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I have completed masters in Pure Mathematics a year back.I was preparing for an exam for pursuing a PhD program in the same .The results came out in this year in the month of April and found that I have failed to clear it.

Most of my friends have cleared the exam and have got enrolled in it.I feel left out.Now I am simply sitting in my home and preparing for the next year's program .

Since the results came out I have hardly made any progress in Mathematics as I don't find it interesting as it used to be.As a remedy I bought many books to bring back my old interest in Mathematics but failed to do so.I talked to my teachers on this issue but instead they start telling success stories of my friends who have qualified the exam letting me disgusted.

Earlier I used to spend hours solving many problems both from my books as well as on Math Stack Exchange but I don't find the urge to do it anymore .Though I open this site I feel that none of the problems posted are suitable for me to solve.

I do read books but the problems seem a distant dream.Asked many people what to do; they adviced me to take decisions on your own in your life.

Really don't know if it is a good place to ask but cant find better place. .Do share your thoughts if you were in a similar situation or so.

Should I change the subject or look for jobs or do something else?Any alternatives you can chalk out for me.

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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it's a better fit for academia.stackexchange . – anomaly Jul 29 '15 at 02:53
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    This is a complicated question that's going to have a subjective answer by necessity, but my quick, 600-character ideas: (1) If you're just upset because of the exam, then retake it and do a kickass job on it the second time. (2) Problem-solving is very different from professional math research. (3) Everyone gets frustrated or temporarily burned out, and it's not necessarily a sign that you should quit math. (4) It's extraordinarily difficult to get back into academia after leaving, and there's not very little math outside academia, so be absolutely certain you want to quit before you do. – anomaly Jul 29 '15 at 02:56
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    This question is not appropriate for this site. Contrary to anomaly's suggestion, it's not appropriate for academia.stackexchange either. You might consider asking on a site or place which allows/encourages discussion, such as the chat here, reddit's /r/math, or quora. – davidlowryduda Jul 29 '15 at 03:07
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    One other thing to help you is to try teaching. It is easy to tutor with your credentials. Tutoring, having someone else actually ask you questions, and treating math as a social hobby is helpful. Sometimes I feel discouraged from math when I do it too long alone. –  Jul 29 '15 at 03:17

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