In the UK it's that time of the year again when bright young things from across the country descend on Oxford and Cambridge for their interviews. Here are some tips to keep sane and to show yourself in the best light. They will also come in handy at other universities.

Be prepared

This first one may seem dull and obvious but make sure you know when and where your interview is. Bring an alarm clock or set your mobile phone. Dress code really depends on the subject and tutor but make an effort - look as if you care! Run through all the things that make you stand out in your personal statement, both academic and outside interests. Read up on your tutors. This should really have been done before applying to that particular college but brush up on their interests and what they've written about. You will be taught by these people for a number of years - it makes all the difference that you have similar interests within your broad subject area.

Don't be intimidated by other candidates

The first people you are likely to encounter upon your arrival are other students in the same boat as you. The interview is a private meeting between you and one or more tutors. Don't let the showing off of other students distract you. It is easy to be loud and proud but if that's not your style then ignore it. Instead, do something to calm yourself. If the college has fields take a stroll around (if it isn't raining too much) or perambulate one of the quads. Oxford and Cambridge have many beautiful places. If you find you do have time then walk around the city or visit one of the many museums. Just think, you could be doing this all over again in a year, just without the interview.

Don't be afraid of the tutors

The tutors are there to try and pick the best students they can. Many are also looking for some spark that will set one good student apart from another good student. This may, at times, seem either abrasive or mocking to an unprepared interviewee, but the teaching style you are walking into is one of debate and argument. It is not personal, it is just a way to find out how your thinking process works. Don't sit there thinking to yourself for 5 minutes for the right answer, rather talk through your thinking process. That is what they really want to know.

Say something interesting

If you are successful you will be spending 3 or 4 years in a relatively small college in a fairly large university. It becomes a home from home and you will be expected to contribute something outside of your immediate academic interest. Anything interesting or unusual you may have done outside of school, find a way to slip it into the conversation. Even within your subject area, show them that your interest goes above and beyond mere classroom work. This may seem a cloistered academic environment but passion and enthusiasm can be the difference between a researcher who gives up and one who carries on to success.

Don't blurt out answers

This is not a finger-on-the-buzzer quiz show, this is a reflective interview in which both sides are trying to establish if learning together is a good idea or not. If you know the answer to a question don't blurt it out like a clever clogs! Think about it for 5 seconds - it makes you look as if you were reflecting. It also means that when you don't know the answer it doesn't look so obvious. Avoid trying to show off, unless you think the tutor likes that kind of display. But if you're getting too big for your boots you may find a crushing question flying in your direction.

Don't panic

If you genuinely don't understand a question, ask to have it clarified. If you don't know the answer to something you really should know the answer to, such as something you claim to be an expert on in your personal statement, then you're in big trouble. But sometimes you will be asked something the tutors are almost certain you don't know the answer to. As above, this isn't to trick you or make you look stupid, it is to find out how you would think through a challenging question. Don't panic. Depending on the subject area, you may actually find this leads to a two-way discussion as you both work your way to an answer.

Be prepared to change your mind

You may think you've just delivered a very well reasoned and frightfully clever answer only for the tutor to tell you that that was yesterday's theory and today the thinking is somewhat different. Your reaction will tell the tutor how responsive you would be to new ideas. It isn't designed to prick your ego but to peak your curiosity. React with interest rather than dread, remember you are going to university to learn and not to teach.

Ignore what other students say

After the interview it is natural to gather around and swap experiences. Just don't let it depress you that everyone else seemed to have breezed through. Remember that apart from being accepted at the college there are also a number of awards and scholarships up for grabs. You may have been given a hard time because unknowingly you were considered for such an award. In such cases the only real disappointment is getting in without an award, but you will never know that, so don't worry about it.

Be prepared for more interviews

The way the collegiate system works is that once every college has definitely decided on which students they want to accept everyone goes into a common pool. This makes the system fairer so that if by accident a couple of colleges are getting a large number of applicants in some subjects the rest can be offered to other colleges. It is also common for a student who has been accepted by his first choice college to be interviewed for an award at another college - the college that eventually offers you the best award will be your final destination even if it wasn't your first choice. Getting a second or even third interview is therefore not a negative. However, this means it would be unwise to spend too long at the college bar immediately after your first interview! Keep your wits about you until you know for certain that the whole interview process is over.

Relax

Relax, it's over! Congratulate yourself on being one of the few students to have gotten this far and try to forget about it until you know the outcome, which is usually around Christmas time. You'll be back into the swing of school in no time, in the knowledge that you are unlikely to have such an interesting experience any time soon.