… by Fionnuala / from London / BSc Mathematics and Statistics / 3rd Year (UG)
After two years of studying in Edinburgh, a global pandemic, not being able to make it to Spain for my year abroad and many more obstacles – I’ve finally completed the first Honours semester of my degree (minus a few exams in the next week!). Returning to Edinburgh in September after not living there for almost a year due to the pandemic was a very scary experience. Although I had lived there before, had friends on my course and societies to get back to, I couldn’t help but feel just as nervous as I was before I started in first year. These last few years have been a challenge for all of us but as I look back on the past semester, I can honestly say that I’ve really enjoyed third year so far.
Third year is when you really start specialising within your Maths degree. It’s at this point that maths becomes your full-time focus after having the opportunity to take electives in a whole range of other subjects in first and second year. For me, it was also when I started to realise which parts of maths really interested me.
The courses you take in first and second year are very broad within the School of Maths which is very useful as, once you have to start picking modules out of a long list in third year, you have already experienced (in some way or another) the foundations of the majority of the courses going forward. With this behind you, you can make informed decisions about which courses you think you’ll enjoy the most and perhaps which courses you didn’t like as much. Personally, this led to a change in degree from BSc Maths to BSc Maths and Statistics. It’s possible to do this so long as you have completed the correct pre-requisite courses.
“What’s the difference?” you may be thinking. Well, the Maths and Statistics degree gave me slightly more flexibility when it came to my course options this year. Within the single honours maths degree, we currently have four compulsory modules: Honours Differential Equations, Honours Analysis, Honours Algebra and Honours Complex Variables (all 20 credits each). On the other hand, with the Maths and Statistics degree, the only third year compulsory modules are currently Statistical Methodology and Statistical Computing (both 10 credits). This allowed me to have a lot more flexibility when choosing my modules and hence I’ve been able to study a larger variety of 10 credit courses this semester.
Changing degree was never something which crossed my mind when applying for Maths at Edinburgh however, I am very grateful to have been able to do so this year!
Third year maths has definitely been a step up both in terms of the complexity of the work and the workload. I think the key to managing this and still achieving good grades is to be really organised from the beginning of the semester. Making sure you know exactly what work is being set, when it’s due and what’s coming up next is crucial to making sure you don’t fall behind. I could not live without my weekly to-do list which ensures I’m always on top of all my tasks – and the satisfaction of scribbling off a task once it’s done can’t be beaten!
Although third year isn’t easy, it has definitely been rewarding and I couldn’t have got through it without the amazing support of my maths course friends. Maths is such a collaborative subject, especially as things start to get harder and everyone is in the same situation! The JCMB (School of Maths building) is always full of groups of students studying together and having the crucial study breaks together too! I’m excited to see what the next semester will bring…