How to relax before a university interview

This article was written by Musical Theatre BA(Hons) student Ethan.

Your university interview may feel like a stressful and anxiety-inducing event in your application journey, especially if you have never experienced an interview before. Still, it's essential that you take the time to relax beforehand!

This blog will discuss how to destress and relax before your university interview, by ensuring you are well prepared and ways to look after yourself in the lead-up.

Make Sure You're Prepared

Feeling underprepared for your university interview will only increase your stress, so ensuring you know what you need to prepare or consider for your interview will help you relax beforehand. The key is to head to the university's Preparing for Your Interview page and find the degree you are interviewing for. Here, it will list everything that you need to do to prepare for your interview (if you need to prepare audition pieces, a portfolio or if there's nothing you need to bring).

You can also find information on what will happen at your interview and if there are any questions that you should consider having answers to in case they are asked (this may happen for any degree, but is especially common for those that do not require you to bring material to your interview). Practising responding to these questions alone or with a friend or family member can help you figure out what you want to say to your interviewer and the most essential points to get across.

Organise in Advance

Ensure you have organised in advance to help reduce stress around your interview. If you have opted for an in-person interview, ensure that you have planned any travel or necessary accommodation with plenty of time, including potentially taking an earlier bus/train, if possible, to make sure that you arrive on-campus on time - it's better to be early and have time to sit and prepare yourself than end up rushing and panicking that you won't make it on time. Additionally, if you need to bring anything to your interview (a portfolio, sheet music, dancewear, etc.), pack your bag the night before to save yourself from the early morning stress of packing and potentially forgetting something vital! For online interviews, ensure that your computer is fully charged and working the night before and that you have arranged an appropriate and adequate space to complete the interview. Also, make sure that any work you were required to submit before your interview (audition videos, portfolios, audio files, etc.) was done in advance so that you don't reach the night before worrying about whether or not you submitted this.

Self-Care

Whilst feeling prepared and organised ahead of your interview can help decrease stress, it’s also so imperative that you take time to rest and look after yourself in the lead-up. A good self-care routine always helps with relaxation, whatever this may look like for you! Some classic examples include ensuring you get a good night’s sleep the night before, meditation, a relaxing bath, curling up with a hot drink and a comforting movie. Whatever it may be that helps you unwind and relax. Taking the time to unwind and relax will help reduce some of the anxiety you may be feeling about your interview and help you feel less stressed out in the moment while speaking with your interviewer.