Supporting your studies

What made you want to study chemistry at university?

I had good teachers at secondary school and college – even though the class sizes were quite big they would make sure they had time for you. They were really inspiring. 

What was your first interaction with the Royal Society of Chemistry?

It was when I was in first year; someone came in to tell us about membership and then there was a lunch with the Royal Society of Chemistry and our lecturers. I signed up and admittedly didn’t really know too much about what I was signing up for, but I was told it was a good benefit to have. It was only this year that I started taking the opportunity and looking at the Royal Society of Chemistry a lot more.

In second year, it was time to look for placements, so I kept bringing my CV for my personal tutor to read and he said: “you’re a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry? You should write that on your CV”. I think that helped me a lot with my applications.

What made you want to renew your membership?

So I could still keep in touch with articles; I like having a physical copy of Chemistry World. There are some articles that are long and I don’t understand the full chemistry, but then some I find interesting because they relate to the work I do on my placement. What’s so good is that they have so many different types of articles. I also wanted to carry on getting the student discounts on talks.

Are there any aspects of your membership you use regularly?

I’ve started looking for events to attend. I went to a talk called ‘Secrets of Formulation’ and met some people that I then connected to on LinkedIn, and they told me a bit about their jobs. I met a patent attorney, and some people from GSK and Unilever. It was nice to know how they moved out of university and went into their careers. Recently I bought a book from the Royal Society of Chemistry with the 30% discount.

Would you consider using the careers management service?

I think maybe to use the CV services. I think that will be handy in my final year or after my final year.

Would you recommend renewing your student membership of the RSC in the future?

Definitely! When you are a student it’s so cheap, you definitely get your money back quickly. There are still so many different things I don’t think I’ve discovered yet, and I would recommend it to other students, especially if they are looking for placements, careers advice or just discounts related to chemistry.

Do you think universities and potential employers value membership as well?

Yes! I tell my placement company about the talks I’m going to and they’re really interested in what I’ll learn and happy the price is discounted. I’ve also had some emails about applying for RSci (Registered Scientist), and I know membership is really important for that application. It would definitely be of value to employers to say that you have these qualifications.