Anyone major in math??

[slateman]

As some of you know, I need a minor. So I was thinking about a major in math. I've always kinda liked it and was great in it until Algebra II. Thats about where I topped out.

Is it even possible for me to get this minor?? Or am I gonna be jumping into the Marinas Trecnh with about a hunred pounds strapped to my back??

[71 LS6]

I plan to major in math. I like math. Math is fun, and good for the soul. That is why I want to major in math, because I like it. I have always liked math. It is good. Very good. And math-like. Oh, how I love math, because I like it so. I'll post more later when I'm more sober. Goodnight everyone, and don't let the bedbugs bite.

Math teehee hee he huh?

[Target Practice]

I'm am currently a Math major, and proud of it too! My dad was a math major, thats how I discovered higher math.

IMO, if you are looking for a guaranteed job after college, Math is your major. You could walk into any school and teach with an emergency credential. My dad just got his credential and tenure this year. He could kill one of his students and they couldn't touch him. (This may be an issue; he teaches high school... .) If you don't want to teach, well, there are plenty of companies prepared to hire people to do thier number crunching. Hell, if you are good enough, there is a ton of research you could do.

Of course, you have to go through a lot of crap to get just your bachelors in math.... When I find my Cal Poly catalog, ill post the math requirements for a BA/BS. Here are the ones for an AS at my college:

Prerequisites for the following classes
Math 65A,B (Analytical Geometry with Calculus)
Math 83 (Calculus)
math 85 (Differential Equations)
Physics 8A,B,C (Calculus-based physics)
plus a couple of other classes

Have fun! I know I will...

[jefbarn]

Hmm...my wife was a math major. Lets see if this helps convince you...

For her first Adv. Calc. midterm she had been studying for three weeks. Now, my wife is slightly neurotic by nature, so when I say studying, I mean at least 6-8 hours a day. So, she takes the midterm and the next week gets the test back...38 percent. After she tells me this, I am all prepared to console her for the low score. At which point she smiles at me and says that 38% was the highest score in the class and she received an A+. By the way, only she and 3 other students passed Adv. Calc. that year.

As far as jobs go, my wife is a rocket scientist. Really.

[slateman]

Guys, I think you missed the point. I want a MINOR in math. I'm already 21; its a little late to be switching my major to math.

Here's the deal: I was great in math till high school. Due to muy parents religous beliefs I was forced to be home schooled. What neither one of them remembered was that they never took more than Algebra. My father failed and my step mother got a C in their respective high school algebra classes.

As a result I pretty much had to teach myself, so I only got up to algerbra II, but I did pretty well in it.

What I wana know from you math majors, is how well would you have done in your math classes if you had only had algebra II??

[Miscue]

As some of you know, I need a minor. So I was thinking about a major in math. I've always kinda liked it and was great in it until Algebra II. Thats about where I topped out.

Is it even possible for me to get this minor?? Or am I gonna be jumping into the Marinas Trecnh with about a hunred pounds strapped to my back??

I was one class from a math minor, and didn't realize it until I was about to graduate. If you go for an engineering degree, you'll take a bunch of math and will probably be 1-2 classes away from a minor.

I'm fairly certain that you'll need 2-3 semesters of calculus at least, and the rest of the classes will be harder than that. If you're having trouble with AlgII, a math minor could be a lot of work for you. You can take calculus only going up to Algebra II, but you should learn limits and stuff or maybe consider pre-calc before going into it. Your algebra and trig needs to be fairly strong.

[splatattack33]

you like math!??!!? i hate it its the gayest thing ever

[paintballrulzs]

I plan to study actuarial mathematics this august. I was leaning between that and accounting, but the salaries make it an easy decision. Do not consider a math carear unless you can handle high math no problem. Math is one of those subjects that everything builds off previous information. Don't go into higher math unless you can handle the basics (algebra 2, calculus, etc)

[vf-xx]

I've completed my math minor. Since I'm Mechanical Engineering I was required to take enough math that I only needed to take Linear Algebra to get my minor.

Eh, it wasn't the easiest thing, but it wasn't insanely difficult either.

[slateman]

vf-xx:Thats not the must decisive piece of advice I've ever gotten

On Monday, I guess I'll take the placement test and see how I do. Its gonna take about 27 credits in math to get a minor, and thats assuming I pass them all on the first try. But its lloking more and more like this isn't a plausible option.

Heeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooo Psycology

[mcveighr]

I intend to take math, or mechanical engineering.

How can you not like math is the real question?

What do you like? English? hahahahahahaha

[Target Practice]

Do not consider a math carear unless you can handle high math no problem. Math is one of those subjects that everything builds off previous information. Don't go into higher math unless you can handle the basics (algebra 2, calculus, etc)

This is not necessarily true. My dad, a math major, didn't go to collegeg until he was in his mid thirties. Before that, he drove truck and worked heavy equipment. He sucked at math. He started off thinking about a degree with hazardous materials, but that field would pretty much be locked up by the time he graduated. Anyhoo, a teacher said that there was a cronic shortage of math and science teachers. Knowing that he could not afford to not have a job at graduation, he decided to go in that direction. He spent so much time studying, my bro and I hardley ever saw him. Out of a 48 hour weekend, he would spend at least half of that working on math alone. Now, he has his teaching credential, and a degree in mathematics (one of two math teachers with one, in a HS of >3500 students.)

Anyhoo, I think my Pops is a perfect example of just having enough dedication to get through it. I know some people simply cannot do math. However, these people realise this, and don't even consider it. But if slateman is already looking into it, then he probably knows at least a little about it.


EDIT: w00t! 200 Posts!

[sgt_easton]

I'm an industrial engineering major. As most engineers will tell you, sometimes we feel like we're math majors. I use math in every class in school.

I'm finally finishing my final "math" class this semester...differential equations. Well, I hope I'm finishing it. Depends on how the final goes...

The important thing is to stick with it. I took a year and a half off after high school to go for basic training and technical training in the air force. Last class I took was pre-calc in 11th grade, so I went 2 1/2 years without math, and then jumped into college with Calculus I. It was very, very painful.

After you take your first calculus class, you'll know if you want a math degree.

[trains are bad]

Double major mechanical engineering, Physics, minor in english.

[gimp]

Here at rpi you need the basic courses, calc1, 2, differential equations, multivareable calc and linear algebra, plus 4 4000 level courses to get a minor. You might have some trouble going from algebra 2 right to calc 1. Usually, you'll take geometry, and precalculus (or advanced math or trig, whatever you call it) before calculus. I'm pretty sure that calculus is the lowest math that's offered here. If you go right from algebra 2, to calculus, you might have some problems. I'd find out what you need for a minor at your school.