Annemieke Brouwer

When I was deciding what to study, all sorts of things seemed fun and interesting. I really loved mathematics and was good at it, so I was keen to go on in that direction. There are plenty of programmes that include a lot of maths. In those programmes, it was actually the maths aspect that really appealed to me, but I was unsure about a programme devoted entirely to maths. It seemed a bit one-sided: spending all day on nothing but maths...

At a Student for a Day event in Applied Mathematics, it turned out that the opposite was actually the case! I can now tell you from my own experience that the programme is really very varied. In the first year, you have real mathematics modules, you learn how to program, you work in groups on a practical problem and take an elective from another degree programme where you can apply your maths.

It took some getting used to at the start, because the pace at TU Delft is much faster than at secondary school. Fortunately, you're not on your own. My fellow students actually helped me a lot, in providing extra help or working together on assignments. 

One of the best things about my degree programme is that it opens up so many different opportunities. You learn to apply maths in various specialist fields, ranging from healthcare to finance. I've no idea exactly where I'll end up later, but there are plenty of choices available!