Blogging has given me a new set of skills. Now that I’m applying for an industrial placement, I’m wondering how this will benefit me in a working environment. Five years ago, student author Hayley Russell started a personal blog. During this time,
Are you getting the most out of your lectures?
Taking your own notes is a skill you need to develop while you’re an undergrad. So if you’re in your early years, don’t rely on printed handouts for the rest of your degree. The lecture is where you can pick
Choose your optional courses wisely
How do you choose the best optional (or elective) courses in your 1st and 2nd year? It’s highly likely that your preferred flavour of chemistry will be different from mine. And that goes for interests outside of the discipline
How to deal with being homesick
From spending the weekend with your grandparents when you were 6, to the 3-week holiday with your best friend at 18. The one feeling you are sure never to escape? Homesickness. It’s pretty safe to say we’ve all been there
Thinking about a summer placement?
Practical lab work can be a great way to apply your skills from your degree and get some hands-on experience in a real research environment. Bagging a Summer Placement It looks great on your CV, is brilliant for your LinkedIn
A year in industry: Cytec Industries Inc.
Wondering what a year in industry would be like? We asked Brian Shaw, a final year MChem student at University of Edinburgh about his experience. Brian spent the 4th year of his chemistry degree on an industry placement with Cytec Industries Inc., Stamford,
Your words, not mine – worried about plagiarism?
The subject of plagiarism always comes up in my workshops for scientific writing skills. It’s important to highlight this topic so that you can take steps to make sure you avoid it. It’s a problem because we understand that plagiarism
Stably transitioning from 2nd to 3rd year
3rd year has a bit of a fierce reputation. If you’re heading into it and are looking for survival tips then read on. Lab/Lecture Balance 3rd year consists of lots of labs and lots of lectures. It’s easy to get bogged down with lab
Employment tips for chemistry graduates
So you’ve just graduated with a 2:1 chemistry degree, what next? Maybe graduation isn’t for a few months yet, but it’s never too early to start looking for your first real job. Laura Durechova talks to the Graduate Recruitment Bureau chemistry
Citations, refs and bibliographies
Recently, a student told me that scientific writing for reports and literature reviews was the hardest part of the course, especially for non-native English speakers. For undergrads and postgrads alike, getting your citations and bibliographies formatted correctly seems to be
Career spotlights: Ingenza Ltd.
Ever wondered what it would be like to work at the cutting edge of science? Interested in going into industry when you graduate? Chemistry graduate Kyshiea George tells us about her job with Ingenza Ltd., at the Roslin Biocentre, Edinburgh.
5 ways to ace the chemistry labs
So how exactly do you ace the chemistry labs when you’re a bit unsure of what’s expected of you? If you’re anything like me, you’ll go into your first lab session for the week thinking “Am I going to mess