In this blog we spoke to Queen Mary University of London student Nia Patel, studying Mathematics with Finance and Accounting with Professional Placement at the School of Mathematical Sciences. She discusses her experience at the School and her plans for the future.
I chose Mathematics with Finance and Accounting because I knew I wanted to go into the business sector and work in areas of management consulting or another business-related role. I saw that it was a joint programme with the School of Business and Management, so I thought that would help give me a good background of business knowledge. I’m also very good at maths, so the programme was the best of both worlds for me. The programme also offered me a lot of flexibility in terms of the modules I could take, especially on the maths side as the School really allows you to tailor your degree to study the topics you like.
It’s been a really good experience both academically and socially. In terms of academic life, the student support has been great, all the lecturers are very approachable and willing to help and I’ve made some really good friends as well, especially on my course. I also work as a student ambassador for the School of Mathematical Sciences which has been a lot of fun and it’s also quite flexible. Through my ambassador activities I’ve got to know more academic staff in the School and also members of the professional services team, so it’s been great.
I’ve applied for a few placements and a few internships so it seems to be going ok but now I have to wait a little while to hear back. I’ve applied mainly for management and finance-related consulting opportunities and placements. With all the students who opt for a placement year, we are given compulsory pre-placement tutorials. We go through things like careers support, interview tips for the assessment centres, how to write a CV and a cover letter and more specific advice for when you find a placement. There’s also a general careers service available at the University so there’s a lot of support. The School of Mathematics Careers Consultant will often email us with potential opportunities too.
Currently I’m very focussed on my course as we will have exams after Christmas. After that my attention will be on securing a placement because it does give you an advantage when it comes to applying for jobs in the future and in some cases organisations who you do a placement with will actually offer you a job after you’ve graduated. Longer term, I want to be involved in some form of consulting because I’m good at problem-solving and I have strong knowledge of how businesses work.