<p>There are the kids in my school where you can absolutely tell what they are going to major in- the physics enthusiasts, history buffs, journalists. And then there is me, the kid who loves math. I would love to major in math but dont know what I would do after undergraduate. All there really is is HS teaching, doing something business related (absolutely not), or go to grad school for math. Grad school (PhD) for math seems scary, I dont know why.</p>
<p>So I was thinking to major in Chemistry. Its my other passion, but slightly less so than math. I feel like a chem major would have more options after graduating undergrad. Several different grad school options.</p>
<p>Get a PhD in math. If you are passionate about it and you have at least some natural talent, you will be able to succeed. From what it sounds like, you are much more suited to an academic/research-type career as a mathematician.</p>
<p>Also, I would NOT try to become an actuary from what it sounds like by your preferences. People generally fail to realize that being an actuary is a business career and very little complicated math is used on the job. You only need to be able to learn it to pass credentialing exams.</p>
<p>There’s a lot you can do with a math major if you’re responsible. The first thing you’ll notice when you sign up for one is that a good chunk of the classes are electives. What I’ve noticed with math degrees is that they are extremely versatile. In a sense, they are like vanilla ice cream. By themselves, they may be a bit plain, but they easily adapt to anything you want if you add the extra toppings. Unless you’re a diehard vanilla fan, then go to grad school. </p>
<p>Even if you are not super into completely abstract math, you can still pursue grad school in Applied math and the likes, albeit it’s still going to be very theoretical. </p>
<p>I think it’s too early to think about grad school (in either Chemistry or math) just yet. If you’re really unsure as to what to do, just do math and take a few chemistry classes, perhaps notably OChem. Likewise, take some proof-based courses, that way you actually know what math-major math looks like. This is not to say that proof-math is the only kind of math worth learning, but it is an important branch, especially if you are consider grad school in math (applied or pure). For a lot of people, it’s a dealbreaker. Who knows, maybe after you have your first Analysis class, or maybe Abstract Algebra, you’ll be like “Eh, math is not as cool as I thought.” Or perhaps after you take OChem, or maybe even PChem, you’ll have a similar reaction.</p>
<p>In any case, a math major can do whatever you want (for the most part), you just have to be active in making it into whatever you want.</p>