I had an amazing time doing mathematics at the University of Bath. We were allocated professional tutor groups and I was very lucky because I met a group of people there, who almost 10 years on, I still consider incredibly close friends. There were 7 of us ‘maths girls’ who were all studying for maths degrees and we decided to live together once we moved out of halls of residence. I remember working quite hard during my degree, but also having a lot of fun. We were a studying powerhouse in the end, as each of us managed to get a First! Our degrees have led on to careers in education, in academia, statistical research and consultancy. When I started doing my degree, I didn’t really realise quite how varied different university courses could be for maths. The University of Bath offered courses that were mainly directed at analysis, operation research and differential equations. There were variations, but most students had degrees containing elements of these. Whilst doing an Erasmus course in Hamburg during my third year, I was also introduced to Number Theory, the History of Mathematics and Euclidian Geometry, all courses which I particularly enjoyed (even if the lectures were in German!). I am happy having done the modules I took, but I would encourage anyone who is thinking of completing a mathematics degree to look at what the main courses are that are offered – different universities cater for different things. After finishing my undergraduate degree, I trained to become a teacher, doing a PGCE course at the University of Cambridge. That was a wonderful course and it taught me a lot about the difference between teaching mathematics at school and at university. Even though I’d been in education all my life, until then I had seen it from the students’ perspective. Teaching something is very different from learning something – although through teaching, my own mathematical understanding has become far stronger. This is now my fourth year of teaching. I’ve been very lucky to find a career that I enjoy and that I have done well in. It may not be my career for forever, but for now it suits my lifestyle very well. I have found it important to be able doing a job that gives financial security but also gives a chance to work with other people. A Eureka moment from a student can be a special thing and makes the job feel incredibly worthwhile and rewarding. It is important to make sure that whatever career anyone pursues, there is time for relaxation or pursuing hobbies. It can be a recreational thing or also a competitive thing. I am a very keen Ballroom and Latin dancer and I have competed during my university years, and have also been a member of a formation team. I also really enjoy walking in the countryside and enjoy reading a good book whenever time permits. I sometimes think that it would be wonderful if maths teachers did more recreational mathematics… Sadly, I don’t do too much problem solving in my free time, but I would highly recommend doing a good Sudoku every now and then.