I think second and third year are genuinely designed to suit different people with different career pathways

I am an international student from China, and I have spent four years studying at the University of Sheffield (one year at the University of Sheffield International College and then three years on the BSc Mathematics programme). I have always been fascinated by the British style of education - this is one of reasons why I chose England, it is undoubtedly a memorable undergraduate experience.

I love the city of Sheffield, which is famous for its fruitful educational resources and is an ideal place to experience the British culture and social life.

In the first year of undergraduate study, my personal tutor helped and inspired me a lot. I found it easy to adapt to the new environment and managed to arrange my study and life. I have developed a very solid mathematical basis.

I think that the second and third year are genuinely designed to suit different people with different career pathways. I have always had a keen interest in academic research, so my course combination is relatively pure and challenging. I even get the chance to choose some masters-level courses and I have cherished the opportunity to delve into the postgraduate studies in advance.

In order to prepare for applying for a PhD, I had good conversations with mathematicians who currently work in relevant areas in the department.

My personal tutor helped me fit into my new life and the people around are so friendly to work with

Guopeng Li

Mathematics BSc

On the other hand, I have friends who are interested in finance and economy and intend to change their majors after they finish their bachelors degrees, which is another popular option for maths students. There are a wide range of options in the third year to help with this, such as financial mathematics and operations research, which are fundamental in finance and economics.

It has also been a great honour to be one of the members of the School of Mathematics and Statistics Teaching Committee. I regard it as a chance to make small, positive changes to the teaching in the School. I've been involved in several discussions, such as last semester's module review in the light of reports from lecturers and student questionnaire responses.

We also considered proposals for new modules or new degrees, the results of the National Student Survey, and a wide range of questions to do with how teaching is conducted. During this experience, I found that the School is making great efforts to improve teaching methods based on the feedback from students.

Overall, the School of Mathematics and Statistics at Sheffield is so good for an international student like me. My personal tutor helped me to fit into my new life and the people around are so friendly to work with. I fully enjoy the competitive, but not aggressive, environment where the atmosphere and pressure is just right to push me forward. I certainly made the right decision to be here, and it is an unforgettable experience.