Exploring College Options: Advice for a Senior Prepharmacy Student

[amathew]

I recently completed my master's degree in political science. Since then, I've been working and doing some freelance analytics work using R, Python, MySQL, etc. Most of the analytics work I do is rather simple descriptive statistics, but I also do OLS and logit/probit regression analysis...a lot of my clients are more interested in my web scraping services, but that's neither here nor there.

I've been considering returning to school to pursue a MS in Statistics. I don't want to get a second bachelors degree, but plan on taking the required pre-req's for grad programs in statistics. I was considering taking the following classes.

As an undergrad, I took Calc 1, calc 2, and linear algebra, but need to retake both courses as it's been a while.

MATH 104 = Pre-Calculus

MATH 121 = Calculus 1 (after M-104)

MATH 122 = Calculus 2 (after M-121)

MATH 223 = Vector Calculus (after M-122)

MATH 290 = Elementary Linear Algebra (after M-122)

MATH 320 = Applied Differential Equations (after M-223 andM-290)

MATH 526 = Applied Mathematical Statistics 1 (after M-122)

MATH 590 = Linear Algebra 1 (after M-223 and M-290)

MATH 591 = Linear Algebra 2 (after M-290)

MATH 605 = Applied Regression Analysis (after M-526)

MATH 627 = Probability (after M-223 and M-290)



It will take me three to four years before I can apply to a grad program. I may even go to school part time.
Does anyone have any suggestions?


My interests are in statistics, scientific visualization, and data analysis.

Would a statistics degree be the best option? what about computer science? (I know basic programming in C, Python, and Perl, but don't really want to be a programmer)

 

[RoboticMezon]

Hello and help please! :)

Hi there everyone!

I'm currently working on my master's thesis on charges and Newman-Penrose type quantities in Yang-Mills theory. I would like to continue on to graduate school, but am not sure yet about what my topic would be, if I decide not to continue this topic. I don't know if I would not continue this topic, you understand, but I would like some insight as to what other options there are.

Could someone please help in giving me a few pointers about what sort of current research topics there are in the field of mathematical relativity? I've coasted the net, but haven't found anything even remotely suitable to my needs. For once Arxiv isn't much help...

Thanks in adv.,


4R

 

[WCL]

Hey guys!

So like the title says, I'm really not sure what I want to do after college. Right now, I'm a freshman in college, majoring in chemical engineering. However, I'm also planning to double major with physics. I picked these two majors because they seem the most open ended so I could do basically whatever I wanted after college, but I'm being hit with the reality that it really doesn't matter what my degree is, but that I need the research/internships to get the related jobs, and there is a limit to the amount of research/internships I could obtain during college, so in the end, I'd still be limited to a few opportunities. At least, I think that's how it works.
I didn't really choose chemical engineering to get into the petroleum/oil industry either, as working in some dirty factory doesn't really interest me. Also, I'm not too into the medical production stuff. I enjoyed high school AP physics, which is partially the reason why I'm considering the double major in physics. I'm guessing that in the end, I could probably combine the two disciplines for a career in something nuclear, probably for reactors, as I'm not interested in working for the US Department of Defense. Still, I think I'd want to do research more than working in a nuclear reactor, so I thought perhaps research in nuclear fusion power...but I haven't actually had true research opportunities to see if I would be interested in a career in research. If I didn't do something nuclear, I've basically hit a dead end for what I would want to do. Optics seem to be something big in physics right now, but I'm not too thrilled on that stuff. The ridiculous theoretical parts just don't seem very interesting to me. Astrophysics...maybe, but I don't really know what that would entail. I don't really want to sit behind a telescope seeing little specs move a few millimeters a day, nor do I want to be involved with massive amounts of calculations involving that. I just like things more...concrete...than doing massive amounts of speculation a spec of light and how far it is from other specs of light. Well, I know there's a bunch of other factors like radiation emitted as well, but still. Beyond that, I'm not sure...
Now though, I'm wondering if this course of action is even feasible, and if it is, is it really worth it? From what I've read, chemical engineering and physics are two of the hardest majors out there, and combining it sounds pretty ridiculous. In addition, I'm also not the most productive person, as I went through high school doing minimal amounts of work, on the order of a few hours of homework per week, even though I loaded myself with as many AP classes as I could take(I got 4s and 5s on them, which is what even makes the double major remotely possible and still graduate in 4 years).
What does everyone think?