Now, if only maths graduates could program their way out of a wet cardboard box.
Whoa there, let's not forget all of the programmers who couldn't prove their way out of a wet POJO.
I'm an undergrad who was studying computer science and switched to math, and at every job fair I go to I get a blatant "We don't hire math majors," until I mention that (oh yeah) I've done SOA and database programming in C++, Android Apps in Java, and I enjoy working on my compiler.
My experience with subjects like real analysis, topology, and abstract algebra (which are crucial to truly understanding mathematics) are very undervalued in the job application process, and I feel bitter toward most tech companies because of this. At the same time, I attribute my skills in programming (abstraction, data analysis, algorithm design) to the skills I gained studying those same "irrelevant" subjects.
The truth is that math isn't valuable for the knowledge you gain. Honestly, with a bit of research you can look up an algorithm to solve any problem, and probably get a pseudocode implementation as well. Math is valuable simply because it makes you smarter, better at analyzing problems, and better at thinking about solutions before you attempt to code them. It doesn't matter whether you study finite group theory or differential equations, the skills you would gain allow you to sort through complex problems that have no established Theory. And then if you do need to work with linear algebra specifically, it will be relatively easy to become familiar with the terminology and methods, because the whole point of math is to do cool things with new concepts and rules. As mathematicians we breathe abstraction, analysis, and invention.
And hirers just don't seem to care about that if you haven't memorized algorithms on C strings. With that attitude, it's no wonder math people don't want to program and programmers don't want to learn math.
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Now, if only maths graduates could program their way out of a wet cardboard box.
Whoa there, let's not forget all of the programmers who couldn't prove their way out of a wet POJO.
I'm an undergrad who was studying computer science and switched to math, and at every job fair I go to I get a blatant "We don't hire math majors," until I mention that (oh yeah) I've done SOA and database programming in C++, Android Apps in Java, and I enjoy working on my compiler.
My experience with subjects like real analysis, topology, and abstract algebra (which are crucial to truly understanding mathematics) are very undervalued in the job application process, and I feel bitter toward most tech companies because of this. At the same time, I attribute my skills in programming (abstraction, data analysis, algorithm design) to the skills I gained studying those same "irrelevant" subjects.
The truth is that math isn't valuable for the knowledge you gain. Honestly, with a bit of research you can look up an algorithm to solve any problem, and probably get a pseudocode implementation as well. Math is valuable simply because it makes you smarter, better at analyzing problems, and better at thinking about solutions before you attempt to code them. It doesn't matter whether you study finite group theory or differential equations, the skills you would gain allow you to sort through complex problems that have no established Theory. And then if you do need to work with linear algebra specifically, it will be relatively easy to become familiar with the terminology and methods, because the whole point of math is to do cool things with new concepts and rules. As mathematicians we breathe abstraction, analysis, and invention.
And hirers just don't seem to care about that if you haven't memorized algorithms on C strings. With that attitude, it's no wonder math people don't want to program and programmers don't want to learn math.