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Oxford Chemistry Students and Applicants

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I got in without any work experience at all and in all the interviews I had all of them were solely chemistry academic questioning with the exception of the physical one where he asked me about my grades briefly at the end but that was it.
Reply 901
Avatar for Powerhead
Powerhead
Got in without anything remotely resembling work experience, outside Olympiad preparation.
cpchem
..


tarnishedpenny
..


How are you guys doing? Alright?
Turdburger
How are you guys doing? Alright?


Starting to go a little crazy but okay! How's the revision behaving? I realised I'd reached a low when I had a one and a half hour tute over lunch today :p:
Reply 904
Avatar for cpchem
cpchem
14
Writing up is proving to be a bit of a killer... mostly because I have virtually nothing worth writing about.
tarnishedpenny
Starting to go a little crazy but okay! How's the revision behaving? I realised I'd reached a low when I had a one and a half hour tute over lunch today :p:


Not too bad, I dont like this years organic as much as last years though :frown: . I fear im going to have make marks up elsewhere
I don't know if others feel/ felt like this, but as long as I meet my offer then I'll be studying chem at St John's this year but I keep on doubting myself and feeling like I'm not going to be good enough for the course or as good as others. I'm not sure if it's just me feeling like this or if everyone doubts themselves at some stage?
danhirons
I don't know if others feel/ felt like this, but as long as I meet my offer then I'll be studying chem at St John's this year but I keep on doubting myself and feeling like I'm not going to be good enough for the course or as good as others. I'm not sure if it's just me feeling like this or if everyone doubts themselves at some stage?

I think everyone feels like that.. :frown:
danhirons
I don't know if others feel/ felt like this, but as long as I meet my offer then I'll be studying chem at St John's this year but I keep on doubting myself and feeling like I'm not going to be good enough for the course or as good as others. I'm not sure if it's just me feeling like this or if everyone doubts themselves at some stage?


Yeah I feel like that, despite already having A grades in maths&chem which should technically reassure me that I'm probably alright :o:. I reckon most people have that phase of self doubt, I'm sure you'll be just fine!

That said, I'm reeeeaaallly looking forward to getting back into chemistry, I've already got some of the textbooks to get stuck into :teehee:.
Reply 909
Avatar for Powerhead
Powerhead
speaking of textbooks, does anyone have any idea which ones we should get? I am asking, because I can get some from friends, etc? I assume Atkins for Physical, but no idea about the rest.
Powerhead
speaking of textbooks, does anyone have any idea which ones we should get? I am asking, because I can get some from friends, etc? I assume Atkins for Physical, but no idea about the rest.


I've got the Clayden-Greeves-Warren-Wothers Organic Chemistry, the Shrivers and Atkins Inorganic and Atkins Elements of Physical Chemistry... not sure about the last one, but I know the first one is recommended :p:.
Reply 911
Avatar for BJack
BJack
19
Powerhead
speaking of textbooks, does anyone have any idea which ones we should get? I am asking, because I can get some from friends, etc? I assume Atkins for Physical, but no idea about the rest.


Previously in chem chat:—

Jeykayem: Soooooo, I'd like to get some textbooks before Christmas, but I'm not sure which ones to get. Definitely getting the Clayden for Organic and Atkins for Physical (although I can't decide which edition to get since the 9th edition has just been released, but there is no solutions manual yet). I don't know what to get for Inorganic though; neither Shriver and Atkins nor Greenwood and Earnshaw have Amazon reviews as good as Clayden or Atkins! Ah, decisions, decisions...
cpchem: Greenwood and Earnshaw is one of those that you just need from time to time - looking up unusual compounds etc, but Shriver and Atkins is a better all-round text, insofar as it covers concepts, but it's still an awful book. There is no good inorganic book, I'm afraid.
Turdburger: I wouldnt buy either inorganic book.
Reply 912
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Powerhead
Well, yes, I've seen that, but I was hoping on some input from current students, on the branches other than inorganic.
Reply 913
Avatar for cpchem
cpchem
14
Atkins' Physical Chemistry is the only book that will last you the entire degree. Clayden et al. run out of steam a bit, but will see you reasonably soundly through 1st/2nd year: it isn't perfect, but it's far and away the best 'general' organic textbook.
:ditto:

I have too many catalytic cycles in my head :woo: not cool.....
Reply 915
Avatar for Powerhead
Powerhead
Isabobble
I've got the Clayden-Greeves-Warren-Wothers Organic Chemistry, the Shrivers and Atkins Inorganic and Atkins Elements of Physical Chemistry... not sure about the last one, but I know the first one is recommended :p:.


I was thinking on getting the first. AFAIK, Elements of PhysChem was aimed at Biochemists?

cpchem
Atkins' Physical Chemistry is the only book that will last you the entire degree. Clayden et al. run out of steam a bit, but will see you reasonably soundly through 1st/2nd year: it isn't perfect, but it's far and away the best 'general' organic textbook.


Thanks for the heads-up. I heard mixed opinions on Clayden, averaging out at "good organic book, but not good for introduction".
Powerhead

Thanks for the heads-up. I heard mixed opinions on Clayden, averaging out at "good organic book, but not good for introduction".


Not for introduction?! I'd say that's what it's good for. The first chapter is literally on how to draw an organic mechanism using curly arrows.
Powerhead
I was thinking on getting the first. AFAIK, Elements of PhysChem was aimed at Biochemists?
...


I don't know, it might well be - I know it's definitely not the 'full' Atkins version :p: but I got it second hand off Amazon before my interviews for a bit of prep reading, it was cheap enough and interesting enough to last me for now!
Reply 918
Avatar for cpchem
cpchem
14
tarnishedpenny
Not for introduction?! I'd say that's what it's good for. The first chapter is literally on how to draw an organic mechanism using curly arrows.


Agreed. It's an ideal introduction to organic chemistry, albeit not necessarily in the order that things come up in our course (but chapter-hopping isn't exactly arduous). It's the one organic book that every chemist genuinely should own.

Anyway, hope the catalytic cycles aren't too bad!!
cpchem
Agreed. It's an ideal introduction to organic chemistry, albeit not necessarily in the order that things come up in our course (but chapter-hopping isn't exactly arduous). It's the one organic book that every chemist genuinely should own.

Anyway, hope the catalytic cycles aren't too bad!!


They're fading! I just stupidly decided that today I'd do inorganic organometallics, core organic organometallics and then the ones from option 1 (which thankfully are cycle free!). Looking back on that planning it was a little silly......
Have you finished writing up/almost?

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