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I tried the dual degree path: Math/IFSM and found I could no longer think in symbols. Little did I know what I needed was a jump start and I found it in Philosophy Logical Proof. The symbols I was having difficulty understanding were in this class. The Philosophy Logical Proof class was noting more than a watered down version of Mathematical Proof 1 & 2. I re-taught myself the symbols and walked away with an A i the class, but my mind was still slow and I was having problems completing exams in the 45 minute periods allowed. It was already too late to go back into the Math program after taking the course in Philosophy Logical Proof as it had been two years and I was already heading in a different direction within the English department as a writer of science and technology.
When I was enrolled in the Mathematical Proof class, the 20 something Math students were blowing me away in their ability to solve problems quickly and accurately in just a few minutes. This is when I decided what good will I serve in industry as an industrial mathematician? This wasn't just a matter of being able to solve the problems, but how long will it take to solve them. Considering how rusty I was, even if I obtained my degree in Mathematics I figured I would end up teaching math in high school to students who didn't want to learn. This end seemed dire end to me so I went and spoke with my Math chairman and he really was about to cry because he didn't want to loose me. I switched majors to Statistics as I had done well in Drexel, but I wasn't doing well there either, I was getting C's and this did not cut it for me. I just stuck with my IFSM degree, competed it, and then found I was having trouble getting hired.
At the time, the average IFSM major exiting with a BS degree was landing jobs paying 50k a year. I was getting offers down at 28 to 35k. I was making more as a computer salesman and didn't have the huge overhead of student loans. All I could conclude was it was the same problem when I was in Engineering and the Physical Sciences: White European Males need not apply. We are only hiring minorities to receive Federal government kick-backs. This is when I decided to continue with my writing pursuits because I was always good at writing and taking complex material and breaking it down to where everyone could understand it. Show me an ESL (English as a Second Language)writer who can compete with a Native English writer/speaker. They can't! I addition I had a slew of things the English majors didn't have: Formal Training in Engineering, Science, Mathematics, Statistics, and Philosophy. I was formally trained in logic.