I'm (25M) graduating with my bachelor's in math in about a month (US). I hated and sucked at math for most of my life, so I primarily did the degree to prove to myself I wasn't stupid. Turns out I'm still dumb, but now I know what an isomorphism is lol.
Anyways, mathematics was never really a huge passion of mine. Getting this degree has definitely been a grind, and outside of a few subjects (particularly number theory and graph theory), I really did not enjoy it. I had to retake a couple classes and then barely passed in some others. Nearly dropped out multiple times. I really am in awe of people who go on to get their PhDs in some math-related field (like what many of my classmates are either doing or planning on doing), but it's just not for me.
I recently got accepted into nursing school and am starting that in January, meaning that I will probably never actually use any math I learned in school again, at least in my professional life.
Initially, I was really excited to start a brand new chapter, and I still am. However, it's slightly disheartening to think that I will probably never touch any of these subjects again for the rest of my life. I feel like I've wasted years of my life to some extent. Just curious if others out there have similar stories. Like did anyone else go on to get their BS or even a higher degree in mathematics and end up doing something completely unrelated for their job? Does having that background help you in anyway? Do you still try and keep your skills sharp (reading through textbooks, working on problems, doing independent research)? or have you just let that part of your life die off?