A lot of students, such as myself, already have a program in mind when they arrive. I came to university interested in applied mathematics but after two years decided that it’s not my thing. My courses were still general enough that I could switch to statistics from applied math without slowing down my degree process.
You are an advisor for the Statistics program. What makes this program special to you?
I like the flexibility of this program. It has enough requirements to give students a really good foundation but not enough that they are limited in anything else that they may want to do. Statistics is mathematics applied to something - economics, biology, health studies, etc.
What do you love about teaching?
I love watching the students grow. Watching them progress from a place of ignorance to a place of understanding, and witnessing the spark that comes from learning something is very rewarding. I like my one-on-one interaction and discussions with students, because sometimes they have an interesting way of seeing things, which allows me to learn from them.
What would your advice to prospective students be?
Keep things as unspecified as possible. Keep things open until you know exactly what you want to do. The Faculty of Mathematics has flexibility built right into their programs because in first and second year you’re generally not required to pick a program.
I try to make funny jokes in every single lecture. It keeps things lively and more interesting.
“Why was the tomato red?
Because it saw the salad dressing.”
Read more about Professor Metzger.