Page 15 - Periodic Issue 04

xford Chemists Inspire a New Generation of Young Scientists

Timea Thorpe (Lincoln 2011), one I was lucky enough to
of our recent graduates, talks to work with the Chemistry
Outreach team. There were
Periodic about teaching chemistry at a few training sessions, and
North London Collegiate School then it was simply a matter
of going along to workshops
“So, what made you want to go into teaching?” is a question that fitted in conveniently
that I have been asked many times over the past ten months. with my other commitments.
From my new colleagues, from friends and even from family. These ranged from colourful
Teaching is a career where there is a common expectation and fun experiments with
that it has been your life goal for many years. To be a teacher, primary school students,
you need to have a deep love of subject; you need to believe to delivering the RSC’s
strongly in inspiring young minds; you need to genuinely Spectroscopy in a Suitcase
enjoy making complex concepts accessible to the previously workshop to Sixth Form students. Every session was fun and
uninitiated. And yes, I had some fantastically inspiring rewarding, particularly seeing how students engaged with
teachers at school. But, despite what I have been known to the content and the activities. Teaching went from being
say in certain interview situations, teaching isn’t necessarily something that I might see myself doing a few years down
what I imagined myself to be doing fresh out of university. the line, to a career that promised real job satisfaction, many

When I thought beyond the haze of tutorials and finals opportunities to grow and develop a vast skill set and a job
and writing a Part II thesis, I hoped that I would find in which I would be challenged each and every day.
myself employed, somewhere. Deep down, I even hoped I was lucky enough to apply for, and get, a full time role at
that whatever I found myself to be doing would be vaguely an independent school straight after graduation. The past
Chemistry-related. When it came to applying to jobs, 10 months have been biggest learning curve since First Year
these hopes translated into applying for R&D roles in tutorials. But I wouldn’t change anything for the world. I
consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and defence industries. now love my job and all the many challenges it presents. So,
I applied to train as a chemical engineer and work at a there are two points that I’m trying to make here. Firstly,
consultancy. I briefly, considered applying for banking. After don’t worry if you don’t know what you want to do. Just
a discouragingly low success rate a friend asked me what I try to find something that you will truly enjoy doing. And
thought that I would actually enjoy doing. secondly, consider teaching – it’s one of the best decisions

And that is when I realised that I was already doing I’ve ever made.
something that I genuinely like. Throughout my 4th year,

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Periodic
The Magazine of the Department of Chemistry