I had two interviews, one college and one course interview. They were both in the morning and they were both quite close together. I only had 20 minutes between interviews. I was met by a student at the front of the college and they showed me to the waiting room. I was a bit early so I got to chat to some of the other applicants which was nice. After the interviews a student brought me to the dining hall where I met my dad and got a cup of tea before leaving.

I found it reassuring that at the start of both interviews my interviewers told me that they were far more interested in your approach to questions and potential as a learner than what you actually know from secondary school. Before our interviews we had been given a piece of paper in the piece of paper in the post and we had to rank the subjects covered in HSPS (politics, international relations,sociology, anthropology) from most to least interesting. I said that I was most interested in politics and sociology and my interview questions reflected this.

In my first interview we talked about gender and identity as well as religion and it's role in society. In my second interview we talked about American politics, nationalism and discussed things which I had mentioned in my personal statement.

Watching short YouTube videos such as Crash Course on areas I was interested in, watching YouTube videos made by current Cambridge students, reading online articles and 1-2 books that offered me a general overview of the subjects studied in HSPS, watching the news, reading the newspapers and keeping up with current affairs. I made a folder of all my interview prep in the weeks leading up to the interview. I also askeda teacher at my school to do a mock interview with me and to give me some pointers which was extremely helpful.

Don't overthink your interview before, during or after! Also, don't let other candidates in the waiting room intimidate you. Focus on yourself and maintaining a positive mindset.