Perhaps this is off topic, please delete it if it’s inappropriate. I’m in the UK for context. For a long time now, I’ve wanted to do something creative in science/tech, but didn’t have much direction beyond that, so I ‘hedged my bets’ and studied Maths. After spending 4 (miserable) years at uni, I’ve graduated with a 2.1 Maths degree, and I’m now getting the impression that I’ve effectively barred myself from working in anything interesting. Could a career in engineering still be a realistic/sensible possibility or should I look elsewhere? I’d appreciate any thoughts.
Nothing is barred and no doors are closed at this stage of your life. You can do anything you want to do if you have the interest, enthusiasm and motivation.
But first, as others have hinted, maybe you need to do a little introspection? Why were you miserable at university? Was it the subject matter or the environment?
In a sense, mathematics is more like one of the arts than one of the sciences. It is sort of similar to philosophy, although the logical arguments and structures are much more formal and precise. So it is not necessarily a good road into science, which is more about the real world than the abstract world.
On the other hand, the formal, structured and logical reasoning required for mathematics is very good preparation for engineering, which is often a branch of applied mathematics. You could certainly go there if that is really what interests you.
To get there, you will need to look for additional education to get you started. There are conversion courses for prospective engineers coming from other disciplines. If you could find an internship in an engineering company where your current skills fit, you could perhaps get them to sponsor you in taking additional specialized courses or training to help you increase your value to them.
Over the years, I have known and worked with several people with a mathematics degree who have found an opening and made a career in engineering. Software development is one area in particular that can be a way in. Think of Google, Microsoft, any company that produces engineering software, and for that matter banking and finance. All those companies have mathematicians working on complex algorithms and software that implements them.
The world can be your oyster, but you will somehow need to figure out what pursuits you enjoy so you can focus your efforts in the right direction.