2nd Year Chemistry Options

Nervosa

I'm looking into my options for 2nd year Chemistry at the moment. Can anybody offer some insight in to the following courses? I'm looking at student experience, difficulty, size of classes and employment opportunities in industry or research after.

Chemistry

Chemistry of Pharmaceutical Compounds

Chemical Physics

Chemistry with Forensic Science

To be honest I'm mostly interested in Chemical Physics so I'd like to hear for Physics people too. And I'd probably be looking at research opportunities also but not necessarily in UCC/Ireland.

Parsley

if you found PY1052 and PY1053 ok - if you did them - and enjoyed them, then go with chemical physics i'd say.

I'm in forensics 4th year, i must say I really really enjoyed it. Great course, loads of the forensics optional modules are only for that class and noone else in the college and they're extremely interesting.

I WAS going to pick chemical physics when i started first year, but then i hated PY1052+3 (moreso 3) and did terrible in them, so changed my mind.

Nervosa

What are you going to do after you finish Parsley? is there much forensic work or will you go into some kind of research.

Parsley

Nervosa wrote: »

What are you going to do after you finish Parsley? is there much forensic work or will you go into some kind of research.

not much chance of forensic work I don't think, the only forensics related job i've applied for is with LGC forensics in the UK. However the extra analytical processes you learn in the forensics course put you in a better position for analytical work - which is most of what i've applied for.

Still looking into research though, or some kind of masters. it's pretty hard to get a job where you'll actually be working as a scientist without some kind of post-grad.

Nervosa

The chemical physics option isn't really popular. Maybe max 5 doing the same course. I'm kind of worried here. I could be on my own! Don't think I'm too interested in forensics Parsley, maybe straight Chemistry.

Though I do like the Physics, especially the labs in PY1053. I'm doing good with that module, like getting 80-100% in the homeworks although I do spend a good few hours at em.

Parsley

Nervosa wrote: »

The chemical physics option isn't really popular. Maybe max 5 doing the same course. I'm kind of worried here. I could be on my own! Don't think I'm too interested in forensics Parsley, maybe straight Chemistry.

Though I do like the Physics, especially the labs in PY1053. I'm doing good with that module, like getting 80-100% in the homeworks although I do spend a good few hours at em.

then go for it. don't worry about being alone. if anything it'll be better for your prospects after graduation, not having many with your exact degree...

you'll be in almost all the same classes as your physics and chemistry classmates from 1st year anyway so you shouldn't be a loner!

manup

Im doing CPC currently. I am finding the course quite enjoyable. However, there is a large amount of work. This is true for all the options really though. For me I choses CPC because of the prospects. The pharmaceutical industry in Ireland is quite big at the moment. It is important to realise too that pharmaceuticals are turning towards a more of a biological orientation as opposed to just chemistry. In 3rd year CPC you have Pharmacology and Toxicology along with Biochemistry.l I won't lie the labs are heavy going and you must work but it looks like there is light at the end of the tunnel. Anyway, Nervosa to cut to the chase. There's no point in doing something that you really hate. As any mother would say; do what you like. If you do what you like and if you are good at it then you'll be grand. In my year there are about 5-7 people doing chemical physics, 18 doing CPC, 20 odd doing chemistry and 15ish doing forensics. Any questions send us a message anyway. Best of luck.

Nervosa

manup wrote: »

Im doing CPC currently. I am finding the course quite enjoyable. However, there is a large amount of work. This is true for all the options really though. For me I choses CPC because of the prospects. The pharmaceutical industry in Ireland is quite big at the moment. It is important to realise too that pharmaceuticals are turning towards a more of a biological orientation as opposed to just chemistry. In 3rd year CPC you have Pharmacology and Toxicology along with Biochemistry.l I won't lie the labs are heavy going and you must work but it looks like there is light at the end of the tunnel. Anyway, Nervosa to cut to the chase. There's no point in doing something that you really hate. As any mother would say; do what you like. If you do what you like and if you are good at it then you'll be grand. In my year there are about 5-7 people doing chemical physics, 18 doing CPC, 20 odd doing chemistry and 15ish doing forensics. Any questions send us a message anyway. Best of luck.

I guess since I don't do Biology or Biochemistry, Chemistry of Pharmaceutical Compounds wouldn't be a choice for me. Biology never appealed to me and I didn't do it for he leaving cert. Thanks for the info manup. You'll have no problem getting a job after in Cork or Dublin.

But its the Physics I like so I'm still tending to Chemical Physics.

Is boardsies anybody doing it/done it?

Aoi

Nervosa wrote: »

I guess since I don't do Biology or Biochemistry, Chemistry of Pharmaceutical Compounds wouldn't be a choice for me. Biology never appealed to me and I didn't do it for he leaving cert. Thanks for the info manup. You'll have no problem getting a job after in Cork or Dublin.

But its the Physics I like so I'm still tending to Chemical Physics.

Is boardsies anybody doing it/done it?

As far as i know, you need to do certain modules to get chemical physics, but if you do these you won't have the modules for CPC, your best bet is to look up this

ps sorry if it's a little old, didn't see the date til now
and currently in second year there are: 13 (forensics) 18 (CPC) ~15-20(Chem) and 3(chemical physics)

AoifeL91

Hello OP! I'm actually in Chemical Physics in UCC and I love it,it's a serious amount of work though and there are some stresses that come along with it. I'm in 3rd year and there are 2 of us, 2 in 4th year and 3 in this years 2nd year! Do you have any specific questions about it?

Nervosa

I have a quick couple of questions alright; how do you find the very small numbers doung the same course? Do you have a good relation with the other in the class? Do the lecturers recognise you?

Thanks!

AoifeL91

I like the small numbers myself, we get on really well and always hang around together and from what I see this years second years are like that too! The lecturers definitely get to know you fairly quickly because there's often timetabling issues to be sorted and things like that. By time 3rd year rolls around most of the lecturers in physics and chemistry know most of the class anyway because there quite small classes!