Good universities for Chemistry/Materials

Hi,
I know that my learning style means I like being able to go to teachers to discuss questions or concepts I don't understand quite often, so a place with friendly teachers who operate with some sort of office hours or open-door policy would be great! Good Lab and library facilities would also be preferred, as I'm likely to be spending a lot of time there during my course. Entry requirements aren't an issue so I'd love to hear about teaching style and support, as well as facilities 🙂

(edited 4 months ago)

Reply 1

McGinger

20

What are your A level grade expectations ?

Reply 2

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

16

Original post by mitostudent

Hi,
I know that my learning style means I like being able to go to teachers to discuss questions or concepts I don't understand quite often, so a place with friendly teachers who operate with some sort of office hours or open-door policy would be great! Good Lab and library facilities would also be preferred, as I'm likely to be spending a lot of time there during my course. Entry requirements aren't an issue so I'd love to hear about teaching style and support, as well as facilities 🙂

Hi @mitostudent,

I'm a third-year chemistry student at Lancaster University so can give you some ideas about what it is like to study here :smile:

Personally, I have found one of the best things about Lancs is the small chemistry department. The lecturers are able to get to know students on a one-to-one level, especially your academic advisor who you meet with to discuss progress, issues or anything else. For subject specific questions, the department has an open-door policy so you can drop by the offices at any time to have or chat. However, it is often quicker to email first. The staff are very quick to reply and offer advice and feedback.

In addition to this, undergrad students spend lots of time in the lab. In first year, every week you spend one afternoon in the labs minimum. There is always a PhD student per 8-12 undergrads, an academic and 1-2 technical staff. This makes it really easy to ask questions and discuss theoretical concepts. This level of accessibility and support has made a significant impact on my own learning experience.

The labs themselves are very new, equipped with all the glassware, chemicals and characterisation equipment you need throughout your practicals. One thing that has been very beneficial to me is the ability to submit our own NMRs and IRs so, after each experiment, you can characterise the actual molecule you have synthesised to identify any issues with the outcome.

The library at Lancaster is large and has a tree in it! There are three floors for different kinds of study. The first floor is for group work, the second floor is for quiet work and the top floor is for silent study. This is good for when you want to avoid all the chatty people the night before a deadline. There are also study rooms you can book out, uni PCs and printing facilities so everything is really in one place. Also, during term-time, you can access the library 24/7.

That being said, there are lots of places to study on campus so you aren't confined to the library. The chemistry building has desks in it, all the colleges have study rooms and many faculties have dedicated study areas that anyone can visit.

Apart from the facilities, the overall student community has been friendly and supportive. I still have friends from my first year college flatmates but have met lots of people through societies and my course. There is access to support when you need it through many avenues including the college support team, student union and your academic advisor.

My best advice would be to visit open days to get a feel for each university you are interested in. Alternatively, I know lots of unis have virtual tours so you could always look those up to get an idea of what the facilities are like.

Feel free to ask if you have any more questions
-Beth (Lancaster Student Ambassador)

Reply 3

McGinger

20

Loughborough :
Courses | Department of Materials | Loughborough University (lboro.ac.uk)
Courses | Chemistry | Loughborough University (lboro.ac.uk)

Original post by mitostudent

Hi,
I know that my learning style means I like being able to go to teachers to discuss questions or concepts I don't understand quite often, so a place with friendly teachers who operate with some sort of office hours or open-door policy would be great! Good Lab and library facilities would also be preferred, as I'm likely to be spending a lot of time there during my course. Entry requirements aren't an issue so I'd love to hear about teaching style and support, as well as facilities 🙂

Hey @mitostudent :hi:

Firstly, great to hear that this is your learning style! I really think this is such an awesome proactive way to approach your learning and I honestly believe all places will be offering this kind of thing.
It's quite standard for lecturers/professors/tutors to offer office hours and what I used to do on my course was actually just go up to the Lecturer at the end and ask a question 1:1 if I didn't understand something.
Also there are chances to put your hand up during the session or sometimes there is a dedicated Q&A session near the end of a semester to go over anything before exams etc.

In terms of lab/library facilities, definitely go to Open Days to check this sort of thing out.

I studied Chemistry at Southampton if it helps, there is also a forum for it here: university of southampton
Hope this helps,
Cheese :smile:

Reply 5

UtterlyUseless69

12

Original post by mitostudent

Hi,
I know that my learning style means I like being able to go to teachers to discuss questions or concepts I don't understand quite often, so a place with friendly teachers who operate with some sort of office hours or open-door policy would be great! Good Lab and library facilities would also be preferred, as I'm likely to be spending a lot of time there during my course. Entry requirements aren't an issue so I'd love to hear about teaching style and support, as well as facilities 🙂

Entry requirements could well be an issue, as some universities will expect physics for materials science (and if memory serves you don’t take physics) and so some course like materials science at Oxford would be off limits.

I have little knowledge on MatSci and so any advice given hereafter will be chemistry exclusive.

I may be a little biased when I say Oxford is easily the best for chemistry, but from my experience of studying there, you absolutely can email your tutors any time about questions that have caused you confusion and small tute groups make it easier to get help tailored to you. That, and the labs and libraries are excellent and you have plenty of access to extracurriculars in your spare time.

But of course, other universities will also have comparable facilities and excellent teaching arrangements whilst also being easier to get into and so getting fixated on Oxford is perhaps not a good idea. I would also suggest checking out Cardiff, Southampton and Bath as other options for chemistry. All are very reputable universities with excellent research and courses in their own rights. Obviously you will need to attend open days (whether in person or virtually, if virtual open days are still a thing) to be absolutely sure.

Reply 6

mitostudent

OP

11

Original post by UtterlyUseless69

Entry requirements could well be an issue, as some universities will expect physics for materials science (and if memory serves you don’t take physics) and so some course like materials science at Oxford would be off limits.
I have little knowledge on MatSci and so any advice given hereafter will be chemistry exclusive.
I may be a little biased when I say Oxford is easily the best for chemistry, but from my experience of studying there, you absolutely can email your tutors any time about questions that have caused you confusion and small tute groups make it easier to get help tailored to you. That, and the labs and libraries are excellent and you have plenty of access to extracurriculars in your spare time.
But of course, other universities will also have comparable facilities and excellent teaching arrangements whilst also being easier to get into and so getting fixated on Oxford is perhaps not a good idea. I would also suggest checking out Cardiff, Southampton and Bath as other options for chemistry. All are very reputable universities with excellent research and courses in their own rights. Obviously you will need to attend open days (whether in person or virtually, if virtual open days are still a thing) to be absolutely sure.

Hiya, by entry requirements I only meant grades oops 😅 but I would consider taking a year off to take a level physics if I think materials is really for me. That being said I did hear it’s easier to get into materials from chem than the other way around in terms of careers. I’d love to know more about application advice and your experience!

Good universities for Chemistry/Materials

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