Nathan’s passion for mathematics started at a young age. He remembers being given problems to solve in maths lessons at school and having to quickly write down his answers. “I found it so fun trying to solve a problem quickly in my head, and my love for the subject has grown ever since.” For Nathan, the subject is both fascinating and rewarding.
There is a lot of analysing and problem-solving involved. Often you will get problems wrong and make mistakes, but that only makes it more satisfying when you solve them.
Mathematics in the workplace
Nathan’s BSc Mathematics course at the University of Greenwich is now widening his knowledge to where the study of maths can lead to. His course contains pure and applied mathematics and he studies “real world topics that people may not necessarily relate to mathematics.” For example, he explains that airport queues can be managed by analysing data. Solving problems such as these means mathematicians can make positive differences to people’s lives.
Nathan’s favourite module so far has been the Financial Time Series module, where he studied financial econometrics – important in many workplaces. Nathan explains that by looking at past financial data, companies can make predictions on future patterns and risks can be recognised and eliminated, for example when deciding on potential investments. Nathan says this ability to look at data and come to conclusions is why companies need mathematicians.
A place to thrive
The University of Greenwich has provided Nathan with a solid experience and everything he has needed to thrive in his studies.
You couldn’t ask for more of the facilities they have, and the university also has a fantastic students’ union you can talk to if you have any problems.
He is able to commute to the university from home, which has been important to him, and he says he was also blown away by the beauty and history of the architecture at the University of Greenwich’s Greenwich Campus when he visited it for the first time before applying. His course is ranked 3rd in the UK for student satisfaction from the Complete University Guide, 2022, and it was this ranking as well as its accreditation by the Institute of Mathematics that cemented Nathan’s decision that this was the place for him.
He has been thoroughly inspired by his studies and would like to take his new knowledge and skills forwards into a career in the banking industry once he graduates.
