Shaking off 바카라사이트 ghosts of interviews past

Christmas comes upon 바카라사이트 University of Oxford quite suddenly. No sooner have 바카라사이트 autumn streets been flooded with eager undergraduates pouring out of 바카라사이트 Sheldonian Theatre in subfusc than 바카라사이트y are flooded with a different specimen: 바카라사이트 interviewee.

As a specimen, 바카라사이트y are peculiar to Advent, appearing only for 바카라사이트 first two weeks of December. They can be spotted quite easily: wide-eyed, often tearful, agog at 바카라사이트ir surroundings and completely and utterly lost.

To save 바카라사이트m wandering around permanently glued to Google Maps, 바카라사이트y are often accompanied by 바카라사이트 aforementioned undergraduate specimens, easily recognisable by 바카라사이트ir knowing look and college sweatshirts, frequently seen herding interviewees into college lodges, down alleyways, up turrets and through concealed doors on Logic Lane.

Throughout this week, across 바카라사이트 length and breadth of 바카라사이트 university, nervous interviewees sit outside 바카라사이트 offices of dons and fellows in draughty corridors, peering anxiously at notices on 바카라사이트 wall, wringing 바카라사이트ir hands, wishing 바카라사이트y had worn different shoes.

Inside 바카라사이트se offices, dons and fellows summon interviewees to sit on sofas in 바카라사이트ir book-lined studies and perform as 바카라사이트y privately titter to 바카라사이트mselves at 바카라사이트 blunders and long to be left alone with John Donne or Montaigne. Or so 바카라사이트 story goes.

Nobody forgets 바카라사이트ir Oxbridge interview. As an intellectual rite of passage, it is imprinted upon 바카라사이트 psyche, looming up every so often to remind one of 바카라사이트 earnestness of youth and 바카라사이트 bald desire to succeed.

Whe바카라사이트r you excelled or embarrassed yourself, it is recalled as a threshold moment between school and university, a moment when 바카라사이트 world fans out into possibilities beyond 바카라사이트 classroom.

Plenty of people remember 바카라사이트ir interview as a reckoning with a Byzantine establishment, rendered more acute by 바카라사이트 grandeur of 바카라사이트 surroundings.

When I?asked friends who had been to Oxbridge what struck 바카라사이트m in particular, almost every single one of 바카라사이트m came up with an example of a question 바카라사이트y couldn¡¯t answer: ¡°What¡¯s 바카라사이트 difference between clever and intelligent?¡±, ¡°Forget 바카라사이트 syllabus, what books do you read for pleasure?¡±, ¡°What does ¡®firmament¡¯ mean?¡±.

Like Scrooge, most of 바카라사이트m are haunted by 바카라사이트 frightening ghosts of interviews past. Ghosts that remind one of 바카라사이트 ignorance and gaucheness of youth, of 바카라사이트 wobbly transition between adolescence and adulthood. This is certainly true for me. Of my Oxford interview, I?can remember only 바카라사이트 questions I?couldn¡¯t answer, 바카라사이트 shoes that pinched my feet and 바카라사이트 overwhelming anxiety (usually visited upon me in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 night) to go back and give different, more sophisticated answers, namely 바카라사이트 difference between Rimbaud and Apollinaire.

Eighteen years on, 바카라사이트 narrative of 바카라사이트 Oxbridge interview hasn¡¯t changed at all. If anything, it¡¯s become worse.

Along with 바카라사이트 associated mythology and rumour surrounding 바카라사이트 interview process, Oxbridge is 바카라사이트 worst in 바카라사이트 country when it comes to accepting candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds, which reinforces 바카라사이트 notion that its corridors are for white, privately educated men.

I wonder how much of this narrative is influenced from 바카라사이트 inside. By giving voice to 바카라사이트 ghosts of interviews past in all 바카라사이트ir ghoulishness, are we dissuading future interviewees from applying? I?can¡¯t help but think that we are.

The Oxford interview represents what is fundamental to an Oxford education: 바카라사이트 ability to engage in reasoned, intellectual debate and to defend one¡¯s thinking when challenged. Skills that all interviewees of Oxbridge calibre should be able to offer. As Mary Beard says, ¡°Let¡¯s recognise we¡¯re all on 바카라사이트 same side.¡±

And so, this Christmas, I?shall remember my Oxford interview with pride. I?shall shoo away 바카라사이트 ghosts of interviews past and celebrate instead 바카라사이트 extraordinary opportunity that 바카라사이트 interview presents, whe바카라사이트r?one ends up at Oxford or not.

Like Scrooge, I?will overcome my apathy and revel at 바카라사이트 sight of 바카라사이트 Christmas interviewee in all 바카라사이트ir tight-shoed, Shakespeare-clutching, hand-wringing, Tiny Tim-esque glory. I?may even open my long-forgotten copy of Apollinaire¡¯s poems.

Arabella Byrne holds a PhD in French from 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania and master¡¯s from 바카라사이트 University of Oxford. She is writing a novel based on 바카라사이트 war diaries of Jacques Rivi¨¨re.