Natural Science degree - Finance career? HELP!

I want to study natural science at university becuase i like the diversity of the course and the fact i can delay picking my options. BUT, will a degree in natural science be able to get me into a good job in finance??

At uni im thinking of applying to cambridge, durham and UCL for natural science, and i will do biology and chemistry modules. For my other three choices, im thinking of leeds for natural science, sheffield for economics and newcastle for the flying start accounting and business finance degree

How should i go about writing my personal statement for this. "I love science, but i love buisness and this is what my career path will be".....could i write that and recieve a good number of offers

also.....would i get a job in finance, if i went on to do a phd in chem?? I dont think i would be able to get a phd or masters in economics if i did a science degree, could i? and would there be any point in me doing this?

thanks for your help

Reply 1

ChemistBoy

You don't have to post the same question twice!

Seriously, if you want to go into finance then head off in that direction, don't bother doing science as your lack of real interest will show through. Cambridge won't touch you unless you are fully committed to science, remember that your PS will be read by an academic admissions tutor -he/she isn't going to give a rat's ass about your interest in business they want to know about why you want to study science.

Reply 2

john-boro

I think if you want to do finance, but are having thoughts about NatSci, there is a lot of merit in going for natural sciences and taking mainly maths or chemistry etc, with a couple of modules of something else added for interest (say economics?). That way (at least from what I know of Durham) you could go on and get a straight maths degree, which is very good preparation for the postgrads you speak of, or your interest in a new subject may be aroused and you could go joint honours, happy you had given yourself the choice. :smile:

By the way, I wouldn't bother with a phd in chem unless you actually want to be a chemist, because it will be torture. Give yourself the best chance of getting into economics, and then use the flexibility of natsci to try another subject too.

Reply 3

User69701

If you want do do a sciencel, it should be weighted in the numeracy area. Physics and engineering are options. Of course business math and finance are the best for that area.

Reply 4

User69701

If you do decid on natural Science option such as Materials, Surface, Industrial... will provide the required numeracy as well as the science knowledge if you decide to change career path.

Reply 5

dups45

Seriously, if you want to go into finance then head off in that direction, don't bother doing science as your lack of real interest will show through. Cambridge won't touch you unless you are fully committed to science, remember that your PS will be read by an academic admissions tutor -he/she isn't going to give a rat's ass about your interest in business they want to know about why you want to study science.

Im doing a natural science degree, becuase i love science, so i dont know where you got that from, i just dont want to be a scientist when i come after my degree

nor do i want to do a maths degree!

Reply 6

ChemistBoy

dups45

Im doing a natural science degree, becuase i love science, so i dont know where you got that from, i just dont want to be a scientist when i come after my degree

nor do i want to do a maths degree!

Then for the love of god don't bang on about business in your PS. Your UCAS application is to get you into university to study science, not business and admissions tutors will want to see you focused on that.

I'm afraid, as someone who does have a real passion for the subject, I find it hard to accept that you love science so much since you don't want a career in anything even remotely scientific. This is exactly how an admissions tutor will feel if you tell him/her that you want to be an investment banker (they will ask 'why aren't you doing finance or economics?').

Sorry to be tough on you, but if you want to stand any chance of getting into Cambridge then you will have to so a proper dedication to the subject - you will have to show you want to be a scientist, not just study it for a bit so you can get a good job in the city. A very high proportion of cambridge NatSci's continue into scientific research and that is who they are really looking for.

Reply 7

Turdburger

Im most intrested in science -- hence why I want to do a scientific degree.

However, I dont want a scientist's wages so I want a career to be in finance.

Reply 8

ChemistBoy

Heartbreaker

Im most intrested in science -- hence why I want to do a scientific degree.

However, I dont want a scientist's wages so I want a career to be in finance.

But you have to play the game to get into university, honesty won't get you anywhere. Admissions tutors are members of academic staff and career scientists, saying that you don't want to stay in science because the wages are crap is hardly going to impress them, is it (in fact it's a bit insulting)? They know full well that many of their students will go off into lucrative careers elsewhere, but they want you to show that you have a committed interest to the subject and saying that you already don't want a career in science is hardly going to display that. Cambridge will use any method neccessary to distinguish applicants to their oversubscribed NatSci courses and if it comes down to a choice between a person who wants to be in IB and someone who wants to be in science you know who they are going to choose.

Reply 9

Turdburger

Thank you for your advice.

I dont plan on telling the people at Cambridge etc. that i dont want a career as a scientist, Ill play the game :smile:

Reply 10

harr

Edit: Missed part of the first post.

Reply 11

dups45

the reason i asked if i should write about that is becuase i am applying for an accounting course in newcastle and economics in sheffield and maybe leeds

Reply 12

harr

That's more of a problem. I hadn't read your original post carefully enough (I'd just looked through the replies), so I hadn't seen that. I'd have thought that you'd be either interested in science to apply for a science everywhere or not interested enough so you'd apply for finance subjects. Think carefully about whether you want to apply for this range of courses first. By all means do if you want to, but it will be harder to get in if your ps is not very focused.

Reply 13

john171

You will be at university for between 3 and 5 years, pick your course very carefully. If finance is your main intrest then take a finance degree. Otherwise you will end up doing something you hate.

Reply 14

Ancient Monument

Heartbreaker

Im most intrested in science -- hence why I want to do a scientific degree.

However, I dont want a scientist's wages so I want a career to be in finance.

If you like science and want a top paying job - why not medicine?

Reply 15

dups45

im squeemish lol, i had thought about medicine for a long time

Reply 16

Turdburger

Because i am like the above, squeamish, and I dont care enough about other people. I dont want to work my ass off at uni (yeh im having 2nd thoughts about cambridge.) Im not doing biology at A2. I dont want 5/6 years worth of student debt when i could get away with 3. Im not intrested in the subject and if I did medicine id probably have to go to a terrible uni as good unis would be able to tell im not intrested in it. Its too late for me to do work exprience and i wouldnt want/ am too lazy to do in anyway. I wouldnt want to spend my time round the sick and dying.

I dont like it how we are allowed to put sick animals down and yet humans have to suffer needless pain before they die, and we shamelessly try and kill them off with stronger and stronger painkillers. Having said that if legislation was ever introduced so that we could allow euthanasia I would not personally like to be prescribing painkillers which would basically kill the patients. I have little faith in the medical profession.

I also belive that most though obviously not all, people who apply for medicine are doing so for completely the wrong reasons / family pressure (especially true in the case of people from the Indian subcontinent.)

According to a British Med School, you need to have to the following qualities:

The ability to be a team player
Pro-social attitudes; e.g. students who show empathy and are non-judgmental (as you can see im judgmental all right :tongue:

)
Communication skills, including listening
Veracity and honesty
Students who demonstrate a suitable approach to life and people

Apart from not knowing what veracity is :smile:

I have none of the above qualities.

That said it your question was a good one, I guess medicine just isnt for me. :biggrin:

rant over

Reply 17

john-boro

I think the OP should do natural sciences. It seems to me he's in the common situation of enjoying science but being worried that it won't lead to a good job, hence the finance thing. Live for the moment, do what you enjoy and you'll get a good degree in a good subject. Some people prefer to look ahead to precisely what job they want to do and think 'how can I get there,' but in my opinion uni provides such an eye-opener into the true nature of a subject that it's silly to think that far ahead. That's just me though :smile: