Should I Do Chemistry Or Physics

Grades-wise fine for whatever, if you stay on track for what you're hoping. I think Imperial interview anyway (if grades and PS is fine) so more of it will come down to that.

Considered engineering? If you're a fan of maths then you get to continue doing maths, and there's more applied physics elements which may be more appealing than what theoretical physics looks to be. Obviously, if that is something you'd fancy then chemical engineering will add some elements of chemistry. It's not a huge amount of chemistry, but it does build some of the foundations.

Do you have any idea what you want to do, job-wise? What do you want in a job?

Have a look around chemistry and physics departments if you can. Go to a local one if travelling elsewhere is expensive/difficult, just to see the sort of environment each of them offer.

Hi there,

If I were you I'd be weary if you are thinking about taking a degree in chemistry because for some reason, it's really hard for chemists to find a job nowadays. I wouldnt quote me on that but maybe have a look online at job opportunities/talk to a higher education advisor at school.

I agree with Nymthae, engineering would definitely be something to consider. I am hoping to study aerospace engineering at university next year, and I know for a fact that highly skilled engineers are in demand! Plus it adds a creative element to what you are doing rather than plugging numbers into the same old calculations each day. And as Nymthae said, yes chemical engineering or even nuclear might interest you.

Should you want to do chemical/nuclear engineeering, physics maths and chemistry are best for a level. Other engineering disciplines like aerospace, mechanical or electrical require at least maths and physics.

Hope this helps! Best of luck

Thanks a lot for your help.
I've also thought about engineering because i've enjoyed mechanics etc.
But i'm not sure i would like that, the pay isn't too good and i'm not entirely sure the work is either.

Engineering is probably the best paid scientific field with the most opportunities currently.

Finding work as a chemist is okay. As someone graduating very shortly i've seen enough opportunities around in industry, for BSc and MChem levels. It gets harder with a PhD as there's plenty of PhD holders and you do end up in a specialism, which means there are often other candidates with more relevant backgrounds available (unless it happens to be your background, something like polymers is a good one for the industry, organic is fine for pharmaceutical and similar synthetic roles, but I see very little outside of that). Academia is difficult because there aren't that many positions and there's usually a fair bit of interest in being a post doc or trying to become a lecturer.

Physics itself tends to be more applicable to academia (so the problems above are worth considering, and that you may not even like/want to stay in academia). It is accepted for graduate programmes but they are heavily competitive, and largely will not be purely physics. Physics in the real world usually comes under engineering (i.e. applied work) but you're not qualified to be an engineer, although there are research posts available. I don't look for them but they're not something I see that much of either. At the very worst with chemists, you can always take an analytical role assuming you've learnt a few of the techniques along the way. Huge demand for physics and chemistry teachers though, which come with quite attractive bursaries if you've got a good classification in your degree. The only physics graduate I know said he wished he'd done engineering as it would've given him far more opportunities, so he ended up doing a master's in sustainability and environmental stuff, and now works for the met office. I was interested to hear what a very smart friend of mine had taken, as he was very keen on physics but did enjoy chemistry. He said he went for chemistry as there were more opportunities at the end.

I don't know too much about the work of an engineer, but I do hear a lot of it can be desk based and a bit dull, but it depends what floats your boat. Might be worth checking in the engineering forums and see if you can find experiences. Consider doing internships or a year in industry with your degree to get a flavour of what it's like. The difference is more of your involvement will be regarding a manufacturing plant and large scale, whereas as a chemist you'll be more concerned in the lab. There are a couple of roles in between (pilot plant chemists, predominantly) where you're doing the step in between - taking it from the lab to a small scale reactor, for it then eventually to go to the large plant.

Physics will soothe your maths requirements, and engineering, but I don't think chemistry would do it. I liked maths, and chemistry is a numerical degree in many parts, but most of the heavy maths side is really pushed aside in favour of the underpinning theory. That's only a third of the course also, the other two thirds require very little maths.

Most science jobs aren't very practical around the house (like medicine) as your work is either heavily theoretical, or at least involving expensive equipment and using things that aren't common stuff. Chemistry does give you a fair bit of semi-useful knowledge though, and i've learnt things about cosmetic formulations, laundry detergents, paints, and those sorts of things. Similarly, the little facts like why it's better to drink milk and beer for spicy foods than water. Being able to engage in stuff with real world things i'm familiar with was nice.

Chemistry is probably the best practical course out of them all. You'll be in the lab for a day a week at minimum, and the jobs at the other end can be entirely lab based so you're not stuck behind a desk. You can make enough money to be comfortable and have a family, but if you ever want to really earn very good money in a technical discipline then you pretty much have to ditch it and move into management roles. If you get bored of the practical side and want money: patent attorney.