Who are you and in which double major are you?
I am Elzette Janse van Rensburg. I am South African by nationality though I graduated from the International School of Kenya in Nairobi where I followed the IB program. I am in Mathematics & Economics double major.
Why would you recommend the Bachelor Program?
I would foremost recommend the bachelor program because of the immense amount of things I have learned. I think it is very rare to find a program where you will be familiarized with knowledge across so many domains. Moreover, over the three years, I have found both the theoretical and applied elements of the program extremely useful. Learning how to think and abstract can be more important than learning the material itself on many occasions. Whether you are looking to study pure math or planning on going into industry, I think this program is a good choice.
I would secondly recommend the program for the intimate and cohesive spirit. With the backdrop of an international group of people, to me, the program was a great environment to cultivate friendships
What would be a great memory of your time in the Program that you would like to share with future students?
I have a collection of cherished memories where I spent time cooking with friends. My friends and I enjoy making dishes that are slightly advanced for our culinary skillset. Needless to say, the food does not always turn out as the recipe might imply. Though its always a great laugh.
What would be a piece of advice that you would like to share with future students?
Allocate free time and maximize your use of it. Whether going for a daily run, reading by the on-campus lake, or taking the afternoon to go to Paris, create time where you invest in your well being. Bring a friend along to make it even better. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by work. It’s important not to be consumed by it.
Where have you been admitted so far and what do you intend to do after the Program? Any other general comment on the outcomes of the Bachelor Program at this stage?
So far I have been admitted to the University of Oxford (MSc Statistical Sciences), Imperial College London (MSc Machine learning), the Technical University of Munich (MSc Data Engineering and MSc Actuarial Sciences), and Ecole Polytechnique (MSc Economics, Data Analytics…). I am still awaiting responses from EPFL (Msc. Financial Engineering) and LSE (MSc. Mathematical Finance), though I plan on going to Oxford whatever the outcome. The program at Oxford is great since gaining knowledge about statistical inference and statistical machine learning will allow me to address many different types of problems in the data-driven age. I think my background in economics is very advantageous since it has equipped me with another lens through which I can examine these problems.
I do believe that the bachelor program has given me a broad scientific basis. This basis has allowed me to find direction by helping me realize what I like rather than by restricting the number of things I can do with my future. The program is intense, but all in all, I would say I am very happy I decided on coming here.
