I started out in another major and moved into Math. I observed that most other students had issues with Math and that most of my issues were about being mathematically immature. I at first thought I was not up to the other "whiz" kids in the classes, but by the end of the first semester, I was doing problems the other students could not.
When I later had time to take other electives in Physics, Engineering, and Chemistry, I just towered above the other students.
Being able to think through a problem with a long list of constraints to keep in mind is a very powerful tool - both in a technical and an organizational sense.
For this reason, if a student wants to work in a technical field, then I would recommend majoring in math, then taking a minor or dual in another applied field, ie Computer Science, EE, etc.
As for programs, I would look for those that have classes that meet every day or which have very strong Socratic labs. What I mean by that is that everyone has to go to the board to post their problems and then talk through them orally.
Thus, you will graduate with both a strong logical thinking ability, but also a good grounding in oral communication of difficult issues in a competitive situation.
Princeton would be my first choice as well for Math.
Last edited by Austin; 04/04/10 09:21 PM.
