Any current Chemistry students at Hull?
Hello,
I've applied to 5 universities and got 4 out of the 5 offers (The last one being Cardiff but I'm not really thinking about it anymore) for MChem with a year in industry and I was wondering if someone can give me honest opinions on Hull. I found it very good when I went there for the applicant day but I'm guessing it would be better to get some view off of current students.
Also I have a couple questions:
1) What kind of times would I expect to be in lectures or in the labs for (Like 9-4pm Mon-Fri or is it more flexible?)
2) Are the lecturers easy to understand and talk to if I have problems?
3) What's the nightlife like?
4) Is it hard to find part time jobs within Hull?
Thanks for anyone who can help
I've applied to 5 universities and got 4 out of the 5 offers (The last one being Cardiff but I'm not really thinking about it anymore) for MChem with a year in industry and I was wondering if someone can give me honest opinions on Hull. I found it very good when I went there for the applicant day but I'm guessing it would be better to get some view off of current students.
Also I have a couple questions:
1) What kind of times would I expect to be in lectures or in the labs for (Like 9-4pm Mon-Fri or is it more flexible?)
2) Are the lecturers easy to understand and talk to if I have problems?
3) What's the nightlife like?
4) Is it hard to find part time jobs within Hull?
Thanks for anyone who can help
Original post by kevinchan1
Hello,
I've applied to 5 universities and got 4 out of the 5 offers (The last one being Cardiff but I'm not really thinking about it anymore) for MChem with a year in industry and I was wondering if someone can give me honest opinions on Hull. I found it very good when I went there for the applicant day but I'm guessing it would be better to get some view off of current students.
Also I have a couple questions:
1) What kind of times would I expect to be in lectures or in the labs for (Like 9-4pm Mon-Fri or is it more flexible?)
2) Are the lecturers easy to understand and talk to if I have problems?
3) What's the nightlife like?
4) Is it hard to find part time jobs within Hull?
Thanks for anyone who can help
I've applied to 5 universities and got 4 out of the 5 offers (The last one being Cardiff but I'm not really thinking about it anymore) for MChem with a year in industry and I was wondering if someone can give me honest opinions on Hull. I found it very good when I went there for the applicant day but I'm guessing it would be better to get some view off of current students.
Also I have a couple questions:
1) What kind of times would I expect to be in lectures or in the labs for (Like 9-4pm Mon-Fri or is it more flexible?)
2) Are the lecturers easy to understand and talk to if I have problems?
3) What's the nightlife like?
4) Is it hard to find part time jobs within Hull?
Thanks for anyone who can help
Although this maybe a bit late now ill still answer your questions
I'm currently in third year on placement doing chemistry at hull, so I'll give it a go;
1) time tables are not just fixed 9-4, the only day that is like that is lab day which is a 9-5 day, with a 1hr break in the middle (providing you're on top of your experiment(s) ). other than that there tend to be two 'lecture days' which are usually 10-3 or 4 with a 1 hour gap, then wednesdays and fridays are half days. this is about right for the first two years. After that projects come in to play.
2) lecturers in the most part are great, always on time, for me have never come across to not want to help (providing you are seen to be putting the work in), near enough all of them operate an open door policy and if you dont catch them you can drop them an email and 9/10 they'll get back to you in <2/3 days.
3) there are a number of bars clubs etc close to university as well as in hull centre so there is always something going off. The ones that are close to uni have a good student feel.
4) 75% of my friends have either had a job at university or have a job, and there is also the chance of becoming a student ambassador which has paid and unpaid days, if you didnt want to be tied down. The university has a job shop that posts student friendly jobs up that you can apply for as well as the usual route
The degree really is a lot of work, and I'd say if you are after top grades don't expect a walk in the park. Everyone is super friendly though and labs, the library and the union are also super good!!
Original post by Sparky:)
Although this maybe a bit late now ill still answer your questions
I'm currently in third year on placement doing chemistry at hull, so I'll give it a go;
1) time tables are not just fixed 9-4, the only day that is like that is lab day which is a 9-5 day, with a 1hr break in the middle (providing you're on top of your experiment(s) ). other than that there tend to be two 'lecture days' which are usually 10-3 or 4 with a 1 hour gap, then wednesdays and fridays are half days. this is about right for the first two years. After that projects come in to play.
2) lecturers in the most part are great, always on time, for me have never come across to not want to help (providing you are seen to be putting the work in), near enough all of them operate an open door policy and if you dont catch them you can drop them an email and 9/10 they'll get back to you in <2/3 days.
3) there are a number of bars clubs etc close to university as well as in hull centre so there is always something going off. The ones that are close to uni have a good student feel.
4) 75% of my friends have either had a job at university or have a job, and there is also the chance of becoming a student ambassador which has paid and unpaid days, if you didnt want to be tied down. The university has a job shop that posts student friendly jobs up that you can apply for as well as the usual route
The degree really is a lot of work, and I'd say if you are after top grades don't expect a walk in the park. Everyone is super friendly though and labs, the library and the union are also super good!!
I'm currently in third year on placement doing chemistry at hull, so I'll give it a go;
1) time tables are not just fixed 9-4, the only day that is like that is lab day which is a 9-5 day, with a 1hr break in the middle (providing you're on top of your experiment(s) ). other than that there tend to be two 'lecture days' which are usually 10-3 or 4 with a 1 hour gap, then wednesdays and fridays are half days. this is about right for the first two years. After that projects come in to play.
2) lecturers in the most part are great, always on time, for me have never come across to not want to help (providing you are seen to be putting the work in), near enough all of them operate an open door policy and if you dont catch them you can drop them an email and 9/10 they'll get back to you in <2/3 days.
3) there are a number of bars clubs etc close to university as well as in hull centre so there is always something going off. The ones that are close to uni have a good student feel.
4) 75% of my friends have either had a job at university or have a job, and there is also the chance of becoming a student ambassador which has paid and unpaid days, if you didnt want to be tied down. The university has a job shop that posts student friendly jobs up that you can apply for as well as the usual route
The degree really is a lot of work, and I'd say if you are after top grades don't expect a walk in the park. Everyone is super friendly though and labs, the library and the union are also super good!!
Hi,
Thanks for replying really, I was actually quite surprised how long the post was listed considering there must be a few Chem students at Hull.
I'm definitely heading there as I was given an unconditional offer to study there, so obviously I took it up! Plus, the scholarships were also there to sweeten the deal
I didn't study the 'normal' subjects to get into a science (Maths, Chem, Phys, Bio etc) but rather I studied Chem, Business and Law. I know there is a considerable amount of maths in Chemistry and I was reasonably good at it but decision maths (Absolutely hated) and the lack of switching at my college (Mechanics was much better in my opinion - It seemed more relevant!) meant I was basically kicked off the course by April and put onto this crappy Core Maths course which taught me nothing really (Other than Stats, which at times really didn't feel like maths)
Could you tell me what kind of topics in maths I could do in learning before I head there in September? Mostly the maths skills I would need throughout my course in particular, not just in the first year. Also, do they offer a module in 'Chemistry Maths' or something similar for people in my position?
(I'm planning on doing the MChem with a Year in industry - I assume this is what you had done)
hey, I just finished my MChem at hull! I can't say if my opinion of my time there will be reflective of what it is like now, as I started the year they brought the £9k a year tuition back and hull seemed to take everyone who could even spell the word chemistry that year. maybe it was the same in unis across the country, but it seemed hull wasn't prepared to take on so many of us. between lab space and resources, the department seemed to struggle to cope with us. I don't believe they made the mistake of taking on so many new students since, though, so it is likely we just got a badly timed deal. I'll do my best to answer your questions!
1) I believe starting September 2016 lectures at hull start on the hour? at the very least, 9.15 has become 9.00. if the timetable is unchanged from my time, first year has you in labs one day a week from 9-5pm. in third/fourth year this becomes 10-5pm and two days a week. lectures can vary and aren't necessarily 9.00 starts every day.
2) the biggest hurdle to asking lecturers for assistance is being determined to get a solution to your problems and giving them enough information (ie. what you've attempted, what you actually do understand) to help them help you. I felt in my earlier years I was quite low on the pecking order when it came to coming to ask for help and found it difficult sometimes for the less approachable lecturers. as the years went by and I got to know the staff better it became much easier, and I had gained enough clout by the time fourth year rolled around to demand answers when I needed 'em. some of the staff like Dr Prior are excellent teachers while some are not that great at teaching huge rooms of people but excellent at teaching smaller groups or individuals.
3) being more of a 'pint and a natter in the pub with my mates' kind of person than a clubber, I can't say an awful lot on the nightlife. I know for sure this year that the uni will be pushing the campus nightclub onto freshers quite a bit (which has deteriorated a lot in the past four years) and may even have excluded every other club from the freshers fair this year? you have many options available to you though, both near and far! I personally liked Piper, which is not far from uni, while Spiders is a bit further out and requires a taxi but is definitely where every hull student has to go at least once. cool atmosphere and aesthetic compared to the typical club dross, and the drink is dirt cheap! so cheap they don't actually sell singles, only doubles and onwards!
4) quite a few friends and colleagues managed to get part-time jobs okay, but chemistry is a very demanding course and not everyone is able to balance both a job and the course. the main thing that makes it steps above A Level isn't the difficulty, rather the amount of content they expect you to know for exams. it's quite a lot more than what has been expected from you before; you will find this most particularly come second year, and the amount you need to know only increases from there. at any rate, even getting a 2.1 requires a hell of a lot of hard work, let alone a 1st.
good maths skills will do you well on the course, and you will find people that didn't do maths since GCSE level will struggle a bit with some of it. in your first year they should make you sit some sort of maths test if not outright make you take some additional maths lessons by second year at the very latest. maybe a more recent student could confirm that? these are honestly all the maths techniques aside from basic addition, multiplication etc. I can remember using the most throughout this degree:
- there's a lot of algebraic equations to work with. be really good at rearranging equations- following on from that, logarithms and natural logarithms will come up very often- some statistical analyses for data, such as standard deviation- you'll be converting units a LOT, but by the end of the course you should be quite familiar with SI units, be able to work out the units of a value you calculated using the equation you just used, and know how to convert say between cm^-3 and m^-3.- simultaneous equations; I don't recall it ever being to three unknowns, so I think you are only expected to be able to work with two- physical chemistry in particular uses a lot of linear graphs, so you will be looking for equations that fit the form y = mx + c quite often, often you will need to manipulate them until they do!- (mostly optional) basic calculus; knowing how to integrate and differentiate equations will help you understand some equation derivations, particularly in kinetics and physical chemistry. I believe it's only been expected from us for one or two kinetics derivations
going by what I've heard from those who did the placement year (I signed up initially but didn't feel personally ready to do it when the time came, having only started living in england when uni started with no family here. plus very few actually were offered placements), it'll be very hard work. might need to prepare for a lot of late nights. but getting experience is almost essential to netting you a job later, so it is definitely worth considering. I wish you luck regardless of where you go! if anything, hull is super cheap for both rent and living, and it's not at all a bad city to spend a few years in. I was quite happy here.
1) I believe starting September 2016 lectures at hull start on the hour? at the very least, 9.15 has become 9.00. if the timetable is unchanged from my time, first year has you in labs one day a week from 9-5pm. in third/fourth year this becomes 10-5pm and two days a week. lectures can vary and aren't necessarily 9.00 starts every day.
2) the biggest hurdle to asking lecturers for assistance is being determined to get a solution to your problems and giving them enough information (ie. what you've attempted, what you actually do understand) to help them help you. I felt in my earlier years I was quite low on the pecking order when it came to coming to ask for help and found it difficult sometimes for the less approachable lecturers. as the years went by and I got to know the staff better it became much easier, and I had gained enough clout by the time fourth year rolled around to demand answers when I needed 'em. some of the staff like Dr Prior are excellent teachers while some are not that great at teaching huge rooms of people but excellent at teaching smaller groups or individuals.
3) being more of a 'pint and a natter in the pub with my mates' kind of person than a clubber, I can't say an awful lot on the nightlife. I know for sure this year that the uni will be pushing the campus nightclub onto freshers quite a bit (which has deteriorated a lot in the past four years) and may even have excluded every other club from the freshers fair this year? you have many options available to you though, both near and far! I personally liked Piper, which is not far from uni, while Spiders is a bit further out and requires a taxi but is definitely where every hull student has to go at least once. cool atmosphere and aesthetic compared to the typical club dross, and the drink is dirt cheap! so cheap they don't actually sell singles, only doubles and onwards!
4) quite a few friends and colleagues managed to get part-time jobs okay, but chemistry is a very demanding course and not everyone is able to balance both a job and the course. the main thing that makes it steps above A Level isn't the difficulty, rather the amount of content they expect you to know for exams. it's quite a lot more than what has been expected from you before; you will find this most particularly come second year, and the amount you need to know only increases from there. at any rate, even getting a 2.1 requires a hell of a lot of hard work, let alone a 1st.
good maths skills will do you well on the course, and you will find people that didn't do maths since GCSE level will struggle a bit with some of it. in your first year they should make you sit some sort of maths test if not outright make you take some additional maths lessons by second year at the very latest. maybe a more recent student could confirm that? these are honestly all the maths techniques aside from basic addition, multiplication etc. I can remember using the most throughout this degree:
- there's a lot of algebraic equations to work with. be really good at rearranging equations- following on from that, logarithms and natural logarithms will come up very often- some statistical analyses for data, such as standard deviation- you'll be converting units a LOT, but by the end of the course you should be quite familiar with SI units, be able to work out the units of a value you calculated using the equation you just used, and know how to convert say between cm^-3 and m^-3.- simultaneous equations; I don't recall it ever being to three unknowns, so I think you are only expected to be able to work with two- physical chemistry in particular uses a lot of linear graphs, so you will be looking for equations that fit the form y = mx + c quite often, often you will need to manipulate them until they do!- (mostly optional) basic calculus; knowing how to integrate and differentiate equations will help you understand some equation derivations, particularly in kinetics and physical chemistry. I believe it's only been expected from us for one or two kinetics derivations
going by what I've heard from those who did the placement year (I signed up initially but didn't feel personally ready to do it when the time came, having only started living in england when uni started with no family here. plus very few actually were offered placements), it'll be very hard work. might need to prepare for a lot of late nights. but getting experience is almost essential to netting you a job later, so it is definitely worth considering. I wish you luck regardless of where you go! if anything, hull is super cheap for both rent and living, and it's not at all a bad city to spend a few years in. I was quite happy here.
(edited 7 years ago)
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