• John Saad: If you are considering study in mathematics, Radford University is your right choice. If you are not considering it because you think you’re “not a math person,” you’re wrong—anyone that has a general interest in problem-solving can immensely benefit from a math education.

• Sarah Church: Choosing a major and, ultimately, a concentration, should line up with your interests. It’s also okay to not know what you want to do initially. I came to Radford - a school with fantastic math and teaching department,  with a dream to share my love to math with other high school students when I graduated. After I enrolled in classes, I figured out that teaching high school wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do within the world of math. I took more math classes and sought advice from my professors and finally figured out that my interest fell in the realms of Statistics and Applied Mathematics. 

• Bauer Nick: I went into RU as a premajor with no clue what I wanted to study in. I took many gen ed classes to try to narrow down my potential career path but just couldn’t find anything that really interested me. I then remembered that since a young age I’ve always had a natural knack for math, so I declared that as my major and began taking classes. A BS in mathematics is pretty broad so I knew I would find something that interested me.

• Jacob Britton: When choosing a concentration, there’s no need to commit to any one major right away. The nature of general course requirements allows you to survey a broad array of subjects. Find what interests you and take note.

• Alexander Moore: Regardless of choosing a concentration, you have to be honest with yourself about what you really want. I chose Mathematics Education because for me, it was a realization, which was mostly fostered by my professors at RU, that it was not only mathematics that I liked, but it was the social and critical theory surrounding mathematics education that was my true passion.

• Christopher Hildenbrand: After years in the classroom, and then years in private industry, I found myself burned out and dissatisfied with where I was in many aspects of my life. I wanted a program designed for high school math teachers who wanted to increase their pedagogical skills but also raise their content knowledge to the next level. I spent a lot of time researching options at many universities only for them all to come up short in one respect or another; that is, until I came across Radford’s program.

John Saad: I concentrated in Statistics at Radford, so I may be a bit “biased.” There are 3 possible concentrations to choose from: Traditional  Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics.

1.    Traditional Mathematics concentration is geared towards future math educators and those considering furthering their math education at the graduate school level. If you’re the type of person who finds serious satisfaction in helping others understand and learn, you may want to consider this concentration.

2.    The Applied Mathematics concentration is focused on practical problem-solving. The following might be considered examples of practical problems:

• How does one predict the spread of infectious diseases?
• How does one optimize the use of buses and trains for the city’s transportation systems?
• How does one quantify the risk/reward of financial assets?

3.    The Statistics concentration is intended for students with the desire of pursuing careers in business and industry. Business and industry are not limited to the following organizations:

• Academic/research institutions
• Analytics and forecasting organizations
• Chemical/pharmaceutical manufacturers
• Communication service providers
• Insurance companies

• John Saad: Balance, Balance, Balance. I understand it may sound obvious, but I cannot emphasize it enough. Balancing your time between academics and extracurriculars is very important. Here, “balance” does not mean a 50%-time/effort allocation for each—it depends on the intensity of your courses and quantity of credits. In reality, your time and effort will perpetually change week-to-week in accordance with assignments, projects, and such. There is a spectrum of circumstances to consider when managing your time between academics and extracurriculars.

• John Saad: Your professors and your advisor are your greatest asset at RU. In all seriousness, they are all brilliant people that want nothing but the best for you. Even if you do not have a specific question about course material, take the time to talk to them about something else. Maybe it is their research interests, ongoing projects you can participate in, or something about their professional experiences.

• John Saad: My enthusiasm/interest in solving problems was the greatest contributor to my successful job search. However, enthusiasm and interest are generally not enough. It must be demonstrated by projects, papers—something tangible. That being said, I can’t stress enough how important it is to go the extra mile to research, write, or program something tangential to your interests, but outside the bounds of an academic requirement.