Graduating in 2 years

Graduate School
1

<p>Hello CC community,
I've been a lurker for a while. I'm making this post because I'm a sophomore now (at UCLA) doing Math/Econ. It turns out that I will graduate this year, even though I haven't really tried to rush anything. That's just how it works out for some reason. I'm planning on going to grad school (Masters not Doctoral) for OR, applied math, Combinatorics, or a related field. If I particularly like what I do academically in the masters, I may consider trying for a doctorate. I've found some programs that I'm interested in, but I'm worried about my letters of rec. Most of my classes have been rather large and impersonal. I'm sure that when I get into some of my smaller upper divs, I will have a better chance at developing a more personal relationship with the professor. However, from what I've heard, research is very important, and I'm having trouble finding math research opportunities. I was considering staying a year after graduating and working as an assistant researcher with a prof. However, I can not find any info on programs like this, especially for math. I'll talk to my counselors soon, but I'd like some insight from people who might know what to do in a situation like this. What are some good options here? </p>

<p>Best Regards</p>

2

<p>Don’t get a PhD just because you like something; get a PhD because you love research and you want a job that requires a PhD.</p>

<p>b@r!um will be better at answering this but I think he/she has said before that research experience isn’t as important for pure math programs as other fields, because most of the math you learn in a BA program is too elementary to start research with.</p>

<p>Why are you having trouble? Are none of the math professors around you doing research, or do they not need RAs? Presumably you’ve taken math classes; can you visit a professor during his or her office hours and ask about this issue?</p>

3

<p>They don’t seem to need RAs, but to be fair, I haven’t gotten into some of the upper div stuff when they might actually try to attract RAs. The math classes I’ve been taking still have a lot of science and engineering students. I will definitely be asking my profs about this in office hours, as it’s becoming a more pressing issue.</p>

<p>Thanks for your input</p>