Only if someone has limited work experience, an interviewer will focus on his or her academics experience. It would be best to prepare for this topic by asking yourself, "what are the top five academic features and character traits that I want this person to know about me?"
An experienced interviewer will want to known how you coped with and organised yourself to deal with the responsibilities, campus activity, social aspects and workload of student life.
- Tell me about a time when your course load was heavy. How did you complete all your work?
The interviewer is looking for proof of your ability to prioritise your workload and to schedule events in the correct order. They're looking for a "plan-ahead" kind of person rather than someone who just flies by the seat of their pants.
- What did you choose to attend a college that you did?
You will need to tie in your college's strongest traits that are compatible with the employer's job offer. Your answer needs to indicate why this educational facility proved an attractive training ground for this employer.
Some easy questions that relate to your education choices and experiences are:
- Why did you choose this major field of study?
- Why and how did you choose your particular college or university?
- What were your favourite college courses and ones you liked least? Why?
- Please tell me about some of your accomplishments during college and which make you the proudest.
- How did you finance your education?
- Tell me about your academic accomplishments that you believe are relevant to your future career goals.
- What is your grade point average (GPA)? How do you feel about this?
- Should grades be used as an indicator of workplace potential when an employer is considering college graduates?
- What were your relationships like with your tutors and lecturers during your studies?
- How do you think your academic accomplishments will help your future career aspirations?
- How satisfied are you with your accomplishments in this academic program?
- What electives did you take outside of your major?
- Why did you choose these courses?
- What was the most difficult aspect of obtaining a college degree?
- What are your academic strengths?
- What courses gave you the most difficulty?
- If you could, what changes would you make in your school's academic program?
- Please describe your most rewarding college experiences.
- What would you say are the greatest challenges for improvement of a campus organisation?
- Please cite examples of the challenges you experienced during leadership positions within campus activities.
- If you could relive your college experiences, what would you do differently?
- During your campus activities, what leadership positions did you hold?
- What did you like best/least about these positions?