Why I Decided to Transfer to a Mathematics Major

A year ago, I was applying to Nazarbayev University and thought that I would pursue a degree in economics. The reason for that was that, since childhood, I had been passionate about finance and banking. Besides, my sister had a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in finance. Since I had demonstrated interest in this field, my sister had degrees in accounting and finance, and the finance sector is generally considered prestigious and “safe,” I chose economics. However, after I sent the application, I started thinking, “Did I make the right decision?” The thing is that, apart from finance and economics, I also have a huge interest in coding, AI, and software engineering. I had this kind of doubt that was bothering me, but to be honest, I did not pay too much attention to it.

Time passed, and fortunately, I was accepted to Nazarbayev University, which is considered the best university in Kazakhstan. I was very excited. However, at the beginning of the first semester, I was disappointed by the fact that this major required me to take many humanities and social science electives. To be fair, I do not think that they are unnecessary, because these courses are indeed interesting and help students develop critical thinking skills. However, I was not comfortable with the fact that I had to take four humanities electives and three social science electives, in addition to other mandatory humanities courses such as writing, history, and ethics. Additionally, students from other majors, such as mathematics or computer science, had priority for interesting courses related to AI, statistics, and machine learning, which I was very interested in. So, I decided to transfer to mathematics because it offered broader opportunities. Fortunately, during my first year, I was able to successfully pass Calculus 1 and Calculus 2, which I had to complete in order to transfer to mathematics.

Now, let’s talk about the opportunities that this major offers. Overall, many people say that math is the foundation of everything, and it really is. For example, there are courses like graph theory, which is related to computer science; actuarial mathematics, which is related to the finance and economics sectors; mathematical statistics, which is useful in data science and machine learning; mathematical methods of physics, whose name speaks for itself; and many more examples. I personally think that I have many interests. Sometimes, I even become passionate about physics, which is why mathematics really suits me. This major will help me enter almost any tech field. I can become a programmer, engineer, or financier. Nowadays, in the age of AI, it is important to be flexible and have strong problem-solving skills. I think that mathematics offers that flexibility and develops problem-solving abilities.