Chemistry - Labs

Is university chemistry a massive step up from a level? And how much is the workload per week? Thanks

Which year are you in? Also which other unis did you look at?

Posted from TSR Mobile

I'd say so, yeah. A level Chemistry is so simplified that I feel like it doesn't prepare you for university chemistry. The step up from A level to first year isn't too bad but from the sounds of it the gap between first and second year is large. I'm not sure what you mean by the second question?


Starting second year this October. I applied to Oxford, Manchester, Nottingham and Southampton.

I'd say so, yeah. A level Chemistry is so simplified that I feel like it doesn't prepare you for university chemistry. The step up from A level to first year isn't too bad but from the sounds of it the gap between first and second year is large. I'm not sure what you mean by the second question?


Starting second year this October. I applied to Oxford, Manchester, Nottingham and Southampton.

Hi, by workload, I mean like hours spent at lectures, labs... self study etc

Is there anything you would recommend doing to help prepare? I’m doing the chemistry olympiad next year, which has really helped so far

You have about 11 hours of lectures (excluding optional units), an hour of tutorial, and you spend three hours in labs in your first year. It doesn't seem like a lot but we go through the material really quickly so you can fall behind easily.


Hmm, I'd say brush up on your maths before you start uni. You do a lot maths in your first year (in Bristol anyway).

How difficult is the maths compared to A Level?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Personally I would say the maths is a lot tougher than A level. The concepts are the same and they don't teach a whole load of new stuff (unless you didnt do further maths). What makes it difficult is that they put it in a chemical context which can make it difficult to understand. It's easier to explain with a demonstration so I have (hopefully) attached a sample question. (i said hopefully as I'm on my phone and TSR is a bit dodgy on my phone).

If you have a look at question 8 it looks horribly complicated but it is just in fact a simple differentiation question.

Yeah that does look horrid :L no, don’t do further maths but am pretty good at maths generally predicted an A* in normal maths, so hopefully manageable

Posted from TSR Mobile

Personally I would say the maths is a lot tougher than A level. The concepts are the same and they don't teach a whole load of new stuff (unless you didnt do further maths). What makes it difficult is that they put it in a chemical context which can make it difficult to understand. It's easier to explain with a demonstration so I have (hopefully) attached a sample question. (i said hopefully as I'm on my phone and TSR is a bit dodgy on my phone).

If you have a look at question 8 it looks horribly complicated but it is just in fact a simple differentiation question.

Personally I would say the maths is a lot tougher than A level. The concepts are the same and they don't teach a whole load of new stuff (unless you didnt do further maths). What makes it difficult is that they put it in a chemical context which can make it difficult to understand. It's easier to explain with a demonstration so I have (hopefully) attached a sample question. (i said hopefully as I'm on my phone and TSR is a bit dodgy on my phone).

If you have a look at question 8 it looks horribly complicated but it is just in fact a simple differentiation question.

So just dI/dr ?

I/I0 = R x sin^2(theta)/ r^2

I0 is a constant right, initial intensity? And R is also a constant.

I/I0 = R . 1/r^2 . (1- cos2theta)/2
I/I0 = R/2 (1/r^2 . 1 - cos2theta)

then differentiate? Using implicit and product or?

Looks like the kind of maths I really love to do. It is, actually, very similar to the American style of maths exam questions.


Posted from TSR Mobile

You've gone very far from the answer. I think you're overcomplicating it a little.


It's tedious at first but once you do a couple you get the hang of it and it's actually cool how they can put stuff like vectors and complex numbers into a chemical context

You've gone very far from the answer. I think you're overcomplicating it a little.


It's tedious at first but once you do a couple you get the hang of it and it's actually cool how they can put stuff like vectors and complex numbers into a chemical context

So not differentiating it lol

Yeah it is...

So where Did it go wrong?