A passion for statistics

BSc Mathematics, Optimisation and Statistics student, Aishwarya, talks about the lecturers, staff and friends that inspire her.

"Professor McCoy is just one of the amazing women in the department, something that is highlighted by our weekly ‘Women in Maths’ lunches.

"Being a woman in a field dominated by men has never deterred me from pursuing a degree and a career in mathematics. If anything, it has motivated me!"

Choosing Imperial

Studying maths at Imperial does not only mean living in one of the most vibrant cities in the world, but also being a part of a top world-ranking Mathematics department.

Boasting two Fields medalists, the Department places great focus on excellence in teaching as well as the academic merit of the lecturers.

Inspiring women in the Department

Amongst my outstanding first year lecturers, I greatly appreciated having female role models such as Professor Emma McCoy, who not only taught me statistics in such a thorough and engaging manner, but who has also inspired me to focus my studies on statistics.

By bringing in real-life scenarios, including her own passions for cycling statistics and marathon times, she managed to convince my entire cohort that statistics was one of the most enticing areas of mathematics with countless applications in the real world.

Professor McCoy is just one of the amazing women in the Department, something that is highlighted by our weekly ‘Women in Maths’ lunches.

At these events, all members of the Department – regardless of gender – are invited to hear female alumni or current PhD students speaking about their research at the university, or how they have applied knowledge from a degree in their career.

Speakers are always willing to answer questions and many offer to mentor students and advise on finding jobs and progressing in their careers.

Personal and professional development

Aside from having three exceptional museums on our doorstep, being in London allows us easy access to many top employers of STEM degree holders, both in finance and science. We regularly host to career fairs and visiting recruiters, giving us plenty of opportunities to advance our job prospects.

In addition to fantastic careers advice, the University also has an incredible support system.

Academically, there are regular contact hours with personal tutors, peer tutors and lecturers in office hours.

Pastorally, undergraduate liaison officers create a friendly environment in which we are encouraged to speak out about issues affecting us and suggest improvements for the department.

Support is also in place to ensure that studying does not become too stressful. There are an abundance of stress-reducing workshops and people to talk to.

Being a woman in STEM

Being a woman in a field dominated by men has never deterred me from pursuing a degree and a career in mathematics. If anything, it has motivated me!

There is something special and unique about studying a subject when perhaps people don't expect you to be able to.

It’s so empowering to see a new generation of mathematicians more equally split in gender than ever before, as it proves how there is nothing stopping women from excelling in this subject.

Every day I am surrounded by exceptionally talented young minds. These are the people who one day will be world-leading researchers, thriving in finance or generally excelling in their chosen fields. For now, they are frighteningly intelligent and hard-working peers who make up a community that I am thrilled to be a part of.

Given my overwhelmingly positive experience, the advice that I would give to any young women keen on studying maths at a higher level is that loving maths will be enough to carry you through your degree, regardless of whether there is a gender gap. At the end of the day, it is your passion that is most important.

But most of all, be proud to be a woman in STEM.