Forming bonds

In popular culture, scientists are often portrayed as very nerdy and socially inept, with probably the most famous example being Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. As a result, some people assume that all scientists fit in this mould.

While I don’t want to say that these stereotypes are necessarily completely untrue, I feel like I found more friendships with great people during my four years of studying chemistry than I would have in any other course of study.

After graduating high school in 2020, right after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was not quite sure what to do next. It was not a matter of what to study, as chemistry has fascinated me ever since it was introduced to me in school, but rather if I wanted to start my studies during this difficult time.

When I was in high school, people often told me that being a university student is the best time of your life. You can experience the freedom of living alone for the first time, meet many new people, make new friends and attend parties. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I was unsure if I would be able to experience any of that. Nevertheless, after much consideration, I decided to start studying in October 2020.

From loneliness to labs

The first few weeks were lonely, as I was in my apartment all day, participating in online lectures. Even though I was living in a student dorm, it was very empty and no parties or other get-together events were taking place.

Luckily, in-person lab courses started soon after, which changed my experience for the better. It really felt like other students were also tired of the isolation, as everybody was very nice and open to meeting new peers.

I met many great people in my first lab course, and soon after, I found myself in a group of five that would do virtually everything together. Even though we almost never saw each other in person after the lab course ended, we would meet online to do exercise sheets, study for exams and play video games in the evening.

Even though I spent most of my time in my room, as it was still not possible to experience the stereotypical, fun student lifestyle due to Covid, I did not feel lonely anymore and was genuinely happy. Learning together also boosted my productivity, as doing the weekly exercise sheets in a group felt much more manageable than when I had to motivate myself to do it alone.

Talking to my high school friends, none of whom studied anything chemistry related, almost all of them told me that their studies were completely online and that they really struggled with isolation. Some of them also dropped out of their studies during the pandemic due to loneliness and not being able to find motivation to learn alone, which made me realise how lucky I was.

From surviving to thriving

After surviving the first two semesters with the help of my newfound friends, things became even better from the third semester on. Four of us moved into a shared apartment together, which we stayed in until the end of our bachelor studies, which was a very fun experience that strengthened our friendship even further. With the return of in-person lectures in the third semester, it was also possible to meet even more people.

This resulted in one of the highlights of my bachelor studies: a 10-day vacation in Croatia with 10 other chemistry students in the summer of 2022. Whether we were just relaxing at the beach, playing different drinking games, cooking together or going out, every activity was a lot of fun and we got to know each other even better. As this vacation resembled the classic spring break from American movies, I felt like I finally had the full university experience.

My main advice: connect with as many people as possible

When people ask me if they should study chemistry, I tell them that it depends on the person, as chemistry is a relatively difficult and very time-consuming subject. Therefore, you really need to be interested and willing to spend a lot of time on it, or you will probably have a hard time.

However, when people ask me if I would study chemistry again, the answer is a resounding yes! If I did not get to meet so many great people through lab courses during my first few semesters and was just sitting at home watching online lectures instead, I doubt that I would have continued my studies.

Whether you start during a global pandemic or not, my main advice to future chemistry students is to connect with as many people as possible in lab courses and lectures. Form study groups and make friends. It will really make both your studies and life significantly easier and more enjoyable.