Maths degree??
I am a yr 13 girl in a small uk town. Most people I know seem to work in shops, restaurants or as carers, so I chose to apply to be a social worker because I can get a well paid job with that degree. I have had one rejection and another said they would let us know before Christmas and I didn't get a reply, so I'm worried I am rejected again. The other courses keep putting in obstacles, or making it sound like it's really hard to get onto the course. My mum says if I don't get an offer maybe I should consider a maths degree. She says I am a natural. I always get gold in the UKMT and into kangaroo round and have a best in year twice. I am predicted A* at maths and further, it's my favourite A level by a lot and I don't find it hard work as I like it so much. i got 9s in further and maths and all the sciences easily at GCSE. She says I should play to my strengths as just to get a degree in itself is ok. I just don't know if i should do a maths degree as it's not a job if you live in a small town and it costs a lot of money to go to University. I am shy and quiet so i don't think I am cut out for a competitive job market or being a teacher. Maybe the money to study isn't too much for my local University or distance learning. I haven't done any research, so I don't know if all the Universities teach the same course or they are very different. Is it ok to just go to your nearest one? I know I like pure maths the best. I haven't taken the TMUA because my school didn't tell me and I didn't think a maths degree would help me get a job round here so hadn't looked into it in time. I don't want to pay for a degree unless it can help to get me a good job. What is your advice? Should i just get a job if i am rejected or should i get into debt just to get a maths degree?
Reply 1
Original post
by deft-anticipatioI am a yr 13 girl in a small uk town. Most people I know seem to work in shops, restaurants or as carers, so I chose to apply to be a social worker because I can get a well paid job with that degree. I have had one rejection and another said they would let us know before Christmas and I didn't get a reply, so I'm worried I am rejected again. The other courses keep putting in obstacles, or making it sound like it's really hard to get onto the course. My mum says if I don't get an offer maybe I should consider a maths degree. She says I am a natural. I always get gold in the UKMT and into kangaroo round and have a best in year twice. I am predicted A* at maths and further, it's my favourite A level by a lot and I don't find it hard work as I like it so much. i got 9s in further and maths and all the sciences easily at GCSE. She says I should play to my strengths as just to get a degree in itself is ok. I just don't know if i should do a maths degree as it's not a job if you live in a small town and it costs a lot of money to go to University. I am shy and quiet so i don't think I am cut out for a competitive job market or being a teacher. Maybe the money to study isn't too much for my local University or distance learning. I haven't done any research, so I don't know if all the Universities teach the same course or they are very different. Is it ok to just go to your nearest one? I know I like pure maths the best. I haven't taken the TMUA because my school didn't tell me and I didn't think a maths degree would help me get a job round here so hadn't looked into it in time. I don't want to pay for a degree unless it can help to get me a good job. What is your advice? Should i just get a job if i am rejected or should i get into debt just to get a maths degree?
Maths degrees vary a lot! You should look at the modules of a few to see what they cover. Also some are assessed totally by exam and some also involve coursework.
This might be useful:
https://people.maths.ox.ac.uk/outreach/neale/WhyStudyMathematics.html
Sadly, Vicky has passed away too young but what she says is worth a listen.
Reply 2
wait what’s the TMUA lol - i’ve already applied for maths
Reply 3
Original post
by couldntbecaitwait what’s the TMUA lol - i’ve already applied for maths
It's a test for some university maths courses. If you've looked at the entry requirements for where you've applied and they didn't mention it you will be ok. https://esat-tmua.ac.uk/about-the-tests/tmua-test/
Reply 4
Original post
by Muttley79Maths degrees vary a lot! You should look at the modules of a few to see what they cover. Also some are assessed totally by exam and some also involve coursework.
This might be useful:
https://people.maths.ox.ac.uk/outreach/neale/WhyStudyMathematics.html
Sadly, Vicky has passed away too young but what she says is worth a listen.
This might be useful:
https://people.maths.ox.ac.uk/outreach/neale/WhyStudyMathematics.html
Sadly, Vicky has passed away too young but what she says is worth a listen.
Thank you for the video. This lady is so similar to me, except for her maths level being much higher. I am taking a language A level alongside my maths and not physics or science, I had a passion for music when younger, and love doing crafts too. I'm sorry she passed away.
Reply 5
Given the position you're in, my advice would be to take a year out after you finish your A-Levels, continue living at home, and spend a year as a social worker to see if you really like it. In the meantime, you can apply to universities in the Sept 2026 application season, where it sounds like you might have a strong application on your hands (if your predicted grades are correct). You should definitely also have enough content for a good personal statement, since your achievements in UKMT / Kangaroo are ridiculously impressive.
I was in a similar position to you in year 13. I had received a post-school job offer which I was keen to take as a full time role, but my parents thought I should go and study engineering at university. I decided to wait it out, and managed to achieve A*A*A*A* at A level (in maths, further maths, physics and english literature). I took a gap year and decided to commit full-time to the job i had been offered - in the meantime I applied to universities through UCAS. I received offers from top unis, and I realised that universities love applicants with strong achieved grades, rather than predicted grades (it is a much better indicator of your actual ability, since most schools inflate their students' predicted grades). With my A-levels and a decent personal statement, I received an offer from the University of Cambridge to study engineering, which I was surprised by. I continued working and then finally decided to take the offer from Cambridge come the end of my gap year. This was a route which worked for me. I was able to save up a significant amount through working during my gap year, get a student loan to cover the rest, and then head off to university. I am now in my 2nd year applying for jobs and internships, which has made me realise that a degree is very important for higher paying jobs. A STEM degree (like mathematics) would put you in very good stead for many jobs. There are certain roles such as quant finance which offer ridiculous salaries (~£300k+ in the UK), and their main source of graduates tend to be mathematicians - especially those from top unis and those who have achieved highly in competitions such as UKMT and kangaroo. Many of these high-paying roles are (unfortunately) very male-dominated at the moment, and so firms have lots of programmes aimed at recruiting keen female applicants. Given your abilities, this will put you in an even more advantageous position if you do decide to go for some of these jobs later down the line. Another suggestion might be to study a vocational degree (that is, one which directly leads on to a career). You are clearly very smart and good with numbers, so engineering might not be a bad suggestion?
My overall advice would be this: don't let your natural talents go to waste. Take a gap year, do some social work, and apply to unis for maths (or a maths-related degree) in the meantime. If you get an offer from a top uni definitely take it! I wouldn't necessarily recommend just applying to your "nearest one" - it sounds like you are very capable of applying to the top UK unis such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, etc, and these are considered "target universities" by a lot of employers. If you don't end up getting offers, you can always continue your job as a social worker and see where life takes you. All the best - Good luck!
I was in a similar position to you in year 13. I had received a post-school job offer which I was keen to take as a full time role, but my parents thought I should go and study engineering at university. I decided to wait it out, and managed to achieve A*A*A*A* at A level (in maths, further maths, physics and english literature). I took a gap year and decided to commit full-time to the job i had been offered - in the meantime I applied to universities through UCAS. I received offers from top unis, and I realised that universities love applicants with strong achieved grades, rather than predicted grades (it is a much better indicator of your actual ability, since most schools inflate their students' predicted grades). With my A-levels and a decent personal statement, I received an offer from the University of Cambridge to study engineering, which I was surprised by. I continued working and then finally decided to take the offer from Cambridge come the end of my gap year. This was a route which worked for me. I was able to save up a significant amount through working during my gap year, get a student loan to cover the rest, and then head off to university. I am now in my 2nd year applying for jobs and internships, which has made me realise that a degree is very important for higher paying jobs. A STEM degree (like mathematics) would put you in very good stead for many jobs. There are certain roles such as quant finance which offer ridiculous salaries (~£300k+ in the UK), and their main source of graduates tend to be mathematicians - especially those from top unis and those who have achieved highly in competitions such as UKMT and kangaroo. Many of these high-paying roles are (unfortunately) very male-dominated at the moment, and so firms have lots of programmes aimed at recruiting keen female applicants. Given your abilities, this will put you in an even more advantageous position if you do decide to go for some of these jobs later down the line. Another suggestion might be to study a vocational degree (that is, one which directly leads on to a career). You are clearly very smart and good with numbers, so engineering might not be a bad suggestion?
My overall advice would be this: don't let your natural talents go to waste. Take a gap year, do some social work, and apply to unis for maths (or a maths-related degree) in the meantime. If you get an offer from a top uni definitely take it! I wouldn't necessarily recommend just applying to your "nearest one" - it sounds like you are very capable of applying to the top UK unis such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, etc, and these are considered "target universities" by a lot of employers. If you don't end up getting offers, you can always continue your job as a social worker and see where life takes you. All the best - Good luck!
Reply 6
It sounds like you are very capable as well as enjoy doing Maths. Both very good reasons to study it further. I would not worry too much at the moment of what your eventual job will be. There are numerous jobs that you can have after a Maths degree - at the very least you can employ yourself as an online tutor - either fulltime or part time. University will introduce you to other options, avenues and opportunities that you might not be able to think of right now.
Don't let your gift get wasted. Do what you enjoy and it will automatically work out. Apply before the UCAS deadline passes and you can then think about it further. You don't have to go if you eventually don't want to. Good luck.
Don't let your gift get wasted. Do what you enjoy and it will automatically work out. Apply before the UCAS deadline passes and you can then think about it further. You don't have to go if you eventually don't want to. Good luck.
Reply 7
14
Original post
by deft-anticipatioI am a yr 13 girl in a small uk town. Most people I know seem to work in shops, restaurants or as carers, so I chose to apply to be a social worker because I can get a well paid job with that degree. I have had one rejection and another said they would let us know before Christmas and I didn't get a reply, so I'm worried I am rejected again. The other courses keep putting in obstacles, or making it sound like it's really hard to get onto the course. My mum says if I don't get an offer maybe I should consider a maths degree. She says I am a natural. I always get gold in the UKMT and into kangaroo round and have a best in year twice. I am predicted A* at maths and further, it's my favourite A level by a lot and I don't find it hard work as I like it so much. i got 9s in further and maths and all the sciences easily at GCSE. She says I should play to my strengths as just to get a degree in itself is ok. I just don't know if i should do a maths degree as it's not a job if you live in a small town and it costs a lot of money to go to University. I am shy and quiet so i don't think I am cut out for a competitive job market or being a teacher. Maybe the money to study isn't too much for my local University or distance learning. I haven't done any research, so I don't know if all the Universities teach the same course or they are very different. Is it ok to just go to your nearest one? I know I like pure maths the best. I haven't taken the TMUA because my school didn't tell me and I didn't think a maths degree would help me get a job round here so hadn't looked into it in time. I don't want to pay for a degree unless it can help to get me a good job. What is your advice? Should i just get a job if i am rejected or should i get into debt just to get a maths degree?
I think you should get a maths degree. Plenty of maths graduates in good jobs (including teachers) are shy and quiet. "Teacher voice" is as much a developed skill as it is a natural thing.
You can apply to Bath, Manchester, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Nottingham without TMUA or STEP scores.
Warwick, Durham, UCL allow you to apply with STEP scores instead of TMUA.
Imperial recommends TMUA but may accept STEP scores instead: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mathematics/undergraduate/degree-courses-and-admissions/faqs/
STEP is taken at the same time as your A levels so you have some time to prepare. You can start with https://step.maths.org/assignments/foundation and "advanced problems in core mathematics" book by Siklos https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/admissions/step/ and then move on to https://step.maths.org/assignments/step-2 and "Advanced Problems in Mathematics" and then https://step.maths.org/assignments/step-3
Also register for https://mei.org.uk/course/preparing-for-the-step/ which starts in February
If you do end up choosing to do a gap year, you should consider applying for a year in industry: https://www.etrust.org.uk/placements
https://www.etrust.org.uk/programmes-platinum-placements
(edited 1 month ago)
Reply 8
Original post
by deft-anticipatioI am a yr 13 girl in a small uk town. Most people I know seem to work in shops, restaurants or as carers, so I chose to apply to be a social worker because I can get a well paid job with that degree. I have had one rejection and another said they would let us know before Christmas and I didn't get a reply, so I'm worried I am rejected again. The other courses keep putting in obstacles, or making it sound like it's really hard to get onto the course. My mum says if I don't get an offer maybe I should consider a maths degree. She says I am a natural. I always get gold in the UKMT and into kangaroo round and have a best in year twice. I am predicted A* at maths and further, it's my favourite A level by a lot and I don't find it hard work as I like it so much. i got 9s in further and maths and all the sciences easily at GCSE. She says I should play to my strengths as just to get a degree in itself is ok. I just don't know if i should do a maths degree as it's not a job if you live in a small town and it costs a lot of money to go to University. I am shy and quiet so i don't think I am cut out for a competitive job market or being a teacher. Maybe the money to study isn't too much for my local University or distance learning. I haven't done any research, so I don't know if all the Universities teach the same course or they are very different. Is it ok to just go to your nearest one? I know I like pure maths the best. I haven't taken the TMUA because my school didn't tell me and I didn't think a maths degree would help me get a job round here so hadn't looked into it in time. I don't want to pay for a degree unless it can help to get me a good job. What is your advice? Should i just get a job if i am rejected or should i get into debt just to get a maths degree?
Hi,
I am a 3rd year maths student at Lancaster University.
Firstly, maths is SO worth it. Don't get me wrong it is challenging at times but it is so rewarding. You develop so many skills like problem solving which can be used in ANY job. By going to university you are already showing you can work independently and have the motivation. Even if you don't go into a job directly related to maths it will still help you.
Secondly, I know university can be expensive, Lancaster is not far from home for me which meant I could commute in 2nd year which did help me to save some money. I don't regret coming to university at all. I have made some amazing friends on my course and on the netball team.
Finally, don't worry about the TMUA or any entrance exams, I didn't do any. I just showed that I had a love for maths as well as some extra curricular activities like netball.
Good luck!
Jenna
Student Ambassador at Lancaster University
Reply 9
2
Original post
by Lancaster Student AmbassadorHi,
I am a 3rd year maths student at Lancaster University.
Firstly, maths is SO worth it. Don't get me wrong it is challenging at times but it is so rewarding. You develop so many skills like problem solving which can be used in ANY job. By going to university you are already showing you can work independently and have the motivation. Even if you don't go into a job directly related to maths it will still help you.
Secondly, I know university can be expensive, Lancaster is not far from home for me which meant I could commute in 2nd year which did help me to save some money. I don't regret coming to university at all. I have made some amazing friends on my course and on the netball team.
Finally, don't worry about the TMUA or any entrance exams, I didn't do any. I just showed that I had a love for maths as well as some extra curricular activities like netball.
Good luck!
Jenna
Student Ambassador at Lancaster University
I am a 3rd year maths student at Lancaster University.
Firstly, maths is SO worth it. Don't get me wrong it is challenging at times but it is so rewarding. You develop so many skills like problem solving which can be used in ANY job. By going to university you are already showing you can work independently and have the motivation. Even if you don't go into a job directly related to maths it will still help you.
Secondly, I know university can be expensive, Lancaster is not far from home for me which meant I could commute in 2nd year which did help me to save some money. I don't regret coming to university at all. I have made some amazing friends on my course and on the netball team.
Finally, don't worry about the TMUA or any entrance exams, I didn't do any. I just showed that I had a love for maths as well as some extra curricular activities like netball.
Good luck!
Jenna
Student Ambassador at Lancaster University
Obviously, you are talented and gifted. Don't waste your life, you don't have to swim with the flow and go to caring industry. Go on and do a math degree or related subject. The fact that you live in a small town doesn't mean you will stuck there forever. There are a lot of job mainly online and car these days can get you anywhere.
Aim high like Cambridge, Oxford, Emperial etc. As it is late now for top universities, I would agree with some suggestsions, take a gap year, do a job and save some money. At the same time, navigate exams like STEP and TMUA and decide where you want to apply and take it from there. It is a shame for such a talented person not to take it further. Good luck.
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