A question from DD: which science degree?

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DD is in year 12 and looking at degree courses. She is studying Maths, FM, Physics, Chemistry. Currently predicted grades are A*, A, A, B. Maths is without a doubt her strongest subject.

She loves being in labs and understanding how and why things work. What she loves about physics & chemistry is that it isnt all known, that there are still lots of things to discover.

So the question is: which science degree? Head would say maths, but her heart says physics or chemistry.

Which degree will help her into a science career the best?

Oh, and she doesnt want to teach (honestly, god love her, but you wouldnt want her teaching kids)

I think it might be worth re-looking at chemical engineering. Try at talk at an open day, I think it would tick a lot of her boxes.

Thanks for that Mindgone. We are currently planning open day visits to Bristol, Sheffield, Southampton, UEA, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds. We will look again to see what other courses are available as well as the one DD has identified.

At the moment I dont think DD wants to go into finance or investment analysis. Of course this might change.

From what you've said about her, it does sound unlikely! ...understanding how and why things work. What she loves about physics & chemistry is that it isnt all known, that there are still lots of things to discover. If that's what makes you tick, you can't put a price on it. But, the great thing is that doing the sorts of degrees she's contemplating keeps those doors open if she goes over to the dark side changes her mind.

When DD was considering what type of engineer she wanted to be, DH with a lifetime in the chemical industry put her off chem eng, pointing out that if you want to actually be an engineer in that field you have to work on a chemical plant, it can be quite a tough work environment. I'm not sure if it quite fits the description above in bold... the chemists in the lab will have been more doing the 'discovery' - what to make from what starting materials, 'engineering' the molecule if you like - whereas the engineer has to make the process work safely and efficiently in the real world. Which I don't doubt is rewarding and challenging if its what you really want to do, but its possibly a somewhat different mindset?

I can understand the difference. DD1 is currently on placement working for a company which makes scientific testing instruments. Absolutely perfect for her as she is studying biochemistry and wants to get into industrial toxicology. However, as fascinating as she is finding the placement, she wants to be doing testing rather than making the testing equipment.

Getting some work experience is always a good idea too. My daughter worked on some trading estates like Slough (which is not dire and she didn't pursue science after the BSc which was geography anyway) and is know sure she likes posh offices with nearby vegan food and smart gyms bang in the centre of London meanwhile my graduate sons sends us photos of frozen lakes and lines of ducklings from his postal rounds in Amersham (currently a postman). I have been as a lawyer up to many a rather dire 1970s type office block and even a portakabin in Aberdeen and that is not for me although I could have seen myself working in fields/farms. The industrial estates up in the NW too are bit grim and although I love the Cumbrian countryside my trip to a nuclear plant (in fact two there and Wales) was not for me either.

None of that matters at this stage. If they can just get the best degree at the best place which they like and decide careers a bit later on then it's fine. There are lots of options out there.

She has some work experience (checkouts in a supermarket). The school initially offered some shadowing of lab technicians but then realised this wouldnt be possible for under 18s.

I do agree that work experience in as many forms as possible is a good idea. DD1 swore blind she could never work in an office. I was able to take her on a business trip. She then realised that an office is simply a place where people work. Some are places are nice, some are nasty.

I lived with a Bristol chem phys student and she loved the course. I thought reading your description that it would be a good fit for your DD before you mentioned it.

My recollection is that it was a lot of maths in the first year, to check that everyone was on the same page. If your DD has done further maths this will make her life so much easier. It's a small honours cohort so they were all really close, and because physics and chemistry both offer 4 year programs the year in industry course is an MSc not a BSc.

Plus Bristol is ace

Thanks Enelya, that is reassuring. DD is waiting for the details of the open days to be released.