Bsc Mathematics with Finance PersonalStatement (Lancaster)
What initially attracted me to pursue a career in Mathematics isits beauty and ingenuity but most importantly its application in daily financialand economic situations. My passion and enthusiasm for the subject emerged at avery early age. However my interest built up gradually; I have now chosen totake AS further maths to further nurture my skills as it has allowed me toapply maths in a more logical way. Studying physics has allowed me to implementmy mathematical skills, for example using regression and pmcc in the analysisof experiments and graph work.
I recently read the book 'Fermat's Last Theorem' by Simon Singh,which I found really interesting. What really fascinated me was how Fermataltered the Pythagoras theorem by changing the powers from 2 to 3 and made anequation from one with an infinite number of solutions to one with no wholenumber solutions at all. What caught my eye was Pythagoras's numericalperfection; numbers whose sum of divisors equals the same number for example 6,28 and Euclid's proof by contradiction that root 2 is irrational which I foundintriguing.
Further Reading of "Essential mathematics for Economics andBusiness" by Bradley & Patton, although rather complex, still hasadded to my knowledge and shown me how mathematical techniques are used toderive relationships. What really amazes me is how economics is affected bycalculus such as inflation being the rate of change of price and rate of changeof inflation being the second derivative. I also find it interesting howsimultaneous equations come into use to derive equilibrium level of nationalincome or calculate consumer and product surplus; and differentiation, which Ithoroughly enjoyed during my AS, used in economic applications ofmaximum-minimum as well as probability theories which come in risk assessmentin insurance companies. All of these are areas I am eager to study further ingreater depth at university.
By assisting young children learn basic mathematics at a tuitioncentre and mentoring year 10 students, my desire for the subject has grownfurther and I believe this has reinforced my own knowledge. Trying differentconcepts to help them learn and knowing you have imprinted your explanation intheir minds is rewarding. Although due to unfortunate circumstances I was onlyable to complete my GCSE in one year, I achieved well overall and attained thehighest grade in maths and received an 'excellence in maths' award from my highschool, which reflects my hard working nature, fulfilling tasks beforedeadlines and being able to tackle any challenges ahead in future. I'm alsogoing to take the AEA paper next year. Aside studies, I play guitar and participatein a wide range of sports. Aspiring to become a leader, I captain *********cricket club II and help youth get better at the game. This has improved mymanagement skills which I feel has equipped me for my future life. To keep arecord of cricket matches, many stats come into play such as every player'sperformance i.e. runs, averages, strike rates etc. which I calculate and uploadonto the regional cricket website that I have been doing for the previous twosummer seasons. Having volunteered at a local hospice for 3 weeks, two weeks ofwork experience at NHS health care and my ability to speak 2 other Asianlanguages, Urdu and Pashto, have developed my communication and social skillswhich I believe are vital today.
I am really looking forward to the challenge of University lifewhere I can be independent as well as working in teams, and will relish theopportunity to strengthen my academic knowledge in a challenging intellectualenvironment. I truly believe that my experiences and academic record, alongwith my commitment, determination and hunger for success will help me thrive atuniversity and equip me with the skills needed to go on to do a masters inmathematical finance or economics.
What initially attracted me to pursue a career in Mathematics isits beauty and ingenuity but most importantly its application in daily financialand economic situations. My passion and enthusiasm for the subject emerged at avery early age. However my interest built up gradually; I have now chosen totake AS further maths to further nurture my skills as it has allowed me toapply maths in a more logical way. Studying physics has allowed me to implementmy mathematical skills, for example using regression and pmcc in the analysisof experiments and graph work.
I recently read the book 'Fermat's Last Theorem' by Simon Singh,which I found really interesting. What really fascinated me was how Fermataltered the Pythagoras theorem by changing the powers from 2 to 3 and made anequation from one with an infinite number of solutions to one with no wholenumber solutions at all. What caught my eye was Pythagoras's numericalperfection; numbers whose sum of divisors equals the same number for example 6,28 and Euclid's proof by contradiction that root 2 is irrational which I foundintriguing.
Further Reading of "Essential mathematics for Economics andBusiness" by Bradley & Patton, although rather complex, still hasadded to my knowledge and shown me how mathematical techniques are used toderive relationships. What really amazes me is how economics is affected bycalculus such as inflation being the rate of change of price and rate of changeof inflation being the second derivative. I also find it interesting howsimultaneous equations come into use to derive equilibrium level of nationalincome or calculate consumer and product surplus; and differentiation, which Ithoroughly enjoyed during my AS, used in economic applications ofmaximum-minimum as well as probability theories which come in risk assessmentin insurance companies. All of these are areas I am eager to study further ingreater depth at university.
By assisting young children learn basic mathematics at a tuitioncentre and mentoring year 10 students, my desire for the subject has grownfurther and I believe this has reinforced my own knowledge. Trying differentconcepts to help them learn and knowing you have imprinted your explanation intheir minds is rewarding. Although due to unfortunate circumstances I was onlyable to complete my GCSE in one year, I achieved well overall and attained thehighest grade in maths and received an 'excellence in maths' award from my highschool, which reflects my hard working nature, fulfilling tasks beforedeadlines and being able to tackle any challenges ahead in future. I'm alsogoing to take the AEA paper next year. Aside studies, I play guitar and participatein a wide range of sports. Aspiring to become a leader, I captain *********cricket club II and help youth get better at the game. This has improved mymanagement skills which I feel has equipped me for my future life. To keep arecord of cricket matches, many stats come into play such as every player'sperformance i.e. runs, averages, strike rates etc. which I calculate and uploadonto the regional cricket website that I have been doing for the previous twosummer seasons. Having volunteered at a local hospice for 3 weeks, two weeks ofwork experience at NHS health care and my ability to speak 2 other Asianlanguages, Urdu and Pashto, have developed my communication and social skillswhich I believe are vital today.
I am really looking forward to the challenge of University lifewhere I can be independent as well as working in teams, and will relish theopportunity to strengthen my academic knowledge in a challenging intellectualenvironment. I truly believe that my experiences and academic record, alongwith my commitment, determination and hunger for success will help me thrive atuniversity and equip me with the skills needed to go on to do a masters inmathematical finance or economics.
