Chemistry at university

I'm not sure yet what I would like to apply for at university so I would be grateful if someone could talk about their experience studying chemistry and what sort of careers you could go into with a chemistry degree

Hi @blossomx44!,

I'm a second-year chemistry student on an MChem course. I'd love to share some insights about my experience studying chemistry and the potential career paths it can lead to.

Studying:
Studying chemistry can be exciting and intellectually rewarding. It has taught me a deep understanding of the fundamental properties and interactions of matter, which forms the basis of many scientific disciplines and industries. This is the reason I wanted to study chemistry in the first place. Chemistry programs typically cover a range of topics including organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, computational chemistry and more. Due to the broad range of topics, there is naturally some bits you find more fun than others but I think this is true for any degree course. Studying chemistry requires a lot of hard-work to keep up with the content. It is full-on but feels great when you achieve an understanding of something you have struggled with.

My course is RSC accredited so labs and practical experiments are an integral part of the program, allowing theoretical knowledge to be applied in real-life. I have grown to love the lab over the past two years, gaining confidence in my abilities. It is where you get to realise the idea of being a chemist in the lab coat and goggles. A lot of contact hours are spent in the lab so it is a valuable time to talk to lecturers, lab technicians and postgrad students about questions you may have.

Typically, I have 20+ contact hours in a week. This is significantly more than other courses like law or english. However, I find that I have less independent learning hours. This is great for me because I would struggle more to read a textbook for hours on end than to go to a seminar, a workshop and a lecture in a day. It suits my learning style well. I still try to make my learning hours up to 40 in a week like the uni recommends but at least half is covered by my contact hours.

Career opportunities:
Chemistry teaches lots of versatile skills like critical thinking, attention to detail, lab techniques, scientific writing, research skills and so much more. It can lead to a wide array of career paths in various industries. Some careers I have heard of chemistry graduates entering or that I've looked into myself are: research scientist, pharmaceuticals, environmental science, forensic science, materials science, quality control, science communication, teaching, energy and the food/ drink industry. This website https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/chemistry can give you some more ideas. Basically, it is a good degree that doesn't have to lead to a degree in chemistry.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask!
-Beth (Lancaster Student Ambassador)

Thank you so much that was really helpful Were you 100% certain that you wanted to do chemistry at uni when you applied as I have an interest in it but i can’t say i’m particularly passionate about it. However, I am struggling to find a course that i feel passionate about so any advice on how to choose would be much appreciated !