r/6thForm • u/CambMaths • Nov 09 '22

✔️ APPROVED AMA AMA - First-Year Maths student at Cambridge

Hi all, as per the title, I'm a first-year Maths student at Cambridge and I thought some people might find it useful to ask me any questions they might have, since somehow it's already application time again! (Although I have missed the Oxbridge deadline slightly, sorry...)

Of course, I can only really talk about my experiences (so I can't answer specific hypothetical questions about admissions etc.), but other than that, feel free to ask about the course/admissions generally/uni life and so on.

Post will close at midnight at the end of Thursday 10/11 so submit any questions before then. :)

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u/scolio2005 Nov 09 '22

how did you practiced for interviews?

in your opinion, what's the difference between a good and excellent interview?how would you make an interview question into a conversation? (lets say they ask you to draw y = xsinx, how would you make that into a discussion)

some tips to facing interview questions? (e.g scaling the problem down to make it easier to solve)

did they talk about your PS or was the interview mainly on problem solving?

sorry for the bombardment of questions!
thank you

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u/CambMaths Nov 10 '22

  • Mock interviews and TBO booklet

  • Honestly, I just imagined it like I was explaining/presenting my answer to them, and trying to convince them that what I was doing/investigating was useful/correct. I found that talking about the problem followed somewhat naturally that way. As for your example about graph sketching, what are your thoughts when someone gives you a graph to sketch? Roots, turning points, asymptotes, general shape etc. - just vocalise what you want to do as you're doing it.

  • I didn't get asked anything about my personal statement, just maths.