NAMSSN UI Chapter

Career conversations – Reflections & posters
Career conversations

Written reflections by NAMSSN UI Press on what invited guests shared during career sessions – together with a visual archive of the posters that announced them.

📝Reflections from the Press team 🖼 Posters that carried the message across campus

Keeping the ideas from each session alive.

After each career conversation, members of NAMSSN Press attend as listeners and writers. They summarise the story, highlight the most practical advice, and record what resonated with students. Even if you missed the live event, you can still learn from the conversations here.

Below you can read Press reflections and swipe through posters from recent sessions.

Session reflections
Filter by theme:
From UI Mathematics to graduate research abroad
Session held in February 2025
Research / PhD Alumnus speaker Applications
Speaker: a UI Mathematics graduate currently pursuing a PhD in Analysis at a European university.
The speaker traced a path from crowded lecture theatres in UI to their current research group abroad, emphasising how much of the journey grew out of small, steady habits. They described how asking questions in class, volunteering for problem sessions, and keeping informal reading notes eventually turned into a credible research profile.
Key points captured by NAMSSN Press:
  • • Treat each course as a chance to discover at least one topic you might want to explore further.
  • • Build relationships with lecturers slowly through engagement, not sudden requests.
  • • A personal statement should read like a story of growth, not a catalogue of achievements.
  • • Feeling underprepared is normal; persistence and clarity often matter more than brilliance.
Press note author: NAMSSN UI Press Theme: research and postgraduate study
Find related long-form articles in the Student Bulletin →
Data science as a mathematician: first steps and first jobs
Session held in November 2024
Industry / data Alumnus speaker Python & statistics
Speaker: a data scientist based in Lagos, trained in Mathematics at UI and formerly active in NAMSSN.
The conversation showed how topics like probability, statistics, and numerical methods translate into day-to-day work with spreadsheets, dashboards, and models. The speaker highlighted that many early roles are less about “deep learning” and more about cleaning data, thinking clearly about questions, and explaining results to non-specialists.
Key points captured by NAMSSN Press:
  • • Use semester breaks to build one or two visible projects that you can show on a screen.
  • • Focus on clarity when you explain results; communication is part of the job.
  • • Internships, freelance work, and volunteer projects can all count as experience if you document them well.
Suggested follow-up: start a small data project and document it Theme: industry and applied work
Explore coding & notebook resources →
Teaching and lecturing: learning to stand in front of a board
Session held in July 2024
Teaching / outreach Returning lecturer Pedagogy
Speaker: a lecturer in a Nigerian university and graduate of UI Mathematics.
The lecturer spoke honestly about the first time they faced a classroom alone: the nerves, the mistakes, and the gradual improvement. They encouraged students to treat tutoring, group discussions, and outreach visits as rehearsal spaces where they can practice explaining ideas without the pressure of formal assessment.
Key points captured by NAMSSN Press:
  • • Teaching begins with remembering what it was like not to understand a concept.
  • • It is acceptable to say “I do not know yet”; what matters is coming back with a clear answer.
  • • Outreach programmes give valuable experience in simplifying ideas without losing accuracy.
Theme: teaching, lecturing, and outreach
Learn more about NAMSSN outreach initiatives →
Scholarships and funding: building realistic hope
Session held in March 2024
Funding & scholarships Panel discussion Applications
Panel: a small group of students and alumni who have received scholarships or research support.
The panelists described funding applications as a process rather than a single dramatic moment. They spoke about rejection letters, revised drafts, and the importance of asking for feedback. Students were encouraged to apply even when they felt their profile was still “in progress”.
Key points captured by NAMSSN Press:
  • • Keep a simple timeline of opportunities and deadlines; treat it almost like a course outline.
  • • Ask seniors to comment on your statements; they often see where you are not clear.
  • • Each application teaches you something, even when the answer is “no”.
Theme: funding, resilience, and planning
Look for funding stories and essays in the Student Bulletin →
Poster & flier archive

Posters are part of the memory of an event. This compact archive lets students swipe through designs used to announce career conversations, and gives future designers a base to build on.

Poster for 'From UI Mathematics to graduate research abroad' career conversation Career conversation
From UI Mathematics to graduate research abroad
Poster design for the February 2025 session.
Research / PhD Alumnus speaker
Poster for 'Data science as a mathematician' career conversation Career conversation
Data science as a mathematician
Poster design for the November 2024 online session.
Industry / data Python & statistics

Swipe horizontally to move between posters. As new conversations are held, additional fliers can be added to this archive strip.