Mathematics has always been interesting to me ever since I was young. I have had the fortune of having teachers in school that inspired me to learn more about mathematics and the sciences, and I would do my own readings with texts that my teachers would lend or give me. Ultimately, I decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in NUS Math because of its flexible curriculum structure and many classes that allowed me to pursue whatever topics I was interested in.
In my time in NUS, I have picked up two minors in Computer Science and German Language Studies, a specialization in Pure Mathematics, and I have completed the Special Programme in Mathematics. Ultimately, what drove me to pursue these classes was to make my degree my own, and to make full use of the opportunity in NUS to learn as much as I would like to. Aside from the content themselves, it was a chance to learn more about myself, what my taste was like for various topics, or what I really wanted to do in the future.
The academically rigorous programme in Mathematics meant that I was constantly challenging myself to be better than I was. Having to balance my academic workload, teaching duties in the School of Computing, as well as my other commitments meant that I had to be very disciplined and not let my deadlines snowball out of hand. The Special Programme in Mathematics allowed me to meet and make friends with many awesome like-minded people with a passion for mathematics, and with everyone having differing interests and strengths, this creates a network where we can help each other in our various endeavours.
The department also had numerous opportunities for me to explore topics that I considered working in. Between my UROPS, internship at A*STAR, various seminar courses as well as my Specialization Project, I got to explore many different subjects like category theory, quantum algorithms, general relativity and algebraic logic.
My advice to prospective students who are considering NUS Mathematics for their undergraduate education, first and foremost, make friends! Mathematics is a collaborative sport, and you learn much better when you are forced to explain things to people. Personally, my benchmark for whether I understand a topic is “could I give a lecture on this?”, and while oftentimes this is an ideal that I cannot hit, it is a goal that I strive to aim for. Ultimately, even in research, one has to communicate mathematics to an audience, be it your peers, students or fellow researchers in the field, and it does not hurt to start early.
Secondly, I highly recommend trying out the various programmes that NUS has to offer. Mathematics has a large intersection with many different fields, such as in computing, linguistics, philosophy, among others, and you will find that having a mathematical bent can give interesting perspectives on these topics; conversely, seeing many ideas from other subjects could inspire you to pursue and tackle interesting mathematical questions. Even outside of mathematics completely, your time in university is the best time to learn whatever you want, explore your interests and take risks, so make ample use of it!
Lastly, I recommend talking to your professors more often. The professors in NUS are by and large very friendly and down-to-earth, and it is always interesting to discuss various topics with them, from serious mathematical questions to life advice, or to hear their stories. Many of my friends and I talk to our professors to discuss potential future paths in life, or we ask the professors out to chat over lunch after the semester is over, and the grades are out. A lot of these activities, with friends and faculty, help to make the challenging and stressful times of the year much more fun, interesting and enjoyable.