Worried about studying Chemistry at UNI

I really like Chemistry despite me not being the absolute best at Physical Chemistry. However, I wanted to see if I was able to do any first year questions despite me being at the end of year 12

So I looked up Oxford Chemistry problem sheets and found a first year quantum mechanics sheet and I don't understand a single thing. Is this normal??? Should I be applying for Chemistry if I can't even attempt this???

Any advice from studying chemists would be great!

Reply 1

Plantagenet Crown

20

Original post by rayvenclaw444

I really like Chemistry despite me not being the absolute best at Physical Chemistry. However, I wanted to see if I was able to do any first year questions despite me being at the end of year 12

So I looked up Oxford Chemistry problem sheets and found a first year quantum mechanics sheet and I don't understand a single thing. Is this normal??? Should I be applying for Chemistry if I can't even attempt this???

Any advice from studying chemists would be great!

That's completely normal because you don't do quantum mechanics at A level so why would you be able to do a qm problem sheet? I also did a quantum mechanics module in the first year of my degree and you're taught all the content by the lecturer, none of us had done quantum mechanics before. Don't worry, the material required for modules is taught during the course, you're not expected to just know it beforehand.

Reply 2

rayvenclaw444

OP

2

Original post by Plantagenet Crown

That's completely normal because you don't do quantum mechanics at A level so why would you be able to do a qm problem sheet? I also did a quantum mechanics module in the first year of my degree and you're taught all the content by the lecturer, none of us had done quantum mechanics before. Don't worry, the material required for modules is taught during the course, you're not expected to just know it beforehand.

Thank you that was very reassuring, I was just worried because I do study A level Maths which has a Mechanics section so I thought Quantum Mechanics was supposed to build on top of that and I was just dumb lol. But thank you for putting this worry to bed!

Reply 3

Plantagenet Crown

20

Original post by rayvenclaw444

Thank you that was very reassuring, I was just worried because I do study A level Maths which has a Mechanics section so I thought Quantum Mechanics was supposed to build on top of that and I was just dumb lol. But thank you for putting this worry to bed!

You’ll be pleased to know that the mechanics section in maths A level has nothing to do with quantum mechanics, despite the shared name. I also did maths A level and hated it, especially mechanics lol. I’ve never been a massive fan of physical chemistry either, but I didn’t find physical chem at uni too difficult, not even quantum mechanics. A lot of it was just deriving equations and applying them to certain problems, I actually found organic to be the most challenging and the most enjoyable.

Reply 4

rayvenclaw444

OP

2

Original post by Plantagenet Crown

You’ll be pleased to know that the mechanics section in maths A level has nothing to do with quantum mechanics, despite the shared name. I also did maths A level and hated it, especially mechanics lol. I’ve never been a massive fan of physical chemistry either, but I didn’t find physical chem at uni too difficult, not even quantum mechanics. A lot of it was just deriving equations and applying them to certain problems, I actually found organic to be the most challenging and the most enjoyable.

THANK YOU SO MUCH GOD BLESS U
smiling like the chesire cat as i type this i hope u have a great day

Reply 5

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

15

Original post by rayvenclaw444

I really like Chemistry despite me not being the absolute best at Physical Chemistry. However, I wanted to see if I was able to do any first year questions despite me being at the end of year 12

So I looked up Oxford Chemistry problem sheets and found a first year quantum mechanics sheet and I don't understand a single thing. Is this normal??? Should I be applying for Chemistry if I can't even attempt this???

Any advice from studying chemists would be great!

Hi @rayvenclaw444,
I'm a second-year chemistry student at Lancaster Uni so I hope I can offer you reassurance.

First things first, it's completely normal to find topics like quantum chemistry challenging, especially when you haven't studied it. Quantum mechanics is based on understanding from mathematics and physics and honestly I still struggle with it! There will always be part of subjects that come more naturally to you and you enjoy more so please don't worry about that. We all have different natural abilities.

When you apply to a chemistry degree, they do not expect you to have a complete understanding of all the advanced topics you will cover. Chemistry undergraduates are designed to build knowledge and skills over time, starting with more basic foundations and then making it more difficult over time.

If you want to study chemistry and you have an interest in it, then that's enough to apply for a degree! However, I will warn you that throughout the program you will face challenges, encounter new and difficult concepts and have to expend some significant effort to understand everything. But it is really worth it if you enjoy the subject and it is really rewarding.

I've got a few tips for studying chemistry and preparing for university from my own experience:
1. Build strong foundations: Focus on understanding fundamental concepts and principles in chemistry, as they form the basis for more advanced topics. This includes topics like atomic structure, chemical bonding, stoichiometry, and thermodynamics. It is much easier to understand harder concepts when you have solid theoretical foundations to fall back on.
2. Practice regularly: Chemistry involves problem-solving, so practice solving different types of questions and exercises regularly. This will help you develop problem-solving skills and gain confidence in tackling more complex problems.
3. Seek help and resources: If you're struggling with specific topics or questions, don't hesitate to seek help. Talk to your teachers, join study groups, or find online resources and tutorials that can provide additional explanations and practice problems.
4. Explore different learning resources: Apart from textbooks and problem sheets, consider exploring online lectures, video tutorials, and interactive simulations. These resources can provide alternative explanations and visualisations that may enhance your understanding of difficult concepts.

These may be helpful through the rest of your A-levels and into further study and they have certainly helped me.

I hope this helps and if you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask!
-Beth :smile:

(Lancaster Student Ambassador)

Worried about studying Chemistry at UNI

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