For as long as I can remember I have loved science, all the pretty colours and the cool experiments that the teachers demonstrated it was all pretty amazing, helping us understand the world around us and why things follow a certain path as opposed to an alternative. So when it came down to deciding what I wanted to pursue a degree in and spend £9000 a year on, Chemistry seemed like the most viable option for me. So I worked hard stuck it out in the library, did questions upon questions upon questions, read books and went to interviews. After doing all of this hard work I had finally made it, I had got into a great university to study the subject I felt so strongly about.

My first term completely threw me off, I was writing up lab reports in my second week, doing maths coursework and having to do extra reading just to be up to speed. I felt like I had been thrown into the deep end and I was drowning. My first experiment had gone wrong and I couldn’t seem to keep up with everyone else, I was surrounded by some pretty clever people from all areas of the world. As the weeks progressed I convinced myself that I had chosen the wrong course and I couldn’t handle a degree as intense as Chemistry. I was ready to give up, I had been pushed to my limits and I felt like I was barely gripping on to my sanity. At this point it was two weeks before the end of my first term and I had decided that I would tell my parents how I felt during the holidays, in our two final weeks we had three in class tests, with a competitive nature like mine I still tried my best with these tests, spending most of my evenings in the library going over lectures, making notes and trying practice questions. Finally the two weeks were over and with that so was the first term and to celebrate everyone in my halls of residence was planning a night out. As I was getting ready I received an email alerting me that the results of all three tests were on our university moodle site, with a heavy heart I decided to check my results.

This is when it all changed. Not only did I pass all three tests but I achieved two A+ grades and an A++ (100%) grade. The feeling of all those late nights, all the work I had done and all the effort and energy I had put into revision finally paying off was one of the best I have ever felt. Seeing the fruits of my labour was what made me realise that I had chosen the right course for me and that if I wanted to do well in this course I would have to remember all the reasons why I love Chemistry and use that to drive me and keep me working to the best of my abilities. Since then I have kept up this way of thinking and have passed my first year and have achieved the grade I wanted. As cheesy as it may sound, if you want to do something no matter how hard or out of reach it may be, it’s always possible as long as you are passionate and motivated to work for it. If you check those two boxes I would definitely recommend a degree in science!

Additional resources:

Chemical Engineering vs Chemistry
Best Universities to Study Chemistry in the UK
The Importance of Studying Maths and Science