Alumni News

My name is Iain and I recently graduated from St Andrews University with a 2:1 honours degree in mathematics and economics. In September 2018, I started my graduate job in financial services audit at KPMG in Edinburgh.

I have always loved mathematics, particularly applied, and have been pleasantly surprised by how much I still use the skills I learned in school.

Calculus has formed an integral (pardon the pun) part of my degree in both mathematics and economics. My degree has also allowed me to pick up modules that incorporate mathematics into other subjects such as psychology, physics, and biology.

The most important thing I have learned since leaving school is that your choice of degree doesn't define your future. People who study STEM subjects end up following a wide variety of career paths. For example, many of my friends studying applied sciences such as chemistry are now pursuing graduate roles in finance or investment banking. 

The key skill you need to master is problem-solving.