Unsure if I Should Do (Math) Grad School

Graduate School
1

<p>Prepare for a sort of large 'tl; dr'</p>

<p>So I'm a sophomore at University of Maryland: College Park double majoring in math and computer science. Currently, I'm taking advanced calculus (aka real analysis?) and an algorithms course. I've been mapping out my schedule for the next few years and it turns out my schedule would be relatively empty my final year. So that made me wonder 'do I want to stop with two B.S. degrees'? </p>

<p>First, I have no experience in research or non-teenage jobs (clothing stores, 7-eleven, etc.). However, my inclination is that math grad school doesn't open many doors. Would I just be doing theoretical stuff? I'm still good at the theoretical stuff and I think classes like Number Theory (easy class, I know) are interesting, but how would I be doing research in theoretical fields if I was in academia? What kind of research would I do industry jobs? </p>

<p>The thing is my inexperience is making these choices difficult (I know the easy answer would be to get involved in more things, but its a little hard to do that when you don't have any experience). All I know is that I like math and I like programming in java (I know I should, but I don't really care for c). I don't really care for computer science that's not programming (like architecture, memory-management, etc.). I know that makes me a pretty crappy comp sci major. This is one reason that makes me pretty hesitant about doing grad work in comp sci. </p>

<p>I don't have a basis since I haven't taken the courses yet, but I think I might like mathematic modeling (possibly bioinformatics?) or signal analysis/cryptography. However if you work for the NSA (one of the few places that hires cryptanalyst?), don't they only want/require a Bachelor's Degree? </p>

<p>Instead of asking you guys if I should do grad school (because I feel like you guys can't understand my situation completely), could you guys tell me why you did math-y grad school? What do you guys want to do research in? Have any of you majored in Math, but did something else for grad school? Whats the difference between a Masters and ph. d. in math? Answering any of these questions is appreciated. It would also help if you could somehow tie it into the situation I described. </p>

<p>Thanks again,
EddieD</p>

<p>EDIT: If you would recommend going for a Masters/PhD in Math, what classes should I take in college? I'm guessing Advanced Calc I/II, Topology, Abstract Algebra, and Linear Algebra. Anything else? Are there some courses I should take, even if I only go up to Bachelor's?</p>

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<p>I wasn’t a math major, but everyone has to start somewhere. Just because you have no experience doesn’t mean it’s hard to get involved. You are a sophomore, which means you have the rest of this year and two more years to get some experience. Talk to your advisor and let them know what you are considering and see if they have any suggestions. Professors know what other faculty members in their program are working on and may suggest you get involved with so-and-so. He/she might also have more feedback on what courses to take. Or if your advisor’s interests don’t match yours, but another faculty member’s does, just e-mail them and ask if you can stop by for a chat about your academic/career goals. </p>

<p>Getting involved in research will start out slow, so don’t be discouraged if you are given menial tasks. They will test your abilities before giving you anything important. And you will get a better taste of what graduate school might be like, and whether you’d like to go. </p>

<p>There are some math majors/grad students around here, so I’m sure they will offer more detailed responses specific to your major.But your professors know your situation and field the best, so do not hesitate to get in touch with them to discuss this.</p>

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<p>The main point I was trying to get across was that I can’t get any positions like that relatively quickly. I am trying, but most of them are summer internships, so its not like I can do research and then get back to making my schedule. I will talk to some of my professors though. Thanks for the advice!</p>

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<p>It doesn’t have to be an official “position” though. I only did one “internship” type of thing. The rest were just my prof chatting with me through e-mail and asking me to do little things in the beginning. Many professors are active in their work year-round and like having students to help out. They won’t likely be advertising it though, so you need to ask.</p>

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<p>I’m not in grad school yet, but I will be applying next year for a phd in math somewhere.</p>

<p>Math research is a little different. Depending on the field you’re interested in I wouldn’t expect to do any real research as an undergrad, simply because the barrier for entry for some areas is huge. You need to know a lot of stuff before you can even begin to understand open problems, never mind attempting to solve them.</p>

<p>What you should do, is try to do an independent study in an area you are interested in. See if you can work with a professor one on one, perhaps the professor you took number theory with if you really enjoyed it and the professor was good. There is no reason you can’t continue to learn more advanced number theory if you’ve taken a class and learned the basics already, all you need to do is find a professor willing to work with you. Thats the best way to build a relationship and almost guarantee a good letter of recommendation, which is one of the things you need to help you get into grad school. </p>

<p>As far as what courses you should take, even if you don’t end up going to grad school, it can be useful to have courses in linear algebra, abstract algebra (this pops up everywhere in science and engineering!), real analysis, and differential equations. Topology isn’t required, but its good to have if you want to grad school. Discrete math is another course to look at especially if you are a cs double major, you could probably kill two birds with one stone with that class as far requirements go. Statistics would also be useful if you have an interest in bioinformatics. </p>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

6

<p>If you like pure math and programming, take a look at machine learning and graphics/computational geometry. As an undergraduate I struggled with the same questions that you are wrestling with: loved math, liked programming, concerned about the usefulness of pure math, bored by CS theory - what should I do? </p>

<p>I took a few math-y computer science courses my senior year in college when I was running out of pure math courses to take, and I liked them so much that I almost ditched my applications to pure math programs. Machine learning and computational geometry in particular felt like pure math classes with lots of pure math reasoning (and many of the people in these fields have a PhD in pure math!), except for the goal of solving immediate real-world problems. </p>

<p>I ended up staying with pure math because I had already developed an identity as a pure mathematician by the time I discovered applied math. I wanted to throw those suggestions out there because maybe you might like these fields too.</p>

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<p>If you are interested in exploring applied math/bioinformatics, you might try talking with the neuroscience dept at your university. (Specifically talk to the computational neuroscience people.)</p>

<p>Once you’ve completed your foundational math courses thru linear algebra, you ought to be able to find a research position. Both your programming and qualitative skills will be big assets. </p>

<p>D2 (double major applied math & bio/neuroscience) spent the summer developing computer-based mathematical models of brain cancer growth. Not much bio involved–mostly data analysis, programming and algorithm design. She also done modeling of cognitive processes.</p>

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<p>Thanks everyone. I guess the consensus is just to get off my butt and look for research opportunities! I know that’s kind of the obvious answer, but sometimes people need to hear obvious things once in a while. If anyone else has any advice, I’d still appreciate hearing it!</p>

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<p>Also keep your eyes open for shorter workshops and conferences for undergraduates. For example, SAMSI (the Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute) hosts a number of short (2-5 days) workshops for undergraduates each year, which are fully funded. (They pay for airfare, hotel and meals!) PCMI (the Park City Mathematical Institute) hosts a 3-week summer school each year on a different topic. (Not only do they pay for your expenses, you get a stipend for participation!) If you are female, you might be interested in the Princeton Program for Women in Math. </p>

<p>Similar programs probably exist in other fields too!</p>