Bachelor Degree – Math

Why anybody would want to get a bachelor degree in math is a mystery. When you think about it, when you get out of college with a bachelor degree in math, what can you possibly do with it besides teach? You’re certainly not prepared for any practical applications. Sure, you could get a job as an actuary but is that REALLY why you majored in math in the first place? Well, for those of you who still want to get a bachelor degree in math, hang onto your hats because the ride you’re in for is far from easy. What follows is pretty much what you can expect to go through.

Math is probably one of the hardest disciplines anybody could possibly want to go through. The math courses alone are so hard that no other courses are needed to make your four years of college a living nightmare. Think we’re kidding? Take a look at just the math curriculum itself and then decide if this is something that you think you can tackle with no sweat.

Your first two semesters of college math throw you right into the fire. This is where you learn   Calculus . The courses are usually  Calculus  I and II.  Calculus  is probably one of the most difficult courses ever devised by man. How anybody even thought of this stuff is a puzzle. Talk about math that you’re never going to use in your life unless you become a scientist or an engineer.

Your next two semesters, or year two, give you a break from  calculus . This is where you take Advanced, or Abstract Algebra. This is where you learn about matrixes and things like that. This is more math that you’re never going to use as long as you live. Engineers don’t even use most of this stuff.

Now you’ve reached year three and you’re back to  Calculus  again. This is where you finish up your training in  Calculus  with  Calculus  III and IV. The concepts in these courses are so abstract and so far removed from any real world math, you’d have to be a near genius to understand this stuff.

By year four, if you’re still a math major, you’re down to what they call “Independent Research” where you basically are on your own, but under the guidance of your advisor. You’ll do some kind of major paper on math principals or maybe even Newton for all you know. The good thing is, what you write on is up to you. The bad thing is it has to be approved by your advisor.

And if all of this isn’t bad enough, you’ve only taken 8 of your 32 courses. You still have 24 more courses to fill in your time with. Because you’ve chosen one of the science majors, you’re also going to have to take at least two semesters of either chemistry, physics or some other related science. Yes, we are talking about some more ridiculously hard material.

So if you really want to be a math major, just remember one thing. You will most certainly earn your bachelor degree in math. If you survive it.