I’m so grateful I had the chance to interview Lauren Alie this week! She’s an inspiration to many and shows why studying Maths can help you discover a passion for its applications and its related subjects…
"These statistics are not just numbers but my reality when I sit in lecture theatres with very few people who look like me. Reflecting on my decision, the most frustrating part is how I didn’t believe I could excel in a Maths degree."
I’m Lauren, currently a second year Computer Science student at the University of Birmingham and so far my experience has been fantastic. I’ve always had a strong interest in maths and problem solving, so Computer Science has been a great fit for me.
You’re probably reading this and thinking why I, a second year Computer Science university student, am about to tell you to consider doing a Maths degree. I’m so glad I decided to study Computer Science. So far, it’s rewarding, challenging, eye opening and I’ve met some outstanding people along the way. However, my journey is not what you would expect. I always wanted to study Maths at a higher level and I’ve been passionate about the subject since Year 7. As a keen problem solver, I got a strange enjoyment out of doing my Maths homework. I honestly thought my curiosity for this subject would lead to me studying it at university. Looking back, I realise there was one obstacle in my way: self-doubt.
Why did you choose Maths A-Level, and what did you enjoy most about it?
It was important that I chose a university course I would really enjoy and excel at. I thought my best chance of achieving this was doing Maths. It’s a subject we all learn from when we start school and I enjoyed it right until A-Levels, where I would spend what felt like 90% of my time solving maths problems (anyone who did Further Maths will understand this). The best part for me was the satisfaction that came when solving a problem, especially a difficult one - it was almost addictive. Well, except for proof by induction. I became fascinated by complex numbers and then polar coordinates, seeing how different topics linked in unexpected ways. Doing a module in decision maths where I learned about algorithms and their efficiency was also interesting. Little did I know, this would form the basis of one of my modules in my future degree.
Have you experienced any barriers or challenges when looking to study Maths at a higher level?
When going to university open days, I was excited to hear about what studying maths at a higher level would involve. I hoped that having two-thirds of my A-Level subjects being maths would make me feel prepared and at ease to tackle it at degree level. Instead, I felt discouraged by what I heard students and professors say. I was constantly told how much harder the degree was to A-Levels, with students warning that their analysis module was particularly scary. For the first time, I found myself scared of a challenge rather than embracing it. I was afraid of failing a subject I succeeded in at school, and worried about disliking maths when it became increasingly difficult.
"I’ve learnt that the key to succeeding at university is through hard work, curiosity and not being afraid to ask for help."
How do you think girls can overcome these barriers, from your experience?
This issue of having low self-esteem is something many of us girls can relate to when studying subjects where we are under-represented. Less than 40% of students studying Maths at university (2017/2018) are female, and this drops to 20% for Computer Science. These statistics are not just numbers but my reality when I sit in lecture theatres with very few people who look like me. Reflecting on my decision, the most frustrating part is how I didn’t believe I could excel in a Maths degree. I thought by studying Computer Science, a subject I had no experience in, there would be no expectations therefore less room for disappointment. This was a terrible mindset to have because I’ve learnt that the key to succeeding at university is through hard work, curiosity and not being afraid to ask for help. So to girls who are thinking about studying Maths at university but aren’t completely certain, I would say go ahead because you can achieve more than you think. Stay open minded, because there are many different paths you can go down when you have a strong interest and aptitude in maths. Computer Science is just one of these and, in my opinion, definitely the best.
Comments