h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

An informative introduction in to an apparently difficult subject. Of course I'm an organic chemist (I have to admit) so may be a little biased.

I wouldnt want this posting to put people off the subject though. We need to recruit any stray person looking for a good universtiy course to study.

The smells - not any more, everything is in a vented cupboard (fume hood) so you dont smell a thing.

The frustrations - yes it is frustrating, but on the flip side when you it goes right its amazing. e.g I work for a pharmaceutical company, when it goes right for me it means drugs can be made, people get cured of their disease.

The course - its true it is no easy ride, but you actually have a better chance of getting a job than your art student (BA) peers. If not in Chemistry then in many other areas, its a well respected degree. Why would you want to spend you universtiy days debating the thoughts of a dead author? You could be learning how nature works!

Thats all for now, until the BA degree yielding hoard catch me up and beat me over the head 9as instructed to do in the article.

S

Although I can see how easy it is for people react to 'organic chemistry' and I concur that it is a much dreaded course at University. (Ive seen banners hung with 'Is there Life after Org' at a prestigious New Jersey University).
However, to the true practicioner, chemicals are somewhat akin to music in that, as a musician can 'hear' the notes on the page, so can a skilled organic chemist 'hear' what properties a new compound may have.
It has never ceased to amaze me after 45 years of organic chemistry that I can draw on a piece of paper, the structure of a compound that I know has never been made before, go into a lab and make it and if I'm lucky it will have the pharmacological properties I have designed it to have.
Its a wonderful life and career.

Although I can see how easy it is for people react to 'organic chemistry' in the way you describe and concur that it is a much dreaded course at University. (Ive seen banners hung with 'Is there Life after Org' at a prestigious New Jersey University), there is another side to the story.
To the true practitioner, chemicals are somewhat akin to music in that, as a musician can 'hear' the notes on the page, so can a skilled organic chemist 'hear' what properties a new compound may have.
It has never ceased to amaze me after 45 years of organic chemistry that I can draw on a piece of paper, the structure of a compound that I know has never been made before, go into a lab and make it and if I'm lucky it will have the pharmacological properties I have designed it to have.
Its a wonderful life and career.