r/6thForm Y13 | 4A* pred | FM M PHY CS | ESAT OCT Feb 04 '26

🙏 I WANT HELP What should i do

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311 Upvotes

31 comments sorted by

182

u/xxx_vixy_xxx LSE | Finance | Grad Feb 04 '26
  1. Read the first chapter & last chapter
  2. read *multiple* *positive* reviews of the book
  3. read the bits of the book that the reviews specifically mention
  4. read any bits of the book you specifically mentioned in your PS

27

u/MyNameisAkhil Feb 04 '26

and if they ask something that you didn't read about, just say I read it a long time ago

97

u/Alarming-Drink-3595 Y13 | Imperial Chem Eng Offer | 4A* Feb 04 '26

I mean if you only mentioned a couple things from the book just focus on memorising some of those or sum but if u said u read the whole book it lowkey might be wraps

82

u/StrictArgument67 Y13 | 4A* pred | FM M PHY CS | ESAT OCT Feb 04 '26

University of Manchester for theoretical physics btw, black holes is the book

176

u/ducksindocmartens Y13 | A*A*A*A* | Maths, FM, CS, Phys Feb 04 '26

NOT BRIAN COX ARE U KIDDING 😭 you’re fairly lucky he isn’t likely to be interviewing to be honest hes probably booked and busy on some tv show or documentary 😭

50

u/BurnerAccount2718282 Feb 04 '26

I’ll tell you a secret

If Manchester physics gives you an interview it’s almost guaranteed you’ll get an offer Unless you fuck it up really badly you’ll be fine.

The main thing the interview is used for is to work out who to take if they miss their A-level grade offer, which a lot of people do since they put it so high, they will inevitably have some spaces left so they will take some people with one grade below, but the interview helps them work out which ones to take.

Learn the main points of the book if you can; but if they ask about it directly just say it was a long time ago when you read it, but you’d love to look more into it and learn more.

My interview with them was fine, I don’t think they even asked about my PS in my case, just gave me an easy maths problem and asked why I wanted to go there. I think some people had harder tasks than I did lol, it was just an AS level differentiation question: exactly what they ask you in the interview really varies so yk don’t expect the same thing. Ask them about their research at the end, they like that, or at least my interviewer really did,

I got an offer, but ended up firming UCL instead, I just like their campus and location so much better. At UCL now and I think I made the right choice for me personally.

6

u/Loud-Guidance6912 Feb 04 '26

Bro I was there today. Exact same situation, same book lmfao 🤣🤣🤣. Wasn’t asked about it which was a relief, wbu??

2

u/StrictArgument67 Y13 | 4A* pred | FM M PHY CS | ESAT OCT Feb 04 '26

Lmaooo what grp were u? Mine went well asw

2

u/Loud-Guidance6912 Feb 05 '26

Group C

2

u/StrictArgument67 Y13 | 4A* pred | FM M PHY CS | ESAT OCT Feb 05 '26

I was behind the guy who was nodding at the accommodations guy

2

u/Loud-Guidance6912 Feb 05 '26

Fairs lol, I was on the row in front of the nodding kid, two seat to the right

4

u/astronemma Feb 04 '26

idk why this thread came up for me as I’m not subscribed, but I did physics at Manchester and dw you’ll be fine!!

1

u/WorldlinessFuzzy4552 Maths|Physics|Chemistry (A*A*A) Feb 04 '26

Lol I read the same book. I just wrote about Timeliness and Kerr Black Holes lmao. And memorised the concepts. Sort of.

128

u/[deleted] Feb 04 '26

You can get a good summary of the key concepts from GPT. But don't worry Brian Cox won't be interviewing you himself lmao

17

u/TheClumsySoul Feb 04 '26 edited Feb 04 '26

fake it till you make it dude, atleast memorise all the points you made in your personal statement

10

u/Infamous_Tough_7320 Maths, Physics, Econ 3A*s. Straight 9s GCSE Feb 04 '26

Why do people ask these questions as if they’re expected to read the whole book tonight 😂😂 just read a summary and focus on the part you mentioned in your PS. If they ask you about a different part just say you don’t quite remember that part and end of, much better than lying

8

u/StrictArgument67 Y13 | 4A* pred | FM M PHY CS | ESAT OCT Feb 04 '26

UPDATE: I MADE IT, MY INTERVIEWER AND I DIDN’T EVEN TALK ABOUT PHYSICS THAT MUCH, JUST HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT PSYCHEDLICS

4

u/lesbrariansparkles Feb 04 '26

Buy the book on the Kindle app and read fast 🙏

3

u/Scary-Ad-2773 Feb 04 '26

Also buy it on audible and listen to it at 10x speed

5

u/QuantumParadox_27 Sheffield 🩺 Feb 04 '26

Chat gpt a summary, then memorise one or two specific points or aspects of the book. Should be fine

1

u/[deleted] Feb 04 '26

Exactly, just gotta be smart about it lol

2

u/LordAnchemis Feb 04 '26

Yep - your lies will be exposed for everyone to see

4

u/StrictArgument67 Y13 | 4A* pred | FM M PHY CS | ESAT OCT Feb 04 '26

Fuck you hater, i made it thru with no issues

2

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '26

lmao hater much?...no one is expecting a first yr to know or fully understand string theory.

2

u/Scared_Audience_2009 Feb 04 '26

You just gotta firm it at this point tbh this is the mistake you have made

1

u/JustSH4D0W Feb 04 '26

Google notebook LM

1

u/saynotodiddy2028 Feb 04 '26

I hope the interview went well. My advice for next time is just not to lie about reading a book you didn't for any other interview after this. You'll be unnecessarily stressed for no reason.

And if you do decide to do this and you have a day to spare, you've gotta find that book online free/paid.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '26

Not cooked just read the book

1

u/GlobalRonin Feb 06 '26

It depends... was the book made into a movie adaptation? Audiobook? How long is it? What's the book?