Robin McAlpine

More than three decades on since graduating, Robin is still meeting with his Edinburgh Chemistry friends! The analytical skills that he developed during his BSc degree have continued to prove useful in unexpected ways.

Name Robin McAlpine
Degree BSc (Hons) Chemistry
Year of graduation 1994

Your Time at the University

You know how sometimes you just click with something? That's how it was with Chemistry for me - less abstract than Physics (no offense to theoretical physicists!) and definitely fewer encounters with formaldehyde than Biology. It just felt right!

Being a good Weegie (a native of Glasgow), my family assumed I'd follow the well-worn path to Glasgow University. But life has a funny way of surprising you! One visit to Edinburgh's School of Chemistry changed everything. I'd love to say it was purely academic, but honestly? Having lunch at Pollock Halls and imagining all the friendships waiting to happen was what really sold it. Though I did try to impress the staff with some hastily acquired nanotechnology knowledge from the previous night's Tomorrow's World - not sure I fooled anyone, but points for effort, right?

Headshot of alumnus Robin McAlpine

KB (King's Buildings) became our second home from the third year onwards. We mastered the art of navigating the Chemistry department's labyrinthine corridors, made the refectory our regular hangout, and turned the KB bar into our social hub. The daily trek between KB and wherever we were living in Edinburgh kept us fit - we were definitely hitting those 10,000 steps before step-counting was even a thing!

But the real magic? The friendships. Three decades later, my Chemistry pals from Edinburgh are still some of my closest friends. We've shared labs, laughs, and life's big moments, and we're still getting together to create new memories. Turns out Chemistry wasn't just about molecules and reactions - it was about forming bonds that would last a lifetime!

Your Experiences Since Leaving the University

What makes chemistry special is how it opens doors - whether you're diving deeper into pure chemistry, exploring cross-disciplinary fields, or, as I discovered, venturing into completely different territories.

Initially, I thought I had it all mapped out. With a strong degree under my belt and a PhD spot at Edinburgh, the research path seemed obvious. But research didn’t click for me – and for quite a while I felt stuck and unsure of myself. During my PhD - I stumbled onto the opportunity to attend a Management for Scientists course, and it was like a light bulb moment. We ran business exercises to help introduce us to new concepts and ways of looking at the world. Not only was I enjoying myself, but I was actually pretty good at it!

Suddenly, all these career paths I'd previously ruled out started looking rather appealing.

This led me to BP's Commercial Graduate Programme in London, where my journey took all sorts of interesting turns - from Chemical Sales to Gas Trading, Business Analysis to IT Systems Design. And you know what? The analytical thinking from chemistry kept proving useful in unexpected ways. Today, I work as a Coach, helping others discover their own potential and improve how they work.

Looking back, what seemed like a departure from chemistry was actually an evolution. Those core skills - problem-solving, analysing complex situations, bridging different disciplines - they've been invaluable every step of the way. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that a chemistry degree isn't just about becoming a chemist - it's about developing a versatile toolkit that can take you anywhere you want to go. Sometimes the squiggly path turns out to be the best one!

Alumni wisdom

  • Those friendships you're making at KB? They're gold dust - 30 years later, we're still meeting up!
  • Don’t get tunnel vision about your future – Chemistry gives you this amazing toolkit of analytical thinking and problem-solving that can take you anywhere.
  • If something's not clicking - that's okay! Some of the best opportunities come from being willing to adapt. I went from research to BP's trading floor. Your degree opens doors, it doesn't close them.

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