The Allure of Mathematics: My Initial Attraction

Hello world! I'm a 22-year-old student from India, currently pursuing a graduation in pure mathematics. Ever since my school days, mathematics has always been my go-to subject. I loved solving problems and diving into its complexities. After high school, when most of my classmates chose engineering, I was determined to pursue research in mathematics. As a 12th-grade student, I wasn't fully aware of the realities of the field. Somehow, I got admission to a decent college in India.

Starting my bachelor's was exciting, to say the least. I imagined myself solving complex problems and contributing to society through my work. But within a year, I realized that the environment around me wasn't as inspiring as I thought. In my college, no one seemed to care about the deeper aspects of mathematics; the focus was solely on completing the syllabus. I, too, unknowingly started losing interest in pursuing a career in mathematics. While my love for the subject never wavered, the motivation to pursue it as a career began to fade.

My Interest in Coding

In August 2020, an online degree program in data science and applications was announced by a renowned institute in India. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but the course structure intrigued me—it covered topics like data structures, machine learning, and deep learning, all of which were new to me. I registered for the course and passed the qualifying exam. The first 6-7 months were foundational, so I didn't dive deeply into coding. But once I completed the foundation courses, I began my diploma in programming, which marked the official start of my coding journey.

Over the next two years, I completed two diplomas—one in programming and the other in data science—while simultaneously pursuing my bachelor's in mathematics. In those two years, I underwent a complete transformation from a pure math student to a coder. I learned data structures, database management, and full-stack development using Flask and Vue.js. I was also introduced to machine learning and began implementing classical machine learning models.

I completed both my diplomas and my college degree at the same time. After taking a year off, I completed an online Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Applications and did 2-3 internships in tech companies, where I further explored deep learning, computer vision, and other AI topics. These past 3-4 years have been a whirlwind of growth, as I balanced a mathematics degree with my deepening passion for coding.

What Am I Doing Now?

I’ve always dreamed of pursuing a master’s degree abroad, but I wasn’t sure which field to apply for. Given my bachelor's degree in mathematics and my online data science degree, I found that I couldn’t apply to many computer science-related fields. I applied for a master’s in mathematics, hoping it would offer an opportunity to focus on applied mathematics, but I ended up getting admitted to a pure math program. While I don’t dislike my master’s degree(as I love mathematics), my true passion lies in pursuing a career in tech.

For the past 2-3 months, I’ve started coding regularly again. I’m currently diving into front-end development with React, learning TypeScript, and exploring Next.js. Balancing my graduate degree and coding has become second nature to me now. After four years of juggling both pure mathematics and coding, I can confidently say that I’ve mastered the art of pursuing both passions simultaneously.

My Purpose of Blogging

Over the last 2-3 months, I realized that while I was focusing on coding, I hadn’t been networking or showcasing my skills anywhere. I created a GitHub page about a month ago, and I plan to upload my old AI projects to it soon. Currently, I’m working on a front-end application and posting my progress there.

Through this blog, I want to share my journey—from a mathematics student to a professional coder. I'll document my learning process, progress, and the projects I work on.

If anyone has experience with making similar career switches, I’d love to hear your suggestions! Feel free to ask any questions or share your thoughts. And if you’ve made it this far through the blog, thank you so much—your time and support mean a lot to me!