I have an interview tomorrow - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**lauren313** · 01-09-2007, 03:29 AM

So, tonight I'm getting the train up to Birmingham, because tomorrow I have an interview at the University of Central England. I'm pretty bloody scared.

The course I've applied for is a Graduate Diploma in Nursing (Mental health branch), and I keep worrying the interview is going to be really hard!

I've never had a uni interview before (in fact, I've never really had a proper job interview before, I always kind of fell in my part time jobs!), so I really have no idea what to expect. I know I have to do a literacy and numeracy test. The literacy one looks so easy (we were given example questions) but some of the numeracy ones are hard! I forgot all my GCSE maths the second I left school, I think.

Anyway, be thinking of me tomorrow morning! I so badly want to do this course, like you wouldn't believe (although actually, this university isn't my first choice, my interview for my top choice is at a later date, and I really will be scared then!), so wish me luck!

**raoulduke** · 01-09-2007, 03:38 AM

Good Luck!

Just stay calm, use your manners and make sure you learn from this experience to help you out in the next one.

**Esterina** · 01-09-2007, 08:46 AM

Good luck Lauren !

You went all over the world, nothing can stop you now !

**florencia9699** · 01-09-2007, 09:33 AM

Lauren, you'll do fantastic!! And as Raoul said, take it as experience for the interview that matters the most to you!!

**Delaney** · 01-09-2007, 11:58 AM

Good Luck! :d

**space virgin** · 01-09-2007, 07:46 PM

Hope it goes well!!

Hey, if you end up moving to Brum, we'll have to have a meet-up when I go there next to see my Auntie. I rather like Brum, even though it has something of a crappy reputation.

**blinkchick2134** · 01-10-2007, 08:23 AM

I hope everything went good! The only advice I can give is to be sure of yourself. It's much like if you were going on a date but they don't expect to get you in bed - they just want your tutition money!

I've always done good in interviews (I blame applying at MBNA when I was in HS for that...four interviews for a telemarketing job, yeah). Make as much eye contact as possible without staring, smile and appear to be relaxed. Cross your legs toward the interviewer and keep your arms open (not crossed). When the interviewer asks you at the end if you have any questions it's always a good idea to have a few prepared. Make sure they're good ones though ("Could you give me an example of a class", "What's percentage of students complete their cert./degree?"). Also try to get to know the interviewer and try to make some small talk (travel is an excellent topic). For instance, when I had an interview for a scholarship at my old uni the interviewer and myself talked about my trip to Europe more than we talked about my academic record. Oh, and I got one of the highest amounts available with that scholarship type. Anyway, I hope that helped - I just started writing and couldn't stop!

**omisan** · 01-10-2007, 10:44 AM

Good luck! Go rawk that innaview!

**indierock05** · 01-10-2007, 11:21 AM

Good luck dear, you should be just fine, just remember, they wouldn't want to interview you unless they were interested

**lauren313** · 01-10-2007, 12:42 PM

Thanks so much everyone!

Well, the interview was this morning, beforehand, I was absolutely weeing myself with nerves! I never usually get nervous about things, but this was bizarre!

Anyway, I kept as calm as I could, and tried to take my time when I gave my answers. A couple of times I wasn't too sure of myself, and I felt my answers weren't very good, but another couple of times I gave answers that I could tell they quite liked.

I went to UCE in Birmingham really expecting not to like it, and actually kind of hoping I wouldn't like it as well. See, originally I thought that I'd really like to go to Kingston University. Kingston is just so nice, I absolutely love it, and I have a friend who lives close by, and I feel so comfortable there. My only reservation about Kingston is that it's very expensive to live there. So I thought that if I got offered a place at both unis, and didn't like UCE, my choice of Kingston would be so easy. But now I really like Birmingham and the uni itself (the health faculty is in a brand new building, the facilities are shiny and new!), but I like Kingston too!

I'm yet to have my interview at Kingston, that's on Feb 16th, but I've been to the town many times, and the university once. Anyway, I guess I'll just have to wait and see who I get offers from!

So, in no more than 10 working days, I'll be able to tell you if I got a place at UCE!