Carina Sanders

Carina Sanders studies Mathematics and Statistics BSc and chose to study mathematics at Leeds after being impressed with the wide range of module options available. 

Choosing Leeds

Carina decided to study at the University of Leeds for two reasons. She said “First, I was very impressed with the wide range of module options that were available on my course. I was also very keen to learn more about programming and in particular use a lot of 'R' in my first year in statistics. Second, I really liked an idea of having a university campus so close to a major city. The city of Leeds is so diverse and has so much to offer, making it a very enjoyable place to live.”

Maths at Leeds

My favourite aspect of my course has been the choice of financial mathematics modules available to me, as they are very interesting for exploring application of mathematics in the real world.

Studying maths allows you to gain a variety of knowledge from our wide range of modules. Carina said “My favourite aspect of my course has been the choice of financial mathematics modules available to me, as they are very interesting for exploring application of mathematics in the real world.

Application of mathematics in finance is what I would like to pursue further, so taking these modules gives me better understanding of both the field of study and the type of work I might be able to choose after my post-graduate studies.”

Projects while studying 

At Leeds there are lots of opportunities to get involved with exciting projects. Carina said “I recently did a group project on the fact that 0.999...=1, this was very interesting because logically it seems impossible but when exploring the mathematics behind it, it turns out to be true and possible to be proven in multiple different ways. This is a very good example of the “magic” of mathematics, of how mathematics can be very rigorous in proving things that at first don’t logically seem true.”

Student life

Leeds city centre is a great place for students and just a short walk from campus. Carina said “There is a wide range of entertainment opportunities for everyone, and most of these places and activities, such as cinemas, shopping areas, bars and cafes have special rates for students.

Equally, there are easy and affordable transport options to other main cities and towns around, making exploring the rest of Yorkshire and the wider area of North England very easy as well.”

Looking forward 

Mathematics opens doors to a wide variety of challenging and rewarding careers and Leeds is on hand to help you navigate your next steps. Carina said “There have been many career days and a financial summit that I have attended during the past year, and they have all been very useful in helping me network with individuals and corporations with whom I plan to stay in touch and explore potential opportunities to gain more knowledge and work experience.

My main ambition for the near future is to learn more and to hopefully gain more work experience in industry during the next few years. I plan to do my graduate studies in Leeds and I hope to find work in the banking sector, in a position that will allow me to work with data and to utilize my knowledge of mathematics and statistics that I will master during my studies.”

Future students 

“For a student starting my course I would say to hit the ground running at the beginning of the year without any delays. It is very easy for workload to pile up, and lecturers can go through new content at a rather fast pace, assuming adequate level of knowledge and understanding. If you have any problems or questions, you should not be shy to ask for help and your lecturers and personal tutors will always be at hand to help you with it. One more advice would be to keep in mind that prep work for tutorials is very important: the more you put into preparing yourself well, the more you will get out of them.”

Find out more about our Mathematics and Statistics BSc here.