Question

Regretting majoring in math

Answer 1

Take some programming and statistics courses for your fourth year.

Or do a computer science, statistics, or data analytics/science masters degree.

You have plenty of time, don't freak out.

Answer 2

>  I was planning on concentrating in math finance but it didnt work out with my gpa and all, so now Im stuck with pure math.

i'm confused, is math finance only allowed for high gpa students?

If you still want to get into financial math, i'm sure you can apply to loads of places even with a pure math degree. Don't believe for a moment everyone in any field followed the 'perfect' education to get there.

Answer 3

A lot of people in their 30s with pure math phds do career changes (myself included). Don't worry, you are not too deeply invested in pure math and you are young. Just do a different major or do a masters in a different field like finance, computer science etc.

People with a math background that then specialize in something else are quite attractive in the industry.

Answer 4

Learn to code. Pick up Python - you'll be attractive in a lot of analytics roles then. If you've got a logical, mathematics mindset already then it won't even take you too long to pick it up.

Answer 5

I recently finished my pure maths undergraduate degree and while I got basic coding knowledge taking a numerics course, I also had very little practical knowledge. I then took a 3 month MITx online course on machine learning (costed ~ 300$). Turns out that once you know pure maths, it's easy to pick up more applied things. This course then got me an ML internship. In the meantime I applied for applied master courses which don't require extensive coding knowledge. In Europe there are many English programs in Computational Science which are not too expensive.

Answer 6

- first, figure out what you are actually interested in
- then, change major (or maybe start over with a different field. I don't how it works where you live)
- also try learning about stuff you are interested in independently

> I feel like Im running out of time for everything

you are probably something like 21-22 years old, you are _not running out of time_. And it's never too late to change.

Answer 7

It sounds like you figured out what you don't want to do. You need to figure it what you do want. Doing poorly in a major you hate will not leave you with much when you graduate except for a frame certificate. It can be overwhelming going into your fourth year, but you can still make a change. It might cost you one year.  But you'll be fine.  At least you're still in school.  It's so much easier to change while you're in! Don't wait until you're out and married with a kid and trying to go back in 10-20 years from now. That's when it gets hard. But even that's doable. So take a breath. Figure out what you want to do. Talk to an advisor. You'll be fine. This is all normal.

Answer 8

How was pure math a step down from financial math?

Answer 9

It is easy to switch to engineering if you want more career options. Control theory, robotics, machine learning, signal processing and data science are all very mathematical and knowing how to prove things is also very helpful in these fields, especially if you decide to become a researcher on these.

If you know some Matlab, R or Python, you could get career in this field. Learning how to code will help you getting employed. But in these fields you are not necessarily the top coder of your company but you are more mathematically oriented!

Answer 10

You'd be suprised at how much better at problem solving you will be compared to your peers. The critical thinking and problem solving skills are what your developing, not your ability to do pure math. Those skills are much more valuable than you think.