Chemical Engineering Applicants - 2017 Entry

Ahh same here but I've done quite a bit of extra reading, which I've talked about
believe it or not I actually wanted to do medicine (before doing work experience, which I hated)
but I don't think it should matter too much- I mean it's only compulsory if you're applying to medicine/dentistry/veterinary sciences I believe

wow that's weird I wanted to do medicine before also loved the wirk experience but I don't think im cut out to be a doctor

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wow that's weird I wanted to do medicine before also loved the wirk experience but I don't think im cut out to be a doctor

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It'll very likely happen a lot in your next year as everyone in your year will be turning 18 so you can look forward to that. Yeah they probably do, it's not as bad cos those prices are only in the big clubs and you can get away with pre-drinking for very cheap. I suppose keeping within a budget goes out of the window when I just blew €200 on a tattoo 😂 that actually sounds amazing, so does everyone in the year just go to the same place?

That's pretty much the same as me, I disliked being in lessons. I was fortunate to go to one of the best schools in my area but lessons just bored me. In fact, I thought a lot of it was a waste of time cos it was only the 1-2 months before the exams that mattered to me - as long as I learnt it all before the exam it was fine hahaha (this goes against everyone people say about revising early and stuff but that will never be me, I'm always the person that won't revise until the very end).

I try not to think about my grades too much rn hahaha but it does occasionally come to mind when I have nothing to do (guess being drunk and hungover more than youre not has its benefits hahaha).

Yeah, I still don't really know how I actually performed during the interviews because the feedback I got was a bit vague unfortunately. Pretty much all the questions I was asked were knowledge-based questions - for things like Natural Sciences, I believe all the interviews will be subject orientated and there won't be any 'general interviews'. However, it depends entirely on the college. Hmm, you have to remember that a lot of the things you read online are the extremes and only one person's experience of the interviews. I would say most of the time, it's just regular questions that are designed to make you think. They're not looking for you to know everything and they can change their style of questioning on the fly if you just give textbook answers for example.

Good luck with your results! I hope you do get the UMS you want in Maths. I am aware of them scraping UMS. Personally, I think it can get a bit ridiculous sometimes the amount of marks you can drop in some subjects and still get full UMS. Especially in something like Physics, someone who gets 75/75 is obviously better than someone who gets 50/75 but if both get full UMS than it doesn't really matter.

Wow. I think its more of a coincidence that I also wanted to do medicine initially . I took a gap yea because I realised that it was not something I wanted to do and my heart wasn't in it. I think we have a correlation here - Medicine->ChemEng XD

Ahh same here but I've done quite a bit of extra reading, which I've talked about
believe it or not I actually wanted to do medicine (before doing work experience, which I hated)
but I don't think it should matter too much- I mean it's only compulsory if you're applying to medicine/dentistry/veterinary sciences I believe

Omg what did you get? Gosh, I hope you don't regret that tattoo when you come back home 😂 And yeah, the whole year goes to one place, it'll be madness haha.

Same here, I can't be bothered to revise until the last few weeks before the exam. It worked for my GCSEs, can't comment on how it affected my AS grades yet though :/ I honestly don't know why I'm like that, it's awful. I think the only reason I didn't like being in lessons was because I felt the teachers went through everything so slowly, and I knew I could teach myself a lot quicker.

That's lucky, too bad I'm 17 and living at home atm, otherwise you could bet your life I'd be drunk most of the time haha it's definitely the best cure for overthinking things

And the vague feedback's unfortunate, I guess it's because they don't expect you to re-apply the following year haha. Yeah, I see. And that's why I'm kinda wary about what I read on the internet- take it with a pinch of salt. Though when I went on the open day, they said they ask mostly AS content but framed in a different way.

Oh gosh, a week to go til results. As do I, though I take comfort in knowing I can resit maths. That's true, which is why I was also worried about them getting rid of UMS. Not sure how they're going to standardise papers; hopefully having raw marks won't make me feel too bad haha

How did all of you guys become interested in Chemical engineering? Currently im considering at it for all the wrong reasons i.e supposed "high salary" and "good job prospects".

How did all of you guys become interested in Chemical engineering? Currently im considering at it for all the wrong reasons i.e supposed "high salary" and "good job prospects".

Something very meaningful to me aka my favourite animal (hope my parents don't kill me) 😂 it's not too bad cos it's hidden under my clothes and people would only see it if I showed it to them. How many people are in your year hahaha? That sounds amazing but I can't imagine how ridiculous it'll be if our entire year went to a single place.

I just feel like even if I did start revising early I'd just forget it anyway later in the year so I might as well just cram a month or so before the exam. It worked fairly well for my AS so we'll have to see how well it worked for A2 hahaha. Yeah I feel the same way tbh about lessons. Lessons are only really better for getting me to actually somewhat work haha - otherwise I wouldn't at all.

I think most people's feedback were very vague - mine sorta just covered the fact I could have showed a bit more enthusiasm for the subject during my interviews and things like that which tbf on my behalf, is quite hard to do when you're nervously trying to come up with answers to their questions hahaha. I think they do expect quite a fair number to reapply especially if they really want to go to Cambridge. I know there are some people who want to go there just for the prestige and stuff but I actually would love to live there and be part of a college (hence why I also applied to Durham last year but they don't do ChemEng). Yeah they want you to think outside the box or else you can just recite something out of a textbook but that doesn't mean you'll understand it. Just remember that at an interview, it's important to say whatever is in your mind even if it's not right as it allows the interviewers to see how you think and direct you in the right direction. It's also why interview prep can be of little use. I realised after the interviews that I would have performed almost exactly the same if I just did nothing at all for them.

Yeah haha, I'm strangely excited for it. You cant deny that it's an interesting day not matter the outcome tho it maybe more for our year hahaha. Tbh, I don't know whether I would want to know my raw marks hahaha, maybe I would just prefer having a grade.

I was also interested in studying medicine but after doing a few work placements at local health centres and pharmacies I realised it really wasn't for me.

How did all of you guys become interested in Chemical engineering? Currently im considering at it for all the wrong reasons i.e supposed "high salary" and "good job prospects".

I graduated this year with an MEng Chemical Engineering, feel free to ask any questions you have about the course. I had a look at this thread and noticed this comment.

Honestly guys don't take the course just because you're expecting good job prospects or a high salary. The salary will be no different to any other STEM subject, the figures reported are old and the oil industry has died since then lol. Also there's loads of chemeng schools now so the salary will be even more diluted. In terms of job prospects they aren't bad, but not great, most of my course are still unemployed atm.

That's good, haha hopefully they don't spot it but you're 18 so what can they really do about it? Gosh, there's about 100 people in my year but I suspect a few will be on family holidays and stuff so won't come.

Yeah, even things that I revise for mocks I end up forgetting haha so there's not really a point. Tbh I feel like last year I only went to lessons to collect homework and do tests :/ hopefully I get teachers who are more passionate about their subjects this year, I feel like some of them had lost their love of teaching which is sad.

I see, it would be kind of hard to show how much you love a subject when you're nervous. I would also love to be part of a college- apparently in Cambridge you have a college "parents" which are members of your college who are in the year above you who help you with stuff, which I thought was sweet haha. I feel like interview prep is more appropiate for when you know the questions they are going to ask, but with uni interviews I feel like you kind of have a conversation with your interviewer? idk I've never had one haha
That's pretty sound advice though, I'll keep it in mind especially when interview time rolls around ahhhhh

It is, it's just last year I found it really surreal opening my exam results; and thankfully I was really happy with mine. I hope it's the same this year, but we'll see in 4 days. tbh I'm kinda worried about university- especially finances; I feel the need to start budgeting now. I don't know if that's excessive but especially if I end up going to London I feel like I might end up struggling haha

Have you got any employment and if so what area are you going into?

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I'm not employed at the minute, I got a 1st class and did a lot of stuff in my spare time at uni too. Not many people from my year have jobs yet, the only peopel that do usually did the sandwich year.

I'm going to be applying for Chem Eng. this year Will I be disadvantaged for not doing a-level physics? I'm studying: Maths, Biology and Chemistry. Also what things did you include in your personal statement when you applied?

Thanks!