Branching out

Publication date
Friday, 27 Apr 2012
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Lindon Roberts was at home in Perth searching for a university degree which would let him study all his biggest interests at once when he came across the ANU Mathematical Sciences website. "Lo and behold there’s this degree that has maths, and computer science, and whatever else I want," he says. "Basically exactly what I wanted."

Lindon is now studying a Bachelor of Computational Sciences (Honours) and he is excited about his experiences so far. He has already been exposed to some exciting opportunities and advanced ideas. For example; working with the Head of mathematics Stephen Roberts on a research project in his first year, or delving into John Nash’s Nobel Prize winning work on game theory.

"It’s cool to be able to understand these things, ground breaking things," says Lindon. "It’s cool to have the exposure to it that I wouldn’t have had anywhere else!"

Being able to conduct research, like his work with Dr Roberts, which focused on cloth modelling, has been an important part of the degree for Lindon. "It gives you sort of a sense of what you’re actually doing, more so than a lot of other degrees where you just learn from this textbook," he says. "It’s you actually sitting down, here’s an idea, let’s work with it. What’s been out there before?  What can we do differently? It’s something a bit more substantial, something a bit more interesting."

While the focus of the degree is on maths and computer science, Lindon says the course allows him a huge range of academic flexibility. "If I want to become a biologist, an earth scientist, some sort of finance person, a software engineer, I have a way in," he says. "I can basically branch out into anywhere that takes my fancy."

Lindon lives on campus at Burgmann College and says that though his coursework keeps him busy he also find the time to play piano with the University’s Choral Society SCUNA and the ANU Students Chamber Orchestra. "It’s good to get out of college and to not think about university and just muck around."

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Bachelor Mathematical Sciences
Degree program

The Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences provides the tools to study these patterns and structures and along the way, you learn transferable skills in critical thinking, analysis, investigation and evidenced-based decision-making.

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