Disappointed with my maths degree

I attend a lower ranking Russell Group university, where ~50% of students get a 2:1 and 23% of students get a 1st

Despite the course being some-what challenging, it's a joke to everyone that attends, if you're extremely good at A-Level maths you'll be able to get a 2:1 in this degree with very little attendance.

This may sound confusing but the content is complex and the volume of work is intense, but the exam papers are reasonably soft and so are the assignments.

I'm unbelievably de-motivated because oxbridge/warwick students work their ass off for a 2:1 and I just feel like I'm learning nothing yet getting a respectable grade from a semi-respectable university in a respectable subject..

Is the best option to drop out and reapply to a different university?

I have AAA at a-level

What year are you in?

2nd.

2nd.

Have you ever thought that you could learn stuff outside of lectures? I think Cambridge publish their exam papers, so you could do a few of those. You are not bounded by the lectures.

It isn't that, I learn the modules I'm interested in thoroughly and find my own resources.

I'm just worried my degree will be vastly undervalued after graduation due to the softness of my course

What do you want to do?

I'm looking towards a masters/phd into modules related to Operation Research or Population dynamics

If you get a 1st I'm not sure that you will struggle to find a place somewhere. So are you concerned you will not get a place at an amazing uni?

I'm concerned about not getting funding from an amazing university, I'll be in competition with students who have a more well-rounded knowledge of maths whilst I'm robotically memorising questions to do well on exams.

I attend a lower ranking Russell Group university, where ~50% of students get a 2:1 and 23% of students get a 1st

Despite the course being some-what challenging, it's a joke to everyone that attends, if you're extremely good at A-Level maths you'll be able to get a 2:1 in this degree with very little attendance.

This may sound confusing but the content is complex and the volume of work is intense, but the exam papers are reasonably soft and so are the assignments.

I'm unbelievably de-motivated because oxbridge/warwick students work their ass off for a 2:1 and I just feel like I'm learning nothing yet getting a respectable grade from a semi-respectable university in a respectable subject..

Is the best option to drop out and reapply to a different university?

I have AAA at a-level

Hey there

I'm also a second year maths student in a similarly ranked university who scored one of the highest exam results in first year and I also feel incredibly held back by the slow pace of the course. I contemplated dropping out very seriously for similar reasons to you and discussed this at length with various staff from my university multiple times. I struggled, really struggled to find happiness here. Their response was to agree with me though and offer to help me drop out in the least (still very) damaging way possible. Yet despite all that I didn't.

I have so many things I wish I could say to you but don't have time to write out in full right now. In essence though I decided to seize the opportunity that all the free time gave me to learn as much other maths as I could. One of the first steps I took was to begin auditing (listing in on) a whole range of other lectures courses from both the department of mathematics (including some third year modules) and the department of computer science (a shared interest). There's nothing like a super full timetable to keep you busy and occupied and moving forward.

The next step was to realise that the fact you are finding a Russell Group university easy is far more of a reflection on you than it is the university. To an employer it is still a very good asset on your CV. They won't know how easy or hard the course is and they will respect the university for the reputation it has. And, you know what, it's probably better than you think. The mean standard of universities and submitted work is far lower than you think.

The next thing to understand though is that this is far from sufficient. Employers want people who have done things and can do things. There's far more to getting a job than going to a good university. Focus on those things.

Also, in terms of doing excellent maths, far more than in any other science mathematics is a learned and practiced subject. If you want to become a good mathematician you must do maths. And more, and more and more of it. Throw yourself at it. Get yourself up many hours before lectures start (I get up often as early as half five for a 0915 start even though I only live seven minutes away from university) so I can do early morning maths. Then I just keep on working, and working and working, all through the day and late into the night. Do maths. It's the only way to get good.

Honestly, I'd strongly advise against dropping out. Past happiness is sadly a strong indicator of future happiness. Universities are very leery of taking transfers or people who have dropped out. It's an enormous, enormous risk. Far better, in my opinion, to try to turn around a university experience you hate to one you if not love then can at least tolerate for a few years. Maybe focus on doing a masters at a more prestigious university?

Feel free to message me if you want to talk. I have no time now (must get back to the maths...) but I'd be more than willing to go over in depth the ways I managed to turn things around and the resources I use to further my maths studies. And tip number one - start attending many more lectures!

Richard