Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

maths and languages degree advice

31 replies

Wildberries · 12/11/2015 12:17

My daughter is in Y11, thinking about A-Levels and degrees.
She always did well in maths, but didn't really enjoyed it, said it was boring. She always enjoyed humanity subjects and I thought she would do history or languages degree.
She did GCSE Maths in Y10, got A* and is now doing Additional maths. She is enjoying additional maths very much. She says she doesn't want to do any humanity degree but wants to do maths and a language degree, either continue with French that she likes or starting a new language.
I don't know if it is a good idea to combine maths and a language. Is it very hard? How is it considered by employers?
Is it better to do just maths degree and learn a language separately?
She is planning to do Maths, Further Maths, French and History for A-Level.

OP posts:
partialderivative · 12/11/2015 15:06

I think that a Maths/Modern Language combination would be an excellent choice.

There are very few unemployed Maths graduates, and another language will only add to the 'value' of a graduate.

Of course, you should not chose a degree course solely on your employability (is that a word?), but the diversity of such a course would stretch a student in many ways.

BoboChic · 12/11/2015 15:00

I agree with disquisitiones - languages are only useful for competing in the graduate job market if you are fluent and able to hit the ground running operationally.

Large firms sometimes pay for their existing employees to improve/learn a language, but it tends to be an additional language for someone who is already fluent in a few.

partialderivative · 12/11/2015 14:57

happy in the company of the anorak brigade.

ffs!

disquisitiones · 12/11/2015 13:19

The drop out rates of maths degrees are not higher than those of subjects such as Economics. Neither are all maths students the "anorak brigade". (Stereotyping really isn't helpful to anyone.) There are about 40,000 undergraduates in maths in the UK, and they span a wide range of personalities/interests/backgrounds.

There are degrees available in maths with languages, which are just as well respected by employers as straight maths degrees. They require a year spent abroad.

Other options would be maths degrees with an Erasmus year spent abroad or a maths degree with a summer placement abroad to keep up the language.

Her A level choices would give her many other options if she changes her mind later: MFL, History, Economics, Maths with Economics etc.

I'm not sure how much having a language helps in getting jobs. Top companies recruit internationally, and many international applicants will be fluent in their native language, English and often another language too, so to compete with this one probably has to be absolutely fluent in a sought after language.

neuroticnicky · 12/11/2015 12:52

I know three children of friends who have not completed maths degrees at RG unis (including Oxbridge), two of whom abandoned their course with undue haste. I would therefore be wary of maths unless your DD really loves the subject and is happy in the company of the anorak brigade. How about a combined Economics (for which both maths and history are useful) and French degree?

Kennington · 12/11/2015 12:22

Great idea
Try imperial college
Teaches both and sends you to France for a year
Plus is in the French bit of london