College for many of us is the first time that we have been faced with making a hard decision. The toughest decision boils down to what you intend on studying. This choice will influence the outcome of the rest of your life and will also determine the person you will be 10 years from now. For anyone that is still undecided, you could do an awful lot worse than to choose a degree in Chemistry.
All of the time that a student has to spend in laboratory’s will provide them with a lot more transferable skills than they may at first think. The skills that you can expect to gain from studying a degree in chemistry include problem solving, numerical ability and accuracy, analytic skills and written and oral skills all of which are highly valued by any potential employer. Additionally, you will have excellent teamwork skills and also time management from the planning and conducting of experiments. You will also be able to offer a proficiency in IT including data processing and the use of computer software models.
Once qualified there are a host of careers that you can embark upon and dependent on your preference these will include analytical and development chemist, medical scientist or some form of scientific research.
Chemistry graduates are in high demand within many industries specifically manufacturing of toiletries, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, food and so much more. Chemistry graduates are also needed for education and in the health and medical sectors for scientific support, research, analysis and teaching.
There are specific roles that a chemistry graduate can pursue and these include a clinical biochemist, forensic scientist, toxicologist, analytical chemist etc. Additionally, areas of chemical and processing engineering employ chemists, and further suitable careers could include science writer, environmental consultant and patent agent.
Other suitable roles include science writer, patent agent and environmental consultant. Alternatively, if you have ever wanted to really make a difference, change the world or create some life changing chemical medicines and vaccines this is how it can become a reality. Chemistry is a subject that evolves and changes so there would be little chance of getting bored and it is also a subject matter that involves both mental and practical work and relies heavily on attention to detail. Probably the best thing with chemistry though is that there are no grey areas, everything is black or white, right or wrong.
A degree in chemistry is a very useful degree to have for a number of reasons. Firstly, chemistry is extremely difficult to understand and things are not always what they may first appear. Whilst the degree in chemistry will not enlighten you to certain things, there is a good chance that you will always get the formulas correct and not end up blowing things up! Chemistry will teach you the true value of chemicals and how they can affect us on a daily basis. You will learn the rules and also how to analyse and evaluate the results from experiments in a way that is easily understandable.
There are a number of career which call for people who understand how things work and know the rules and boundaries that should not be mixed up or crossed and also what they really mean and what can be done with individual and groups of chemicals.
For anyone that has a passion for travel and want to work overseas, getting a degree in chemistry is a great way to find employment in a number of areas including pharmaceutical, food, medical or research to name but a few. If you have a specialism, maybe an element of the course that you really excelled in there are a number of international placements where you can specialize and continue to learn whilst in employment.
Working overseas will ensure that each and every day will be challenging and interesting and you will know that you are doing everything possible to help make the world a better place and fight disease and infection finding new and ground breaking medicines and vaccines.
In conclusion, one of the very best ways to start your career would be with a chemistry degree as with this degree you can help to make changes in your immediate community or even worldwide.
