24 students from HSDC Havant and Alton College recently participated in the annual Chemistry Olympiad, achieving a number of fantastic results. The Olympiad is run by the Royal Society of Chemistry, and is a competition aimed at second year A Level students designed to put their skills to the very limit.
The students had to answer a series of increasingly difficult questions that would apply their existing knowledge to real-world scenarios. It was a great opportunity for them to develop their critical problem-solving skills in partnership with a creative approach to the questions.
Participants from Alton College with their certificates.
The questions are vastly different and more challenging than a typical A Level exam, making it an exciting new opportunity for HSDC’s chemists to display their academic prowess.
Overall, the students were able to obtain:
- 2 Golds (Top 8.2% of total entries)
- 4 Silvers (Top 33.4% of total entries)
- 5 Bronzes (Top 65.5% of total entries)
- 13 Participation Awards
Of these awards, two first year students were able to win a silver and a bronze, an incredible achievement given that the Olympiad is aimed towards second years.
David Brimecome, course lead for chemistry at Havant was full of praise for all the students who entered:
“I am extremely proud of how well all of my students have done in the Olympiad this year. To have two first years achieve bronze and silver really is exceptional as well. This has been the best set of results I have seen since first getting involved in the Olympiad!”
Not only does the Olympiad provide an engaging competitive experience for the students but it also helps to enhance their love for chemistry and prepare them for their upcoming A Level exams.
For more information about studying chemistry A Level at HSDC, please visit:
https://www.hsdc.ac.uk/course-finder/?keyword=&campus=-1&study_type=&interest=1095