Math majors?

[sjwaste]

Math is one of the least immediately useful degrees for getting a job, but probably the most useful skillset to have in the workplace.

I'm not sure what you do for a living, but even in the non-actuarial segments of my industry, it's a solid degree for recruiting purposes.

You can teach a mathematician simple business concepts, but you can't teach someone with a BA in econ advanced math ideas.

Hey, I did just fine, and I have a BBA in Econ. Arguably easier than a BA. I majored in math for a while, though, until it occurred to me that I liked my economics courses better.

I'm sure CERN isn't coming to me for help any time soon, though.

 

[TridenT]

Math is one of the least immediately useful degrees for getting a job, but probably the most useful skillset to have in the workplace.

You can teach a mathematician simple business concepts, but you can't teach someone with a BA in econ advanced math ideas.

I understand that notion and agree to some extent. (Mostly with the least immediately useful degrees) It's just so useless without other skill sets to really enhance it. If you don't develop some separate skill set that you fucking rock at... it's really useless by itself.

 

[sjwaste]

this isn't gen ed req math we're talking about. some people will not get advanced math, and i'm pretty sure the OP is one.

Meh, it's undergraduate work. Study. If you can get into a decent college, then some combination of intelligence and work will get you through just about any academic program. I'm not suggesting he start applying for doctoral programs just yet, but a bachelors can be worked through.

 

[sjwaste]

I understand that notion and agree to some extent. (Mostly with the least immediately useful degrees) It's just so useless without other skill sets to really enhance it. If you don't develop some separate skill set that you fucking rock at... it's really useless by itself.

If you don't value the ability to think, then you're right, it's useless and everyone else in this thread might be spot on with their assessment.

 

[Fayd]

Math is one of the least immediately useful degrees for getting a job, but probably the most useful skillset to have in the workplace.

You can teach a mathematician simple business concepts, but you can't teach someone with a BA in econ advanced math ideas.

i have a BA in econ, and i'm getting a masters in statistics

 

[BrokenVisage]

i have a BA in econ, and i'm getting a masters in statistics

 

[PsiStar]

Add physics or electrical engineering. They are both intensely mathematical. I am an EE but what I do can only be described as "physics". I have worked with several physics grads. doing as I do. Up coming project is multipaction ... force google to find that versus multiplication. I have just been doing lightning and diffusion analysis in another project as well as PDN (high current distribution on PCBs). But then there is the signal integrity stuff which pays the bills.

From your tone, I would guess physics. Subjects such as electromagnetic fields and waves will give you pause. But so will mechanical engineering dynamics, the issue with mechanical engineering is all of the mindless basic subjects ... units such furlong per fortnight were such a waste of time. While I am at it, chemical engineers have fluid flow. These were the ball busters for under grads.

On the other hand, a college room mate of mine, the math major having been in the Navy for 6 years. Ace-ed everything, studied until 6 & went out for a beer every eve. His summer jobs was as a crew man delivering yachts down the East Coast.

 

[IronWing]

He looks like he's working out a cheerleading routine.

 

[Mixolydian]

:thumbsup:

 

[Acanthus]

Advanced degrees in pure math get snapped up by the dept of defense.

Cryptology.

 

[randomrogue]

So... you'll never guess who's a math major.

Yeah-man.


Anyway, shit blows. It's pretty worthless without courses that do a lot of application. I don't think I'm going to be asking myself, "But is it Cauchy?"

I'm trying to work on a separate, more employable, skill set, but it's hard with everything else going on. I'm trying to put 10,000 hours into five separate and nearly unrelated subjects. It's not really feasible...

Anyone else graduate with a BS/BA in mathematics?

I got multiple degrees and one was in Math. I would highly suggest taking applied math courses. Quite frankly non-applied mathematics is relatively worthless and is far too dependent on formulas. I was so surprised when I took a DE class and they didn't teach how to derive it from initial conditions. Instead it was just a plug and chug formula class. Go applied. Much better.

I'd take it a step further and get into engineering, physics, astrophysics, chemistry, biology, computer science, etc. Apply math to something and know what kind of job you want ahead of time and go towards that. Blindly getting a math degree is not a good investment of your time or money.

 

[jaedaliu]

That professor was terrible. The one I got in Fall was way better and proofs became much easier.

It was a course that was one of those things where the teacher can easily make or break the course.

I'm surprised if most of your professors aren't terrible. This is pure math we're talking about. It's a bunch of variables on the board that have no bounds (other than losely defining the set that you're dealing with.) It's almost all theoretical and not attached to anything physical.

Shit will make anyone crazy if that's all they're dealing with.

Anyways, good luck. If you aren't finding your courses fun at an early stage, you might want to consider switching to a more applied type of degree (as suggested earlier in this thread.) As you proceed, things might get more into the clouds.

 

[randomrogue]

Pure math professors generally didn't know what the math they were teaching was really used for. This is a problem as well. It's one thing to learn basic algebra and trig without applying it but learning advanced math without any real world application is mind numbingly stupid.

When you get someone who was a former scientist or engineer teaching math, then you're learning.

 

[jaedaliu]

Pure math professors generally didn't know what the math they were teaching was really used for. This is a problem as well. It's one thing to learn basic algebra and trig without applying it but learning advanced math without any real world application is mind numbingly stupid.

When you get someone who was a former scientist or engineer teaching math, then you're learning.

So you agree with most people that a math major isn't practical. It's kind of like taking honors physics at an undergrad level. why? WHY?!?!?!?

Takes a special kind of person to appreciate theory and proofs.

 

[TecHNooB]

So you agree with most people that a math major isn't practical. It's kind of like taking honors physics at an undergrad level. why? WHY?!?!?!?

Takes a special kind of person to appreciate theory and proofs.

nah. and math major is fine but it's useless by itself. most science and engineering majors take the same courses as the average math major. you gotta go out of your way to take really hard math courses to distinguish yourself as a math major.

 

[jaedaliu]

nah. and math major is fine but it's useless by itself. most science and engineering majors take the same courses as the average math major. you gotta go out of your way to take really hard math courses to distinguish yourself as a math major.

Hrm, in my undergrad I had to take 4 math courses for my engineering degree. 2 of which I APed out of. So really, 2 math courses. Math majors had those courses, then another 10-12 more. Wow our schools are different.

Oh, I had 1 stats course too, but math majors didn't need to take one.

 

[Murloc]

in my uni there's applied maths (it's called "mathematical engineering" but it's just a way of saying "maths course of a technical university", hence applied maths, most technical universities just call it maths and it's implicit that it's different from the average university maths) with various specializations, like finance, where they learn insurance stuff etc.

and it's really not the same as engineering, they have like 2x maths courses as I did, even in undergrad.

 

[SaurusX]

get into actuarial work, son

its good stuff

plus actuaries are fun people

http://www.actuarialoutpost.com

 

[nageov3t]

one of my best friends was a math major... now he's a lawyer. *shrug*