The discussion revolves around the nature of interview questions at Imperial College London, particularly for undergraduate physics applicants. Participants share their experiences and expectations regarding the types of questions that may be asked, the interview atmosphere, and the importance of technical knowledge versus general conversational skills.
Participants generally agree that the interview format is likely to be conversational and less intimidating, but there are competing views on the level of technicality and the types of questions that may be asked. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the exact nature of the interviews.
Some participants note that the interview process may have evolved over time, with potential changes in the types of questions asked and their emphasis on technical knowledge due to a rise in applicants.
BlackPoison94 said:Thanks everyone for the replies :)
Jesse...apparently they're going rather technical now due to the massive increase in applicants. Ooh, how do you answer the last of your questions?
JesseC said:Well then they could ask you about anything that you've learned in your A-level physics or maths up to that point in time. Make sure you're doing your homework :)
Also the answer to the last question is: the force experienced by the Earth due to gravitational pull of the mug is equal and opposite to the force (weight) experienced by the mug due to the gravitational pull of the earth. The wrong answer is: the reaction force from the table is equal and opposite to the weight of the mug, because this is not always true... imagine if you were to tilt the table.
I got the answer wrong at the time, but still got an offer.
Hope you get a nice interviewer who doesn't give you a tough time!
mal4mac said:If they are like other places they could asking anything - so don't bother planning for it. You can see that from the responses! It will usually be just a 'friendly chat', to make sure you aren't totally barmy. The grades are what count. If you get the grades, they will want to have been nice to you at interview so you will not be scared to go there!
If prof is in a cheeky mood, or bored, he might say 'integrate that!', while pointing at the blackboard to something way beyond A level standard.
Don't panic.
If you can't do it, and are fairly sure it's a tough problem, just smile, and say, 'I can't. I've applied here to learn about stuff like that...' Then, hopefully, he'll laugh and spend the rest of the time being extra nice...