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advice with chemistry!!

hello!! i have just finished GCSEs and am planning on doing chemistry, english lit and history. i absolutely adore chemistry and am predicted a 9!! i would love to do something involving chemistry in uni. however, its my only science that im geniunely good at and passionate about and so far for everything ive seen i would need to do alevel maths. does anyone have any advice for future degrees or courses or jobs involving chemistry? thank you

Reply 1

If you are wanting to do chemistry at uni not all will ask for maths! I know York says you don’t need maths (but it does have higher entry requirements if you don’t do another science/maths based subject).

Another option for sixth form is to do core maths if your school offers it. I think it does more real world maths compared to what the a level teaches you, and it could even be useful alongside chemistry so you do still have those maths skills.

You might also be able to join a chemistry society at uni if you end up not choosing it as your degree but it’s probably something you’ll want to look into as they are sometimes only for the students studying that course.

Hope this helps!!

Reply 2

Original post
by hobee
If you are wanting to do chemistry at uni not all will ask for maths! I know York says you don’t need maths (but it does have higher entry requirements if you don’t do another science/maths based subject).
Another option for sixth form is to do core maths if your school offers it. I think it does more real world maths compared to what the a level teaches you, and it could even be useful alongside chemistry so you do still have those maths skills.
You might also be able to join a chemistry society at uni if you end up not choosing it as your degree but it’s probably something you’ll want to look into as they are sometimes only for the students studying that course.
Hope this helps!!


thank you so much i will look into the core maths for my six form :smile:

Reply 3

Original post
by bianka:)
hello!! i have just finished GCSEs and am planning on doing chemistry, english lit and history. i absolutely adore chemistry and am predicted a 9!! i would love to do something involving chemistry in uni. however, its my only science that im geniunely good at and passionate about and so far for everything ive seen i would need to do alevel maths. does anyone have any advice for future degrees or courses or jobs involving chemistry? thank you

I suppose a chemistry degree is not impossible to access without a second science subject or maths, but it will result in some universities (Imperial and Oxford, in particular) being off limits.

York as mentioned above doesn’t require maths or a second science, UEA is also an option and I believe Cardiff should also be possible.

Core maths almost certainly won’t help you to land a place at any of the above universities as it isn’t stated in the entry requirements, but it will at least help keep a number of your maths skills alive between now and starting university. It also focuses much more on “real world” maths than the pure maths you will actually need for a chemistry degree (though this will be taught to you on the degree). If you cannot do core maths at your sixth form, then you have no reason to worry.

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