Your study programme

I do everything I can to ensure that students enjoy coming to my class.

Jean-Paul

Teacher

I teach mathematics and Artificial Intelligence. I combine theory with practical application through various exercises and projects. What I find really important is the atmosphere in the classroom. I do everything I can to ensure that students actually enjoy coming to my classes. For example, sometimes I organise competitions and I always make sure that there is a positive vibe during class. I know all the students by name and make sure to involve them in class. 

I think it’s essential to give my students a solid foundation of knowledge that they can build on later in their careers. My goal in class is to teach students principles that they will keep encountering throughout their professional lives. They don’t need to memorize everything, but they should be able to recognise the principles and know how to apply them in the future. The classes I teach aren’t easy, but I also never make them more difficult than they need to be. But students still need to work hard to pass my courses!  

In class, we build on the maths students learned in high school, but now they really get to see its practical applications. I make sure to show the real-world use of maths. Anyone can make nice graphs using the right software, but in my class, students learn to interpret those graphs and determine if they are accurate. 

I find it very satisfying when a game I’ve spent hours on programming and puzzling over actually works. You create something out of nothing. Every engineer can probably relate to that feeling.

Renze

Student

I found it difficult to choose a study programme because I had no idea what I wanted to do. I ended up choosing the Applied Mathematics programme because I enjoyed maths in secondary school. Now, four years later, I’m exactly where I want to be! Not only do I really enjoy the programme, but after graduation, I can work at any company. After all, every organisation needs a mathematician. So, it’s no problem that I don’t know exactly where I want to work after getting my diploma.

I was really good at maths in secondary school, so the transition to the university of applied sciences was manageable. But that certainly doesn’t mean I already knew everything. In the first year, for example, we started programming. This was new and challenging, but a lot of fun. So much fun, in fact, that I started doing it in my free time as well. During the programme, I learned the tools I needed to take on fun projects in my spare time. I’ve made my own versions of Snake and Tic-Tac-Toe, and I even created a weather prediction bot. Not necessary at all, but super fun to do. And I learned how to do that during my studies! I find it very satisfying when a game I’ve spent hours on programming and puzzling over actually works. You create something out of nothing. Every engineer can probably relate to that feeling.

The programme itself is also very enjoyable. The interaction between students and teachers is excellent. I can walk into my teacher’s offices at any time to ask a question, and the students organise a lot of fun activities. For instance, we have a Applied Mathematics Day, where all the students in the programme spend a day full of activities together, and we regularly hold game nights. The Applied Mathematics programme is a true community.

The programme is a perfect fit for me: I combine the science subjects that I like with my hobby, programming. It’s a real hands-on programme!

Katia

Student

I transitioned from vocational education (mbo) to the Applied Mathematics programme at Fontys. After I completed my mbo programme I was a chemical-physical analyst;. During that programme, I really enjoyed the science subjects, but I did not really enjoy the lab work. I’ve also had a long-standing interest in programming, which is why I participated in the First Tech Challenge, where you have to programme a robot with a team and compete in tournaments against other teams. When I came across the Applied Mathematics programme, I knew right away that it was the right studies for me. It’s a combination of science subjects, programming, and it’s truly a hands-on programme, since you get to spend a lot of time working on practical assignments on the computer. 

The transition from mbo to a university of applied sciences was a big step. For me, this was mainly because mbo didn't challenge me enough, and I never really had to study. I finally had the challenge I wanted when I started the Applied Mathematics programme, but I did have to put in the effort and study. I did not only need to learn the subjects, but I also needed to learn how to study! Although it wasn’t always easy, it did feel like a positive challenge. It was a very rewarding process. The start of the programme involved quite some repetition from maths classes in high school to make sure everyone reaches the same basic level, even if you’ve come from mbo. Later on, you dive deeper into the material and get practical examples that show what you can actually do with mathematics. 

I really enjoyed doing an internship last year. I was an intern at Waterschap Limburg. They didn't have a mathematician on their team yet and were curious about how a mathematician would approach a certain challenge. They asked me to create a prediction method for the North Limburg region based on data. I had to show how we could predict drought in the area using a mathematical approach. I was able to make that prediction using the available data. I found it really exciting to see how I could contribute to a method that will actually be applied in practice.