Chemistry or chemistry related courses UEA 2013

I'm a first year at UEA studying Chemistry. If you have any questions, I can help you out (that is if I remember to check TSR... Hahaha)!

Can't decide between MChem or Mbiological and medicinal chemistry? Are there many people on the courses? I can't find any figures anywhere


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Not sure about figures on each course, but I'm pretty sure you're going to want to make that decision as early as I know that you do Biology modules (including labs) on the Biological and Medicinal course. I think that course would be the most difficult to switch to during your time studying here...

I chose MChem how did you find the jump from alevel to uni? It's going to be so strange without the same teacher helping you all the time!


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That all sounds quite interesting actually. I prefer organic

Do you mind if I ask what career you're considering at the end of your degree? I was thinking about what jobs were out there to do with chemistry and all I can think is pharmaceutical, research or teaching.

Oh, what are labs/practicals like?


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I chose MChem how did you find the jump from alevel to uni? It's going to be so strange without the same teacher helping you all the time!


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I haven't decided on a career yet. I'd rather keep doors open than close them at this point. I'm hoping to get an industrial placement just to try it out, but a couple years ago, I wanted to teach. So we'll see!

Labs are okay. Two 3.5 hour sessions a week (though they rarely run the full length of the session). Demonstrators everywhere (including PhD students, some of whom are quite funny - one girl was particular proud of announcing where the lubricant for the desiccators were. "The LUBE? Oh, the LUUUUUUUBE is over there!"). Lots more safety stuff than I was used to at school, where we rarely ever wore gloves... I personally was slightly overwhelmed by the first few experiments, but then again, it's a new environment. Oh, and be prepared for plenty of standing around and waiting... 45 minute refluxes are the death of me at times...

Have you got over the 'blue nitrile gloves for everything' phase yet? We wore them all the time in 1st year, but if you're using an organic solvent, they do nothing, and it's often safer not to wear them. Did the lube girl have a new zealand accent?

Oh, and also, 45 minute refluxes are nothing. 2nd year inorganic has you take an IR of a refluxing solution every 20 minutes for 2 hours.

By the way, are you on the year in industry course?

Oh, I got over that ages ago. Quite quickly, hahaha. Although much to the annoyance of Anna Fuller, I, and plenty others, still wear nitriles when writing up lab notes...! And yeah, she did have a New Zealand accent!

Oh myyyyyy. Can't even run away from that reflux! We were allowed to go away during the one 90 minute reflux we did, but that's a joke!

And nah, I'm not on that yet. I'm on the BSc with aspirations to move up onto either MChem or MChem Industry course. Hoping my marks are good enough!

That'd be suzy. She's fun. Next year you'll get Lancaster going round inorganic labs demanding people justify wearing the nitrile gloves, so it's easier not to bother wearing any and just be careful (or wear marigolds for really dangerous stuff)

If you get decent results, get in contact with Chris Richards for the industry course ([email protected]). He'll be able to tell you what to do. You'll need to start applying for placements early (many finish in early october, especially the big companies). What sort of Chemistry were you looking at doing if you got a placement?

Haha, yeah, the idea of Lancaster looking for people to tell off for use of nitriles doesn't surprise me that much! Haha.

Thanks for that information, I wasn't actually sure how to go about moving up if I get a better mark. When do you get your exam results back? Haven't the faintest idea when! Also, I'm not really sure about what sort of Chemistry I'd be looking at... I'd assume you mean Inorganic, Organic or Physical? I quite like Organic Chemistry, so probably something involved in synthesis. I really have no idea what to say - I probably sound a bit stupid!

Have you picked your 2nd year modules yet? (If not, I'd avoid medicinal if Bew is still module organizer, it's not even funny how crap he is.) There are plenty of synthetic organic places, but many of the big companies (Novartis, GSK, Pfizer etc.) go really early (applications close mid october), so be ready to start applying as soon as you get back.

Don't worry about not knowing what you want to do, it's pretty rare you'll know this early in the degree (I thought I liked physical after 1st year, I now hate it). Also, don't worry if you don't get a placement straight away, I only got mine a month or so ago.

Not sure exactly when results are published, but I got my letter saying I'd passed the year in mid July last year, but as exams are earlier this year, I'd say around the start of July.

Yeah, I've picked my modules - and I picked Medicinal... It was a few hours after I picked my modules that I heard about Bew. If he's that bad, it's surprising that people haven't gone to the department to complain. I understand that some of the information he gave with regards to tests was pretty bad (he said a test was multiple choice and then it wasn't)... Oh well, perhaps trying to compensate for his deficient organisation might be a fun (albeit stressful) challenge...

Yeah, I haven't even started writing a CV yet. I only know of the big companies like Glaxo, but I'm not quite sure I want to go into Pharmaceuticals... In all honesty, that's why I went for both Medicinal and Polymers for second year options - I guess it gives a few of two of the major branches of industrial synthetic Chemistry. So we'll see... If you don't mind me asking, whereabouts are you going to be next year?