Re: Undergrad chemistry college choice

From: Uncle Al (UncleAl0_at_hate.spam.net)
Date: 01/15/05

  • Next message: Mark Thorson: "Re: Undergrad chemistry college choice" 
    Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 18:26:56 -0800

    William Penrose wrote:
    >
    > On 14 Jan 2005 08:37:47 -0800, "alphageek@milmac.com"
    > <ovum_nospam@hotmail.com> wrote:
    >
    > >I want to study chemistry at a good college or university. I live in
    > >the US, but I will consider schools abroad. What are some of the top
    > >institutions to consider for an undergrad chemistry major?
    >
    > If one of my kids, or grandkids now, said that they planned to study
    > chemistry, I'd kick their butts until they came to their senses. A
    > degree in chemistry is about as useful these days as a degree in
    > English literature or ancient languages, perhaps less so. I was
    > fortunate to come up through chemistry during its golden age, but that
    > is over now.
    >
    > I taught chemistry until I retired last summer. Not many of our
    > graduates from the BS, MS or PhD programs found jobs, at least jobs in
    > chemistry. This appeared to be true for most schools. We were forever
    > fielding calls from desperate students from other schools looking for
    > jobs. Many ended up going to grad school only because there was no
    > alternative, thus digging themselves deeper into the unemployment
    > hole.
    >
    > The only reason to study chemistry is that you really, really want to
    > be a chemist. If that is the case, don't worry too much about the
    > undergrad school. Any of the better state universities can give you a
    > decent education in chemistry. Some of the biggest schools, however,
    > may short-change the undergraduate school to put more resources into
    > the graduate school. A small, more intimate school with good funding
    > and a chemistry faculty of at least twenty may give you a better
    > grounding in chemistry than a big, impersonal one. A school that will
    > give you a chance to work in research lab while still an undergrad is
    > also a big plus.
    >
    > Always, always visit a school before accepting. Make sure the fit is
    > right.
    >
    > Grad school should be a snap to get into, if you are still
    > enthusiastic by that point. Most grad schools, big and small, are
    > thrilled out of their shorts to get applications from native English
    > speakers. In fact, if there were no Chinese students, many chemistry
    > grad departments would simply wither up and blow away. Thank God for
    > the Chinese, or chemistry would be a forgotten art by now.

    In the future, everybody will agree with Uncle Al. 

    -- 
Uncle Al
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/
 (Toxic URL! Unsafe for children and most mammals)
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