Mollie

Chemistry

I think the teaching quality is very high, the lecturers are always willing to answers any questions you have and go though things again with you outside of lectures. The facilities are also great, STEM lab being the highlight it a great place to learn and experience the practical side of the course.

I came to an open day and I know it sounds strange but as soon as I got out of the car, I had a gut feeling that I was going to come to this university. After seeing the chemistry department and all its facilities and the rest of campus, that felling cemented and I made it my first choice.

I’ve always loved science since I was younger, and chemistry was always my favourite science subject during my GCSE’S and A Levels, so it was the obvious choice to me when choosing my degree.

It has so many different areas that it can contribute to from fuels to medicine and it can be used to make an impact on the world and help improve lives and I really love that aspect of it.

I love the community that the course it built around, outside of the subject it’s self the course is really social hosting lots of different events. Through chemistry there are opportunities to play sport, volunteer in the community and go out and have fun together, everyone gets involved including the staff and through this I have made friends for life. It means the course is about more than getting a degree, and you get the whole uni experience.

I think the teaching quality is very high, the lectures are always willing to answers any questions you have and go though things again with you outside of lectures. The facilities are also great, STEM lab being the highlight it a great place to learn and experience the practical side of the course.

Following from this, the department runs a great scheme of peer mentoring where students from higher years are a point of contact whom you can direct any questions to and they’re able to give insight from their own experience and signpost should it be needed – a resource I really found invaluable in first year and subsequently became as I progressed to part B and C.

Between my second and third year I took on a placement at the Francis Crick Institute- a world leading centre for biomedical research. My role was as a research assistant in the field of metabolomics, and this really helped to push and develop my skills further. I worked within a team of scientists to develop new analytical chemistry methods for liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy to identify key metabolites which could be used to diagnose diseases, such as cancer, in cells. Within the institute I worked with many scientists from different disciplines all working towards the common goal of improving human health. This gave a real sense for operating as part of a team to deliver, contribute and learn skills that can’t necessarily be taught in a lecture theatre. This placement really helped grown my confidence in many skills like giving presentations, working with and managing teams as well as my practical chemistry skills which will be really helpful going forward in my degree!

I would really like to pursue a PhD in chemistry and continue learning about the subject I’m forever fascinated by. Loughborough has definitely helped me to realise my ambitions and provided me with the toolkit for becoming a scientist. From the breadth and depth of content from the disciplines of analytical, organic, inorganic and physical to the practical experience I feel I’ll leave Loughborough both a well-rounded chemist and individual. I feel that we’re not just given facts and knowledge but we’re also being trained to tackle problems and unknown situations, prepared for times when there isn’t necessarily a simple answer.

I lived on campus my first 2 years and part of the reason for this was the social aspect of this. There’s always something going on to get involved in. from day one when you move in you become involved with hall live and gain a hall spirt as they put on events and compete with other halls. And then from this you can become involved with societies and within your department as well. There is always something to do and get involved in and I think there really is something for everyone.

I like that being part of Loughborough means that you get a great mix of academics and first class teaching as well as so many extracurricular activities to get involved in. I think you get a great balance of student life coming here and I’ve has the best time here being part of the Loughborough community and having so many amazing experiences.

I would say to get involved as much as possible within the department and really take advantage of everything on offer to you such as the talks from guest speakers, careers events and the social events. The more you put in the more you will get out.