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Student working at the Cole Museum
University of Reading
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Interview for Chemistry 28th of Jan

I'm attending an openday/interview for chemistry tomorrow and was wondering if anyone on here has any advice about how to prep for chemistry interviews? Also is any1 on here going to the same openday/interview as me?
Reply 1
I am going to a visit day on the 11th of February too.
I'm also wondering what to expect from the informal interview!
According to the chemistry dept. website they may ask some chemistry related questions; such as your understanding of Avogadro's constant, converting grams of a substance into mols and explaining the difference between acidic and basic solutions.

There's conflicting information though, as some people have said that they will probably only ask you questions about your personal statement??
Student working at the Cole Museum
University of Reading
Reading
Visit website
Reply 2
I haven't had a chemistry interview at Reading, but I had one at Cambridge.

Just make sure you know and understand all of the A Level content, read around the subject a bit. Most of the questions were just applying the A Level content to unfamiliar circumstances.
Reply 3
How'd it go?
Reply 4
Original post by CandyKoRn
How'd it go?


I thought it went quite badly but i got the offer !!! :biggrin: ****ing victory grin :biggrin:
Reply 5
Original post by cuckoo99
I thought it went quite badly but i got the offer !!! :biggrin: ****ing victory grin :biggrin:


Well done! Did they ask you any chemistry questions?
Reply 6
Original post by CandyKoRn
Well done! Did they ask you any chemistry questions?


Cheers, ye they did but it seems to really vary between the different lecturers there. My interview was with a physical chemist specialist because i put that i liked physical chemistry. She asked me why i liked it etc etc and then asked me some basic questions on functional group chemistry and practical chemistry( to see if i wasn't just bumming the physical i guess). lasted a good 20 mins and was actually quite a nice conversation :smile: Reading is gunna be my firm choice as well :smile:
Reply 7
Well done , What other questions did they ask ? (:
Reply 8
Hi, I hope you get the offer. What other questions did they ask ?
Reply 9
Original post by cuckoo99
Cheers, ye they did but it seems to really vary between the different lecturers there. My interview was with a physical chemist specialist because i put that i liked physical chemistry. She asked me why i liked it etc etc and then asked me some basic questions on functional group chemistry and practical chemistry( to see if i wasn't just bumming the physical i guess). lasted a good 20 mins and was actually quite a nice conversation :smile: Reading is gunna be my firm choice as well :smile:


HI, can you tell me what other questions did they ask please?
Reply 10
Original post by jenniiee
HI, can you tell me what other questions did they ask please?


Well i spoke to other prospective students after the interview and they all told me different things like e,g 1 of them was asked to draw benzene and show they knew organic chemistry well. one of em was asked about the physical chemistry acid base equations. I personally was asked about what areas i enjoyed and what i hoped to do with them. She asked me about any experiments i did at my college and asked me if i knew certain functional groups that you learn about at A-level. She also asked me how i would teach som1 how to titrate and acid vs a base, important things to know etc etc. It all felt very informal and unplanned and she just asked questions as we went along. A good 20 mins of non stop chatter, was quite nice but still intense. My interview was with a physical chemist because i put in my ps that i was most interested in that aspect of chemistry. The questions they ask will be based on the PS because its something to talk about i guess.

While speaking to one of the students i overheard that som1 couldn't draw benzene in the interview :rolleyes: pretty crazy for a prospective chemistry student.
Reply 11
Original post by cuckoo99
Well i spoke to other prospective students after the interview and they all told me different things like e,g 1 of them was asked to draw benzene and show they knew organic chemistry well. one of em was asked about the physical chemistry acid base equations. I personally was asked about what areas i enjoyed and what i hoped to do with them. She asked me about any experiments i did at my college and asked me if i knew certain functional groups that you learn about at A-level. She also asked me how i would teach som1 how to titrate and acid vs a base, important things to know etc etc. It all felt very informal and unplanned and she just asked questions as we went along. A good 20 mins of non stop chatter, was quite nice but still intense. My interview was with a physical chemist because i put in my ps that i was most interested in that aspect of chemistry. The questions they ask will be based on the PS because its something to talk about i guess.

While speaking to one of the students i overheard that som1 couldn't draw benzene in the interview :rolleyes: pretty crazy for a prospective chemistry student.


Thanks for the information. It helped a lot in my interview. I think i had the nicest interviewer there.:smile:
Reply 12
Original post by jenniiee
Thanks for the information. It helped a lot in my interview. I think i had the nicest interviewer there.:smile:


Nice :smile: Reading will be your firm or ?

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