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The University of Southampton
Chemistry

Nathaniel Bingham MChem Chemistry, 2016

Graduate

Nathaniel Bingham's Photo

My best memory has been working in the research labs in 4th year. I met some really friendly new people and I was able to experience the world of research, which ultimately led to me wanting to further my studies with a PhD in Organic Chemistry.

I originally was on the BSc Chemistry course, however I quickly changed my mind, realising that I really enjoyed what I was learning and wanted to pursue a career in chemistry. Because of this I swapped to the MChem as it would give me a lot more experience with a research project and provide me with an extra year to study the areas of chemistry that I was more passionate about. I chose to study at Southampton because when I came to visit I really liked the campus, the staff who I met and I was impressed by the undergrad laboratories here.

The best aspects of studying at Southampton are the wide variety of activities to do, whether that is on campus or in the surrounding area, and the people to befriend. The lecturers are great due to the fact that they always happy to help you through problems you have with the lecture course, with some lecturers offering dedicated office hours for courses they teach. The courses offered here have been incredibly interesting, with a good balance of content and time so you don’t feel like you are being swamped by work. First year students are partnered up with a second year “parent” in the first week of arriving who will show you around the campus and answer any questions you have. I was a “parent” in second year and I still keep in contact with a few of the people from my group and offer advice to them.

The undergraduate labs at Southampton are great, with a large range of experiments to give you a broad look at many of the areas of practical chemistry. The library has recently been upgraded so that it is open 24/7, meaning that you can always do work. There are also a large amount of computers spread around the campus so that you can always get access to one for whatever reason. In terms of chemistry, I have been helped by the wide range of journals that we have access to at Southampton, often consulting them for help with reactions that I have undertaken or for reading up around the topic.

One of my favourite few weeks from my time at Southampton, was with the Organic Summer School at the end of second year. Through this experience, I became a lot more confident in the lab and also interacted with people in the year I had never spoken to before.

Outside of the classroom I have enjoyed playing football, basketball and squash weekly with a group of chemists in my year. As well as this, in my final year I was voted to be ChemSoc secretary, which has seen me help set up a few events for chemistry students and organise the committee.

My best memory has been working in the research labs in 4th year. I met some really friendly new people and I was able to experience the world of research, which ultimately led to me wanting to further my studies with a PhD in Organic Chemistry.

After graduation I will be continuing my chemistry career with a PhD in organic chemistry. My time at Southampton has made me realise that chemistry is what I love to do and therefore I want to carry on learning and ultimately forge a career in chemistry.

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