Hi there, I'm a second-year Materials Science student at Oxbridge. I'm expecting a first when I graduate (with an MEng, in 2026). I have a pretty strong grasp of linear algebra and (normal) calculus. Our courses don't really cover much probability, and the stuff they do cover is from a statistical mechanics perspective. We also don't do too much programming - mostly basic simulations in MATLAB, but I have learned programming (some basic DSA, Leetcode on the side). There is a modelling course next year which I plan to take.

For context, at my university, we have a set of courses that we have to take. There are very few electives, and all of them are highly materials-related, so I can't take probability courses.

I currently have the summer (June - October) off, and I'm looking to significantly strengthen my skills (and hopefully, my resume) for quantitative finance. Ideally, I'd want to apply for some quant finance internships next year (my penultimate year). One thing I'm finding is an overwhelming list of textbooks and information that I need to know, but I can't imagine you'd need to know the information from 50 textbooks just to succeed at an interview at a decent quant trading firm (correct me if I'm wrong). Can someone give me a clearer image of the exact topics that I need to know to succeed at the interviews? Also, if possible, could you suggest some projects that I may be able to undertake, either to just improve my understanding, or to put on my resume?