Introduction

Recently I have just been awarded my second paid research internship in as many years. When I found out the news it prompted me to take a look back at my personal and academic career and question how I ended up here, from where I was 10 years ago.

I'll start with where I am now, I'm now studying for my undergraduate masters in Mathematics in the UK, I'm 25 years old, rolling onto 26, so I'm a little over the average undergraduate student age in my university. I'm currently half way through my 3rd year of a 4 year course and soon I'll need to seriously think about what I want to do next.

When I was in high school doing my GCSE's I was only good at science and maths. Sure, I was proficient in other subjects, I got passing grades in my other subjects but I really only studied for science and maths. I wasn't the popular kid in high school, I was sociable but I had only a few close friends and frankly I was happy that way. I liked hanging out with people, but I also liked just chilling out and being myself, if that means I only have a few friends then I'm happy that way.

As I studied my A-Levels my academic interest waned, I was far more interested in friends than studying and looking back I did the bare minimum possible to keep my parents and teachers off my back, the bare minimum effort reflected in my grades. They weren't great. Nevertheless I somehow managed to secure myself a university place when I turned 18, not through UCAS points, but through scholarship exams and hard work.

I expected to go to university and focus on my studies again, I'd hoped that being independent I'd mature a little and really settle down into my work, that was not the case. My university attendance was in the 6% range, when I did turn up I was hungover, tired or bored. I promptly failed my first year of studying partying and returned home to somewhat disappointed parents. I decided academia wasn't right for me at that time and went to study in something completely different. I'd been so focused around a career in science or maths that I'd failed to ever investigate anything else, so I completely changed my focus and trained as a chef. I had loads of enthusiasm for cooking and it showed when I worked and studied. For a year I trained 2 days a week in college and worked 5 days a week in a restaurant, I never had a free day, with the exception of a few days I booked off work as holiday. I really enjoyed my time working as a chef but I still wanted to get my degree, and I still wanted a career in maths.

I left my job as a chef and started taking office based admin roles while I studied with the Open Univeristy. For the next 4 years I took part time modules with OU and worked my way up into some responsible analyst roles and really enjoyed them. I decided to take up my degree full time, so I left work and transferred to a brick university in the UK. So now I'm here. I'm doing much better than the first time I went to university, I'm focused on my studies and I really love what I'm doing.

I guess that's all for now, I'm happy to answer questions, but for now I'd like to remain (sort of) anonymous so I won't be answering specific questions about location etc.