This subject guide will give you a feel for what studying chemistry is like at Oxford, along with some tips and tricks for personal statements and interviews!
Why did you choose to do chemistry at Teddy Hall?
This varies greatly between different people! Some people may decide they love it straight away, and for some people it may be a process of elimination. The best thing to do to find out if chemistry is for you is to research - we have included a list of resources below that you can check out.
Chemistry at Teddy Hall (and at Oxford) is a great choice because the course goes into a lot of detail over a wide range of areas within each branch of chemistry, with lectures being held by experts who know a great deal about their field.
What is a typical day in the life of a teddy hall chemist?
It's definitely busy! Generally, each week we have about 10 lectures (two each day, maybe more if you choose to do a supplementary subject from a large range of choices from your second year onwards), two afternoons of lab work (6 hours each day), and one to three tutorials/problem classes each week that are held in small groups.
In the first year, the core lectures will cover a range of topics from the three branches of chemistry (organic, inorganic, and physical) as well as having lectures (and problem classes) for maths and physics. These lectures are super useful if you did not study physics or further maths at A-Level, it allows you to pick up on the core background knowledge that may be required in the rest of the course. These lectures would mostly be held at the PTCL and ICL (and now online due to COVID).
Core lectures in the subsequent years will cover more organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry topics in depth with the option of doing supplementary courses in a wide range of areas from modern language to chemical pharmacology.
Our tutorials (we generally have two or three per branch of chemistry each term, so around nine altogether) will go into more detail on the content that is covered in the lecture courses that term. These are incredibly useful as since they're held in small groups, it allows you to ask questions on specific areas that you may find particularly confusing and have them explained in a way that is understandable. Our tutors at Teddy Hall are very helpful at making sure you do understand each topic before moving on!
We still have time during the evenings and weekends (if we aren't doing work for our tutorials) to chill out and participate in non-academic activities.
What should I include on my personal statement?
The general saying is that personal statements should be about 80% academic, and 20% extracurricular. A personal statement should highlight why you're interested in the course you've applied for, and why you would be a good fit for the course. There are a few things that can be included in your chemistry personal statement:
A good place to start is by talking about what specific parts of the A-Level course you found interesting, and how you furthered your knowledge beyond the curriculum through books, online lectures, talks, and podcasts - ask your school if they know of any events going on related to the subjects you're interested in.
Any work experiences that you have done, and how they furthered your interest in a specific part of chemistry. For example, I had two work experiences: one where I was introduced to doing research in a lab and another where I spent a week shadowing a doctor at a hospital. I spoke about how they linked to/furthered my interests in different aspects of chemistry. Even if the work experiences don't have a direct relation to Chemistry, you can talk about transferrable skills you learnt during your time.
As for the extracurricular part, use it to highlight what interpersonal skills you have gained that shape you to become a well-rounded student.
Overall, the personal statement should show your tutors (who will be interviewing you) the passion you have for the subject you have chosen!
Just make sure that everything you have included on your personal statement is truthful, e.g. only include books you have read, in case they do come up in the interviews.
Here is a list of resources that might help you decide whether chemistry is for you:
Firstly, take a look at the prospectus on the universities website to get a specific breakdown of the course. It's also a good idea to look at our alternative prospectus (on the St Edmund Hall website) to get a feel of what student life is like at Teddy Hall.
Books:
"Why chemical reactions happen" - James Keeler.
"Advanced chemistry" - Michael Clugston and Rosalind Flemming
"Applied Mathematics for Physical Chemistry" - James Barrante
"Introducing Quantum Theory" - J.P.McEvoy
"Organic Chemistry: A Very Short Introduction" - Graham Patrick
"Periodic Tales: The curious lives of the elements" - Hugh Aldersey-Williams
The Oxford Chemistry Primer series also provide detailed content on many topics in chemistry.
YouTube series and channels (don't doubt these, a lot of them have really useful and free content):
The Organic Chemistry Tutor on youtube has some great explanations various topics in chemistry (and maths). The videos are especially good for breaking down mechanisms.
TMP Chem is great for introductory explanations on topics in physical chemistry.
CrashCourse - chemistry. A great and engaging playlist that helps to explain some of the fundamentals of chemistry in a more approachable manner.
Websites:
"Chemistry LibreTexts" is a great platform which will pretty much have content on really any topic in chemistry. link: https://chem.libretexts.org/
Chemguide is super useful for A-Level content in particular (not enough detail for an undergrad course). link: https://www.chemguide.co.uk/
Oxford University has a really useful site with a lot of named reactions and their mechanisms. Link: http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/vrchemistry/nor/reactions.asp
Khan Academy, Chemistry library. Link:https://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry
What were the interviews like?
At Teddy Hall, we have two interviews for chemistry, each lasting about 30 minutes (you may also be asked to interview at other colleges too). There is an interview on organic and inorganic, and another on physical chemistry and maths. Both of these interviews are generally held by tutors at Teddy Hall that may eventually become your tutors! It is worth saying that the interviews for chemistry (and perhaps for some other STEM subjects) are largely academic based, so they will tend to ask similar questions to each applicant and build on those throughout the tutorial.
Some advice for chemistry interviews would be:
Know the A-Level course content that you have learnt so far. As I mentioned, the questions asked during the tutorials are largely built upon the A-Level course so being confident on that will help you to build confidence at the start of the interview.
Be prepared to answer the question "why chemistry?" This is a pretty simple question that a lot of people don't have an answer for, so if it's an ice-breaker in an interview you definitely want to have something to say! Highlight what aspects of chemistry stand out to you and why you particularly applied for the course at Oxford.
Think out loud. This is especially important if you don't know the answer to the question they've asked (and even if you do!) because this will allow the tutors to see your thought process and help to nudge you along the way. It is important to remember that the tutors aren't looking for someone perfect, but rather someone who they will be able to teach.
Ask questions if you don't understand what the tutors are asking for first time round. Not only does this give you some time to think through your answer, but also shows the tutors that you're eager to learn.
Enjoy your interview process! This one is much easier said than done as it's easy for the nerves to get the better of you from time to time. It can be slightly nerve-wracking when you first sit down but once you get into the flow of things it becomes much more like a mini tutorial. Also, if your interviews are held in-person, try to explore the rest of oxford a little with some of your fellow interviewees!
We really hope this subject guide has helped you understand a little more about what chemistry is like at Teddy Hall, and we look forward to seeing some new faces soon!
Also, watch the Q&A below!