Math advising interview notes + project ideas (for math-inclined EA career changers)

By DirectedEvolution @ 2019-07-26T19:40 (+3)

Intended Audience: EAs exploring a return to school to pursuing applied math-oriented EA studies (including computer science, economics, etc).

Source: An intense 45 minute conversation with a math adviser at my local community college.

Requests: If you are an EA career changer (especially math-oriented or older) interested in forming a peer support network for a EA-oriented return to school, please PM me. I'd also appreciate even a very brief comment if this post helped you (such as "Helpful") so I can gauge whether it's worth further cleaning & posting of such interviews.

Big takeaways:

• Math is a good starting point for EA career development because it's widely applicable.
• Prove to yourself that you can do and enjoy it, maybe by taking a challenging course in physics/statistics/coding.
• Skill in coding and Excel is also a plus.
• Have many conversations with your teachers and advisers in departments that teach EA-related concepts.
• There's a distinction between pure and applied math. The latter might be a better fit for EA causes or people who are people-oriented yet want to study math.
• Know the prerequisites for grad programs of interest. If you miss something, it might be offered just once a year.
• Calculus-based math courses move fast. Make sure you're strong in algebra before proceeding.
• Cold-email academics working on problems that interest you. Find out about their educational background, current work, institution, collaborators, and advice on a path to working on similar problems or at a similar level.

Project Ideas:

• Write and vet a form email for cold contacting academics/researchers. It should be of appropriate length, well-structured, and ask the right questions.
• Made a draft myself. Feel free to comment or use.
• List widely available precalc-based math activities that can demonstrate to oneself a significant inclination for math.
• Interview summaries might be beneficial to the EA community.
• List specific grad programs/professors working on EA-oriented projects. Get advice from current EA-oriented grad students on how to bring an EA approach to departments where it's not present.