at is if you get the grades they set you or not and they'll forget you as soon as you walk out the door and the next nervous student-to-be shuffles through the door.

Just make you sure you get the marks, I didn't and regret it!

[Coca Fola]

This is what I have so far:

What % of graduates go on to employment?
What links to employers do you have?
How are seminars/lectures organised on a day to day basis?
What is the home to international students ratio?
How many students on this course will have a prior knowledge of the language?
Which universities do you work with in the Balkans?
What does the year abroad consist of?

Any good? Anything I should remove from that list?

[Bogus Dave]

If you look around hard enough i'm fairly certain yuo'll be able to find the answers to most, if not all of those questions.They sound decent enough to ask, depends how strict the interview is. Unless it's an oxbridge one or your grades are really borderline for the course then i wouldn't worry, it will probably bear little on their decision to accept you

[shady]

Good luck, but seriously, the two years I spent at uni will only be grieviously remembered for giving me, a near tee-totaller upon arrival, a very bad drink habit which is with me to this day. Only go if you will take the academic side with the utmost of seriousness. The majority shouldn't go, only the top 10-15 per cent or so. 

[Batch]

The majority shouldn't go, only the top 10-15 per cent or so. 

Herein lies the problem. The figure is much higher than that, somewhere around 40-50%. That's the way it is now. You nearly "have" to go to compete in the job marketplace.

[iffy]

Balkans? Odd question, but I presume there's a reason.

Important thing to remember is that it's not something to be nervous about. It's not an exam, it's an assessment of what you're like, how you think, whether you'll stick at it. You'll give a better account of yourself if you're straightforward and switched on. The best questions are those that come out of the conversation you've just had. Have a few prepped in your back pocket, but don't feel you have to ask ten things because you feel you should.

[oxford_fan]

What's the course?

[reeves4england]

What's the course?

I can't believe it's taken the best part of 2 pages for somebody to ask this. It's dprobably the most important question.

This is what I have so far:

What % of graduates go on to employment?
What links to employers do you have?
How are seminars/lectures organised on a day to day basis?
What is the home to international students ratio?
How many students on this course will have a prior knowledge of the language?
Which universities do you work with in the Balkans?
What does the year abroad consist of?

Any good? Anything I should remove from that list?

Questions 1 and 4 are things you really should be able to find out for yourself. Question 2 needs to be more targeted, e.g. "what links do you have to employers in Field X?" and "will the careers service here be able to help me explore opportunities in this field?"

Having said that, I only ever had one interview. Basically they wanted me to show I had an interest in the subject and that I was able to articulate ideas. I talked a bit about relevant stuff that had been in the papers over the previous week and they welcomed me with open arms... but I got a better offer so went somewhere else

[Coca Fola]

Serbo-Croat and Eastern European Studies.

Anyway I'm off now. Hoping it goes well. 

[sonicyouth]

Good luck. Don't say girl power.

[pauld]

All the best. If you do occupy the refectory, try to stay off the roof