What science degree?

daz · 14 Dec 2006 at 01:37

Fishman said:
Thats odd, im pretty sure I did a chemistry degree and im pretty sure my boss is a PhD. After 2 years im on ~£30k. I get paid more than pretty much anyone I know (of the same age obviously), some of these people in accountacy/actuary will soon overtake me but I have by no means topped out yet.

I have Law friends on training contracts straight out of uni earning £26k... He and she did get a 1st though.

Nash · 14 Dec 2006 at 01:40

My brother left university with a computer science degree and walked into a £27K job. It's the quality of your degree not what you do that counts imo.

sendos · 15 Dec 2006 at 19:42

damn i've got some pretty conflicting replys out of this. economics is worthless, economics isnt worthless. big headishness aside, i've alwasy been pretty awesome at science. Never found anything i've learnt challenging. So im pretty sure i'll be able to cope with a chemistry degree. Chemistry seems to be the best bet, seeing as i'll have two sceince a-levels, so i'll be able to get into a better univeristy. Has anyone done a science degree here and gone into investment banking or accountancy?

thanks for all the help

robmiller · 15 Dec 2006 at 19:46

Chemistry is a massive step up at degree level from what I've heard of my friends doing it—not sure if that's them being retarded or the truth, but there you go.

Arcade Fire · 15 Dec 2006 at 20:00

When you get to university you realise that 90% of what you're taught in science classes at school is junk. Chemistry at degree level is hard. It's more akin to what you'd consider to be physics at school, in fact. You'll have to learn a lot of maths, and a lot of quantum mechanics.

That said, I really have no idea how much smarts you've got - but I definitely wouldn't assume that because you've been good at science at school you'll find the degree easy.

sendos said:
Has anyone done a science degree here and gone into investment banking or accountancy?

No, but I know plenty of people who have. It's quite common.

As regards economics, the reason some people see it as a cop-out option is because it's considered a 'soft science', i.e. it's more open to argument and interpretation than the 'hard sciences' of physics and chemistry and their related areas. I don't think that as a subject it's any less challenging.

Brum Man · 15 Dec 2006 at 20:15

Arcade Fire said:
As regards economics, the reason some people see it as a cop-out option is because it's considered a 'soft science', i.e. it's more open to argument and interpretation than the 'hard sciences' of physics and chemistry and their related areas. I don't think that as a subject it's any less challenging.

I take it you've never been in to an Econometrics lecture then!

I know what you're trying to get at though, as a lot of economic theory can be debated and things such as the way certain policies are used are often open to debate.

But I think this is about the first time that I have heard Economics called a rubbish subject and doesn't lead to well paid jobs, as said above I'm sure schools such as LSE that specialise in the social sciences are among some of the best in world!

calnen said:
If you want to talk about money, though..

Dont do economics.

I mean, I'm sure all those heads of Economics at investment banks and in the civil service are on peanuts when advising on small issues as to which the economy should be headed :/ What are you on about..........

Neb · 15 Dec 2006 at 21:57

Engineering = best of both worlds.

Perhaps Chemical Engineering would suit your alevel subjects?

Kol · 15 Dec 2006 at 22:41

Neb said:
Engineering = best of both worlds.

Perhaps Chemical Engineering would suit your alevel subjects?

Yep, sounds a good idea. Mate of mine who was very competent at A-Level studies Chem. Eng. at Bristol and enjoys every moment of it.

Arcade Fire · 16 Dec 2006 at 01:02

Brum Man said:
I take it you've never been in to an Econometrics lecture then!

I have actually, but I'm still not quite sure what you're trying to get at. Are you saying that economics isn't a soft science, are you saying that it's not more open to argument than more traditional science subjects, or are you saying that it's not challenging?

Edinho · 16 Dec 2006 at 09:40

Dont go into science unless you specifically know what you want to do. Use it with something else maybe a language and you cant go wrong. But dont just do the degree and float about the prospects and pay are bad. Well in the UK anyway. Got a 2.1 hons in applied Chemistry in 1994.

SaBBz · 16 Dec 2006 at 09:45

Physics is good as it helps your problem solving and analytical skills which employers like, but it's more interesting than maths IMO as the applications are easier to see.