Amruth, Mathematics BSc Honours
Nationality: Indian “The versatility of Mathematics is something that appealed to me greatly, it widened my job prospects and will allow me to go down the career I’m interested in.”
About Amruth
Why did you choose to study your degree at Newcastle University?
Newcastle University had a good reputation regarding their teaching, it was one of the first universities I looked at as I knew many people who had studied here in the past and really enjoyed it. The versatility of Mathematics is something that appealed to me greatly, it widened my job prospects and will allow me to go down the path I am interested in. Regarding Newcastle, it is a brilliant city with an incredible nightlife which swayed me even more, studying Mathematics at Newcastle has everything I needed and ticked all the boxes.
What was the support from the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics like when you first started?
The Transition Office, Kate, was a huge help during Induction Week and has continued to be so. The support she gave, including the weekly email was greatly appreciated - especially because we were all so new to university life in general, she made it easier to adapt.
Are you enjoying your degree? Can you tell us about some of your highlights to date?
I'd say I am enjoying my degree, it has been difficult at times but I have definitely enjoyed the challenge of studying Mathematics. Introducing Python to us has been a highlight for me, as it gave us a wider range of skills and made it easier to apply programming to real life. It has also given us a taster of potential careers if we wanted to go down the route of IT, or any job that is software based for example.
What has your favourite module been so far?
Algebra has definitely been my favourite module so far, it's the most like A-Level Mathematics where there is a question and only one right answer, those sorts of questions are my favourite to solve as you reach some sort of conclusion or end once you have completed the question which gives you a level of satisfaction which I think it unprecedented.
What is the student community like within your subject?
Generally everyone is willing to help one another and I feel as though the student community is very strong. When assignments are due - everyone tends to help one another with questions that are challenging.
Are you a member of any societies? If so, could you tell us how you got involved in them and what you enjoy about them?
Tamil & Malayali Society is the first society that I joined, in tandem with this I also joined Hindu & Sikh Society. Other societies I joined include PhotoSoc and Poker Society. Tamil & Malayali Society has been my favourite so far, it combines everyone of similar backgrounds into one big community, and generally makes you feel more at home and at ease with meeting new people around you. They host really good events monthly and always have good things for you to get involved in. Poker Society is another society I've really enjoyed so far, they have open tournaments for Poker and allow you to get introduced to gambling in a non-addictive way - totally promoting safe gambling and having fun playing Poker.
What is your favourite thing about Newcastle as a city?
The nightlife would be a key highlight of mine, generally Newcastle is a quite small city so it's much easier to get around, everything is a walking distance which I think is perfect. I enjoy the nightlife the most, it's a good way to get away from the academic side of university and sit back and have a little bit of fun.
What advice would you give to international students considering studying your degree at Newcastle University?
I would say it is a university to fully look into and take under consideration, it should be at the top of the list, and you really should try and find as much as you can about Newcastle University and their courses to figure out whether it's the right for you.