3 Year General Mathematics @ UW

The Faculty of Mathematics website is normally a good place to for current and prospective students to find information on its undergraduate programs. As I was browsing through it today, however, I noticed they have very little on the "3 Year General Degree". Rather than having a page with the program's description and career prospects, I came across nothing more than a boring list of degree requirements on the Undergraduate Calendar.

So I have decided to do it myself... to inform all current and prospective mathies about the advantages of being in the 3 year general program and why it is better than other math programs. I hope that it will assist you in making informed academic decisions.

Reasons to Switch to General Math

1) It is less structured than other BMath programs. Other than the basic core requirements, you can take whatever math courses you want! As an academic advisor once told me, it might be smart to talk to your friends so you can pick and choose the courses in which you can succeed. eg. ACTSC 221 ;) There is also plenty of room for electives, which for many of us are usually more fun.

2) You don't have to choose a boring major. Perhaps none of the offered programs, like Actuarial Science and Bioiformatics, appeal to you. What some people do in this case is randomly pick one and risk living in hell for the next few years (which is what usually happens). However, a smarter alternative might be to not pick one at all! Being in a general program allows you to graduate with a degree without a major or specialization.

3) You save money and time. It can save you at least $5,000 (+ housing and food costs) of debt, and by finishing a year early you can get a head start on either your career or a different (and more interesting) academic program.

4) You are less of a geek! You tell me which of the following sounds least nerdy: "Combinatorics & Optimization", "Bioinformatics", "Computer Science", "Scientific Computation".... or "General".

5) It's better than dropping out. Before you consider being one of those university dropouts, consider the general program. At least leave with something!

Opportunities After Graduation:

A wide range of exciting opportunities await the general mathy. I've heard of many graduates finding lucrative jobs with employers like Amazon and Research in Motion, as well as insurance and other tech companies. The degree also opens doors to specialized post-degree college programs, which will compliment your broad university education very well.

Concluding Thoughts

Afterall, a degree in general Math is still a Waterloo Math degree - you just won't work as hard for it as most others. On paper you'll look the same as everybody else; you just wouldn't have the word "honours" on your resume. I doubt most employers even notice. And physically, you'll look better than your honours math friends as a result of having saved yourself from all the insane upper year courses; you will have less grey hair and look many years younger. At convocation, you'll be the one smiling: fresh, energetic and ready to take on your next challange... whatever it may be.

Switch to general Math.