My Desire To Study The Medicinal And Pharmaceutical Aspects Of Chemistry

The intricate and complex interactions of the human body with ingested molecules is one of the main reasons why I have been intrigued to apply to university to study the medicinal and pharmaceutical aspects of chemistry. Chemistry is not just a challenging subject taken in school, or a body of knowledge, as many mistake it to be. Chemistry is, very simply, everything. That is something I quickly realized at a young age and ever since, the ever-expanding universe of science, particularly Chemistry and Biology, have always left me in an inquisitive and wondering state of mind. As a child, the world around me and beyond constantly inspired questions and, as I grew older, have decided to make it my own personal conquest in answering all of mine, and hopefully, everyone else’s.

Always wanting to learn more, I have made a habit of supplementary reading, such as the “Chemistry world” magazines by RSC, and of watching documentaries mostly via a purchased streaming service called Curiosity Stream, all the while doing my best in maintaining good grades and an involvement in my school. “Early Humans”; “Stephen Hawking’s favorite places”; “take your pills”; “the criminal mind” and “the bleeding edge” are a few of the many documentary style shows that I have seen. I have always found a passion in spreading knowledge and information and as a result have frequently asked friends, my parents and siblings in joining me in watching documentaries and often they would ask questions, and this would erupt a discussion that would last for hours. I have taken pride in these discussions as they have taught me an enormous amount that textbooks may not have been able to. I have learnt to communicate in a group, respecting each person as they spoke and have enhanced my ability to see, acknowledge and respect the many views and perspectives of different people. I have found myself able in forming strong and genuine connections with the people that surround me. My love of science and aspiration for a career in the industry is reflected in my A-Level choices where self-motivated study skills, good time management, and ability to cope with pressure and stress are essential. Biology and chemistry have helped me further my interest and develop my analytical skills, how to conduct fair experimentation and how to compile research. Maths helps my problem-solving skills helping me to work logically as well as to view aspects in life abstractly. Economics, for which I completed as an AS-level, gives me a valuable insight into the use of theories and strategic decision-making. My A-level and IGCSE subjects, of which I have received a school scholarship award for academic excellence, helped me understand how concepts which seemed at the time impossible to relate to everyday life are in fact a major part of our daily routines. I have been a crucial member of the South-Eastern Mediterranean Sea Project (SEMEP) over the course of one year where we investigated the activity of catalase using various methods and finished with a presentation of our results at a conference held in our Capital city. This has expanded my ability to think outside the box to experiment with different methods and comparing their accuracy and validity according to the results achieved.

In previous years, I have made multiple visits to a local hospital and a home for the elderly with my school as part of the school choir. We would especially visit the children’s ward in the hospital, most of which was filled with terminally ill children, during the Christmas month and we would sing a group of Christmas songs in English, Greek and even a song in Russian. My music teacher, whom is also my private piano teacher, would occasionally ask me to play the piano as part of the choir while the choir performed. After the singing, we would personally give out hand-wrapped presents to each of the children. This would be delightfully repeated at the home for the elderly. While we sang, every nurse, doctor, child, parent, and elder would have gleaming smiles and would clap as well as sing along with us. These were very rewarding experiences as I built my caring skills and learnt that empathy could be given by one of my passions, music. We were able to empathize with them and build their spirits, which encouraged us to return and out do what we did the previous time. My interest was fuelled, and I developed a determination to research and discover a cure for the currently uncurable and save the lives of these children and many others like them, whether it be in drug form or medical treatment. In year 11 I was elected to be a school prefect, a role which further taught me the values of responsibility, and demonstrates the work ethic and reliability I value.

I enjoy playing the piano, singing and painting which help me improve my self-esteem, state of mind and motivate me in doing my work. With my aspiration for excellence and success, I intend to tackle the course with the same determination and enthusiasm that I have shown to date, and I would be delighted to be given the opportunity to fulfill my passion at university.