Comments
on the UNL Conference
Several WU mathematics majors have
attended the UNL Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics in
past years.
Here are comments from a few of them.
I enjoyed the conference a
lot. It was a great opportunity to be able
to go. I got to hear other undergraduates present their research
and I
presented research I did last summer. Also, they described a lot
of
opportunities in summer research programs as well as other programs for
women in math. The keynote speakers were also pretty good.
In
addition, they had panel discussions about graduate school, life as a
mathematician, and careers in math.
As a junior, it was nice to attend
the conference, but I think it
would be very worthwhile to encourage sophomores and freshman majors,
because at the conference they describe a lot of opportunities that are
good for underclassmen to know about. I think it would be good to
email students at the beginning of the spring semester, letting them
know about this conference.
I found the conference
particularly helpful considering that I do not yet know what I'd like
to do with my degree. It was extremely helpful in spelling out
the many options I have with a math degree--it gave me a
direction. A lot of attention was paid to careers and graduate
school. For example, different jobs available and their
requirements, how much a Masters/Ph.D is worth in different fields,
etc. Also, how to choose a grad school, how to prepare for grad
school, important things to consider, how to pay for grad school,
etc. A great many of the tips I received would be helpful to
sophomores and juniors--by senior year, it is too late for a lot of the
things they spoke about. If there are any undergrads who are
doing research and would like the opportunity to present, this is an
excellent forum, as there were many undergrads who gave talks.
Many of the more advanced talks (by professors or grad students) were
over my head, but I haven't had combinatorics, topology, number theory,
etc. yet. Overall, a great experience that I definitely recommend.
I thought the math
conference was terrific, and I think that the
university should absolutely continue to help the students financially
so they can attend. I would not have been able to go had WashU not
picked up the tab. It was a great experience, I met some very
bright
girls, and it made me seriously consider grad school. I would recommend
the program to anyone. Thanks!
Comments
by students from other schools who attended
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