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I recently started my studies of mathematics at university. During my high school years, I did a lot of maths, because I was really fascinated of it and wanted to learn more. I even participated, quite successfully, at our national mathematical olympiad. I sometimes have the feeling, my family thinks I'm going to be the new Einstein; none of my family members is really interested in maths. As far as I can tell I'm not above the average math student. My dream however would be to do some research after my masters degree, and not to become a high school teacher or a banker (I have no objection against people doing this). But from what I've seen so far, it seems to me that mathematical research is preserved for the true geniuses, and the average mathematician goes into the industry. Is this true? What are my opportunities?

Redundant Aunt
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    The are so many dependencies. It is not easy for someone to give advice without knowing your background - country, opportunities within the country ; age; current educational background; financial responsibilities, etc – Shailesh Sep 30 '15 at 07:37
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    It's not true that mathematical research is preserved for true geniuses,only.Genius is the result of hardwork,determination and persistence.Those who do it well spend long hours trying to understand even the simplest of things.The perception of genius is not constructive ,IMO. – Nicco Sep 30 '15 at 09:03
  • @Nicco: Yes, mathematical ability comes mostly from hard work, but not everyone has even those long hours to spare, nor should everyone try to spend too much time on mathematics. Life is much more than that. That's also why I think one has to reflect more about dreaming of research. – user21820 Sep 30 '15 at 12:59
  • Thank you, and sorry for this off-topic question. I was a bit in a bad mood that day; being new to the academical world can be quite intimidating sometimes. – Redundant Aunt Oct 02 '15 at 17:18

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