Maths. Great solo and set

This teaching does not need to be declared or presented. Everyone knows her. Some love her, others hate her, but everyone is on “you” with her. She is probably the only queen you can afford to be that close to. Ladies and gentlemen! We invite you to a meeting with the "Queen of Sciences", with the Mathematician.

Choosing any technical direction, we decide to expand our knowledge also in mathematics. Then it is one of the core subjects, which is usually devoted to the largest number of hours in the core curriculum. Depending on the field of study, this number varies (120 hours in mining, 150 in physics and 165 in electrical engineering), but usually makes up the lion's share of what a student will do. The curriculum is organized in this way for a reason. Thorough and systematic mathematical knowledge is the starting point for other areas of study. It is difficult to imagine a surveyor, a construction or production manager, or an environmental engineer who is not able to make accurate calculations. This is the basis of their skills, so it is not surprising that this is an area that is called the "queen of the sciences."

Marriages with the Queen

Knowing the potential of a person freely advancing in the field of mathematics has led many employers to look for such people. And here the universities decided to meet halfway, opening various interdisciplinary studies, linking the "Queen" with other sciences. The purpose of such marriages is to give students advanced mathematical knowledge, similar to what is taught in mathematics, i.e. not 120 or 165, but ... 690 hours this item! For example, we have the following areas at our disposal: mathematics and economics, mathematics and information technology, mathematics and natural sciences, mathematics and physics, mathematics and chemistry, mathematics and geography. Without a doubt, a graduate of such a course is a tasty morsel for the employer, so the choice of such a path of development seems to be the most appropriate. However, this choice is not for everyone. We are well aware that even the simplest and least exciting technical pursuits require you to dedicate your time to learning. We know many cases of study over the years because the offender found more interesting things than reading a book. And remember that in the case of combining mathematical directions, there are twice as many of them! Double the amount of study, double the amount of time spent studying, and even more exams in the same number of sessions. It's a really tough task, so we're definitely not talking about a place for lazy people. On the other hand, if someone is ambitious enough and knows himself well enough to know that he will rise to the challenge, then he makes an excellent choice. You just need to think carefully about what you would like to combine mathematical knowledge with, i.e. in which direction you want to take your professional or scientific work. People who do not yet have such a vision, or who do not necessarily need to throw themselves into such deep water, should definitely focus on mathematics itself first, which in the future can be enriched with additional skills.

Hand in the maze

In every technical university in Poland, as well as in universities, academies and higher vocational schools, it is also possible to engage in strictly mathematical research. People who love this subject and have passed the extended certificate at a decent level should not have serious problems with admission to the chosen faculty. At the Krakow University of Technology, when applying for a job in 2015/2016, only two candidates applied for one index, while in Lodz it was 2,6. Despite the fact that we are talking about a direction that provides great opportunities, mathematics is still not the most popular and is giving way to many other fields. This is very good news for those who are interested, because the competition here does not seem to be that much, which means that there are much more opportunities to break out.

As we mentioned earlier, there is a lot of mathematics in mathematics. 690 hours include: introduction to logic and set theory, differential and complete calculus, linear and abstract algebra, elements of geometry and typology, probability and statistics, computer science and computational mathematics. Opinions on whether it is difficult or not are divided. There are people who managed to make friends with mathematics by the beginning of their studies, and those who, although they knew how to deal with it while studying at school, did not have much love for it. The former have a good foundation and know that they still need to study systematically. Others, on the contrary, being surprised by the amount of material being digested, often refuse to study further, or vice versa - by all means try to catch up due to the lack of regularity and love. The outcome of this chase is hard to predict.

Whether it will be difficult in mathematics also depends on which university you will be dealing with. Teachers (contrary to the opinion of some students) are people like everyone else, therefore they (like people) have different requirements, skills related to the transfer of knowledge and approach to their profession. With some it will be difficult to follow the path of development, while others will lead the student by the hand through the mathematical labyrinth. It is interesting whether the current teachers dissuaded us from mathematics or, on the contrary, showed its bright side? However, if we add a few of our skills and dispositions to this, we may venture to say that, in the end, mathematics is not as scary as some make it out to be. And put forward the thesis that those who do not complete these studies (and there are many of them), as a rule, are to blame.

Graduation and...

… what's next? As for the continuation of a scientific career, the situation here is not motley, because the competition is huge. There are not enough places in universities to hire all interested doctoral students. However, in the case of professional activity, everything is different. This one is for everyone. The job opportunities for a mathematics graduate are enormous. This is not only a job as a subject teacher in elementary, middle or high school, i.e. interesting work with a mission (to infect with a passion for mathematics and show that it is not so scary). For whoever thinks of more money, or dreams of a different kind of work, may look for a place with different kinds of work. analytical activity (e.g. financial, quantitative, insurance), mathematical modeling or statistical studies. Industries for the Queen of Science graduate include IT, banking, finance, consulting, education, insurance, and industry.

Earnings vary and depend primarily on the region of Poland in which you work, as well as work experience, company size and education (various courses, postgraduate studies, knowledge of foreign languages, additional skills are welcome). An analyst can expect a gross salary early in his career. Over time, it should increase by about 3500 thousand. zlotys, or even 2 thousand zlotys. Wages in broadly understood finance reach the level 9 thousand Polish zlotys gross, and people with narrow specializations are waiting for even more money. The relatively small number of math graduates means that the job market is not as competitive as it is in other professions, and the demand for specialists is still growing, so everyone has to find a place.

Do you like counting? Count on the math

A very obvious - but most accurate - statement would be that mathematics is a field worth recommending to people who just love to count in the world. At the same time, training should not be too tiring, and five years of study will be filled with pleasure. The work will be waiting for the graduate, and the reward for the efforts invested in education and development must be satisfactory. However, if you don't get along with the "Queen", try to befriend her, but choose a different area of ​​study. This does not mean, of course, that "mathematics is only for mathematicians." As we mentioned at the beginning, it pairs beautifully with other destinations, which adds to its appeal. Bet on math.