Awesome! Wishing you all the best with your new career path. Fellow math lover here :)

When I went to college (for computer science), I knew coming in I was going to have to work extra hard to catch up with the other students (most at my university came from fancy private schools while I went to a pretty mediocre public high school). I made myself a promise to not ever compare myself with anyone else and instead just set achievable standards and goals for myself. I never ever asked other people what grades they got, and declined to answer when people asked me.

I tried to embody the quote from the dancer baryshnikov: “I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.” I felt it did wonders for me because I was very focused on what I can do to achieve my goals instead of worrying about competing with classmates or feeling like I didn’t measure up. This helped me to hone my studying techniques and feel proud when I met my goals.

I am not sure if this is related or not, but I very rarely felt imposter syndrome, and when I did it was just fleeting and I quickly shut it down. I try to remember that errant self-deprecating thoughts are just thoughts and my own perceptions, which are not necessarily a reflection of reality. It’s good to remind yourself of that when you’re experiencing some negative thoughts, it helps put the trustworthiness of the thought into question.

Anyways, I hope that helped a little and I am sure you will do great! The fact that you had the courage to change your path is already a great start. Rooting for you!