Izzudin Azhan, Class of 2021, came in on Tuesday 8th July to speak to current Year 12 students who were interested in a Mathematics degree. Having recently graduated from Imperial College London with a Mathematics with Statistics degree, he delivered a wonderful seminar, explaining how his time at university helped him grow and how his degree has opened many doors for future careers. 

He started the talk by pointing out to students that, whilst going to a top-ranked university is great, what really matters is the curriculum of the course. He recommended students look at the course structure when writing their personal statements and sending in their UCAS applications. 

Izzudin also described Imperial and its surrounding. He went into depth in the structure of his university course, describing Year 1 as an 'Introduction to University Mathematics,' as most of the year was spent bringing everybody to the same stage of math. The topics studied included real analysis, linear algebra, calculus and its applications, probability and statistics, introduction to computation, and introduction to applied math. He advised students to look at the modules when making their choice of university and writing their personal statements. He also had to do a research module to get used to tools such as LaTeX (used for writing academic papers) and RStudio (used for statistical computing and graphs). 

Year 2 was spent building to a more advanced level, introducing new modules such as complex analysis, the theory of differential equations, and contour integration. He also did a group project on Stein's paradox. 

In Year 3, you get to specialise, being able to choose from up to 60 different math modules, not even including the ones that you are able to choose from different subjects. Izzudin chose stats modules to match the course that he had taken, but he also took some extra ones, such as musical technology. In this module he learnt how to produce music, which eventually led him to make his own trailers and started his passion for photography and film. 

Izzudin described societies as one of the most important parts of university. Imperial has 380+ societies and he recommended joining them, as it is a good way to make friends and to find new hobbies. He was in the IC Sinfonietta and the Malaysian Society, which he explained was very important to him - "I grew up in the UK, so I didn't know much about my culture, but I was able to learn more about my culture with the help of the other students, mostly who were international." 

He then started vlogging his experiences and taking part in competitions such as 'The Amazing Race' (which his team won in 2022) and '1am Potluck.' He also partook in modern dance, acting, vocals, and even Bollywood performances. In 2nd year he became music director for the Sinfonietta, learning important skills such as time management, working under pressure, and communication. He described himself as 'introverted' when he left Latymer, but joining societies 'helped me come out of my shell,' and he would heavily recommend joining societies. 

Izzudin then gave out tips to help students prepare for university life. This includes advice such as getting a 16-25 rail card, asking for student discounts, and learning how to cook. He also told students to prioritise their physical and mental health, that failure is feedback, to collaborate (not compete) with their classmates, and to have fun and document their journeys. He recommended applying for outreach student ambassador roles, as a good way to express yourself and develop skills such as communication and time management. 

He then gave students tips about how to write their personal statements, as he looked at personal statements whilst working for MyMentor. He detailed how he wrote his own personal statement, how Mrs Tyrell (current math teacher) helped him by recommending him a stats magazine called 'Significance' where he used an article about bomb patterns in world wars, and books that he read such as 'Statistics Explained,' summer school he did at Queen Mary's, and math competitions that he participated in such as UKMT, Maths Bombe, and the National Cypher Challenge. Izzudin stressed that it does not matter if you won the competition or have an expert-level understanding of a topic, as the people reading the personal statement do not care; they only want to see if you have the passion to study the course. 

After graduating in October 2024, he spent a few months searching for a job in the financial sector, with his focus being in actuarial science. He went through a lengthy six-stage application process, where he was even interviewed by a Latymer alumnus, and he has now secured a job at Cooper Parry. His math degree helped him, as it is a versatile degree to develop strong analytical and problem-solving skills and learn how to handle complex data/logistics. 

To round off his talk, he answered questions, such as how to keep a balance between academics and societies, his studying habits, and UCAS/personal statement tips (he did write 20 iterations before he sent his final statement!).

Izzudin's talk not only ignited a spark for those who attended the talk to pursue a degree in mathematics but also showed that university is not just a place to learn; it is also a place for you to discover yourself and build skills that you will use for the rest of your life.

A huge thank you to Izzudin for delivering this lecture!