They may as well have titled it "Honours Mathematics & Statistics: Get A Job specialization".

Hmm this seems like a really interesting program, did you contact the math department? I'm curious as to what they said

Originally Posted by Mahratta

They may as well have titled it "Honours Mathematics & Statistics: Get A Job specialization".

Although Mahratta, when you meet someone and they ask you what you study and you say Math and Stats, do you always get the asnwer "Oh I hate math! So what are you gonna do? Teach?"

Yes the only thing I can do with Math and Stats is teach high school level trig. What are you going to do with your Humanities degree? Read?

Originally Posted by Melanieee

Although Mahratta, when you meet someone and they ask you what you study and you say Math and Stats, do you always get the asnwer "Oh I hate math! So what are you gonna do? Teach?"

If I know them well enough, then I say something along the lines of:

If I'm lucky, then I'll get a cushy academic/industrial research job, and probably get far more out of it than a conventional job.
Else, I'm glad we have a good social security program in Canada.

As an aside, whatever happened to being interested in what you do? It seems like it's normal to think "I'll get a job I hate that pays well, and buy lots of useless possessions/booze/etc. with the earnings to drown out how bad my life will be."

If anything, I think engineers (using this as it is thought of as the most "practical" degree, but I don't mean to single out engineers) ought to worry more about that than I ought to worry about immediate job prospects.

It's not even like our job prospects are bad; it's just hard to get a job in math, and for good reason. Math jobs are some of the best out there; good pay, little work, great benefits and you're generally doing something that you like a lot. So it makes sense that there are few of these, just like there are few jobs in the "pure research" areas of engineering, or physics, or whatever.

There's a whole lot of jobs in IT, engineering, etc. that math majors can get into as "fallbacks", I don't think the same can be said of most disciplines.

Thats why Im heading down the path of Statistics, its more applied and there are more jobs. And I generally like it, as of right now Im not very good at it - I am starting to realize that I must have a talent for remembering content for tests and getting good grades, but the stuff never sticks I feel like I know nothing.

Anyways, if I can actually claim that I am an expert in undergrad stats by the time im done, I think Ill be able to get a good job. No research required please and thank you!

Originally Posted by Melanieee

Thats why Im heading down the path of Statistics, its more applied and there are more jobs. And I generally like it, as of right now Im not very good at it - I am starting to realize that I must have a talent for remembering content for tests and getting good grades, but the stuff never sticks I feel like I know nothing.

Anyways, if I can actually claim that I am an expert in undergrad stats by the time im done, I think Ill be able to get a good job. No research required please and thank you!

you should supplement your stats knowledge by taking Econometrics 1 and 2.

Originally Posted by fasailuddin

you should supplement your stats knowledge by taking Econometrics 1 and 2.

are those econ classes?

EDIT: Too many pre reqs, no even gonna finish reading the course descrip.

Originally Posted by Melanieee

are those econ classes?

EDIT: Too many pre reqs, no even gonna finish reading the course descrip.

they are econ courses but at their core is application of stats.

Sounds like a lot intra-educational bashing going on here. What you're identifying is a broader issue with the value of education in an economic environment that has neglected youth employment issues almost entirely. In terms of employability, there are a number of reasonable career options for someone with a solid math preparation- as you identified.


I guess everyone likes to feel like they're smarter than someone.


My advice? Cherish your education for what it is. The best quote I've heard on the subject is that "work is the tunnel at the end of the light". We'll all mostly be disappointed in the future, don't rush to get there.

I didnt mean to bash lol