by Charlie Davies, 2nd Year
What does a typical day studying Engineering at Keble look like?
In 1st and 2nd year, you’ll typically be set 2 problem sheets a week, and each problem sheet will have about 4 lectures to go with it. A typical studying day is usually watching an hour or two of lectures, answering a few questions and reading up anything which I don’t understand – but tutorials usually clear up anything I’m not sure about.
Why do you like studying Engineering at Keble?
The engineering tutors at Keble are great, having varied interests of research which can make discussion interesting as well as being approachable and understanding. Keble’s large size also means that the year groups tend to be big, which is great if you’re a bit stuck and can ask a friend to explain something. It also does help that the department is right next door…
Personal statement advice
If you’ve done anything which was optional and was because of your engineering interests, write it down! These can be things done via school such as competitions, or lectures you’ve watched or books you’ve read. I’d also personally advise to show passion about what aspects of engineering you think are interesting/important, and why.
Admissions test advice
Take past papers! The Oxford physics department has lots of past papers online for you to do, as well as some third-party sites with unofficial solutions. This is great practice because the style of questions in the PAT can be of a different style to A-level maths and physics, and if you’re comfortable with how to approach the style of question it’ll make the exam seem more doable. It’ll also help when you want to prioritise certain questions because of the weighting of marks.
Interview advice
One piece of advice I’d give is to take your time and resist rushing to say things which may not be true. It can be easy to start answering a question as soon as it’s been said, but sometimes thinking carefully about it can help. Drawing a sketch or diagram which is simple but a bit accurate will also help visualise a problem. Writing down all the information which you know is true and taking the problem one step at a time helps, as well as keeping long expressions as simple as possible. Although easier said than done, being as relaxed and comfortable as possible will make answering the questions easier – they could be fun!
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