Programs Is it bad to have bad grades in required courses not pertaining to your major?

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The discussion revolves around the challenges faced by a mathematics major balancing an intense course load, including honors analysis and statistics, alongside a job and other non-math courses. The individual expresses concern about the impact of potentially receiving lower grades (B or B-) in non-math subjects on their chances of being accepted into a strong PhD program in mathematics. The consensus is that while maintaining high grades in math courses is crucial, receiving a B in unrelated subjects is generally acceptable and will not significantly harm graduate school prospects. Participants emphasize the importance of managing time effectively and suggest that if the workload becomes overwhelming, it may be wise to consider extending the time to graduate to ensure better overall performance. They note that age is not a significant factor in PhD admissions, and prioritizing grades over a strict graduation timeline can be beneficial for long-term academic goals.
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I am a mathematics major. I am currently taking an honors analysis course using Spivak. I am also taking a statistics course which I enjoy. I am also taking a reading course with the same professor who is teaching my honors analysis course. Rudin's Real and Complex Analysis is being used in the reading course. The problem is I also have a job, a history course (WWI), a physics course and French.

I find myself pulling an all nighter at least once a week to be able to finish all the work that is required. This isn't even including the reading course because I haven't been able to do much due to the time constraints. I can't really drop any of the courses because if I do I won't graduate on time. I can't quit my job either because I need the money to pay for tuition.

Would it be a problem for me if I got say a B- or B in any of the courses not directly related to math? Would graduate schools look upon this unfavorably? I don't have anything lower than an A in any of my mathematics courses and for the time being, it will most likely stay that way. I feel like the required courses like history and french are a big waste of time. I would really rather just focus on the mathematics courses.

I really want to go to a strong university for my PhD in mathematics. Will getting lower than an A or A- lower my chances?
 
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It's ok. It won't make or break you. If you get a D or an F, maybe. But a B is fine.
 
Jump through the hoops and do well in your courses, even the ones you don't like.

If you're a freshman and already struggling with time constraints, you will probably want to sacrifice graduating on time. It's no big deal, you have a job, and you'll do better off if you spread your coursework enough to ensure to get the best grades you can.

I take full courseloads because my financial support depends on it, and I am one of the few in my degree that is going to graduate on time, but not without a drawback: less than stellar grades due to time constraints (and grading policies), which are likely going to hamper my chances at graduate school.

So if you feel you could do better with more time, bite the bullet and take an extra semester or two to graduate.
 
Lets just say all of the people that I went to high school with have graduated and started their careers already. I'm almost ancient haha, so I really don't want to be any later.
 
Big deal, I'm graduating at the age of 25-26. Age doesn't matter for phd admissions, grades do. There are a few here who've graduated in their 30's and got into good graduate programs.
 
I'm also attending an out of state school so once my financial aid runs out my job won't be able to support me anymore.
 

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