Confused .... need advice on Chemical Engineering

I'm not in uni rn (going into year 13) but I was in a similar position to you. I talked to a person who was in their first year for chem eng rn at UCL and she said UCL was one of the worst places to do chem eng as the course was poorly run and that any other uni would be better.

I'm going into year 13 as well
Thanks for replying though
Where are you planning to do chemical engineering ?

I haven't got my predicted grades yet (based on AS, get predicted the grade I get unless I get a high A). If I get A*A*AA prediction I'll apply to cambridge(via NAT sci), imperial, UCL (biochemical engineering), Sheffield and Brunel/bath

UCLs engineering department seems to have a lot of negative perspectives from current students. Possibly worth considering.

Generally it's probably worth applying to the MEng initially, as you can normally very easily switch from MEng to BEng (it'll just be basically a bit of paperwork) in the first two years (or sometimes, three) of the course. Moving from the BEng to the MEng is usually possible and straightforward in the first two years provided you get the necessary marks, but may not always be guaranteed (whereas the other way can always be accommodated).

ChemEng grads can go onto quite a wide range of engineering roles, both generally and specifically as chemical engineers. A chemical engineer could just as well work in some role focusing on thermofluids as a mechanical engineer, usually, for example (but they also can work as process engineers etc specifically which other engineering disciplines may not be able to). People tend to assume ChemE will result in a high paying role because it's often associated with the oil and gas industry, but this isn't the only realm in which ChemEs work (or even necessarily where most end up working). @Smack might be able to advise more on the careers front (and otherwise).

It would probably be worth you getting to know what the course involves to make sure you know what you are getting into; for example, despite the name, there is very little chemistry (or "wet" chemistry at least) in a chemical engineering degree, and it is in fact mostly maths. The chemistry there is will mostly be physical chemistry (especially thermodynamics and kinetics type stuff), and otherwise there is a lot of fluid mechanics and thermofluids work, which is mostly mathematical. Some might find this appealing, but the former chemistry admissions tutor at Southampton told me every year they had about 3 or 4 applicants who started doing chemical engineering then realised it wasn't for them and they actually wanted to do chemistry - best find this out before you waste a year of your SFE entitlement!

Thank you for replying
How can I contact @smack?

I've already tagged them into this post, so no need to do anything.

That's nice
Good luck!

Hi everyone ,
I have just finished Year 12 and I'll be starting my university application soon.
I study maths, chemistry and biology .
I am planning to do chemical engineering at uni but I'm just confused about my choice.
I don't know many people from whom I can take advice , so I'm posting my question here.
I want to study chemical engineering either at UCL or at Birmingham. Which one do you think is better ?
I've read almost every chat forum about chemical engineering on student room but they are like from the past.
Also some of my friends and family are put off by the idea of me doing this course because they think I should go for medicine/dentistry but I want to study something that will allow me to work in different fields and travel (I would love to work and travel e.g. the company I'm working in will send me to some other country for work puposes , business meetings etc. That's what I want).
I want to know the current situation of anyone studying chemical engineering at uni at the moment and their overall view of the course and uni in general:
Do you enjoy the course?
Is it really what it seems like (i.e.versatile)?
What are the job prospects? Is it hard to find a job after you graduate?
Are chemical engineers in demand?
Are you able to do a part-time job whilst studying your course?
Does it pay well? Is it worth it?
Any regrets or are you happy with your choice?
And if I apply should I go for a BEng or MEng?
Please help me.
Thank You

Hi everyone ,
I have just finished Year 12 and I'll be starting my university application soon.
I study maths, chemistry and biology .
I am planning to do chemical engineering at uni but I'm just confused about my choice.
I don't know many people from whom I can take advice , so I'm posting my question here.
I want to study chemical engineering either at UCL or at Birmingham. Which one do you think is better ?
I've read almost every chat forum about chemical engineering on student room but they are like from the past.
Also some of my friends and family are put off by the idea of me doing this course because they think I should go for medicine/dentistry but I want to study something that will allow me to work in different fields and travel (I would love to work and travel e.g. the company I'm working in will send me to some other country for work puposes , business meetings etc. That's what I want).
I want to know the current situation of anyone studying chemical engineering at uni at the moment and their overall view of the course and uni in general:
Do you enjoy the course?
Is it really what it seems like (i.e.versatile)?
What are the job prospects? Is it hard to find a job after you graduate?
Are chemical engineers in demand?
Are you able to do a part-time job whilst studying your course?
Does it pay well? Is it worth it?
Any regrets or are you happy with your choice?
And if I apply should I go for a BEng or MEng?
Please help me.
Thank You

Hi everyone ,
I have just finished Year 12 and I'll be starting my university application soon.
I study maths, chemistry and biology .
I am planning to do chemical engineering at uni but I'm just confused about my choice.
I don't know many people from whom I can take advice , so I'm posting my question here.
I want to study chemical engineering either at UCL or at Birmingham. Which one do you think is better ?
I've read almost every chat forum about chemical engineering on student room but they are like from the past.
Also some of my friends and family are put off by the idea of me doing this course because they think I should go for medicine/dentistry but I want to study something that will allow me to work in different fields and travel (I would love to work and travel e.g. the company I'm working in will send me to some other country for work puposes , business meetings etc. That's what I want).
I want to know the current situation of anyone studying chemical engineering at uni at the moment and their overall view of the course and uni in general:
Do you enjoy the course?
Is it really what it seems like (i.e.versatile)?
What are the job prospects? Is it hard to find a job after you graduate?
Are chemical engineers in demand?
Are you able to do a part-time job whilst studying your course?
Does it pay well? Is it worth it?
Any regrets or are you happy with your choice?
And if I apply should I go for a BEng or MEng?
Please help me.
Thank You

Google is your friend for stats about pay and stuff, UCL is a much better university overall than Birmingham, but perhaps not the course itself. Search up the best uni’s for chemical engineering and consider them

Hi everyone ,
I have just finished Year 12 and I'll be starting my university application soon.
I study maths, chemistry and biology .
I am planning to do chemical engineering at uni but I'm just confused about my choice.
I don't know many people from whom I can take advice , so I'm posting my question here.
I want to study chemical engineering either at UCL or at Birmingham. Which one do you think is better ?
I've read almost every chat forum about chemical engineering on student room but they are like from the past.
Also some of my friends and family are put off by the idea of me doing this course because they think I should go for medicine/dentistry but I want to study something that will allow me to work in different fields and travel (I would love to work and travel e.g. the company I'm working in will send me to some other country for work puposes , business meetings etc. That's what I want).
I want to know the current situation of anyone studying chemical engineering at uni at the moment and their overall view of the course and uni in general:
Do you enjoy the course?
Is it really what it seems like (i.e.versatile)?
What are the job prospects? Is it hard to find a job after you graduate?
Are chemical engineers in demand?
Are you able to do a part-time job whilst studying your course?
Does it pay well? Is it worth it?
Any regrets or are you happy with your choice?
And if I apply should I go for a BEng or MEng?
Please help me.
Thank You

Are you interested in engineering as a career?

Hi - I've just finished year 12 and I used to want to do chemical engineering, but I've decided that maths would be a better fit for me. I still know quite a bit about chemical engineering from when I was researching it earlier on.

Chemical engineering is a versatile degree and you can go into a variety of different industries, including energy, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, water treatment, food production and quite a few more. Having an engineering degree will also allow you to go into fields like finance if you eventually decide not to work as an engineer. I hear that certain engineering industries pay more than others - oil and gas is one that pays quite a lot, but if you go to a good university and graduate with a good degree (ideally a first, although a 2.1 is also fine) with internships and work experience, then you should be able to find a reasonably well-paying job.

You're probably already aware of this, but it's worth reiterating that a chemical engineering degree consists almost entirely of applied maths techniques, physics and design, with very little chemistry involved. There are quite a few people who go for chemical engineering because they liked chemistry but realised it wasn't for them - you have to want to be an engineer. Personally the reason I chose to apply for maths instead was because I realised I was more of a theoretically oriented person than an applied/practical person. If you're interested in how maths, physics and chemistry can be applied to optimise industrial processes and manufacture products, chemical engineering would be a good fit for you.

If you're undecided, apply for MEng as it's very easy to transfer from MEng to BEng once you're there, but very difficult to transfer from BEng to MEng. Having an MEng will also help you be more competitive when applying for jobs.

I'm currently studying Chem Eng at UCL. DO NOT COME HERE FOR CHEMICAL ENGINEERING IT IS AWFUL. The rankings would be much much lower if it wasn't for the good reputation UCL has, which makes getting jobs/internships easier. Birmingham is far better (have a look at student satisfaction - these tell you a lot!)

1) I think I'd enjoy the course a lot more if it wasn't for my department. The university itself is great, imo its a good balance of social and academic, you can have a lot of fun in your 3/4 years.
2) Its not as versatile as other degrees, in that most of our modules are compulsory (which makes sense for Engineering), but you do get taught a wide range of things
3) Job prospects are fine, Chem Eng gives loads of transferable skills, so you can go into a wide range of roles. You can 100% travel a lot with a chem eng related job!
4) I work part-time, and am active in societies, if you manage your time well you can definitely do it.
5) Don't worry too much about BEng or MEng, I'm personally on the BEng course but its very easy to transfer between the two, and is something you can decide at the end of second year

Good luck, feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

P.S just to reiterate, UCL chem eng is awful please don't apply

Thank you so much for replying
I'm glad I could actually talk to a student who is studying the course I'm interested in
Do you mind giving your email for further questions?

Thank you , that was really helpful
Just out of curiosity why did you change your mind and decided to do a maths degree instead?