The End of an Era, the Start of a Dynasty

Post by:Justin Tyo
MS in Mathematical Finance Candidate, ‘14

Three weeks in as a Mathematical Finance student and the pace of school has picked up immensely. Midterms around the corner, weekly problem sets due and regular study hours in a 16 by 16 studio apartment. The crazy part about all of it is that I love it. There is really nothing more energizing than regular class meetings with some of the smartest Mathematics professors and students in the nation.

However, three weeks ago, I was coming to Boston from a small town in Northern New York called Massena. Shall we clarify what “Northern New York” is? It is in fact not near Albany, Syracuse or Buffalo; rather it is 150 miles straight north of Syracuse located on the Canadian border. Also known as “The Gateway to Canada,” “Yeah, it gets real cold up there,” or simply just “The Tundra,” Massena is the definition of an awesome small town where everyone knows everyone and every person is there to lend a hand whenever you need it. However, Boston is the polar opposite of that; a large city with a lively community where you’d be lucky to meet 1% of the population over the course of your working career. Boston University has helped make that transition easy.

Deciding to go from open fields to a lively city was a difficult decision to make, but I wouldn’t have done it differently. The opportunities in  the Boston University Mathematical Finance program are phenomenal and the experience of coming to a prestigious school like BU is priceless. I am surrounded by my classmates who are always willing to lend a hand with anything that you may need, which is comparable to that tight-knit culture that I am used to. The program is comprised of such diverse cultures that it is exciting to hear about my classmate’s backgrounds. Just like me, they all come from their own unique places across the world. The best thing about Mathematics is that its a universal language. Despite our drastically different native languages, we all know how to do proofs, derivatives, and integrals and communicate it flawlessly to one another (if we know the answer, of course). That’s what makes our Mathematical Finance program so interesting because our passion for learning and Mathematics brings us together within a classroom setting which allows us to feed off each other’s intelligence and intuition.

We have begun developing a family-like atmosphere within our Mathematical Finance program and it has only been three weeks. The orientation week and several social events have made it all possible through the help of the Graduate Programs Office. They do a wonderful job in coordinating events that bring us close together from the start. Most importantly however, meeting some of the brightest minds from not just across our nation but across the planet is an invaluable experience which has certainly made me proud to be a part of this program. I am looking forward to the next 17 months and growing the professional relationships that I have begun to develop with my classmates.

 Justin Tyo is a first year Mathematical Finance student with experience in options trading and credit modeling. He played for the St. John Fisher College Men’s Golf team from 2008-2011 whose team won three consecutive ECAC Championships.