Tough Interview Questions For College or Sixth Form
Tough Interview Questions For College or Sixth Form
Tough Interview Questions For College or Sixth Form
Since this is often the opening question it can be tricky. Don’t go into too much detail.
Cover three or four topics: education, outside interests, career ideas, what you learned
from your work experience. Remember that this is usually a warm-up question. Don’t tell
the interviewer your life history.
Answer this question by showing the interviewer(s) what you know about the college/sixth
form from your research – reading the prospectus, visiting the website attending the open
evening. You could talk about their teaching reputation, exam results, study facilities or
student activities. Never say “because my friends are coming here.”
In answer to this question you could talk about why you are interested in the subject(s)
and where this interest comes from. It’s also good to talk about where this course fits in
your overall career plan and what you hope to achieve in the future. Never say “Because I
think it’ll be easy for me” or “My brother/cousin/friend told me it would be a good idea.”
Be careful when answering a question like this – always emphasise the positive. For
example you could list three or four attractive features of the course, and mention a single,
minor, unattractive aspect; or you could list the three or four attractive features and then
say something like “At this point I feel so positive about this course it’s hard for me to
consider any unattractive features”.
5. What do you enjoy doing outside of school?
This is your opportunity to talk about your interests, but avoid talking about an activity just
because you think it sounds good (the interviewer may be an enthusiast). If you like to
read be prepared to talk about the sort of books that interest you – fiction/non-fiction,
travel, history; if you enjoy sport talk about the sort of sport you like and whether you’re a
player of a spectator; if you like playing computer games, describe your favourite game
and why you find it interesting.
Of course the most obvious and common answer to this question is that your present
school sixth form doesn’t offer the course or subjects you want to study. However, even if
this is the case – try to make sure your answer reflects a positive choice on your part. “I
think studying in a new environment will be exciting – I’ll have the opportunity to meet new
people and make new friends.” Never say “I don’t get on with the teachers/students at
my present school.”
Be careful how you answer this question. Try to think of why you enjoy studying certain
subjects more than others. “I enjoy studying drama because it allows me to express
myself.” “I like history because I’ve always been interested in the past and how it
influences the present.” “I enjoy science because it helps me to understand more about the
world.” If you dislike a particular subject try to show that you are still trying: “I suppose
my least favourite subject is maths. I’ve always had to work harder to understand this
subject.” Never say “I don’t like maths because the teacher is rubbish.” You should
always avoid blaming others.
This is your opportunity to talk about your plans for the future. Try to show how the
course you’re applying for supports your long-term goals; for example: “My ambition is to
become a nurse and I know that qualified nurses need to take a university degree. This is
why I have applied to study the Level 3 Diploma in Applied Science”.
Maggie Cowan