While I’ve previously written about coaching and supporting interviews for parents & teachers, this is a short bit of quick advice for students preparing for interviews in the next few days and weeks.

The purpose of interviews is to figure out if you suit the teaching style of the universities. It’s about how you think, explain and discuss Geography with another interested person. It’s not about what you know and can remember – it’s about how you articulate ideas when you have new information, sources, or are challenged.

You are there as an interesting and interested person. Own that. You care about Geography and the things you’ve read, seen or experienced. It’s too big a subject for the person sitting opposite you to be an expert in everything, no matter what their job or title. So be confident that you can offer things to the conversation, your opinions and perspectives are valid, and that they might learn something from you, as much as you from them. If you’ve read things, done project work or visited a place, you can talk about it (note: talk about what you read or did, not “as I wrote in my personal statement”, please!). Don’t wait for an engraved invitation. And, while you might occasionally hold yourself back in a classroom so you don’t seem too excited or geeky about a topic, an interview is exactly the space to let your inner Geography geek out to play! Enjoy it!

Give yourself time to think. That’s an interesting question. How can you pause, and frame your answer? You’re used to evaluating ideas based on different Geographical concepts in your writing and essays. Try to think about how you’d do that in an answer. It doesn’t come naturally to many people, so you might benefit from practicing it a few times. You’ll know a few from your essays (HIC vs LIC, Social/Political/Economic/Environmental, global vs local, short term vs long term. If you want inspiration for more, check out the GA’s Curriculum Framework (pp7-9) for ideas.

You have been preparing for seven years. So give yourself a break, and lower the stakes. Every lesson you’ve had discussions and debates; every essay where you’ve constructed and argument; every interesting thing you’ve read, researched, watched, visited and seen – they’re all what’s gone in to making you a great, enthusiastic and interesting Geographer and human being. You’re going to have a couple of chats with someone who likes Geography too. That’s it.

Wishing you all the very best of luck for the process and the journey – have a great time, enjoy the experience and I hope it brings you joy!