What's it really like doing a science degree?...
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Bath is a small, picturesque city but the campus is a throwback to the 1970’s. Two huge and grotesquely ugly concrete administration and lecture blocks dominate it. However, the campus is well laid out and sits atop of Bathwick Hill with stunning views and all just 15 minutes from the centre of town. Do not let the grey architecture fool you; Bath University is high tech, vibrant and full of life. Bath is undoubtedly one of the premier sites to study chemistry and as such has superb facilities. The chemistry buildings are situated at the bottom end of campus and house three undergraduate teaching labs and numerous research labs. Tutors reside in these buildings and each student is allotted three tutors for: organic, physical and inorganic chemistry. I have found tutors to be both welcoming and helpful.
Science students, in general, have a far more structured course work experience and far more contact time with tutors, than students taking arts degrees. Each semester we take 4 or 5 subjects, which in the first year are mandatory. Each subject has 2 one-hour lectures a week and a workshop with 30 students per class. Each week we are expected to attend a tutorial and a full day of practical chemistry. We are also obliged to complete a weekly lab report (first year – two pages, second year – anything up to 5000 words). This is certainly more onerous than most subjects but is not unmanageable. Personally I still maintain a good social life! University life is not just about the books; far from it. The events calendar at Bath is full and varied. Whatever your interests, you will find your niche: from sailing to sky diving, from football to Jiu-Jitsu and from mountaineering to my personal favourite, La Crosse. The England Rugby Team use the Sports Training Village at our University as their training base, which gives you an understanding of the nature of the facility. The nightlife at Bath surpassed my expectations. There are a huge number of different bars and pubs, ranging from the tranquil, where jenga is the rage, to classy cocktail bars where celebrity rugby players and actors are often spotted mingling with the locals. There are nine different nightclubs in Bath and each one has its own characteristics and on the right occasion can produce an awesome experience. None of the clubs has a capacity above 2000 so do not expect to find sprawling, multi-dance floor clubs. However, if you like things on a larger scale, Bristol is just up the road and easy to get to.
James Courtney - University of Bath
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I am a second year undergraduate at the University of Bath, studying Chemistry. Life at uni is quite different to life at school but in all honesty it’s more to do with fending for yourself than it is to do with the working environment. Yes, there is a new dimension to learning but really it’s the realisation that you haven’t got parents to bail you out that really hits home! No mum to do the ironing, no dad to borrow cash for a night out and no little brothers and sisters to fight over the TV remote! 
Despite the fabulous practical facilities, the university is currently rebuilding the chemistry lecture halls. This is great for future generations of chemistry students at Bath but for me this has proved something of an inconvenience, as we currently do not have our own functional lecture halls and have therefore had to share facilities with other subjects (so in other words, you will probably benefit from my misfortune!).
