UCL Biochemical Engineering Undergraduate's Crook Society 2020 Applicants

Hello Everyone! This is the Undergraduate Society of UCL's Biochemical Engineering department. We would love to answer any questions from students who will be joining us in September. Ask us anything about the course, department or what Crook Society does. General questions about student life at UCL and in London are also welcome!

The Crook Society Committee are ready to answer all your questions:

Praveena (President) from London did A Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Maths. She just finished her second year in the department.

Sebastian (Vice President) from Trinidad and Tobago, studied A Level Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics. He just finished his first year doing Biochemical Engineering.

Gavin (Treasurer) is from Malaysia, where he did A levels in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology and has finished his second year of an Biochemical Engineering.

Aditi (General Secretary) studied in Sri Lanka, taking A Levels in Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Further Maths. Aditi will be starting her second year in September.

Agnes (Marketing Secretary) is from the Philippines. She completed her A Levels in Woking College, doing Biology, Chemistry and Maths. Agnes just finished her first year in the department.

Zeynep (Social Secretary) is from Istanbul and has studied maths and physics and biology. Zeynep will be starting her third year in September.

For more information on Crook Society and our events, find us at:
Instagram @uclcrook
Facebook @BiochemEngCrookSoc
We look forward to meeting you in September!

Reply 1

hinatakazuno

Hi there, I am going to study Biochemical Engineering in September 2020. I was wondering, what is the course like and how enjoyable is it?

University College London

London

Reply 2

CS_ajla

Original post by hinatakazuno

Hi there, I am going to study Biochemical Engineering in September 2020. I was wondering, what is the course like and how enjoyable is it?

Hello,
The course is very interdisciplinary with modules that will cover all three sciences and maths, so whether you prefer Biochemistry or Thermodynamics there is something in the course for you! Also there are plenty of opportunities to work in teams with people within and outside the department so you can always meet new people and the environment is very collaborative. During group projects and practical lab sessions you will also get support from PhD students which double up as a great chance to learn about their experiences and research. The teaching staff in the department are very supportive too and during the course your of degree, you will get to know them very well!

The degree material itself is quite varied making it enjoyable and the people in the department just add to the fun!!!

We look forward to welcoming you in September!

Reply 3

biochemical.ucl

Hi. Just to let you know there's an article here featuring the new Crook Society members:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/biochemical-engineering/news/2020/jun/welcome-new-crook-society-2020

Reply 4

Cov3rt

Hi,

I was wondering how much physics is involved in the course as i am currently doing maths, biology and chemistry.

As well as that, since the subject is pretty niche and very few universities offer it to a level similar to UCL, how would you suggest writing a personal statement incorporating both biochemical engineering and another life science i.e biomedical sciences? (is biochemical considering a life science or purely engineering degree?)

Thank you in advance

Reply 5

biochemical.ucl

Original post by Cov3rt

Hi, thanks for the question. Good to know you're interested in Biochemical Engineering.

It's difficult to quantify how much physics is in the programme as once you get to degree level maths and physics become much more applied. I'd definitely suggest looking at the individual modules as they'll give you more detail, but I've had great feedback from students who say that everyone brings their own experience to the cohort so people like yourself with biology and chemistry will learn from fellow students with physics, but share your experience in return. I'm sure one of the Crook team members will have more to say!

Sure, yes, the UCAS personal statement is a question we often get as we're the only UK university to teach the subject. Professor Brenda Parker did an article on the subject that has a lot of useful information:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/biochemical-engineering/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-faqs#ucas-statement
Lots of this applies right across the board and goes far beyond our degrees.

Yes, the UCL Biochemical Engineering MEng/BEng and the Manufacturing of New Medicines BSc programmes are all engineering degrees. There's a Q&A session taking place online later this month and you can talk to academics and students to find out more about how biochemical engineering differs from other subjects like life sciences or biomedical engineering or even chemical engineering.
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/biochemical-engineering/events/2020/aug/why-did-i-choose-study-my-degree-ucl-biochemical-engineering

Hope this is helpful.

Kim

Hope this helps, and the very best of luck with your studies!

Kim, UCL

Reply 6

Ash AFR

Hello!

i am interested in Biochemical Engineering.
I am doing Maths,Biology,Chemistry and Physics at A-Level.I was thinking if switch from Biology to Further Maths,will it make my A-Level offer any better or should I stick with the subject I am studying now?

Reply 7

biochemical.ucl

Original post by Ash AFR

Hi. This is an admissions question and we're actually doing a Q&A on 29 October. It's free so come along and our admissions tutor will answer your query in person:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/biochemical-engineering/events/2020/oct/biochemical-engineering-undergraduate-admissions-qa
We'll also have Agnes with us, Agnes is a current undergrad student so you can get her take on it too.