Mathematics at uni

Hey, I'm wondering how is it like studying Mathematics at a uni? Can anyone studying it tell me more, like is it very hard, do you have a part time job or there is no time to have a job while studying maths and etc.? How many hours everyday do you spend at the uni?

Maths is a very contact-heavy course. At my uni it is usually 21 hours per semester, and the highest I've had is 25 hours, and they're dotted around the days (apart from Wednesday afternono, which everyone gets off) so there's no kind of pattern. I suppose there's the possiblity of doing something on the weekends.

Maths at uni is a ... test. Many find that they doubt themselves and want to give up at some point or another. If you don't really know what Algebra or Analysis is before coming to uni, I would suggest looking it up - it's not to everyone's taste, and can often be too boring or too difficult.

It's not all doom and gloom though. While Maths itself hasn't particularly interested me (apart from Statistics and Probability), on my course (Mathematical Sciences) I get to choose a lot of other units from other departments. You get to do Physics, Computer Science, Accounting, Finance, Econometrics, teaching modules etc and that's what I think I enjoy the most (though I haven't taken all of those units yet most are in the 3rd year).

There's also a placement year on my course and I am really looking forward to starting it this July.

Maths is a very contact-heavy course. At my uni it is usually 21 hours per semester, and the highest I've had is 25 hours, and they're dotted around the days (apart from Wednesday afternono, which everyone gets off) so there's no kind of pattern. I suppose there's the possiblity of doing something on the weekends.

Maths at uni is a ... test. Many find that they doubt themselves and want to give up at some point or another. If you don't really know what Algebra or Analysis is before coming to uni, I would suggest looking it up - it's not to everyone's taste, and can often be too boring or too difficult.

It's not all doom and gloom though. While Maths itself hasn't particularly interested me (apart from Statistics and Probability), on my course (Mathematical Sciences) I get to choose a lot of other units from other departments. You get to do Physics, Computer Science, Accounting, Finance, Econometrics, teaching modules etc and that's what I think I enjoy the most (though I haven't taken all of those units yet most are in the 3rd year).

There's also a placement year on my course and I am really looking forward to starting it this July.

What made you decide to study maths if you enjoy the other subjects more?


Posted from TSR Mobile

While I enjoy them (I didn't know I enjoy them at the time, having no real taste of accounting or finance etc) I would not be able to cope with them as degrees in their own right - whereas with maths, I'm okay at the subject and some areas interest me, so ability wise the only thing I would be able to study at uni is maths.

That makes sense. I enjoy maths but don't think I could study it as a standalone subject


Posted from TSR Mobile

Ah, are you applying to uni? What kind of thing do you have in mind?

Yeah I have an offer for EEE, will be looking to do a joint computer science with it as well.

Where's your maths degree taking you?


Posted from TSR Mobile

not a combination you see every day but at least the CompSci side of it will have some.. icky maths.. maybe.

Actuarial Science, hopefully. Just doing a BSc with placement, taking a gap year after the final year (with an internship in that same year that leads to a job, hopefully )

I guess you want to work in IT or software dev or something related?

Do you think the maths in computer science will be harder than EEE? I've always got the impression that it was the opposite.

UCL seem to have a nice integration of both and let you pick up enough modules of computer science that you can have it on your degree title.

I actually have no clue what I want to do. I just enjoy a big mix of physics, maths, tech and business so this suited me pretty well. I read a lot of business and finance stuff myself so hopefully everything can come together by the time I graduate.

The placement year sounds interesting. Where will you be doing that? I was looking to do a gap year afterwards but I'm already behind so probably not the best thing to do.


Posted from TSR Mobile

Haven't a clue about EEE, sorry. Though someone I know doing CompSci didn't have much trouble with the maths part, so you should be fine

Ah I see, if you do that, get internships/placements/experience here and there then you should be sorted.

It's at Sainsbury's headquarters in London to do with business intelligence stuff excited to take a break from uni for a year

I'm weirdly looking forward to getting stuck into the harder maths.

I'll try for some of those summer placements and hopefully earn some extra money. I'll be needing it with the rent prices in London.

That actually sounds pretty decent. Getting into the maths side of business would probably be the dream career. Is the pay decent for the placement?


Posted from TSR Mobile

not a combination you see every day but at least the CompSci side of it will have some.. icky maths.. maybe.

Actuarial Science, hopefully. Just doing a BSc with placement, taking a gap year after the final year (with an internship in that same year that leads to a job, hopefully )

I guess you want to work in IT or software dev or something related?

I am interested in Actuarial Sciencee too, you will have to take quite a few tests to become an actuary, right? Does it take long to reach that career?

I hope that you don't live to regret saying that

Yes, they are very high UCL for example is 220 something pounds a week for an en suite my self catered, shared bathroom/kitchen place in Bath was £88 p/w! Crazy.

Yeah, some of the maths things are quite well paid, especially IB/actuarial stuff some placements are unpaid (some Biology ones for example, apart from expenses, living costs etc) but I get quite a nice amout (around £18,000 for the whole year) which is slightly above average in terms of placements, only because it is in London.

£88 p/w? ****ing hell that makes me sick. I put cost as the top priority so hopefully they give me a **** room for 140 a week.

All the engineering ones I've seen are roughly the same so that's decent. Puts things into perspective when you're getting paid more than graduates in other fields for just a years placement. Bath seems great for getting people into placements.

I might've went down a more pure route with maths if I'd taken further maths but never mind, I'm happy with how things are.


Posted from TSR Mobile

Just finished my 3rd year of a 5 year MSci in Maths and although it is incredibly challenging I absolutely love it. It is very different to maths at school and in my opinion your feelings towards maths at uni may be the complete opposite to whatever you think of it at the moment.

As others have said algebra and analysis are key areas and if you don't like them then maths is not for you because they are the main components. Definitely look into these areas and see if it sparks an interest in you.

At my uni we have considerably more lectures than other courses and this year I had 7 exams compared to other subjects who only had 2 or 3. Also maths tends to be mainly examined by exams so there is no essays or coursework to boost your grade.

I would say the drop out rate is fairly high. My course in first year began with approximately 500 people which has now dropped to about 100 although this includes people who have changed degree and who only took maths modules as an elective.

If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them.