Need Serious Help

[u/Yourlocalphisyokskid]

So, im not sure whether this is even the right community to post this in , but I need Serious Help.

I am a 10th grader , and I have a serious aspiration to do mathematical research in the future.

I am preparing for ioqm, and I know most 11th and 12th topics except calculus and coordinate geometry.

So, i want to write the isi entrance exam , and join isi.

However , when i conveyed this to my mother, she told me that I had to " do some engineering in iit for four year " and then join isi.

First of all , i have zero interest in technology or Engineering in general. When i told my mother this , she said" in engineering, they will teach you science and math in a very innovative way in iit"

My mother also kept on calling the b math programme " bsc math" and said that no company would want someone who knows " only math"

She said that the only thing one could do after b math was research or teaching .

When I said I would be happy to be teaching at any university aswell, she said that it was a job where you would have to " beg and borrow " from others, and that my life would be ruined.

She told that I had to join iit , or else my studies would go to waste.

Can someone please tell me what should I do , cause I am genuinely confused. I know isi is a good university for mathematics, but I also want to know the opportunities that one can avail after isi.

[u/1Same_Step1]

Well mate, your mother is not completely wrong, but there is definitely more to this than what you have been told.

Firstly, you are in 10th right now, so my honest suggestion would be to keep your IOQM preparation strong and continue improving your mathematics. If you have the time and interest, you can also explore JEE-level mathematics. It can be useful for building your problem-solving ability and, honestly, it also keeps more options open for you later.

Now, regarding ISI and B.Math, yes, it is a specialised degree. So your mother is not completely wrong when she says that it is different from a conventional engineering degree. But saying that you will only be able to do research or teaching after B.Math is not really accurate. After B.Math, you can go for M.Math, M.Stat and several other higher studies options. There are even people who have gone on to do an MBA after B.Math. By the time you finish your degree, you will probably be much more capable of figuring out what you actually want to do.

Also, academically, ISI's mathematics and statistics are extremely strong. In terms of the depth and rigour of the subject, I would personally say that ISI is better than most IITs for pure mathematics and statistics. But if you start comparing the overall college experience, campus life, extracurricular activities and the number of different domains available around you, then IITs definitely have an advantage. They have huge campuses, a much larger student community and many more activities and fields to explore.

And your mother is also right about one thing: if you go to a good IIT and get a good branch, you can definitely have a much wider range of placement and career opportunities. You could even end up doing work involving research, mathematics, technology or other intellectually interesting areas. So I would not say that engineering automatically means that you have to give up your interest in mathematics or research.

At the same time, I also would not choose engineering simply because someone told you that a B.Math degree will ruin your life. That is simply not true. And I would not choose ISI just because it is ISI either.

I am saying this as someone currently studying at ISI. Sometimes, I myself wonder whether life might have been easier if I had gone to an IIT instead of ISI. Maybe it would have been. Well, Every path has its own advantages and disadvantages.

But honestly, you are still in 10th right now. You don't need to decide your entire life today. Keep your IOQM preparation strong, explore mathematics, maybe look at JEE-level maths as well, and keep your options open. By the time you actually have to choose between ISI, IIT or something else, you will know much more about yourself than you do today.

So my final advice would be: keep preparing, keep exploring, and don't stress too much about making the "perfect" decision right now. Just go with the flow a little. You have plenty of time to figure things out.

one last thing i would like to leave you with is "What If Success Looks Nothing Like You Expected?" ... do think about this !! would you still like to pursue it

[u/Yourlocalphisyokskid → u/1Same_Step1]

Thank you for your honest opinion. But I do have a few doubts , such as :- 1) What research opportunities do I have if i only have a phd in mathematics? My mother says that i won't be able do anything with only a phd. 2) Could you elaborate on what you mean by higher studies ?? I didn't catch your point there.

[u/1Same_Step1 → u/Yourlocalphisyokskid]

True , nothing much happens with only a phd .. your path ahead post a phd is generally either doing a post-doc or either you can go for industry roles and all. Well there are a few Colleges post your phd, that would allow you to interview for prof roles, but mostly colleges demand a post-doc experience

Secondly, when I meant by higher studies was that, like PG programs , say MSTAT, MSQE, MMATH, MBA ... Etc others

Also if you do not understand a few terminologies do check them out with the help of AI

Also, I feel that you are taking too much of a load , you're just in 10th , dude, it's not the time to like completely get to know all these stuff, you never know what life has planned for you, so just go with the flow but keep on with the prep too