So, you took freshman chemistry. Then organic chemistry. And AP chemistry. Along the way you discovered you really enjoy being in the lab, weighing and measuring, titrating and subliming…and maybe you could actually do this on a pro level.One of the major divisions in education, and career path, is between organic and inorganic chemistry. That’s a chemist’s way of differentiating between the chemistry of carbon and the chemistry of everything else. Why does carbon get center stage? Well, because life as we know it is based on carbon, and thus organic chemistry is the jumping off point for many careers in bio-science and bio-engineering, plastics and chemical products, pharmaceuticals, and of course medicine. Studying “organic” means learning a new lexicon of -anes, -enes, and -ates and a Greek chorus of pent-, hex-, and oct- words. Inorganic chemistry opens a different set of doors to the future – one where you might find yourself back in our old friend the Clean Room depositing boron on silicon to create a semiconductor, or testing the anticorrosive nature of stainless steel, wondering why rust never sleeps.

Titrate this!

What are the skill sets needed to be successful as a chemistry major in college? You will need to enjoy being meticulous, with attention to detail and scrupulous record-keeping. Good safety practices are essential, because chemistry labs are full of…chemicals! Testing and calibrating, measuring solids, liquids, and gases, and controlling temperature and pressure within tight tolerances — all part of your day in the lab. Be ready to accept that failure is just a way of eliminating the ways that don’t work, taking you one step closer to success; Thomas Edison had to test 6000 materials for his light bulb filament before finding one that worked.You can find out about careers for chemists at the American Chemical Society. In an upcoming post I will discuss another college major and career path for students who are passionate about chemistry: the Chemical Engineer.

Until then, send your questions about better living through chemistry to STEMwinder@admissionsmarts.com