text:
Should I mention a professor's name in my SOP for MSc if the professor is only taking PhDs?
Some facts:

I am applying for a Master's program in Computer Science at a university in US.
My research interests exactly match with the professor's.
I am applying to the university because of the professor.
The professor is only taking PhD/PostDoc students in his group.
He has just joined after completing his PostDoc and there is no information on the website if he will take any courses.
Chances of directly doing a PhD with him are very less based on my profile.

The problem:
I understand that whether or not I should write his name or mention some of his work depends on if he will be able to advise me during the program which is exactly what I do not know.

Can having discussions with him during his office hours be a good enough primary reason to study there?
What could be the possible reasons that a professor is not taking any Master's student? Is there a good chance that if I get an admit, my regular interaction with him, interest, and work will make him take me in his group with PhDs?

There is no reason you shouldn't mention the professor's name and your interest in his field. It will show that you are focused.
In the US, the master's degree is often (usually?) seen as a step along the way to a doctorate, so you will probably be perceived that way in any application. Also, a Master's in the US will usually not be entirely research focused and will include quite a lot of course work. You will be able to meet with him if you are accepted and can work toward some relationship with him. If you think you aren't quite prepared to work under him as a PhD student, the work toward the Master's degree should get you closer to that goal. You might also find that your goals change, of course.
Since he is a new professor he isn't likely to be tenured. This can be a problem for students as he will be very focused on his own research and work towards tenure. This means that he may have less time for students. He may also have an agreement with the university that he can focus for now on his research with (only) advanced students.
But treat work with him and his group as a tentative thing. But stating that you have an interest in that can do you no harm and may serve you well.

Thank you! This helps a lot. I have one more doubt: How should I go forward in the way to mention his name. Since working with him is tentative and most probably he won't even be in the Admissions Committee, will writing "I would like to work with him....." or "I would like to join his group..." make them reject me since they cannot fulfill this request?

I'm guessing that expressing interest is probably better than anything that might be interpreted as a condition on your part. You are a ways away from it being a critical issue at this time, I think.


text:
Is it unethical to give students a sample math test as a study guide?
The students were never told this is the actual exam or this will be on the exam; my physics teacher used to give us the problems for the exam as a study guide and those were the exact problems on the test, if you studied that.
If this is a coordinated course, do I get some autonomy and do as my physics teacher used to do?

Hi l.r., welcome to stackexchange. It's not very clear exactly what you're asking here. Can you clarify?

Can you clarify what you mean by coordinated course? How coordinated are the sections at your department?

I'm not sure this qualifies as a matter of ethics.  Whether or not a particular teaching philosophy/practice is wise and efficacious isn't really an ethical issue.  Unless you're wanting to go old school stereotype and start smacking people on the knuckles with rulers or something, that is.  And none of these things are particularly relevant to whether you have the autonomy and authority to do such a thing.

Hello everyone. Thank you so much for your input so far. A coordinated course online is one which is structured for all faculty so they have to give 4 quizzes, 2 practice exams, two exams in this case. Each exam weighs 35% of their grade and each quiz weighs 2.5% and each practice exam weighs 10%. The practice exam is essentially the test with double the questions, so I made a study guide based on the ones that looked like the exam (15 questions) to guide them better. cont...

I didn't see anything wrong with that, but apparently it is at my institution. That's why the question. I just thought about it as a teaching practice. My teachers used to do it. They would never tell us, "this is the test, study it!". If you are really not wise, you missed the chance by not studying the problems I gave you. I saw it as being more than fair to them so they don't complain.

I give a mock exam that gives example questions from the topics that are covered in the exam but not the actual questions themselves.
This enables specific words or formats etc to be used in the mock so that one is sure that the students cannot say that they have not been covered...
Edit based on my comment:
For the nine topics covered, there are 15 or so practice questions which are part of the "coursework" for each topic, so there is plenty of practice. The exam questions are based on any of those questions, with a different story, different numbers or part A is the same but part B is then different etc

In addition to this, I also make available the final exams used from previous semesters. It stops me being lazy and re-using questions that match previous ones too closely. :-)

I give 15 or so practice questions for each topic (there are 9 topics) and the exam ones are similar to those questions - different story, different numbers etc.

I wouldn't say "unethical" but I don't think it's a great idea.  Although it does reward students who do the study problems, it will disproportionately reward students who can remember line-for-line exactly what they did, over those who instead focused on learning the general concepts.
Also, it only works once.  After the first time, it will become known among students that you do this.  Lazy students will know that they can get a friend to solve all the problems, borrow their solutions, and memorize them.
As to whether you have the autonomy to do this in a coordinated course: it depends.  "Coordinated" covers a wide spectrum of practices.  In many cases it is expected that the instructors will cooperate to write a single common exam.  Even if not, I think this is something that you should not do without the coordinator's agreement; it's far enough outside the norm that the coordinator may feel that it is not equitable between your students and those in other sections.

It’s very difficult to memorise all the formulae used in an excel model with the solver settings and then just one slight wording change alters the constraints necessary - “less than” is different to “less than or equal to” and “greater than” is different to “greater than or equal to”... luckily these are not just a small essay or some such ... having just marked 190 I can vouch for a good spread of grades !!!

@SolarMike That doesn't sound like the type of subject matter and exam Nate is imagining.  He's probably thinking more of math and physics exams (the OP specifically mentions a physics course, though doesn't clearly specify if that's what he's involved with teaching).  And in either case, taking the pre-computed perfect solution and simply typing/writing/whatever it out over and over will have it memorized in due time, and whatever generalizations they make will be far narrower in scope than those made by people prioritizing general concepts in their exam studies.

@SolarMike Nate also make zero claims whatsoever about the grade distribution.  "Nice grade distribution" does not imply the exam is equitable or rewards learning in the way it should.  I could give a mathematics class a history exam all about the War of 1812 and get a nice grade distribution, but that's hardly appropriate.

@SolarMike: The question did specify using "the exact problems" from the study guide on the exams.  If even small changes were made, that would change things somewhat.  And yes, I was thinking of traditional math/physics problems (the question title says "math" so I assume that's OP's field).  I agree with zibadawa timmy that grade distribution alone isn't good evidence of whether a particular strategy is pedagogically appropriate.

So, trying to open the field and give experiences from different areas mmight have been taken as useful... Oh and I note the Op is quoting from His teacher’s practice - not what he is actually doing, so he, I believe, is looking for other options - one of which I hope I offered...

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

sort: votes


text:
Busy professor failed to finish recommendation letters
My application officially ended on Dec 1, but the admission offices are still accepting recommendation letters. One of my professor just finished the letters recently, but there are two letters were not submitted. My professor insisted he has finished all the letters and he won't have time for this until Dec 15 because he is applying for an important grant that concerns the survival of his lab. Although the office are still accepting letters, I fear Dec 15 may be too late to submit the letters. What should I do ? Should I prompt my professor at the risk of irritating him ?
He is very busy, and that's also why he did not start writing the letters until the deadline after I called him. I always wrote very kind letters, and he was a very nice person, but I don't want to be bothersome and force the professor to prioritize my needs before his own. The grant is definitely much more important to him, and he promised to write the letters simply out of kindness.

Was the professor aware of the deadline when he offered to write you the letter? How much notice was he given?

Can you ask the admissions offices what the deadline is for recommendation letters?

No, the professors was not aware of the deadlines when he promised to write me the letters. I only notify him about the deadline on Nov. 26, and then reminders on Nov. 30. I will ask the admission office when the deadline is for the recommendation letters.

When I was applying to grad school I gave the professors I asked for recommendations the deadline for application. When I was a faculty member, my rule of thumb was if I agreed to write a letter, that letter went to the top of my priority list, regardless of how busy I was. I viewed it as my professional obligation to follow through on my promise.

First of all, find out if December 15th is too late to send the letters. If it's not too late, then you don't have a problem as long as the professor writes you a letter when he has more time.
Assuming the 15th is too late: Was the professor aware of the deadline when he offered to write you the letter? Did he have sufficient time to write the letter (I always erred on the side of at least a month, if not two)? If so, then he has a very real obligation to fulfill that promise. Writing letters of recommendation is not a favor that professors do for their students, it is a key part of their jobs as academics. Letters of recommendation is one of the key metrics by which institutions determine who they should accept. They help shape the landscape of the research community that the professors themselves are a part of. It is unfortunate for the professor that he has to spend a lot of his time writing a grant proposal to save his lab, but that does not excuse him from his other responsibilities.
Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily mean that you should poke the professor every day and/or try to force the professor to write you the letter. Though he is the one at fault for failing to provide you the service that he should, you are likely the one who will suffer; either by not having a letter of recommendation, or having a haphazardly written letter that lacks attention to detail and fails to highlight your skills as a researcher. Normally I would tell you to find someone else to write you the letter, but given that you're out of time, I think your only option is to respectfully remind the professor that this is extremely important for your career, and that you require his letter of recommendation in order for your application to be considered valid. If he refuses to write it, then I would honestly consider that an ethical violation and encourage you to bring it up with your dean.
However, if you gave the professor 2 weeks notice to write the letter and/or did not make him aware of the deadline, then it may be hard to "force" him to fulfill his obligation as you did not perform your due diligence in lining up your letters early. That being said, most institutions have deadlines in December so I would assume that the professor was aware of the general timeline of when the recommendation would be due.

Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions. I believed the professor has finished writing the recommendation letters. He might just missed the send button because he said he has finished. I invited him to write me the letter around a month before the deadlines. It was partially my fault that I didn't remind him earlier when he was not that busy, but I was always afraid of irritating him.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
Appropriate way to thank a professor towards the end of the semester
Let me first say that the I am a first semester student studying in North America coming from a very different cultural background, so I get confused as to what would be okay in not just college but also this part of the world. I am reaching towards to the of my first semester one of my professors has really inspired me and I would like to appreciate them. However I am confused if I should just write an email or give little handwritten card/note. Some questions that come to my mind are:

Should I give the note to the professor at the end of the last class (would my class mates judge me?) or give it during office hours?
I am performing really well in the professors class do I need to wait till the grades are in or is it okay to give it before that?
Is it okay to say “I hope I can take another class of yours in the future semesters”

My question might sound silly to ask this but I just don’t want to make the teacher uncomfortable especially since this is the first time for me in college and in such an environment.

A note, after grades are in, is good.  Some institutions prohibit faculty from accepting gifts from students, and even if it's permitted it may make the professor uncomfortable.  One of the nicest notes I've ever received came from a student after graduation.  It began, "Thank you for staying on my back..."

In the U.S., probably best to not express thanks publicly, unless you are thinking to get others to join in. If you can put a thank-you note in the professor's paper-mail mailbox in their department, that might be optimal. It does demonstrate a bit more effort (and, thus, more non-trivial expression of thanks) than just an email, for example.
But an email thank-you is good, too.
And, yes, probably better to wait until after grades are settled, if there's any potential volatility there. Don't want to create even a hint of conflict-of-interest on any side.

Can also give the note to someone in the department office and ask them to deliver/put it in the mailbox after grades are finalized. This can be helpful if you are leaving for the summer before grades are finalized.

Please, no gifts! In Germany I am not allowed to accept a gift from students at all. It puts me in a very uncomfortable position, and has happened a few times. I give the gift to the dean, who probably trashes it (unless it is drinkable). A nice postcard in my snail-mail-box would be a lovely way to say thanks.

Any expression of thanks is generally going to be accepted well.  As has been noted, you might want to wait until after grades are assigned if you are concerned about potential conflicts-of-interest (or appearance of).  But, I don't think you should be too concerned if you are just giving a note or small gift.
However, I would encourage you to give your gift face-to-face if possible.  It is especially heartening to hear directly from my students and be able to chat with them about what they enjoyed about the class.  This is particularly important if the class was a large one where you didn't have as much opportunity to become well-known to the professor.
Drop by during office hours if possible.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


text:
How to react when a professor give back the corrected version of a test just before the finals?
I'm asking this question for a friend as he is not very familiar with SE sites.
Context:
My friend, let's call him A, has a physics teacher, which we will call B.
A, as the rest of the class, had a mid-semester exam 1 month and a half ago. He thought he failed, as some of other classmates.
A month passed, with Christmas holidays, and A had completely forgotten the whole exam.
However, yesterday, B gave back the corrected exam. My friend, and 1/3 of the class got a <25/100. However, not a lot of students are between 25/100 and 65/100.
A has his final physics exam from B tomorrow. So, he had two days to review and correct his mistakes before the new exam.
As it's the finals, tomorrow will be a big day, accounting for 20% of his entire semester. He feels that the entire situation is “completely unfair”.
Questions:

Was it ethical/fair that B gave the grades two days before the exams?
How could A, if it has to happen again, handle the situation?
Could A talk to B about his feelings?
Should A report to B superior about the situation?
Should, as a student of another class, handle the role of a “mediator” between A and B?

Comments:
A is in a small french university, where the teachers and students, and the administration know each other really well (think about 90 students in the whole building).
A is in his first year in the university, and will probably have this teacher again next semester and next years.

A third of the class got less 25% on a test? And the rest got realistic passing grades? Am I reading this right?

@Compass you are reading it right. I think that B have a problem with the grading curve

I can't think of any curve that can recover grade distributions like that. That's a twin-bell curve. Did the professor explain the disparity in grades, because this is very anomalous.

I'm not sure of this, I'm going to ask my friend

It's fair, everyone got it back at the same time. Is it great teaching? Not really.

@Azor-Ahai The point is that we both think that given the amount of work to do, It's almost impossible to get better now

@WayToDoor That's why I said it's not great teaching. At my university, we fill out end-of-term evaluations of our professors. I would explain in that that handing the exam back two days before the final is not very helpful. But isn't really wrong or immoral of him, just poor teaching. There's really nothing you can do but suck it up.

@Compass It would be trivial to just build cut-points to "curve", no?

@Compass  I have come to believe that a bi-modal distribution is OK and expected.  In my first year of teaching I asked a well-respected full professor what my grade distribution means.  "t means," he said, tapping the good hump of the graph with his index finger, "that these students get it, and these," tapping the bad hump, "do not."

@BobBrown: Sometimes it is "these students come to class and do the homework, and these do not".

@NateEldredge  There does seem to be a strong correlation. {grin}

Lousy teaching knows no borders.

Was it ethical/fair that B gave the grades two days before the exams?

I find it unfortunate. However, the question about fairness or ethics does not have a definite answer, as it depends on what was announced in class. If, for example, it was announced that the mid exam was to give the students feedback on their progress, such a large delay was not appropriate. If, on the other hand, the purpose of the exam was to give the instructor a feedback on how the students digested the material, than there is nothing bad about such a large delay. I, personally, would find the latter a bit weird and think that a mid exam which is corrected but not handed back to the students timely is a waste of time for everybody.

How could A, if it has to happen again, handle the situation?

Ask in advance. Ask what the purpose of the exam is. Ask when you can expect the results back (and explain that you value the feedback and that he feedback will be helpful for your learning).

Could A talk to B about his feelings?

I don't think that feelings should be discussed. However, A may bring it to the attention of B that it would have been easier for A to get the feedback earlier (or not at all), and explain how a timely feedback could have been helpful and so on.

Should A report to B superior about the situation?

Not unless B had violated some rule. A prior discussion with B is better.

Should, as a student of another class, handle the role of a “mediator” between A and B?

If A is too angry to discuss the matter properly, a mediator may be a good idea. However, I think that this would look rather unprofessional and that it would be better if A could calm down enough to discuss the matter themselves.
What could be a good idea, is to gather more information from the rest of the class, i.e. what they think about the situation, and then let one or two representatives discuss with B. These guys should be well prepared (e.g. with notes from the discussion of group) and try not to speak for themselves but for the whole group.

There is a general expectation that students will receive a reasonable amount of feedback from instructors in a timely matter. If a student feels that they are not getting the kind of feedback they need to master the course material then they absolutely should talk to the professor about it. If your friend's only goal is to communicate the situation to the instructor then a good place to note this kind of thing is in faculty feedback and evaluation forms.
If your friend feels like their grade is unfair then they could first raise the issue with the instructor. If that is unsatisfactory then most schools have policies in place to handle grade disputes. However, this is going to be extremely tricky for your friend- relatively few schools have specific policies on the timeliness of grading, and those that do tend to be vague. One faculty manual I found online states:

[Each professor has the responsibility] To grade and return
  examinations within a reasonable period of time.

Clearly, waiting half a semester to return the midterm is not a reasonable period of time. However, the other top hits on my Google search did not include any language about timeliness at all. If your school has a policy in place such as this then it would be a clear basis to request some kind of re-test or extra credit to improve the grade.
If the course provided a syllabus it would be worthwhile to read it. Sometimes instructors will do something unusual with grading on purpose, and if they state at the start of the semester that he doesn't hand back graded tests then your friend had no expectation of it. For example, lots of instructors will grade exams but keep the physical copies, and leave it up to the student to come examine the test during office hours. I have had a few students surprised in this way because they missed class the day we went over the exam, and they simply did not ever care to come find out their grade.
Beware that college students are generally expected to be self-motivated. Students are generally aware of how well they understand the material, regardless of evaluations by instructors. While it's true that your friend might not have known just how poorly they understood the material, they certainly knew that they did badly.

University policies vary a lot between countries and universities: the quote from a US faculty manual might be totally inapplicable in a (small) French university.

@Massimo Ortolano Of course. Hence the statement If your school has a policy

If the feedback inherent in the corrections of the a mid-semester exam is the main instrument for A to know what to study, then yes, it seems like a raw deal. But I assume that there were lectures, exercises, set textbooks to study and so forth, and these were clear from the outset. In which case A's dependence on just this paper cannot be overwhelming. (Unless it is an open secret that the final paper is a slight permutation of the mid, but that is a whole nother story.)


text:
The meaning of "paper" in the context of undergraduate students
The word "paper" on this site seems to be extensively used to refer to serious scientific publications/articles by PhD students and other researchers.
Now I am coming across its use by students completing a diploma in legal executive studies — which is not even bachelor's degree level. Here are real examples:

I live in ... and will be continuing on with my Legal Exec papers from home, having completed two papers last year.
I have finished 3 papers and I hope to complete 3 papers this year.
Only 2 more papers towards completion!
I am hoping to complete my two final papers this semester (Business and  Estate Law).

Never having been a student in an English-speaking country before, I am now struggling to perceive what exactly those "papers" are. Can someone please explain? The examples above are from New Zealand.

They mean examinations.

@knzhou Really? Replacing "pass an exam" with "complete a paper" seems to be a really weird move. My initial thought was those papers were like essays or "toy" research articles — something that you actually have to write on a number of pages over a period of weeks/months.

For undergraduates and high school students in the U.S., "paper" usually means (or at least it used to mean) "term paper", which is an extended essay one writes for a class assignment, usually in non-science courses, and sometimes more than one such paper is required for a course. For instance, I wrote 3 or 4 term papers for high school courses (e.g. one was required for my 10th grade World History course) and quite a few while an undergraduate. On the other hand, the use of "paper" by students and teachers in England was for a test given in a course --- usually the final exam.

In this New Zealand context, a paper is a course and the terms are used interchangeably, usually with one or other being the formal label at any given institution and the other in common use as well. In either case, it is a single class that can be enrolled in individually, with its own final grade, that can be credited towards a degree, diploma, or certificate.
For reference, we can see this guide from Victoria University of Wellington:

Courses are blocks of work that are taught over one or sometimes two trimesters—they’re often referred to as ‘papers’ by other universities.

or this glossary from the University of Canterbury:

Courses are 'classes' or 'papers' that involve blocks of lectures usually taught over one semester.

as well as the University of Waikato's Catalogue of Papers, which lists all the courses they offer, or the similar "Search for a paper" page from the University of Otago, and similar items for the other universities.
It does not refer to an exam or to a term paper. "Exam paper" does refer to the physical document given in an exam and the set of questions on it, but never "paper" alone. All of these terms are often used differently elsewhere.

In the parlance used for undergraduate education at Cambridge, the word paper  denotes a concept related to exams. Essentially, you complete a paper by sitting an exam. The exam might offer questions related to several courses, and expect you to solve a certain number of these. Often, students would not even have taken all courses appearing, so couldn't answer all of these.
It would not surprise me to see academic phrases used in the same style in New Zealand, Australia or South Africa.

In the context of the examples, I think "paper" is (rightly) being used as a synonym for "essay." Source: http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/essay.
Academics have a plethora of terms to describe their written outputs, e.g., journal article, conference paper, technical report, manuscript, ... Moreover, those terms can be used to describe a single body of work. For example, "I have submitted my manuscript to a conference. I'll publish it as a technical report, if it is accepted, to enable dissemination prior to publication of the conference paper. Hopefully, I'll publish an extended version as a journal article."


text:
producing quality research in non ideal laboratories
I will soon finish my masters course and have the opportunity to continue on in the same laboratory to do my doctors. This will be on a scholarship which would allow me to concentrate on research and not have to work unless I wanted to, all things that are appealing for obvious reasons.
The main issue is that during my time there as a masters student I have been able to see that the laboratory isn't a good environment for producing good research. Although everyone in the laboratory is nice enough on a social level, there is little collaboration being done on research, no common direction or theme between students research and generally little direction and guidance being given on individual students research. Students also choose research topics which arent in the speciality of the lab and therefore are not scrutinised to a level which doctoral work should be.
This has put me in the position of questioning whether to continue on to the PHD course or not. If I go through with it I am confident I will be able to graduate but I think the quality of my research and generally the amount that I learn will be much less than if I were able to do the same research in a more dedicated setting, this greatly diminishes the meaning of doing the course for me and also produces questions about future employment. On the other hand if I choose to not take the opportunity there's a good chance I will not do it at a later stage due to time and money reasons.
Is there anyone else that has had to do a PHD with little guidance, direction and/or collaboration ? Was graduating worth it in the end ? Did you feel you were far behind other researchers coming from other laboratories ? would you have rather gone to a different laboratory or even started working instead ?
I have thought about proactively finding solutions for this problem, one of them was to find a co-supervisor outside of my University that is more knowledgeable in the area I am researching. I have not seen this before, so is this something that is done ? If so, how do you go about finding a co-supervisor? It seems like I would have less to offer the co-supervisor making it not worth them taking me on.

You target enough problems in your lab that it is probably worth your effort now to look for other opportunities rather than just accept the one that has fallen to you. It may be that you are well-enough placed to move to another university/lab and also obtain funding.
In some fields, students work more or less alone, independent of their advisors, but it doesn't sound like you are in such a situation.
But you can probably contact a few people in your field, not to seek a co-advisor but a new position entirely. You can do this discretely at first until you get a sense of what is possible.
I'm guessing that staying in your current situation won't be terrible. But you might be able to do at least a bit better. But you won't know until you look.
I'll also suggest that a co-advisor from another university might not be able to give you the attention you need. The nature of the relationship and the distance will work against that, as well as raising possible conflicts with your advisor. So tread carefully in that direction if you decide to go there.

I should add that before you condemn your current lab too severely, you should also look to see what has happened to other students who have graduated out of it. Are they developing the careers they hope for? Do they have good positions? If that is so, then the lab is a success, not a failure.


text:
When not to contact a professor for a PhD based on what is written on his web page?
I am trying to reach out professors in my research area of interest. Some professors say on their (lab) web page that prospective grad students should submit an application for admission...
In this case, would it be beneficial to contact that professor so he/she can support my application? Does that mean that the school rules don't let the professor get involved in the process of admission? What does that mean exactly? I am asking about US schools

It depends on where. In the US, departments handle admissions, not the profs.

@SeanRoberson it is in the US

I assume the note on the web page is to avoid misunderstandings about the application process. In some places (not the US generally) it is the professor in charge of admissions and he/she actually hires students for the lab. If students from around the world expect that to be the case, the professor may have to deal with too many individual situations, so just makes a general statement.
It isn't, I suspect, a statement that you should not contact him/her, but a warning that you need to go through the administrative admission procedures first before you can be considered.
You can contact the prof for information or to express interest, of course, but be clear that you are also making a formal application through proper channels.
The contact isn't necessary, however. There will be time for that after you are accepted to the program.

"In some places (not the US generally) it is the professor in charge of admissions and he/she actually hires students for the lab." - one would hope the information on the professor's website is a bit more explicit about what to submit to whom than what was stated in the OP's question. In my place, professors more or less do hire students for their lab, and the procedure is precisely that "prospective grad students should submit an application for admission" ... to the professor, rather than the department.

@O.R.Mapper, is that in the US? What field? I think it is pretty rare in the US. Even if the prof has external funding.

No, I'm in Germany. Last I time I checked, that counted as "some places, not in the US" ;)

@O.R.Mapper, then it is exactly as I wrote.

What I meant was: If the professor's website only states "prospective grad students should submit an application for admission", that alone does not yet clarify anything for "students from around the world [who] expect (...) the professor [to be] in charge of admissions". I did not mean to oppose what you said, but I pointed out a precondition that needs to be fulfilled for your assumption to apply.

@O.R.Mapper The language you typically see is "prospective grad students should submit an application for admission to the department of Really Cool Studies" etc etc, I think OP just left that part out with their ellipsis, the rest of their question makes it seem like there is no lack of clarity in where to submit applications but they are wondering if its okay to also contact the professor directly or if that statement is meant to be a social cue not to bother them individually.


text:
Conflicted about performing joint research with individuals from an enemy country
I am currently pursuing my PhD in mechanical engineering in the US and currently working (as part of a team of graduates) with my advisor on a research project. At this stage, we are in the modelling phase which requires us to perform weekly meetings where we perform short presentation about recent literatures and discuss what challenges we might face and brainstorm several ideas.
Recently, my advisor established contact with another team for collaboration from the engineering department of country X to take part in the modelling phase. The issue is that country X has been regarded a sworn enemy country from my native country Y in which country Y forbids to even make contact with any individual from this country. I myself never been interested in politics and have never prompted any conversation regarding this matter with anyone in my academic studies.
Moreover, I don't believe in any form of hate or discrimination including any bias towards any nationality (even people from country X!)
However, my main concern is my academic reputation in my native country which will be challenging to confront and illustrate to individuals there especially since my country is always in a heated political turmoil and having said this my academic career in my native country Y would be put to jeopardy.
My main question:

How should I properly inform my advisor of the conflict of interest that I am facing? How can I briefly discuss the consequences that I might face in my native country without sounding too much political?

While the project itself requires huge amount of work and dedication from our team, I fear that by informing my advisor that I will not to pursue it anymore would either add more obstacles to our modelling progress or it leave a negative impression on me from my advisor.
Note: the term "enemy" is based on what my country states in the media when referring to country X.

To be clear, when you say "even make contact", does that include casual interactions like waving to someone on the street or chatting about the weather, or does it really mean something like "providing material assistance to the armed services of that country"?

If your question indeed is how to initiate a conversation with your advisor about the potential consequences of such a collaboration, then Buffy's answer certainly is the correct one. But just for clarification: that's the question, right? The question is neither "should I enter this collaboration" nor "how can I tell my advisor that I don't want to enter this collaboration", right? Because these questions would probably require different answers.

If I may be so bold, I might even say: if your advisor is planning to stay in contact with people of country X, you may suffer consequences from being associated with this advisor in any way at all. This depends on just how fraught the relationship between X and Y is. So you may be forced to choose between your advisor and country Y---which is to say: withdrawing from the project (but staying with your advisor in some way) may not even be a valid pathway. You may need a new advisor altogether. Think it over a lot, get some opinions from colleagues/friends/family.

I think a reasonable advisor would accept what you say here. "I'll be in danger, personally and reputationally, if my name is associated with country X in any way."
People understand that the world isn't a perfect place and that people are constrained in what they can safely do.
Just say it.

It might be worth adding that stating facts about political realities is not "sounding (too) political".

...my main concern is my academic reputation in my native country which will be challenging to confront and illustrate to individuals there especially since my country is always in a heated political turmoil and having said this my academic career in my native country Y would be put to jeopardy.  ...
How should I properly inform my advisor of the conflict of interest that I am facing?  How can I briefly discuss the consequences that I might face in my native country without sounding too much political?

It would certainly be a sad state of affairs if people view you negatively merely because you collaborate (on a project with positive social value) with a person who is a national of a hated country.  If the team of engineers you are proposing to collaborate with are people who do bad things to Country Y, or are going to use their robot for military purposes against Country Y, then I can see why people would have objections.  But if they are just civilians doing engineering work on civilian projects with positive social value, it would be unfortunate if this is viewed negatively.  If this is indeed a serious risk to you, your advisor is likely to sympathise with your predicament, even if they can't do much of value to solve the problem.
As to how to explain it, just be open with your advisor about the problem at hand and the reputational risk you may face in your native country.  Be clear about the culture in your native country and be prepared to explain the kind of problems you might encounter, to assist your advisor to understand your predicament.  Your advisor obviously cannot change the underlying attitudes of people in your native country, so cannot solve the underlying problem.  Nevertheless, they might be able to offer some options that would give you some choice in how you want to proceed.  One option would be to excuse you from the project.  Another would be to have you continue on the project anonymously, which has the drawback that you won't get credit on the papers coming out of the project (though your advisor could still specify that you worked on them in letters of reference).  Another option would be to continue on the project and accept the reputational risks.  Your advisor might be able to counsel you on your decision, and give you some idea of the academic issues arising from the matter.
Finally, there is no reason to be concerned about "sounding political" (in a broad sense) when the issue you are explaining is inherently political.  The consequences you face here are political, so clearly articulating those consequences is going to be assisted by providing an explanation of the political dynamics at play in your native country.  If you are concerned about "sounding political" in the sense of taking a political stand yourself, then you can avoid that by focusing solely on explaining the exogenous effects of the relevant politics on your career, without expressing support or opposition to the political positions you are explaining.  (But having said this, you seem keen in your question to differentiate your own views from the antagonism that is prevalent in your native country, so it sounds like you want to "sound political" after all.)

Actually, It is a sad state of affairs. Literally.

@Buffy Wouldn't those be sad affairs of state?

Sadly, we live in a broken world. Your advisor can't stop you from withdrawing from a project, but you will lose advantages. I would not be afraid of discussing the situation with them. They might well have some helpful insight.
But ultimately, your choice is between the loss from your advisor if you withdraw, and the loss from the rest of the world if you participate.
I know someone who was in a similar position regarding "politically incorrect" research. It didn't involve a foreign nation, but (completely legitimate) scientific research in an area that has been (illegitimately) politicized. The research was quite significant, but went against what's generally perceived as "politically correct". It's a bit like going against the church was in the old days.
For what it's worth, the person in question abandoned the research, against my advice.

Now I am curious -- what was the subject of the abandoned "politically incorrect" research?

@Carl-FredrikNybergBrodda I mean if you read behind the lines probably transgenderism

Not transgenderism, but we all know There's a time and place to discuss such things. This isn't it.


text:
How do I/should I convince my advisor to let me transfer with her blessings?
(I am going to be somewhat vague for identity reasons, but I'll try to include enough information to describe the situation - let me know if anything else is needed!)
I have a strong passion for X (an obscure area of computer science which is not well funded), and did an undergrad thesis on that topic.  I didn't think I would get into any graduate schools if I said I wanted to work on X, so I applied to machine learning since I used a fair bit in my undergrad work on X.  I realized now that this was a mistake, but it's not something I can change at this point.
I have been working for the last two years under my advisor (I started as a PhD in 2017).  So far I've gotten through my quals/coursework, published one paper in machine learning at a top conference with my advisor as my co-author, and published in two workshops on X, with no intersection of machine learning and without the help of my advisor.
Up until two months ago, my advisor was extremely reluctant to let me work on X, as she didn't think it was a good career move and it also wasn't something she personally wanted to work on.  However, I recently got an offer to work on X in industry, and simultaneously learned of two universities where people have funding to work on X and are interested in having me join.  Once I told my advisor about that, she changed her message and said "you can definitely work on X, but it should be through the lens of machine learning and you should only publish in machine learning journals, since that's the only way you'll be successful."
Here's the thing: as someone who has studied X fairly deeply, I am 99% convinced that the way to make progress with X is not through machine learning.  This is based on theoretical concerns, the reality of what methods are currently producing the best results in terms of future promise, and what I believe is a significantly better understanding of the potential value of X than my advisor (who never claimed to know anything about X in the first place).
Obviously there is some truth to her claim that I'd be better off professionally if I submitted to conferences in an area which is very popular; however, I feel like I care about X so much more than machine learning that I'd rather work as a humble programmer on X for industry or even freelance as a programmer and spend my own time on X than get a academic position in machine learning.
I really believe that I should transfer to one of the universities where I can approach X as a problem in its own right, and where I won't be forced to submit to machine learning conferences.  However, my advisor (who is a good person but also very blunt and biased at times) doesn't see why I should, since I can just do X through machine learning.  She hasn't explicitly said that she would deny me the opportunity to transfer, but she hinted that she wouldn't give a good recommendation if I was "unprofessional and left for no reason."  Both universities told me I needed her blessing in order to enroll.
What do I do?

Is the offer from other universities somehow formalized (e.g. by at least an email)? If yes, ask them (before) if you can show that to your previous advisor. Don't lose trust, you need to keep the trust of all parties

Not by the universities, I just have individual professors telling me (in writing) that they have funding and want to bring me on

Then ask these professors (before) if you can show their email (or letter) to your past advisor. But such transfers do happen, and are part of real life

I'm a little confused - how is that supposed to convince my current advisor that she should let me go?

Assume that all your past and future advisors are normal, honest, people. If you really want to leave them, their best interest is to let you go. But keep the trust everyone did put on you. It is the same when you are quitting a job, or divorcing. Not a happy outcome, but a common one

"Both universities told me I needed her blessing in order to enroll." - can you say a little more about this? Are they expecting a glowing letter of recommendation from her, or just trying to avoid a turf war? Also - have you been blunt with your advisor that ML is not a good tool for X?

You could probably edit this question down to be a little be tighter

Please tell us what this X research area is, you made me curious! I can't really believe that you have a "deep knowledge of subject X" when you were just doing undergraduate studies, I would value the opinion of people with experience and a good overview of the research field as a whole.

Well, relatively deep for an undergrad ;-)

Keep the trust of every party involved. Don't lie! Don't disappoint them. Assume all of them are normal and honest and adult persons.
Ask, if you have a written offer, permission to forward it. Then do it. That might trigger direct interaction between past and future advisors.
Your actual (and soon past) advisor will understand that it is not his/her interest to keep you against your will.
Your relation with your past advisor is not a slave -> master one. Both of you are adults.
From the point of view of your past advisor, you are quitting (or giving up your PhD). That happens many times.
Of course, do respect the usual prior notice.
You want to be respected, and you should respect all others
BTW, notice that if you get (it is hard) some research funding, you can chose its topic. But that observation is even more relevant for your postdoc than for your PhD.
PS. The trivial point is that nobody is working well under constraint. You need passion to work on any PhD


text:
MS in Mathematics, having trouble finding work outside teaching algebra
10 years ago, I got an undergraduate degree in IT/CompSci from a good school. I spent most of my hours playing video games or drinking beer, and learned only enough to get a barely passing GPA. I never used the degree, as I joined the military and did the minimum amount of time for my paid education and got out.
7 years later, in 2016, after traveling and busing tables for a couple years, I realized that I had been wasting my life. I realized that learning is cool, and that I'd wasted a great opportunity both to learn interesting things and to have a rewarding career. So, I decided to go back to school.
I applied the graduate Math program at WVU, for no other reason that I got a B in Calc 2, one of my highest grades in undergrad. They let me in even though my undergrad GPA was abysmal (2.5 or so), and that I didn't have any of the prerequisite math classes to get in. I agreed to spend the first two semesters taking undergraduate differential equations, basic linear algebra, proof writing, etc. After that, I started taking a full load of graduate courses. After three years, I survived to get a piece of paper, but having retained little actual mathematical ability.
I was exposed to a lot of math, but because I was so far behind the learning curve, very little of it stuck. I was too busy trying to pass/survive to be able to learn much. What I did pick up lies mostly in the realms of numerical methods and differential equations. It is important to note that I learned almost nothing, even in these two areas. I graduated this summer, and can only talk in very vague terms about what I was exposed to.
Now, I am unemployed and wondering why I ever gave up waiting tables. I can program a little. I can read a math textbook without my brain exploding, and that's about it.
Now, I spend about 10 hours a day reading textbooks on ODEs and Numerical Methods, as well as working practice programming exercises from Project Euler and sites like it. I'm slowly working through Khan Academy's probability and statistics courses, as I never learned any of that in school.
It's dismal. I'm depressed because I worked so hard to try to bring myself up and correct a life time of laziness. I'm still working at it every day. My wife goes to work, and I read until my eyes bleed, occasionally checking my email for the most recent employer rejection letter. Now it seems like I should never have left waiting tables.
So what's the question here? This:
What do I do? What do I study, and how long is it going to take before I know enough to be marketable?
I can teach community college, but the thing is i loved the stuff that was covered in school, and I want to apply it. Sad thing is, I'm too dumb to get a job at anything but teaching algebra to bored college kids who don't want to be in class.

What kinds of jobs are you applying for?

Hello @ElizabethHenning, All kinds related directly or tangentially to math and programming. For example, I've applied to and even interviewed for entry level data analysis positions, research positions, entry level quantitative analysis, entry level software development/engineering, modelling, etc.
These are the jobs that the internet at large advertises as good fits for math degree holders. I seem to be lacking in some area for every job I apply for. Hence I study every day for so long, so that I can fill the gaps. and do better at each new interview.

I have a feeling your issue stems from your behaviors rather than your intelligence.  You seem to have a hard time applying things which you have learned.  This can be a result of a lack of continuity due to past trauma or current addictions.  Basically anything that takes you out of yourself.  Examine your life and understand what other parts of it are undesirable, and try to get to the root of the issue through introspection and possibly therapy.  You will see an improvement in your ability to make connections between things you have learned and your ability to apply them

Have you tried NOAA or the NWS?  They are big on math and your profile suggests you are a U.S. Navy veteran.  I think either org would appreciate your persuasions.  There are quite a few NWS sites across the US in case you happen to be landlocked now...  I tried getting into the NWS near OU a long time ago, but I only have a BS in CS.  Another option might be the DOD.  They tend to appreciate people with your math skills and honorable service.  BTW: I'm lazy too, but I think the most important thing is that you seem to like math :-).

You just said you can teach community college. Take this job. Don't write off community college students as "bored college kids who don't want to be in class." Students in community college have the potential to be as successful as anyone else. There are faculty at top schools who attended community college to start their undergraduate education.

What does busing tables mean?  I only know busing as a verb meaning the transportation of schoolchildren by bus to schools in other neighbourhoods in order to alleviate social inequalities or to achieve racial integration.

@gerrit In American English, "bussing tables" refers to cleaning restaurant tables between customers and clearing away dirty plates/tableware. A person who does this is colloquially called a "busboy" or "busgirl."

How's your sleep? You have to sleep to store memories of the things you learned, and sleep also helps you make connections between different topics. If you aren't getting enough sleep (seven hours a night at minimum, preferably more), that could be a large contributing factor to why you struggle to retain and apply what you learn.

@Dapianoman I have already taken a algebra teaching position at a junior college an hour and a half from me (the closest town). Half of my class skips every single day (even on test days!) and the other half either sleeps or is still counting on their fingers (literally), and therefore cannot keep up with a basic algebra class. I have been told that this is not the norm, but I'm putting in my two weeks notice today. Maybe a different school would be better.

To all, thank you so much for all the input. I am encouraged if nothing else. You all have also given me a little bit of direction, which helps immensely.

an undergraduate degree in IT/CompSci ... not to be annoying, but "Information Technology" and "Computer Science" are not the same. The curriculum of the two are distinguishable and there's a good reason why employers look for a degree in "Computer Science" for certain jobs and "Information Technology" in others. The former having a plethora of options while the latter being more competitive due to a saturated market of explicitly IT degree holders. And this isnt anything against IT -- I'd have corrected you had you written "SoftwareEng/CompSci". Also not the same.

@8protons While you are absolutely correct, in the OP's defence even many educational institutions don't seem to understand this when they name their courses, so it may be the institution's fault in this case.

A Math MS with little/no additional skill areas and a thin work history doesn't leave you with many options beyond teaching or getting lucky picking up something unrelated with a good sell story.  Math plus finance opens a lot of doors for you.  Math plus programming opens doors for you.  Math plus engineering opens up doors for you.  Math plus nothing, especially if you're not particularly passionate or masterful at it... is a tough gig.  An important question for you will be to ask yourself what you really enjoy doing - then looking for ways you can use math to move in that direction.

First of all, jobhunting s u c k s. It sucks even more when you're trying to get into a field and it sucks further if you're not in a major metro area. It's a massive timesink with terrible ROI, but it needs to be done in order to get a job at all. The truth is that whether you get hired isn't going to just depend on your skills and experience, but also on whether the person reading your résumé thinks your skills and experience line up with what they think they want, and you don't have a lot of control over that. So honestly it's impossible to predict how long it will take before you find something.
That being said, your situation really doesn't sound so horrible to me. You're interested in and studying things that (1) you want to do and (2) employers are looking for. You have a master's degree in a marketable field. As for whether you feel you learned much during your degree, it sounds to me like you're just in a bad place with a killer case of impostor syndrome. Some employers might want to see your transcript, but they're a lot more interested in what you can do for them. So maybe try putting together a portfolio of the kind of work you want to do, which might include models or software that you developed or small projects that you did for free or for cheap for someone. (These are pretty standard suggestions.)
Finally, you can't be everything to everyone. It might feel like you need to cast as wide a net as possible, but it sounds to me like you might be spreading yourself thin and that's contributing to your frustration. Narrow it down some by considering where your best bets are in your geographic area and what you really want to do. For example, if coding is the right path, then back-burner the modeling, or vice versa. Good luck.

Thank you. You confirmed what my wife has been trying to get through my thick skull for the past 6 months... And yes, I do have impostor syndrome, although I think that it's not just a complete illusion. But I do believe that I have the ability to really be a good employee if I focus instead of spreading myself thin. Again, thank you.

I'd like to add, if your going to go for Software Engineering roles, as well as some projects to talk about, have a go at the easy problems on leetcode.com. They are fun to do but have really helped with my confidence in walking into a software interview if there is going to be whiteboarding.

@rocksNwaves Not thinking imposter syndrome is a complete illusion may in your case just be your imposter syndrome speaking, but maybe that's just me.

I generally concur with this answer, but for specifics @rocksNwaves You might look into some Ops Research type positions or even some Business Intelligence positions.  As I understand they both use programming and wide variety of Mathematics.  Numerical Methods may help with devising new models, so you could look at doing something for a simulation company.  I have a few in mind, but not sure I can name them here. I was the reverse of you BS in Math, MS in CS.  I chose MS CS because every Math job was also open to CS, but not so the other way. I did the service transition as well, Goodluck!

@Anoplexian It's not just you.

I second, third and fourth the 'jobhunting sucks' sentiment. Even for people (like myself) that already have significant experience in an industrial career, it's incredibly hard and demoralizing. Employers very much feel that it's their market and they treat job applicants like shopping for vegetables - they only want them if they meet an impossible level of perfection. Good luck!

@rocksNwaves having said that, there is a lot of demand in the software/programming sector, so I would think with a bit of basic experience, you should be able to get your foot in the door somewhere (if that area interests you).

Get a job. Don't do more studying - you already indicate that you 1) are not good at it and 2) don't have a good reason to do it (you would effectively be doing it because you're avoiding the job market). It doesn't matter how much you love the topic if you're terrible at it. In fact I would question that you actually love the stuff because if you do, how did you learn so little?
So: figure out what you're good at + don't hate doing, and get a job there. Make use of the job-seeking resources you have at your disposal, e.g. WVU has a career services division, go talk to them and get their help. Stop reading about ODEs and start reading about how to navigate the job search process. Talk to your wife - she's got a job, that means she's done something you haven't.
One more thing - do some critical thinking about what you actually learned during your MS. If someone hires you, what can you contribute? If you go into an interview genuinely thinking you can contribute little, it's not surprising that you're getting rejected everywhere.

@some_guy632 I think that kind of attitude works until one fails to put food on the table. If OP doesn't anticipate having trouble with that, by all means.

@some_guy632 I completely disagree. First be practical, get oneself on a solid footing financially, and then (and only then) start taking risks. Pursuing a career in a field one is bad at definitely qualifies as a risk, and is asking for trouble unless one has the finances to back it up. If the OP has no such problems (e.g. wife is willing to provide for him) then sure, although at that point the questions in the OP don't really matter anyway.

@some_guy632 the idea is, after ~5 years in that "job with no room to grow" & prudent savings, one would have the financial ability to start taking risks (i.e. change jobs). As for emotional health, how much emotional health would one have if one is always hungry or can't provide for children? You can see indications of that in the OP already - he did something he says he loves, and yet after finishing, he's not happy.

I went back to school so that I could find a job. So that makes your statement of "getting a job" kind of silly. If that weren't enough, I am actively seeking employment in addition to the amount of studying I do every day. Secondly, I'm not "bad" at this stuff, I'm just very far behind the power curve, and I lack a clear direction towards which to work. Finally, your comment that my wife has done something that I haven't (have a job) is patently rude, as well as false. I spent 7 years in the military. So in now way, were any of your statements helpful.

@some_guy632 Followed you on github, by the way!

@rocksNwaves then your approach is backwards. Instead of worrying about what you should study so you can be marketable, look at what the jobs you want to do require, and learn those skills.

+1 a little harsh but spot on advice.  @rocksNwaves Why on earth would you waste your time with books on numerical methods and ode.  The job market for someone who knows those things with only a masters degree is probably literally 0 or extremely close to it.

Nice "bad cop" answer

I disagree.  If the OP is stable enough for survival and has no additional dependents, NOW is the time to take risks, because there is time to recover from failure.  Once you have mouths to feed that cannot fend for themselves, then you focus on the day to day getting food to the table and you stop taking risks because that endangers the dependents.   Do what you love, if you're not good at it, take the risk and time to become good at it.  If you have no passion to apply it then it's an idle interest not something you love.  In that case, find what you're good at, learn to love it. Apply it.

[1] Anecdote time: my ex and I were both CS students at the same university, same year, same classes, and same age. She was in the top of our class; I struggled. By the time I was finishing homework assignments at midnight, she was soundly asleep having gotten in a few hours of video game time to boot. Every exam she had to wait for me outside of class to finish mine -- and of course, she always scored higher.

[2]Flash forward a decade: I program for a Fortune 100 company, am in the 95th percentile for salary in my area and age, and work with fantastic people. She's had a rather uninteresting career making well below the average. The difference, so far as I can tell, is that in college, she was passionate about mentioning her dispassion for CS and saying, "Im only doing this because it pays well."

[3]On the other hand, I was passionate about CS. So much so that I was willing to struggle and sacrifice pleasure time in order to master the material. I didn't let bad grades and faster-learning individual dissuade me from the path I had set out for myself. If I had taken the advice you provide here, I wouldn't be where I am today - which is in a position that I am so incredibly grateful for. TL;DR This is not pragmatic advice; this is discouragement

@8protons for everyone with a success story like yours, there are countless others with failures, e.g. https://aliceradwell.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/the-hard-truth-of-being-a-penniless-writer/. Note one thing as well: even assuming what you say about your ex's career is true (you can't judge whether she finds her career interesting), her position is more stable than the person in the link above. One might not hit the top, but taking the pragmatic route also means one will not hit the bottom.

@Allure Pragmatic in what way though? According to your advice here, it would have been financially pragmatic for me to stop studying. To me, it was psychologically pragmatic to follow my dreams. To my ex, she felt she was being financially pragmatic by studying a field that is known for high paying jobs - but in the end, for her, that financial pragmatism ended up not being, well, pragmatic. She confides that she wishes she would of followed a path she was interested in.

@8protons I wouldn't say it's financially pragmatic for you to stop studying - once you start, it makes financial sense to finish, especially since it doesn't sound like you were actively bad at CS. As for your ex, I would not ascribe much to statements of that sort. Life is too chaotic to tell what would've happened if she followed a path she was interested in. If she had done that and hit the bottom, would she still say that?

@8protons It sounds like your ex finds her purpose in life outside of her job, while you find it in your job... Nothing wrong with either of those, but different strokes for different folks.

I was in a comparable situation a few years back: I was stuck on a CS BSc thesis that wasn't going anywhere fast with an obscure and unmarketable topic. Also, I had no relevant work experience. I managed to improve my situation through a couple of different things.
The best way to get a job is to have a job
Finding a perfect job rightaway is hard. All the nice jobs require prior experience. So clearly, you need to get experience. Start a step lower, find a job that will take you, and then work your way up to something you like for the long term.
I got my foot in the door by working for an IT secondment firm that mainly hired STEM students with "stuck" degrees, like people dropping out of a physics or engineering bachelor in second or third year. They were smart people with problem solving skills but no nice employable diploma. They made amazing helpdesk staff: competent and cheap to employ. For me, it was a good entry to the job market; I got to get used to working in a big company, and I pursued the internal training opportunities.
I then pursued internal trainings in the secondment firm, which both gave me new skills but also brought me to the attention of senior colleagues who then knew what kind of gigs to put me on, which eventually landed me in a nice junior development job.
Evaluate what skills you have
Reset your mind. Try to find out what marketable skills you have. There may be more than you know.

You've gained soft skills while waiting tables.
You've spent time in the army, learning both physical skills but also discipline.
You've actually managed to graduate from higher, which is still higher than the majority of the population does.

This is just a start, my point is that you need to get an idea of what skills you actually have. Here are some ideas on how to find out what you already have:

Take a whole day to browse job listings for positions you're interested in on LinkedIn and Glassdoor, and note down what skills are asked for. Then, try to find things in your background that qualify you for those skills. Finally, compose a list of the frequently asked skills that you turn out to have. Update your CV, describing in your previous positions how you learned those skills.
Contact the career counselor at the university you recently graduated at. Most universities are keen to advertise that their graduates are successful at the job market, and provide services to help make that actually happen. Try to schedule an interview focused on exploring where your opportunities lie.
Reach out to people you were in the army with, and have a chat with them, ask them how they've been able to use their army experience to boost their civilian career. Consider which skills also apply to you.

Treat the search for jobs as a research project
As a science grad it can be easy to think of math as a science and job searching as some sort of magic trick that other people are mysteriously good at. But in fact it's a skill, and other people have put a lot of thought into how to get better at it. So start reading up on how to be better at interviews, writing CVs and all that. Use what you've learned in university for doing research, to research how to get better at job hunting.
Find out what's missing in your skillset
Just like you need to find out what skills you already have, you also need to find out what's missing. Again, go read fifty++ job postings in a field you want to work in, and list the required skills. Count frequencies. Figure out which skills/platforms are generally asked as a package deal. Then look at which clusters you already many of the required skills for, and what's missing.
Get coding
One question that you'll get (in many forms) is "what have you actually done". For example, you mention data science as a direction you're looking at. Look for some competitions in a field you like and try your hand at some competitions. Kaggle for example (data science). You're not going to win; a lot of these teams are very practiced. But there are some real benefits for you in participating:

When you get asked in a job interview what you've done in the field, you have something to point to. "I did this and this and this Kaggle competition and scored better each time" sounds like experience, because it is.
You learn skills by doing that you can't get by just reading.
These competitions have very active forums and you can learn a lot from what the other teams are doing and sharing.
You might make some connections with other participants that can help you.

I mentioned before that the best way to get a job is to start by having another job. This is the next best thing, and it's got a huge advantage for you: you don't need anyone's approval to get in. You don't have to get hired into a competition.
Don't obsesss about certifications
There are many, many, maaaany certifications in IT. Nobody has all of them. Many people don't even have all the ones that you would think are standard for a particular job, or that get asked on a job posting. For many jobs, meeting 2/3 of the listed requirements can be enough to be considered. Because IT platforms change all the time and almost nobody uses software like the manual tells you to, so every company knows they'll have to train new employees anyway. A certification helps, even one in something fairly unrelated, because it shows you can work hard enough to get it, and it shows you're trainable. But don't worry about having all of the ones in a job listing.

This is a really great answer, and I appreciate the concise, detailed to-dos. I'm going to bookmark the answer and make good use of it.

You need to get rid of one big misunderstanding which plagues many students who "went to college to learn interesting stuff" and then failed to get a job.
Nobody in industry cares about the "stuff" that you learned in college (or what you are teaching yourself about ODEs and numerical methods from textbooks - most of the standard topics they cover were the state of the art back in about 1960, but you may have noticed that computers have changed a bit since then.)
What industry does care about is that getting a college degree taught you how to learn independently. Your college GPA might not be a very good measure of that, but it's about the only one available. It is certainly better than nothing as a measure of your ability to focus on doing what you are being asked to do (even when it's not particularly interesting or motivating), your time management skills, etc.
The other thing that industry cares about when choosing who to hire is "how much money are you going to make for us if we hire you?" Of course they don't put it quite as crudely as that, but that's what is behind everything else in the selection process.
Your work experience and military experience probably taught you a lot more useful stuff relevant to getting hired than anything you learned in college. Stop reading textbooks and start thinking hard (and/or get some professional advice) about how to sell that story to your potential future employers.

Suggestion: stop learning ODEs and learn Data Science. Nothing against ODEs, but there are very few jobs in that area directly. but Data Science on the other hand is very hot, and likely to stay so. And you have the background to get it faster than those that struggle with the math (and there are a lot of those even in this field), and it is a highly employable and enjoyable field.
The competition is relatively thin, There are very few degree programs still, so almost no one in the field actually has much in the way of paper qualifications. The best of course have a doctorate in Statistical Learning - and can code well - but people like that are few and far between. You having an advanced degree in Math actually gives you a leg up over most people.
Most practitioners have just completed a few Coursera or eDX courses, and played with Python and R, and discovered that they like it and can actually get useful things done. Talent helps. But still most have some kind of imposter syndrome to my experience too, so that should make it a bit easier on you.
If you are interested need more advice, let me know - I mentor quite a few junior people in this area in my company.

Agreed, data science is a very new and open field, it's not hedged off behind having to have had one particular education. People are coming in from many directions.

+1 what the OP is studying is a complete and total waste of time for job market purposes

Data science strictly speaking isn't mathematics and it's become a lot harder to get into without particular experience in it (although this varies somewhat geographically and by employer). There might be fewer positions doing actual mathematical modeling--which would certainly require ODEs--but I question the wisdom of directing everyone with any sort of mathematics or computing background into data science. They're just not the same thing.

Won't disagree. But I think anyone  with math talent, and
can code a bit, and is wondering what to do with their life at the end of 2019 would  be foolish not to give data science  a hard look. Demand is still sky high.

Thanks @MikeWise, I've been giving it a hard look. More advice would be very welcome. I lack the pre-requisite statistics background, I think. I have been trying to fill those gaps, however. I'm working on the Khan Academy stats courses and I paid for an EdX course on R and Statistics as well.

Sure. Message me at LinkedIn when you have time. I am in Europe and it looks like you are West Coast USA, so do it your mornings (like now). https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikewise1/

@MikeWise, thank you done!

I will mention that is it no where near as hot now in 2024 as it was in 2019. But it is still better than ODEs.

Get around people!  A lot of people want to help you, you just have to find them.
How do you do that?  Go to meetups and groups.  Heck, go to church, there are a lot of nice people there.  Meet people and if they seem like someone who would give a care about you, tell them about your situation. They can help you much better in person. They can give you advice that is more relevant to your situation because you can have a longer conversation with them.  You may have to talk to a number of people.  But the insight they give will really help give you fresh perspective that short answers on the internet will not be able to match. You will also gain friends in the process who are rooting for you to succeed.  One thing we don't learn in school very much is how important other people are to our success.  But often the biggest breakthroughs in our lives come when others help show us new ways of thinking that lead to success.  And when you are in person it is much easier to have a dialog.  By the way, good job on having the courage to reach out with a question online!

First thing: congratulations on starting to get your life together.
Many good suggestions here. I have one more. While you search for a job, consider volunteering in a semitechnical capacity for some nonprofit or political organization whose goals you support. With your  IT/compsci skills (even if rusty) and your ability to think mathematically you can be useful. You will sharpen those skills, meet people who may know about jobs, and have a good item to put on your resume.
And listen to your wife.

If you understand math to a decent level, I think you're more than fit for a career in machine learning. Since you can also program, that's another advantage for you. The nice thing is that ML is a tool, rather than a "destination". You can use it to solve a lot of problems, from many different domains, which will interest you beyond just doing what the boss says to do.
I can highly recommend https://course.fast.ai. I haven't done it personally as they came up a bit after I already graduated and found a job requiring these skills. I looked through the course to recommend it to my pears and I learned new things myself, which indicated how arrogant I was to consider I knew enough of deep learning.
But don't listen to me. Go on Twitter and see what people say about fast.ai and Jeremy P. Howard. It's incredible. Every day I see success stories from people of all kinds of backgrounds, some who say didn't do much coding before. And then look through the forums. I'm in awe of how supportive people there are and how complete strangers help each other learn and progress while solving real-life problems.
So, TL;DR: use your math and coding advantage in a highly sought-after area by learning deep learning and applying it to new problems that are of interest to you.

Thank you, I have bookmarked it and will definitely check it out!

If you have programming skills and some passion for programming, consider contributing to some existing open source project on your spare time.
There are many of them, e.g. on http://github.com/ or http://gitlab.com/
If you work with others, you will learn those soft skills (communicating, working in a team on software development). And you'll increase your self confidence.
But contribute with your real first and last name, not a pseudo. You want to raise your visibility
Read also http://norvig.com/21-days.html
Did you consider getting some help from a psychotherapist?
PS. If you are able to code in C or C++, I have a crazy open source hobby project with two partners, and I am seeking for a few more of them. Contact me by email to  basile@starynkevitch.net  for more... (Look on my web page before...  you might guess what I am interested in).

+1 I was actually asked once if I have worked in open source projects. Even if they do not ask it is probably an advantage to have this in your CV.

Taking a look now. I learned Java, C and C++ in undergrad. I only retained and continued to use Java, but perhaps I could relearn the others.

There are some other good answers here but none of them give concrete steps to your questions of
"What do I do? What do I study, and how long is it going to take before I know enough to be marketable?"
This is probably because these are questions that only you can answer for yourself, but based on your question and your profile description of wanting to use math and programming together, and your recent interest in statistics I think that is where you should focus your attention. Obviously I'm biased as a biostatistician but your background seems like a perfect fit for applied statistics (a good amount of math and a good amount of programming) and it's not like I'm alone in saying it's a good job either (https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/statistician).
What do I do? - If you are spending 10 hours a day studying, get a certificate or Masters (online or in person) for it. That way instead of saying I read x,y,and z, books on ODE's you can say I got a graduate certificate in Python, or something related. This is much more tangible to an employer. There are many online programs in applied statistics/ data science and the American Statistical Association has been highlighting these programs (https://community.amstat.org/blogs/steve-pierson/2019/10/21/amstat-news-qas-featuring-new-masters-and-doctoral). You will not be getting the same training as your previous masters, the emphasis in many of these programs is heavily applied, you will learn how to do machine learning with real data for example instead of learning the theory of machine learning (something you can probably teach yourself if interested/needed).
What do I study? - Based on the jobs you are applying for in your comment, stop studying ODE's and Numerical methods, or apply for jobs where the application of these methods is more obvious. You seem to want to use programming, pick a language and get good at it. I would suggest R or Python since they are in high demand and will teach you basics of programming that you can apply to other languages.
How long is it going to take before I know enough to be marketable? - Realistically at least a year, you need to have some proof you are a desirable candidate, that means degree/certificate/projects you can show off but along the way you just have to keep applying for jobs.

but the thing is i loved the stuff that was covered in school, and I want to apply it

I'm going to give you an outside-the-box suggestion that may or may not intrigue you: consider going into a different field where you can apply the topics that interest you. A lot of mathematics historically was developed in conjunction with other sciences to help describe the natural world. Look at Karl Pearson and Ronald Fisher and their contributions to the life sciences.
Here's how this might look for you:

Find a field that interests you and has a need for mathematicians. Extremely math heavy fields like physics might be harder to get into because they'll have higher base standards of math, but other "softer" sciences like sociology, economics, psychology, biology, ecology, etc, do not have that same expectation. Research in these fields ranges from very applied to very theoretical. The problem is, most people that go into these fields are not very advanced in math, so the theoretical end of the spectrum tends to be lacking. This could be your niche.
Go into a master's research program in said field. A master's won't necessarily give you the flexibility to do exactly what you want, but it will give you necessary background in the field and help you decide if you want to continue this route. Master's research programs are generally paid; you won't necessarily make a lot of money doing it, but unless you're waiting tables at fancy restaurants, it's probably not going to be much worse. You shouldn't have to take out loans for a MS degree doing research.
Then go onto a PhD program where you have the flexibility to do what you want with math. This could be applying advanced mathematical concepts in a novel way to the field you are now in, or maybe even finding a way to use your new field to drive discovery of new mathematical concepts. The pay situation is similar to a MS. Meanwhile, depending on the field, your course requirements are probably going to be flexible enough that you can probably take graduate math courses as part of your PhD program.
Postdocs are an optional step that may appeal to you. They give you more flexibility in defining your own research.
Going into an academic research position may be your end point. Here, you have the flexibility to define exactly what you want to research, how theoretical/applied it will be, and develop a lab of graduate students with similar interests to help support you while you simultaneously support and train them.

Now, I'm going to give you some perspectives/examples about this from my view as a wildlife ecologist/geneticist/programmer:
First: ecology, in particular, is interesting because it is a nexus science that incorporates virtually every other field you can imagine, including physics, chemistry, law, economics, geology, biology, psychology, etc. This means there is a lot of flexibility in how people curate their interests and careers.
Second, going into grad school, I had a strong background in computer science and well above strength in math (I've always enjoyed math and almost switched to mathematics in my undergrad). Programming and math are both very valuable in ecology, and especially rare for incoming students to have any level of proficiency (most students only have a rudimentary calculus background, if that, and no programming experience). My background has given me a huge advantage in conducting advanced and interesting research. I'm actually planning on taking some of the graduate-level math courses in things like modern analysis, linear algebra, etc, and my advisor, who is not a math person but recognizes its importance in theoretical ecology and genetics, is very supportive of this.
Third, ecology, and probably other "soft" sciences as well, tend to be flexible about the backgrounds of incoming graduate students. I did have a background in biological sciences from my undergrad, but I know people that have come from completely different backgrounds. In one case, a friend did her undergrad and masters in some form of engineering (mechanical?) and worked for NASA. She then completely shifted gears and started a PhD in quantitative ecology and had a successful degree doing black bear research. Being able to pitch a strong math/engineering background is what got her in, despite no background in ecology that I'm aware of.
Fourth, related to the previous point, it's common in my field for people to start grad school late. I started my MS 5 years after my undergrad. I know people that started their PhD's in their mid- to late-thirties. Age isn't so much a factor for developing a career in some fields like mine.
Fifth, ecology, and other sciences as well, develop many theories based on mathematical concepts. It's really common for these theories to be developed based on mathematical concepts that are decades old (or older); often they just weren't applied earlier because people with the necessary background and expertise to do so are rare. So there's plenty of opportunity to do this type of thing. Network/graph theory is one relatively recent example in ecology, and the application is still relatively rudimentary.
Fifth, related to the previous, I recently was involved with applying absorbing Markov chains to predicting the dispersal and mortality of wildlife populations across landscapes. This process involved interdepartmental collaboration with mathematicians/engineers to develop the relevant theory.
If I've piqued your interest, just start looking into different fields, the theories they operate under, and the math underpinning those theories. I can't speak for other fields, but in ecology I can point you to quantitative ecology and theoretical ecology. That's just a starting point, because math is ultimately relevant to all aspects of ecology. In my case, I'm interested in theoretical population genetics in ecology, which is also very math heavy.
If you find something that interests you, then consider finding university researchers that do related work and try digging into what they do specifically. Contact them to discuss their work and how someone with your type of background could potentially become involved in their field. Some might not respond, but others will be very supportive. Ultimately, your success down this path will depend less on your formal education and more on how you pitch the skill and background you have, as well as your ability to show initiative.

Research in these fields ranges from very applied to very theoretical. --- Those that haven't browsed widely might be quite surprised at how theoretical some of the literature in other fields can get, such as Generalized topological spaces in evolutionary theory and combinatorial chemistry and Theory of Correspondences: Including Applications to Mathematical Economics (see google's Common terms and phrases list).

My graduate research project was actually the study of a biological model representing deforestation in Canada's spruce forests. It was really fun! I re-developed an existing model (Ludwig 1978), Analyzed and presented it, and then wrote a numerical method from scratch to solve it. I also have an acquaintance who is a good CS and Math guy who studies predator prey relations using statistics and computer science in South Africa. I wouldn't cry at all if I was able to do a job like that.

You should be somewhere in your early 30s, that's not too late. Go to programming: you can learn the basic skills online (leetcode is a great place, for example) in about a year or so, then join an open source project of your choosing for about a year or so as well - to show that you can apply those skills. That, plus your math creds should give you a resume that's good enough for an entry level job.
The reason what you are studying is not sticking is because you are not applying your skills - the "use them or lose them" adage. Switching to programming will let you learn for real if you combine the theory you read with the practice. I was kind of in your shoes, but I was able to pull myself together and start a good programming career. If you are interested, I can post specific tips in comments.

Yeah, I have been moving towards programming a lot more. I am working through the Project Euler exercises to work on optimization and algorithm writing. I've completed all of the Practice Python Exercises, and am now working on refreshing my OOP Java skills on Coursera. In the mean time, I'm trying to stay fresh on the math stuff, because modelling real world situations with math is what I'm interested in the most.

@rocksNwaves I would recommend sticking with one language. Python has a lower entry barrier and is really a popular language at the enterprise level. Watch Engineer Man videos, lots of practical tips and a good combination of high level insights and lower level details. Join the community there and you can ask for any practical guidance. Good luck!

Your story sounds reasonably similar to mine a few years ago. I somehow got a maths degree, but neither with good grades nor with some really deep and relevant kmowledge. Got problems finding a job because a job requires work experience and work experience requires a job.
I actually found a programming job in the end, one year after graduation. What helped me?

it was an SQL job and many programmers do not like SQL
Apparently studying maths tought me to look out for traps and special cases. The company sent me a small test project with some easy-to-spot corner cases, which they said the majority of applicants had ignored

What might have helped me even more?

Have someone with relevant (recruiting) experience have a look at my cv and documents
Have trained how to read other people's code
Have better knowledge of somewhat peripheral aspects such as version control, unit tests, continous integration systems etc. This is nothing one cannot learn on the job, but if HR is just ticking a list, these things may be helpful
Be slightly more explicit about the humble and down-to-earth odd jobs taken previously. I.E not "odd jobs", but "odd jobs (production line, construction, restaurants etc)"

I think it may also help if you get some understanding just how much above average your maths skills are. In programming, there will eventually be some point where calculations are necessary. I have had coworkers who regularly struggled with linear interpolation (a.k.a. rule of three):or who could not grasp how 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 could possibly be not exactly the same as 0.3 when calculated on a computer. Having a math guy in the team really can be an asset even if the maths does not go much beyond what can be learnt at high school.

I graduated with a Computer Science degree in 2016 with low grades. It took me 6 months to get my first job as a junior dev. The advice I can give you for getting a development role is that you create a website and put your CV there(like a portfolio/bio). These days if you show in the first 5 minutes of the interview that you have a website live that will immediately put you above the average person.

I don't have enough reputation to comment so I just add an answer here.
Since you insist on learning instead of just getting a job, instead of asking what do I learn, perhaps you should ask how do I learn, given that you have already recongized you didn't learn efficiently during your master degree.
If there's a university where you live, you could try sitting at classes there and talk to students and faculties. The point is that if you are not good at learning this stuff you need to talk to the others. In your situation only working on books on your own is not that helpful.

Again, as I mentioned to the other gentleman: I AM seeking a job. This means I am ACTIVELY applying and interviewing even as I continue to study.
Second, I did not say I am bad or inefficient at learning. I said I am behind the power curve because I am starting late. That is a very different thing. Hence, I asked the question "What do I learn", not "How do I learn". But thank you for your answer.

@rocksNwaves Typically that kind of power curve issue, depending on the field, can completely prohibit entry to the field - until someone in the field dies or retires (PhD level Physics jobs come to mind).  However, there are several flight simulation companies that like hiring Veterans and could use someone who understands mathematical modeling, you might find some options there.


text:
Can I cite lecture notes?
I’m now writing a masters thesis in mathematics. I’d like to introduce basic definitions and theorems in the beginning. By basic I mean truly basic, like the definition of a connected graph and the theorem about Eulerian paths (such a path exists if and only if even degrees).
The lecture notes written by my professor is really nice so I’d like to use his definitions (I’ll cite, of course). In this case can I cite his lecture notes?

Does this answer your question? How to cite lecture notes? (and should I even do this?) Or this?

@henning--reinstateMonica. I think they don't, because what I intend to cite is clearly common knowledge, but in those two questions, the first OP either is sure that he/she is not referencing common knowledge, and the second is not sure about it.

While there is no real harm in citing it, it is unlikely to be necessary. Common knowledge is one of the exceptions to the requirement for citation. Many things that you first see in a course fall under this cover, even if they are new to you.
But you seem to be more speaking of copying the notes, rather than citing them. That may be a different issue if they can be considered to be copyrighted. In that case you want permission from him.
Do a little research in a textbook or two. Do those definitions, or something essentially similar to them appear there? I suspect they do. If so, there is no need to be concerned. And also note that one of the exceptions in copyright law (most places) is that for some things there is only one effective way to state something, so it's expression can't be copyrighted.
And it wasn't your professor who originated these ideas.
But an acknowledgement to your professor for introducing you to these ideas would be a courteous thing to do.