Is a maths and stats undergrad worth it?

2

Is it worth pursuing a maths and stats degree if I much prefer social sciences?

Hello, I am about to apply for unis and I’m still very unsure. I did a levels in maths, further maths, sociology and econ (I hated econ). I studied in Syria and Turkey up to age 16 and always thought maths was my subject because of how good I was at it, even though I was good at pretty much everything else, not many people are good at maths so I was always told I was so good at it and I internalised that. Now I’m not so sure I want to pursue it further.

I enjoy sociology and politics so much, I like literature and poetry too but I dedicated so much of my academic life to stem, it’s what I always focused on even though I feel like social sciences come more naturally to me I never gave them much time or effort. I was going to apply for maths and stat (stats is my favourite part of maths) but I don’t really enjoy it.

Is a maths and stats degree valuable enough to pursue in lieu of sociology or politics (possibly with Arabic)? I know I can do it I just wouldn’t be enjoying it very much and I really want to end up financially comfortable enough to not constantly stress about money.

Reply 1

ajj2000

20

Any idea which universities you might apply to?

Reply 2

bmh3

OP

2

Original post

by ajj2000

Any idea which universities you might apply to?

Thanks for taking the time!
It depends on whether or not I do maths, I was thinking Swansea or Loughborough for maths, if you have any suggestions for a good maths/philosophy degree (or any suggestions for anything relevant tbh) with a uni that offers foundation please let me know! Royal Holloway was an option for that but I’m not sure it’s good not many unis I found offer maths and a social science. As for politics or sociology I’m really not sure at all.

Reply 3

bmh3

OP

2

Original post

by bmh3

Thanks for taking the time!
It depends on whether or not I do maths, I was thinking Swansea or Loughborough for maths, if you have any suggestions for a good maths/philosophy degree (or any suggestions for anything relevant tbh) with a uni that offers foundation please let me know! Royal Holloway was an option for that but I’m not sure it’s good not many unis I found offer maths and a social science. As for politics or sociology I’m really not sure at all.

Also I’m thinking about applying to different courses to give myself more time to decide so any suggestions help!

Reply 4

ajj2000

20

Why a foundation year? Would you be paying UK or international fees? What were your A level grades in each subject?

Reply 5

bmh3

OP

2

Original post

by ajj2000

Why a foundation year? Would you be paying UK or international fees? What were your A level grades in each subject?

I want a foundation year because I need a soft transition back to education and honestly life outside my bedroom, I have cptsd and major depressive disorder, recently started new meds and therapy and I couldn’t go to uni last year because of all that and I just need a foundation year to give me time to get used to everything and get my **** together.
I pay home fees and am eligible for student finance and my grades were bccd, b in maths and d in econ (I was unfortunately in the beginning of trying medication during that time and changed multiple times, they all made things worse).
Another reason I want a foundation year is because i want to end up at a better uni with more studious students, after GCSEs and like the first year of a levels I was predicted all as and a*s but things just went so wrong and I feel I missed out on so much and now I want to be in the best academic environment I can get with my grades

Reply 6

bmh3

OP

2

Original post

by ajj2000

Why a foundation year? Would you be paying UK or international fees? What were your A level grades in each subject?

I also have been advised not to jump into a stressful environment and I feel a foundation year is less stress and makes first year less stressful as well so I have enough time to fully stabilise

Reply 7

Royal Holloway, University of London

Official Rep

13

Original post

by bmh3

Is it worth pursuing a maths and stats degree if I much prefer social sciences?
Hello, I am about to apply for unis and I’m still very unsure. I did a levels in maths, further maths, sociology and econ (I hated econ). I studied in Syria and Turkey up to age 16 and always thought maths was my subject because of how good I was at it, even though I was good at pretty much everything else, not many people are good at maths so I was always told I was so good at it and I internalised that. Now I’m not so sure I want to pursue it further.
I enjoy sociology and politics so much, I like literature and poetry too but I dedicated so much of my academic life to stem, it’s what I always focused on even though I feel like social sciences come more naturally to me I never gave them much time or effort. I was going to apply for maths and stat (stats is my favourite part of maths) but I don’t really enjoy it.
Is a maths and stats degree valuable enough to pursue in lieu of sociology or politics (possibly with Arabic)? I know I can do it I just wouldn’t be enjoying it very much and I really want to end up financially comfortable enough to not constantly stress about money.

Hi there,

Great to you're considering studying at degree level. Have you considered exploring Royal Holloway as a potential university? Our stunning campus is located just 40 minutes from Central London by train, so students can experience the calmness of campus as well as the bustle of the city. If you're looking for a way to boost confidence, grow skills and feel fully prepared for everything that studying a degree at university involves, then one of our Integrated Foundation Year courses could be for you.

We would also recommend signing up to our Online Open Day this Wednesday 15 January to find out more about us, your course of interest, and have the opportunity to chat to staff and students from the department you're interested in. You can also chat to our current students here to find out more about the course and ask any questions you may have.

We hope this helps.

Best wishes
Royal Holloway, University of London

Reply 8

ajj2000

20

Original post

by bmh3

I want a foundation year because I need a soft transition back to education and honestly life outside my bedroom, I have cptsd and major depressive disorder, recently started new meds and therapy and I couldn’t go to uni last year because of all that and I just need a foundation year to give me time to get used to everything and get my **** together.
I pay home fees and am eligible for student finance and my grades were bccd, b in maths and d in econ (I was unfortunately in the beginning of trying medication during that time and changed multiple times, they all made things worse).
Another reason I want a foundation year is because i want to end up at a better uni with more studious students, after GCSEs and like the first year of a levels I was predicted all as and a*s but things just went so wrong and I feel I missed out on so much and now I want to be in the best academic environment I can get with my grades

Wow - sounds like you've had to overcome some really tough issues. Sorry to hear you've had such a tough time. Hopefully better things to come.

For me there are benefits in doing a maths / stats degree over a mainstream social sciences course. Worth pondering but I don't think these are so absolute that one should definitely do one course over another. Maths tends to be one of those tough degrees where you need to be up for the challenge.

Basically the benefit seems to be in employability and having a bit of an advantage when looking for jobs across a wide range of employment areas. If you have a real interest in subjects such as sociology and politics studying mathematical subjects can be a way to work in areas like government, research bodies, and major companies doing research into things related to these fields. Perhaps have a look at the sorts of jobs that government statisticians do to see if any of these attract you?

You could also see if there are any foundation years which would get you onto a MORSE type course (maths, operational research, statistics and economics) - places like Southampton, Cardiff and Lancaster have courses but I'm not sure about foundation years - as these can be very broad and applied.

Is a maths and stats undergrad worth it?

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