- #1
BlueStar123
- 2
- 0
Hi,
I am 30 years of age and am currently working as a Software Engineer at a major software company. I have an MS and BS in Computer Science. From childhood, I have always been attracted to math, especially pure math. I have participated in numerous regional Olympiads and stood in the top-3 (I wasn't good enough for international level though :( ). I would not be exaggerating a single bit if I said that my first choice for spending a holiday would be with a math book in my hand (soaking in the sun with a glass of wine nearby, if possible ;))
I had to choose CS rather than math for my undergraduate since there was more money in it. This proved to be a not too unwise choice since I am in a well paid position now and work with smart people who keep me motivated. I love writing software, but I would prefer to deal with nature's complexity (beauty?) rather than man made complexity. Over the years, the urge in me to pursue higher studies in math has been increasing. And as I hit 30 and see a lot of friends/relatives pass away it becomes very clear to me that life is too short to not do things that you truly love. So, I have been giving serious though to the idea of doing a PhD in Math. However, life has also taught me that things that appear appealing from outside may not be so once you dive into them. I countered this thought myself by saying that since I have always been interested in math and since my desire to study it has never diminished, I will not feel disappointed if I jumped ship.
With that said, experience from software development tells me that incremental development with prior planning is better than an abrupt, complete rewrite. To this end, I have come up with a plan to eventually orient my career towards math. My purpose in writing this message is to check my assumptions by having you wonderful folks examine it. I would appreciate if you can give your opinion on my plan and answer my questions below:
PLAN
------
1) Take few online courses in undergraduate math to warm up my brain (I am currently taking an online course in Linear Algebra and loving it!)
2) Do an online Masters in Applied Math (since no university has a Masters in Pure Math). I have already researched for universities which have such programs. I want to do a Masters so I can have solid knowledge in all the undergraduate courses and more that I didn't take.
3) Take general GRE and subject GRE and do well on them.
4) Apply to top universities - MIT/Stanford/UCB/etc - and see if you get an admit + scholarship for a PhD in math. While I agree that the advisor is what matters for a PhD rather than the college, when I don't know any profs in any university, I might as well go for a reputed name college.
5) The day I get an acceptance letter from one of these top universities, it will be a moment of truth - should I leave my comfortable well paying job (at age ~35) and jump into an unknown world? Am I really capable of doing a PhD? Will working under pressure and paper deadline be as enjoyable as learning math for its own sake in free time?
6) Once I get my PhD (or close to that), I will think about what to do next - should I go back to software profession (I will be 40, will I be too old?), get into academia (can I do the hard work needed to get tenure at that age and when I probably will have young kids), become a math lecture (I *love* teaching, but lectures aren't paid well, are they?)
MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU
--------------------------
1) When a university like MIT sees a PhD applicant aged ~35 with experience in software, will it consider it more favorably then a fresh-out-of-undergraduate applicant? Does age act to my advantage or disadvantage?
2) Would you suggest any more (or less) steps to my plan.
3) [Very subjective] Do you think my goals and plans are stupid or impractical? If not, any inspirational statements are highly appreciated.
Love you all,
BlueStar
I am 30 years of age and am currently working as a Software Engineer at a major software company. I have an MS and BS in Computer Science. From childhood, I have always been attracted to math, especially pure math. I have participated in numerous regional Olympiads and stood in the top-3 (I wasn't good enough for international level though :( ). I would not be exaggerating a single bit if I said that my first choice for spending a holiday would be with a math book in my hand (soaking in the sun with a glass of wine nearby, if possible ;))
I had to choose CS rather than math for my undergraduate since there was more money in it. This proved to be a not too unwise choice since I am in a well paid position now and work with smart people who keep me motivated. I love writing software, but I would prefer to deal with nature's complexity (beauty?) rather than man made complexity. Over the years, the urge in me to pursue higher studies in math has been increasing. And as I hit 30 and see a lot of friends/relatives pass away it becomes very clear to me that life is too short to not do things that you truly love. So, I have been giving serious though to the idea of doing a PhD in Math. However, life has also taught me that things that appear appealing from outside may not be so once you dive into them. I countered this thought myself by saying that since I have always been interested in math and since my desire to study it has never diminished, I will not feel disappointed if I jumped ship.
With that said, experience from software development tells me that incremental development with prior planning is better than an abrupt, complete rewrite. To this end, I have come up with a plan to eventually orient my career towards math. My purpose in writing this message is to check my assumptions by having you wonderful folks examine it. I would appreciate if you can give your opinion on my plan and answer my questions below:
PLAN
------
1) Take few online courses in undergraduate math to warm up my brain (I am currently taking an online course in Linear Algebra and loving it!)
2) Do an online Masters in Applied Math (since no university has a Masters in Pure Math). I have already researched for universities which have such programs. I want to do a Masters so I can have solid knowledge in all the undergraduate courses and more that I didn't take.
3) Take general GRE and subject GRE and do well on them.
4) Apply to top universities - MIT/Stanford/UCB/etc - and see if you get an admit + scholarship for a PhD in math. While I agree that the advisor is what matters for a PhD rather than the college, when I don't know any profs in any university, I might as well go for a reputed name college.
5) The day I get an acceptance letter from one of these top universities, it will be a moment of truth - should I leave my comfortable well paying job (at age ~35) and jump into an unknown world? Am I really capable of doing a PhD? Will working under pressure and paper deadline be as enjoyable as learning math for its own sake in free time?
6) Once I get my PhD (or close to that), I will think about what to do next - should I go back to software profession (I will be 40, will I be too old?), get into academia (can I do the hard work needed to get tenure at that age and when I probably will have young kids), become a math lecture (I *love* teaching, but lectures aren't paid well, are they?)
MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU
--------------------------
1) When a university like MIT sees a PhD applicant aged ~35 with experience in software, will it consider it more favorably then a fresh-out-of-undergraduate applicant? Does age act to my advantage or disadvantage?
2) Would you suggest any more (or less) steps to my plan.
3) [Very subjective] Do you think my goals and plans are stupid or impractical? If not, any inspirational statements are highly appreciated.
Love you all,
BlueStar
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