The Student Room Group

Bristol or King's (Chemistry)

I’ve received offers from Bristol and King’s for Chemistry MSci with a year in industry but I’m not sure which to put as my firm.

I like the course better at Bristol, especially the modules involving computational chemistry, but I’ve never been to Bristol and the offer holder days are fully booked so I won’t be able to attend so I’m not sure if I would like it there. I also heard that the university is full of posh people and has little cultural diversity and I wouldn’t like to be in that environment for 4 years.

On the other hand, I’ve been to KCL for a summer school and I loved it and had so much fun but it’s ranked quite low for chemistry so I’m wondering if that means the teaching quality is worse there. The course doesn’t particularly stand out to me either. However, I believe that the placement year at KCL allows you to gain experience in any industry, not just the chemistry industry, which might be useful in case I decide that I want to pursue a different career in the future. I also heard that graduate salaries are higher for those who went to KCL.

If anyone could tell me more about what the University of Bristol is like, please let me know! If I do decide to pursue a career that isn’t chemistry related, does university ranking still matter?

I’ve received offers from Southampton and Birmingham too so if anyone has any information on those universities please let me know but my top 2 choices are Bristol and King’s.

Reply 1

Original post
by tishhha
I’ve received offers from Bristol and King’s for Chemistry MSci with a year in industry but I’m not sure which to put as my firm.

I like the course better at Bristol, especially the modules involving computational chemistry, but I’ve never been to Bristol and the offer holder days are fully booked so I won’t be able to attend so I’m not sure if I would like it there. I also heard that the university is full of posh people and has little cultural diversity and I wouldn’t like to be in that environment for 4 years.

On the other hand, I’ve been to KCL for a summer school and I loved it and had so much fun but it’s ranked quite low for chemistry so I’m wondering if that means the teaching quality is worse there. The course doesn’t particularly stand out to me either. However, I believe that the placement year at KCL allows you to gain experience in any industry, not just the chemistry industry, which might be useful in case I decide that I want to pursue a different career in the future. I also heard that graduate salaries are higher for those who went to KCL.

If anyone could tell me more about what the University of Bristol is like, please let me know! If I do decide to pursue a career that isn’t chemistry related, does university ranking still matter?

I’ve received offers from Southampton and Birmingham too so if anyone has any information on those universities please let me know but my top 2 choices are Bristol and King’s.


Always choose the course you prefer.

You could go to have a look around Bristol in your own time before you make a decision or ask if there is a waiting list for offer holder days. There are also some online guides:

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/virtual-bristol/undergraduate/

Rankings really don't mean anything to employers. It's the skills you develop during your time at uni that do.
Original post
by tishhha
I’ve received offers from Bristol and King’s for Chemistry MSci with a year in industry but I’m not sure which to put as my firm.
I like the course better at Bristol, especially the modules involving computational chemistry, but I’ve never been to Bristol and the offer holder days are fully booked so I won’t be able to attend so I’m not sure if I would like it there. I also heard that the university is full of posh people and has little cultural diversity and I wouldn’t like to be in that environment for 4 years.
On the other hand, I’ve been to KCL for a summer school and I loved it and had so much fun but it’s ranked quite low for chemistry so I’m wondering if that means the teaching quality is worse there. The course doesn’t particularly stand out to me either. However, I believe that the placement year at KCL allows you to gain experience in any industry, not just the chemistry industry, which might be useful in case I decide that I want to pursue a different career in the future. I also heard that graduate salaries are higher for those who went to KCL.
If anyone could tell me more about what the University of Bristol is like, please let me know! If I do decide to pursue a career that isn’t chemistry related, does university ranking still matter?
I’ve received offers from Southampton and Birmingham too so if anyone has any information on those universities please let me know but my top 2 choices are Bristol and King’s.

Hi, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts it’s really exciting that you have so many great offers to choose from!

I just wanted to say that Southampton is a really fantastic place to study. It’s a Russell Group university with a strong reputation for science and research, and the campus has a really welcoming and friendly atmosphere. A lot of students say they feel very supported there, both academically and personally.

Outside of studies, Southampton is a lovely city to live in it’s student-friendly, with lots of green spaces, shops, and activities, and it’s close to the coast if you ever want to take a break by the sea. The university also offers good support for placement opportunities and career development, which can be really helpful if you’re thinking about working in industry later on.

No matter which choice you make, it sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into your options already, and I’m sure you’ll do really well wherever you decide to go! Wishing you all the best for this exciting next step!

Best wishes
Junfan

Quick Reply

How The Student Room is moderated

To keep The Student Room safe for everyone, we moderate posts that are added to the site.