A complete, honest guide to the question on everyone's lips this time of year: what's it really like? This guide breaks the glamorous bubble a little – in a good way – so you can picture the daily reality: the highs, the pressures, the quirks, and the genuinely lovely parts that make the hard work worth it. And if, along the way, you realise you’d like help with choosing a college, shaping your application, or preparing for interviews, we work with hundreds of aspiring Cambridge students...

Do more problem sheets. Do more problem sheets. Do more problem sheets. That's probably what you've heard a hundred times over when you're preparing for Oxford and Cambridge (or any highly respected) mathematics courses. But what if that's not the whole truth? Any Oxbridge maths tutor worth their salt will tell you that an offer letter is only partly based on grades – the interview plays a massive role, which probes your method of thinking. To stand out, you need to show that you enjoy...

Ah, the infamous Oxford PPE degree. The launcher of prime ministers, economists and journalists alike. If you're drawn to this demanding (but rewarding) course, you're probably also drawn to the big questions: how societies work, why people make the choices they do, and what makes a fair world. If you're still debating whether or not to apply for PPE, have a read of our blog post, Why Study PPE? At Avalon Education, we’ve helped countless Oxford PPE hopefuls build the curiosity, confidence,...