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I’m a math major who ended up as a programmer so I guess I’m qualified to answer. Yes, absolutely it was worthwhile. Because I enjoy studying math. I had the fortune of going back to school armed with the knowledge that degrees do not get you jobs. Skills and relevant experience do.
The math major is a good baseline for a lot of careers, but it doesn't prepare you completely for a career in finance or software development, for example. You'll have to fill the gaps yourself. Shouldn't: You struggled with math in high school. Or you have a big ego and can't handle being wrong.
Just graduated with a math major from an Ivy League school. I could keep up until analysis, but then I felt out of my depth. Struggled with higher level classes.
- What’s Covered
- Reasons For Majoring in Math
- What You Can Expect to Learn as A Math Major
- How to Find A Good School For Math
- How to Increase Admission Chances For Prospective Math Majors
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. You’ve enjoyed math so far.
Perhaps the most obvious, though commonly overlooked, reason you’d want to major in math is simply if you like it. You’ve probably encountered this subject throughout your life, whether in the form of basic counting, algebraic equations, or even an AP Calculus class. At this point, your familiarity with the subject has probably allowed you to form an opinion on it, or at least some idea of where it ranks amongst the other subjects you’ve taken over the years. If you’ve enjoyed almost every ma...
2. The world is becoming increasingly quantitative.
From a pragmatic perspective, the world is more quantitative than ever, with an increasing demand for people who are skilled at quantitative problem solving – and math is fundamentally about solving problems. In general, being able to understand the world from a more quantitative perspective is a really big plus to majoring in math. There are also many fields tangential to math that are really important right now, such as computer science, physics, and engineering. Even if your goal is to go...
3. You want to explore math research and academia.
And finally, you might want to major in math… to learn more math! If you’re interested in research mathematics and math academia, that is absolutely a great reason to major in the subject. The concepts you’ll learn as you progress through degree programs will build upon each other, and so focusing on having a solid foundation early on will prepare you for success in future endeavors.
Getting started: calculus
Whether you’re considering majoring in math or absolutely set on it, it’s important to get an understanding of the student experience. The topics you learn in classes will form an integral part of your college experience, and even though you may not understand all of the math-related jargon yet, just hearing about these concepts can inform your future research into the math major. By the time you graduate high school, you will probably have taken some form of calculus; but if not, you’ll usua...
Linear algebra and differential equations
The next two concepts you’re almost certainly going to encounter are linear algebra and differential equations. Linear algebra is the study of what are called linear transformations, linear referring to lines, but in higher dimensions. If that sounds abstract, know that linear algebra shows up all over the place: in physics, engineering, and computer science. It’s a really important fundamental class with far-reaching implications across all of these subjects. Many schools will offer two diff...
Abstract mathematics and proofs
You may have started to learn about proofs if you’ve taken Geometry at the high school level. In college, and depending on what your background is or the school you go to, you may take a Discrete Mathematics class or an Intro to Proofs class. Proof is this very special fundamentally mathematical idea of being able to show that something is true and there is no other possibility. In any experimental science, we can get data, and have facts, but there’s always the idea that maybe this isn’t the...
Once you decide if you’re studying math, it’s important to consider where you want to pursue the subject. Not all higher education institutions are created equal, and the different cultural norms and resources at each will influence your academic and social experience. Above all, you want to do research into specific factors related to your learnin...
In this section, we’ll discuss what you can be doing right now to both prepare yourself for a math major and make yourself a stronger candidate in the eyes of the admissions office.
What are ideal extracurriculars for success in math and computer science? The more that you experience the problem solving aspects of math, the better your grasp of the subject and the easier it will be to convey that to admissions officers. Particularly, self-studying through a text that’s about proof or problem-solving more than just computing in...
Jan 24, 2022 · Even though the level of study was far from advanced, I immediately realised the impact that mathematics has on the sciences and hence on our society. The countless and various applications of maths means that the skills of a mathematician can be useful in many careers.
While it’s likely to be challenging, the difficulty of a math major can also be balanced by its rewards. Strong math skills can open up job opportunities in areas such as finance, data science, or engineering, and can provide a solid foundation for graduate studies in a variety of fields.
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Jan 31, 2024 · The BSc (Bachelor of Science) degree is the standard Mathematics degree. The BMath (Bachelor of Mathematics) is similar. The BA (Bachelor of Arts) has a more liberal arts focus, with a broader range of modules available. Find Mathematics courses.
