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Why is everyone down on the math degree?

Chaotic42

Chaotic42

Lifer
All I hear about my degree is how useless it is.

"Guess you'll be teaching math forever"
"You should major in Engineering."
"No one wants someone with a math degree"
"It's not practical"

Why all of the hate for a math degree? I mean, mathematicians have to have something to do, right?
 
Originally posted by: Anubis
yes but your most likely gonna have to get a masters
Click to expand...

I'm planning on a PhD. Something bad will have to happen to keep me from getting a doctorate. I also plan on doing Physics if I can get away with it.
 
An undergrad degree in math can get you an actuarial job = good starting pay + benefits most of the time.
 
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
All I hear about my degree is how useless it is.

"Guess you'll be teaching math forever"
"You should major in Engineering."
"No one wants someone with a math degree"
"It's not practical"

Why all of the hate for a math degree? I mean, mathematicians have to have something to do, right?
Click to expand...

Friend of mine took his math degree and laughed all the way to Sun before the tech bubble burst.
 
Originally posted by: Heisenberg
There really isn't a big market for people with a BS in math. You really need a PhD in order to get a decent job.
Click to expand...

Well, I already have a job that wants me to get a math degree.

The thing is, I'm not going to college to get a $150,000/yr job. I'm going because I'm interested in the subjects. If I have to teach math all of my life, so be it.
 
Originally posted by: PoPPeR
is it true that to get a phd in math you have to solve one of those million dollar math problems?
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Probably several of them. I didn't appreciate the 20 pagers I had to do for Calculus for an IS degree. That was like, an entire semester of 😕.
 
math degree's are fine, there are a variaty of careers you can go into, the reason why people say its not practical is because usually math skills are applied to another discpline like engineer or biology or physics. etc.
 
Originally posted by: Ameesh
math degree's are fine, there are a variaty of careers you can go into, the reason why people say its not practical is because usually math skills are applied to another discpline like engineer or biology or physics. etc.
Click to expand...

Well, I'd like to do the physics thing. That's my real area of interest. PhD level physics requires some pretty heavy math, and as Michio Kaku said, our mathematics is lagging behind.
 
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Originally posted by: Ameesh
math degree's are fine, there are a variaty of careers you can go into, the reason why people say its not practical is because usually math skills are applied to another discpline like engineer or biology or physics. etc.
Click to expand...

Well, I'd like to do the physics thing. That's my real area of interest. PhD level physics requires some pretty heavy math, and as Michio Kaku said, our mathematics is lagging behind.
Click to expand...

IMO physics is a math degree, they have to take soo many damn math classes, and physics classes are just using the math you learned from the quarter you just finished.
 
Originally posted by: Ameesh
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Originally posted by: Ameesh
math degree's are fine, there are a variaty of careers you can go into, the reason why people say its not practical is because usually math skills are applied to another discpline like engineer or biology or physics. etc.
Click to expand...

Well, I'd like to do the physics thing. That's my real area of interest. PhD level physics requires some pretty heavy math, and as Michio Kaku said, our mathematics is lagging behind.
Click to expand...

IMO physics is a math degree, they have to take soo many damn math classes, and physics classes are just using the math you learned from the quarter you just finished.
Click to expand...
Err...no. There is a lot of math in physics for sure, but math is just a means to an end. It's the difference between designing hammers for a living, or using the hammer to build a house.
 
As a CS/MA major, and dealing with a lot of Pure Math people, I think most people just don't understand the concept that it is possible to like Math, and it is possible to choose a major based on something other then how much money you will make. Happiness found in wealth is shallow, you made a good choice in ignoring them if you truly enjoy math.

But as for the finding a job part, they are right, it sucks.
 
Originally posted by: Heisenberg
Originally posted by: Ameesh
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Originally posted by: Ameesh
math degree's are fine, there are a variaty of careers you can go into, the reason why people say its not practical is because usually math skills are applied to another discpline like engineer or biology or physics. etc.
Click to expand...

Well, I'd like to do the physics thing. That's my real area of interest. PhD level physics requires some pretty heavy math, and as Michio Kaku said, our mathematics is lagging behind.
Click to expand...

IMO physics is a math degree, they have to take soo many damn math classes, and physics classes are just using the math you learned from the quarter you just finished.
Click to expand...
Err...no. There is a lot of math in physics for sure, but math is just a means to an end. It's the difference between designing hammers for a living, or using the hammer to build a house.
Click to expand...

i'd say it's more like taking a house, and trying to guess how and which hammers might have led to it
 
Originally posted by: Chu
As a CS/MA major, and dealing with a lot of Pure Math people, I think most people just don't understand the concept that it is possible to like Math, and it is possible to choose a major based on something other then how much money you will make. Happiness found in wealth is shallow, you made a good choice in ignoring them if you truly enjoy math.

But as for the finding a job part, they are right, it sucks.
Click to expand...

along those lines, i really think that most people who "hate" math just haven't had a good teacher.
 
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Originally posted by: Heisenberg
There really isn't a big market for people with a BS in math. You really need a PhD in order to get a decent job.
Click to expand...

Well, I already have a job that wants me to get a math degree.

The thing is, I'm not going to college to get a $150,000/yr job. I'm going because I'm interested in the subjects. If I have to teach math all of my life, so be it.
Click to expand...

Then why do you give a sh!t what other people think?

-Xionide
 
I have a math minor, and plenty more in grad school. But that's the one thing I wish I had more of now. Especially stats & calculus. At least in my field, you can never have enough math.
 
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