UCL Chemistry with Mathematics - am I doing the right thing?

Hi all,

As you can see from my sig, I've accepted a place for chemical engineering at UCL.

Over the last few days however I keep thinking I'm making a bad choice here.

Basically, I'm pretty unaware of what exactly studying engineering will entail - an important piece of information if truth be told.

I sort of rushed into it without properly finding this out. I know bits and bobs but not enough to go into it confident that I know what I've let myself in for.

I had an offer for Chemistry with Mathematics at UCL, which I met the offer for - however I declined it as a choice.

I just spoke to the admissions tutor for Chemistry with Mathematics at UCL, who said he'd speak to the head of dept to see if I can transfer.

I got A in Chemistry and A in maths, and a B in physics. I really enjoy chemistry, and maths is pretty kickarse too, but chem eng seems a bit more solid in terms of prospects afterwards.

Call me stupid or whatever, but I am looking at gaining entry into finance of some sort; Investment banking, CIMA, ACA or something equivalent, hence chemical engineering being the choice I made. This was stupid, so please don't comment on this - my aim to enter finance is there, and won't change.

I feel that I will enjoy chem with maths a lot more than chem eng, hence the reason I asked to change over... But am I making the right choice here? Is UCL a good place to get this degree from? I had an offer at Imperial for Chemistry, but declined it for similar reasons.

Surely Chemistry with Mathematics at UCL > Chemistry at Imperial in terms of respect/prospects etc?

Also, according to my brother in law - who has a PhD in Chemistry rekons chemistry at Imperial will be a lot harder than chemistry at UCL.

The chem dept at UCL has good stats though - 11 1sts, 8 2:1's and 4 2:2's from last year. However the Chem with Maths course only had 3 people on it, 1 got a 2:1, and the other two got 2:2's.

Am I doing the right thing here?

Sorry for the length, but hey - it's an important issue for me xD :p:

Cheers guys
Ourkid

Reply 1

-G-a-v-

16

If you're heading for finance, studying maths will probably let you do some financial mathematics modules, so in that respect Chem with Maths is a good bet :smile:

It sounds to me like you're doing the right thing.

Reply 2

fonzievision

14

Surely Chemistry with Mathematics at UCL > Chemistry at Imperial in terms of respect/prospects etc?

Since finance is your ambition, I think you should've stuck with Imperial, and I'm not saying that just because I'm going there. University rep matters more than course rep in the end.

Reply 3

ChemistBoy

16

I don't see why chemistry at imperial would be anymore diffcult than at UCL (i.e. I disagree with your brother-in-law). Perceptions and not actualities, though, seem to be important in the world of finance.

Reply 4

Philosoraptor

18

Around 50% of the people taking Chemistry/Chemistry with something end up in finance. So I don't see why people thought you'd more likely go into finance with Chemical Engineering?

Reply 5

Ourkid

OP

12

Thanks for the replies guys,

-G-a-v-, cheers :smile:

Fonzievision - do you feel that it is a significant difference? I do know that chemistry is the best degree for me - I made a mistake in looking at engineering for the potential back up career, but if it's too difficult for me, then those prospects go down the pan with a 3rd/2:2 or something.

Chemistboy - the logic my bro in law used was that imperial has higher standards of entry for chemistry, and so a higher calibre of students will attend, pushing the overall quality up. Also I imagine the course to be harder just from having a taste from the interviews - IC was very academic (ie bringing in a lot of the harder material from A level), whereas UCL asked me what I knew about titrations.

Philosoraptor - Really? That is encouraging. The reason I chose chem eng was because it directly leads onto finance, but also has a well paid sector to itself - I guess I was only looking at the end gains rather than the course and what it would take to actually study it.

Thanks for the replies guys - I think I've made my decision :smile:

Reply 6

ChemistBoy

16

Ourkid

Chemistboy - the logic my bro in law used was that imperial has higher standards of entry for chemistry, and so a higher calibre of students will attend, pushing the overall quality up. Also I imagine the course to be harder just from having a taste from the interviews - IC was very academic (ie bringing in a lot of the harder material from A level), whereas UCL asked me what I knew about titrations.

What you were asked about in your interview is kind of a irrelevant as to the actual standards of the course once you are there. Remember that Imperial college is one of only 3 chemistry departments in the UK that I am aware of to have significant (if any) competition for places so their interviews are going to be more demanding as they are trying to create a short-list of applicants rather than just ensuring that their applicants are of the appropriate minimum standard.

Actually given that a lot of content (all the core material) is regulated by the standards of the RSC there are little differences in the overalll level of all accredited chemistry degrees. Certainly my colleagues who have done external examination at Imperial and other universities say that the marking and assessment standards are very similar across the board. Granted the courses contain different peripheral material (this can and does extend to the level of mathematics in the course) which some people may find more (or less) challenging.

Despite your bother in law's PhD in the subject (yes, I have one too) his views are at odds with much of the academic community in the subject. Personally I would believe what external examiners have told me over anything else.

Reply 7

Ourkid

OP

12

ChemistBoy

What you were asked about in your interview is kind of a irrelevant as to the actual standards of the course once you are there. Remember that Imperial college is one of only 3 chemistry departments in the UK that I am aware of to have significant (if any) competition for places so their interviews are going to be more demanding as they are trying to create a short-list of applicants rather than just ensuring that their applicants are of the appropriate minimum standard.

Actually given that a lot of content (all the core material) is regulated by the standards of the RSC there are little differences in the overalll level of all accredited chemistry degrees. Certainly my colleagues who have done external examination at Imperial and other universities say that the marking and assessment standards are very similar across the board. Granted the courses contain different peripheral material (this can and does extend to the level of mathematics in the course) which some people may find more (or less) challenging.

Despite your bother in law's PhD in the subject (yes, I have one too) his views are at odds with much of the academic community in the subject. Personally I would believe what external examiners have told me over anything else.

Believe me when I say I'm not doubting your comments. I can see where my bro in law is coming from but at the end of the day as long as I put in the work I don't see why I couldn't be one of the best.

So should I really be trying to phone the Imperial Chem dept to see if they have any spaces? I doubt they do but is it a significant difference?

I mean - part of me is happy that my course is going to have maths in the title, and it is from UCL - not exactly crap, but I did really really like imperial.

Goddamnit I think I keep getting confused :frown:

Thanks
Ourkid

UCL Chemistry with Mathematics - am I doing the right thing?

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