[jahewson]

I felt exactly the same way and made it through my undergraduate degree, worked for 6 months, realised that being a coding monkey was going to consist of repeating those same six months for decades and promptly returned to school, ending up with a PhD.

The best advice I can give is to find a mentor - someone who captures your imagination. Most professors are desperate for enthusiastic students to do stuff for them!

And yes, do more math. You need people around you for that.

[fyfy18]

Out of interest, what are you doing now you have a PhD. How does it compare to being a code monkey in terms of a career (salary, hours, prospects)?