Exams and interviews are never easy, but our BIC colleagues collected a couple of useful tips so you can sail through the interview with confidence.
Know the country you are applying to
Almost all university recruiters will ask you why you want to study in their specific country or region. This is to assess your level of enthusiasm and interest in the chosen destination. Also, you can expect a similar question during the visa process, so you should have a neat answer ready for this question. There are no good or bad solutions for this, but it definitely helps if you are familiar with the geographic features of your chosen region. For example at BIC, we expect students to know a couple of facts about Hungary and Budapest, such as the currency, main landmarks or official language- knowing these will also help you tremendously when arriving in the country.
Show enthusiasm for your chosen field
Do you want to study engineering or IT? You should already have an idea of the possible career paths and you should have some future plans in your chosen field. What would you want to do, where would you like to work after graduation? Who is your role model? Why did you choose the career you chose? You don’t need to be a walking encyclopedia of engineering, but knowing a couple of fun facts or having an anecdote on why you chose your specific field can help you exhibit interest and enthusiasm. This is always something that recruiters appreciate greatly.
Hard skills
Usually you’ll be asked to pass a test or exam during the admissions procedure. Don’t worry though, most university entry exams are intermediate or slightly upper-intermediate level of your high school studies. For example if you want to study STEM, make sure to brush up your Maths, Calculus & Physics skills a bit and it won’t be a huge challenge! It also helps to look up skills usually taught in high school of your chosen destination, as likely those will be the required skills during your admission process as well. To see what topics you need to know for our tests, check out our list HERE.
Soft skills
During the interview, the admissions officer will probably also look out for specific soft skills- in fact, those are sometimes more important than hard skills. For example the recruiter will present you with a scenario, and you should explain how you would handle the situation or how you would solve a difficult challenge. This will assess your problem-solving skills, communication skills, time management skills and most importantly, your attitude. Everything you need for a successful career and university years.
+1 tip: Technical background
This probably goes without saying, but we have to mention it. Make sure your computer, camera and microphone work and your softwares (e.g. Zoom, Skype etc.) are updated before the interview! Facing these difficulties right at the beginning of the interview is super stressful and can ruin the whole experience. Also, make sure to sit in a quiet room with good internet connection so you’re not disturbed by noises and others around you.
Don’t forget, this is an important event of your life, but there were millions passing university interviews before you successfully. So it is not an impossible challenge, prepare as best as you can, and then show your most confident side when the time comes!
