Question about pursuing mathematics

[Wooh]

I am currently a business/CS major at the University of Pennsylvania, and am trying to make the (very painful) switch out of the business school and into the liberal arts program to study math (I know, I know...UPenn is reknowned for math, but whatever, good enough for me).

Here's my question...I'm taking Calc 3 (Green's Theorem, Stoke's Theorem, basic vector calculus and so on) and I find it to be, not difficult, per se, but still you know, something that takes learning.

Math has always come easily to me, and I enjoy the subject with the greatest of passions, and have always wanted to try and learn as much of it as possible at the highest level possible, but how do I gauge if I'm smart enough, that is, have the raw reasoning capacity to actually succeed at a higher level in math?

This may sound absurd, but I guess I am afraid of dropping business, which from UPenn is a guaranteed well paying job, for Math if at some point I'm going to hit a wall and not be able to pursue my dream.

Your thoughts? Is it bad if, when presented with new material, even something as low as calc 3, it takes a little time to get, work out some problems to understand, etc, without having instant intuition?

 

[math-chick_41]

It is hard to tell how far you can go in math if you have only had calc 3. You should continue your business stuff and take a math class along with it. So if you are in calc 3 now, take differential equations and linear algebra next and if you still like math go higher. Just a warning though calc 1,2,3, diff eq's and linear are easy math classes and don't require much out side of the classroom time compared to the upper level math classes that are required for a degree in math like analysis, abstract algebra and topology. So if you find yourself struggling in diff eq's and linear you may want to save yourself the grief and just get a minor in math.

 

[JasonJo]

you don't have a chance unless you take one

i say go for it