"What will you do with that degree?"

26 September 2026

Hello!

When people learn that I'm doing mathematical physics as a major, they often have one of two reactions; either talking about how cool it sounds, or asking what the point of studying this degree is. Even better, some people react with a combination of the two.

The truth is, mathematical physics is a very unique degree. It is simultaneously too theoretical for practical physics, and not pure enough for pure maths. The intersection of study are therefore more niche and theoretical aspects of physics like statistical or quantum physics, which are typically more difficult to verify with traditional laboratory methods.

I've always wanted to do physics for as long as I can remember, even writing that I would do so back in a sixth grade task where we were to predict our future lives after graduating from primary school. If you've seen my LinkedIn, you would know that I’ve always been passionate about what I do, and mathematical problem solving has always been one of the most fun things I do regularly.

Not that I'm particularly good at it.

I used to think that having a very abstract degree was the most restrictive. Doing things like pure maths or theoretical physics, to me, implied only one truly viable career path: academic research. And, had you asked me a year ago, I would have said with certainty that academic research is exactly what I would do. I'd do a masters in theoretical physics at home in Australia and broaden my horizons with a PhD from Europe or the US, and do research for whoever would give me a job.

However, when I attended a networking event for SIG earlier this year (thanks Joey!), I got to talking to a current quant. Naturally, I asked him what he does at work on a day to day basis, and his reply seemed to show that quantitative finance was indeed far more quantitative than finance. It really was pure mathematical problem solving applied in a specific industry, as opposed to finance bros simply crunching numbers like I had thought. Novel research was genuinely happening inside of these funds, and I realised that there was so much more to research than what I had thought.

Again, a few months later, I stumbled upon a random post by someone who was a quantitative analyst for a prominent sports team. This blew my mind. There turned out to be a whole field of careers out there for those who loved math, loved research, and loved sports. That was it.

So, I built this portfolio, I built boardsteals, I've been working on projects analysing sports through a mathematical and data driven lens. I'm still in the early days of doing this, but after everything I've learned and the people I've met, I finally found a direction. Whether I won't find something that applies even stronger to my interests, or whether I can even land a job in that industry, is an open question. But for now, it is clearer than it ever has been.

At the end of the day, the beauty of a mathematics degree turns out to be its flexibility. The abstractness which I assumed to be a liability turns out to be its greatest strength. Putting in the work, hand in hand with these studies, I can end up in practically any field. Being a mathematician is more than just crunching numbers and memorising random formulae, it's understanding the theoretical systems that allow the numbers to work in the first place, it's learning how to approach problems in a new way, and it's making legitimately new things that change the world (in one way or another).

The next time someone asks me what I will do with my degree, I can finally tell them the truth.

I can do whatever I put my mind to.