Actuarial Science Puns

Hi all :)

So it's almost the time to apply to tertiary institutions and I'm considering actuarial science. I've done some research and narrowed it down to this, engineering or medicine so now I'd like to hear about your work directly from you.

1. How varied is your day to day work? I love maths but the reason I do is because I enjoy being given a problem, looking at it in different ways and then using the knowledge and tools at my disposal to solve it, and finding new and better ways to solve problems. That's also why I'm drawn to engineering and medicine, where I'd see many different cases and problems. Would I see a lot of problem solving in actuarial work or will it be monotonous? Constantly dealing with the same thing will probably get me down after a while.

2. What made you choose your career?

3. How much do you work per week and do you have time for hobbies and meeting your friends and family?

4. Is actuarial work considered "essential"? How likely is it for an actuary to become redundant and therefore lose their job? Did many actuaries lose their jobs during lockdown?

5. Disregarding lockdown and travel bans, how much are you able to travel? Do you have both the time and the money?

Thank you for taking the time.

Hi everyone,

I’m a senior in high school interested in temple. Most of my brothers friends (people who went to my high school) went to temple and said that it’s even easier than high school. I want to challenge myself and make the most of my 4 years, but I have a lot of interests. Information science and technology seems like a good choice due to how hot the tech industry is, actuarial science is statistically extremely well paying, and risk management sounds like a pretty cool specialized business degree. If I were to double major, which combo should I choose, taking into account pay, job prospects, workload, synergy between the degrees (one of my fears is that actuarial science and risk management would land me the same jobs and double majoring might not be so useful) and how interesting the classes are?

My girlfriend is from South Korea and she has taken a bachelors degree in Actuarial Science in Korea. Now she is about to apply for a few master's in Europe, however she is unsure of which university to choose. The main concern here is whether the university will be recognized from an employer abroad - and preferably recognized by a Korean employer. I would argue that the most important thing is that as long as the university is offering the master in Actuarial Science - meaning the curriculum would be expected to include the relevant practices and laws that makes it able for a graduate to get a job afterwards - regardless of the country they apply in. So the key question is concerning eligibility towards other markets than the country of where the master was taken. So e.g. is it hard to get a job in other markets than Denmark if she gets her master from there? How is the job flexibility across borders? And do you know if there are some universities that are more recognized for international education / practices than others (within Actuary Science)? Right now we are specifically looking towards UCPH (Copenhagen) and TUM (Munich) and wondering which one would be better for the problem stated above. Any inputs - specific as well as general, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you :)

My high school allows me to take 2 math classes per year, and I’m a junior. I was planning on taking AP Stats obviously, but I’m wondering if taking calc 3 would be beneficial as well. Thanks!

Do you think getting a PhD in actuarial science would help me break into a quant role ? I’m thinking going Into the asset management industry, got my eye set in names like BlackRock, PIMCO or Vanguard.

I appreciate your comments.

Is anyone here doing either (or both) of the above degrees? If so:

1. How much harder is the maths in each degree compared to year 12 double spec? And therefore how much more work will I have to put in?
2. Does anyone know what the job prospects are for simply doing a bachelor's degree in maths? I've heard they're not great...
3. Is doing both the above degrees as a double degree going to be very hard? Would I be better off doing just a single degree in actuarial, considering I only did a few hard subjects in high school so have not really prepared myself for doing quadruple maths :///. I am hesitant to do just actuarial because I'm not sure if I'll like it. I don't know anything about economics and stuff and I'm not great at statistics, but it seems to be my best bet to get a job. I also don't want to fail by overloading myself with hard subjects though...

What was your overall experience doing either of these degrees?

Thanks in advance

I'm planning to study actuarial science at the University of Toronto. I am looking to settle and immigrate to Canada in the longer term. Is there anything I should know, as an international student, before attempting to tap into the actuary job market in Canada?

I'm finishing second B.S. degree, this one in Economics. My previous BS is in Biology, funny thing is I have no real plans for this degree either. It sounds like a really tough process and kudos to you all that have done it 👍. Do you enjoy the job? My work will cover 100% of tuition, so I'm studying econ just out of general interest. I have a 4.0 gpa. How does one tell if I am a good candidate for this profession? I like the idea of consulting, and I like solving problems, something tells me I could do this ! I appreciate your insight.

Thinking of switching to actuarial science and I’m wondering what people’s general thoughts on the major are? Also, which of the statistics/ probability majors do you think is best (data sci, pure stats, actuarial sci) for both career outcomes and at UCSB specifically?

Also, is the stats department really as bad as I’ve heard?

Hi,

I have a little question on the prerequisites of Actuarial Science major. I just realized that this was a better option for me yet I’m already at second year. The question is the only prerequisite that I couldn’t fulfill is sta130 where this is restricted to first year student and I can’t enroll it in. Is it still possible&beneficial for me to switch? Note that I’m taking mat235 and if I switch I have to drop it now and get mat237 in summer.

I have a degree in Actuarial Science. Graduated in 2017 and immediately got into Car sales for what I thought would only be a year.

I loved how easy it was to make a great income and so here I am nearly 5 years later.

The auto industry had changed drastically, and I’m not longer happy. The time constraints are no longer worth it to me. I want a better work/life balance,

I’ve wanted to utilize my degree, but have no idea where to start looking.

Any suggestions for key words to search for positions, or recommendations would be appreciated!

Hello I’m looking for maybe some advice or info, Here’s the tea I’m a Junior Math Major w a CS certificate I have an internship lined up for this summer (grateful for it but means cannot explore CS this summer) I haven’t really been feeling the actuarial vibe and really enjoyed CS and looking to brush up my skills outside of college as of late I’d like to dip my toes into the world of CS jobs but to be honest I never really leaned into my certificate so don’t have any connections

Hello. I was wondering which junior level courses are mostly taken by first year Actuarial Science majors and minors. DATA or CS ?

hi! im currently a high school senior graduating this coming spring. i just completed most of my college applications and was wondering where i could go from here. ive applied as a mathematics/data science major but given im not in college yet, i dont know how i can get any experience in this field. i plan on brushing up on my math skills and taking some college courses during my next semester of high school but i feel like theres a lot more i could be doing with my time. im not entirely sure how being an actuary works out but if anyone can offer advice on how they started or skills that would be good to learn it would be really appreciated :>

Does your school push you to take exams? Do they try to have you pass an exam before junior year, or 2-3 before senior year?

I’m asking as a hiring manager because it seems like any internship applicants I get from smaller programs don’t have exams passed, so I wondered what the advice was that’s given at those schools.

I’m looking at a role that would be an actuary on a data science team. I’m thinking it would give me nice exposure to DS if I end up wanting to eventually make a move to full time DS. Or maybe I end up in a combined actuary/DS role. Anyone have any experience with this and have any feedback/advice? For reference I’m ACAS with 3-4 years experience.

Hello,

I am a recent graduate from high school and I am considering an undergraduate degree in either Actuarial Science or Statistics. I think I prefer Statistics but I checked the programmes of the university I would go to and the Actuarial Science programme seems vastly better, with less "filler" subjects and more mathematics.

So what I would like to ask, is it worth it to "sacrifice" the name of the degree (being a graduate in Actuarial Science instead of Stats) to get a more in-depth education and would I still be able to find the average job someone who studied Statistics would be able to get (assuming no postgraduate)?

Is anyone getting this certificate/graduated with it and can tell more me about it? Thanks!

I want to transfer from Rotman commerce to actuarial science. Is this competitive, like transferring from Rotman to Comp SCI?

Hello everyone, as a vce graduate that live approximately 30 minutes away from Monash and perhaps an hour away from Melbourne university. I'm quite torn between going to Melbourne university to do Bcom and Monash to do actuarial science. I hear that Melbourne has better education than Monash, what are your experiences studying actuarial science at Monash and would it be any different at Melbourne university?

Hello to all!

To preface: i'm a high school senior that is about to submit my UC app. I'm notoriously indecisive but I do know that I want to attend UCSB for multiple reasons (atmosphere, weather, proximity to home, etc).

The majors/programs that are appealing to me: actuarial science, econ/accounting, maybe statistics/CS. On my application, I have actuarial science as my first listed major for UCSB.

I've read extensively on the pros and cons of each resulting career (actuary vs primarily CPA), but they're still widely different yet appealing, and I can't find myself committing to either right now. I also have multiple connections from both careers trying to get me to join their side so to speak.

What I would like to know is if I could get a good enough feel for actuarial science in the first quarter or 2 at UCSB to decide if I want to commit to it, and if I choose not to, is it feasible to transfer rather quickly into the economics/accounting pre major. Or should I list myself as undeclared and deal with whatever that entails?

Any and all advice from any and all students/alumni on this would be hugely appreciated!! :)

I'm a freshman in college, currently majoring in mathematics. Initially, I thought this major would be a good choice for me; I love math, and going to grad school for mathematics was what I thought I wanted to do, with being an actuary as "backup plan," (I was planning on taking 2 exams before graduation). I was on the fence about this decision. I've long thought the actuarial profession would be a good fit, but I decided not to major in act sci because I felt it would be too restrictive. And besides, many people encouraged me to "aim high," (i.e. for academia) so I chose math as my major.

However, I don't think getting, say, a PhD in math would be a great fit for me, given the comparatively low pay and high amount of work in academia (I also frankly don't think I have that kind of intelligence). And since a math major doesn't exactly have great job prospects from what I've seen, I am considering switching to an actuarial science major. For what it's worth, my school is a CAE according to SOA, and it appears to be one of the highest ranked in the US.

Is this a good idea? Should I switch to actuarial science, stay in my current major, or perhaps consider a separate one entirely? I'm fairly certain I would be a good actuary and enjoy it, but I am always afraid of restricting my options too much.

Please let me know if I can clarify anything.

Hello, as the title suggested, I am in my final year of highschool and have recently finished my end of year exams and am rather certain that I will be able to make it into bachelor's of actuarial science. I'm currently on my extended holidays and want to prepare myself before I jump into University. Does anyone suggest anything that I can do knowledge wise to reduce the initial difficulty of taking a university course for actuarial science

Hi, I am currently in second year at University studying Actuarial Science. I don't know 100% what I want to do when I'm older, however I have an interest in math/stats and physics. I just wanted to ask weather it would be better for me to transfer into a general math and stats program as opposed to staying in Actuarial science. I do have an interest in becoming an actuary however I have been considering potentially getting my Masters and pairing that with a Physics minor which would open more opportunities for me. Can someone help me with this? Thanks. Actuarial Science or Math and Stats

Hi all,

I just got accepted into GSU's Master of Actuarial Science program. Is there anybody out there that can share their experience with this program?

TIA

Any comments on Martin Molloy for people that are taking him for math 3618, or had ever taken a class with him ???

Anyone here from Canada please tell me good universities that offer masters in actuarial science preferably in Ontario but other places is also ok

Hey all,

I'm a sophomore in college, and I'm interested in learning more about statistics and potentially finding an internship that involves statistics. I've taken one stats class, and I really enjoyed it a lot, and I'd love to learn more about it. I would appreciate any insight or advice on how I can learn more about this topic and possible careers I could go into with it- Kind of like a roadmap. Thanks, Y'all!

Hey everyone! I’m a student in America pursuing a degree in computer science (first semester junior), but after doing some self reflection and reading many things about the day to day of being an actuary, I’m considering making a change. I know that CS to actuarial science has been done before, but I had a few other questions related to the field.

One of the things I read is that actuaries deal a lot with data. Is this true, and if so, what exactly do actuaries do with the data? How does this compare to what a data scientist at your company does with data?

I also read that actuaries create models. How much of the model creation process is computerized? On top of a strong math background, is knowledge of any specific coding language good to have for the modelling?

And lastly, would having a background in computer science be valuable in the actuarial field, assuming I can pass 2-4 exams by graduation (spring 2023)? Would a data science/data centric internship be a good idea if I plan on switching to actuarial science?

I'm looking for an Actuarial Science undergraduate program in the US, not expecting high rankings 'cause I'm not an outstanding student. But I still hope to find a school that can prepare me for the exams and bring job opportunities.

I know that Australian and Canadian Universities provide exemptions but not in the US, doesn't it? So a curriculum that prepares me for 4-5 first exams will be great.

I'm very worry about internship 'cause I'm an international student. It would be great if the school has strong alumni connection in actuary field and high reputation among companies.

Thanks in advance!

P/s: I've searched for these information on SOA's and some schools' website but not clear about it, hope I'm not being irritating.

Do you think this as a 2+2 option or a dual-degree option would be a good choice? I have a strong interest in both fields, and I wanted to know if any of you has any experience or opinions on this option. Is the overlap in skills and concepts relevant in the finance world, especially in analyst positions in AM/hedge funds? How is the workload for those doing this stream? In general, is the payout from doing this combination better than specializing in just business or pure actuarial science respectively? Thanks!

I’m in high school right now and my goal is to become an actuary so actuarial science would make sense because it helps me prepare for actuarial exams. However, I’ve heard a stats degree gives more flexibility in case I don’t like being an actuary. Also if I do stats should I still be looking at schools with good actuarial science programs (UConn, Temple, etc) for clubs and recruitment opportunities?

Hi all,

I graduated with a Bachelor's in Actuarial Science in 2006 and currently working as an Senior Actuarial Analyst. I am official turning the page on Actuarial Science and considering an Online Master's in Cyber Security at NYU Tandon. I don't have any experience in IT but have 8+ years of experience in data analytics in Insurance. Is pursuing this 18K degree worth it? I am concerned that I will have big obstacles for jobs paying 90K+ given that my experience in IT is like 0. I would love to hear some feedback from the community on whether this would be a good idea.

I live in the New Jersey area which is pretty expensive so that is why I would need to have a job that pays 90k+

Hi all,

I'm considering doing a second degree in Actuarial Science in Canada. I'm 35, from the UK and have degree in electrical and electronic engineering back in 2010. I didn't perform particularly well at the time due to mental health issues plaguing my life back then with UK equivalent score of around 2.5-2.7 gpa.

I am a Canadian citizen by descent, and found out I qualify for domestic fees if I chose to study in Canada which I believe are around $6,000/£3,500, by contrast in the UK, which would be a three year degree at $16,000/£9,250 per year.

I've always wanted to go back to university, and Ive always wanted to override my 2.7 gpa, I think I'm capable of getting 3.5+ gpa potentially as I'm a different person now and more motivated.

I have some questions however since I'm not familiar with the Canadian education system.

1. If I did a second degree would it only be two years since I can transfer parts of my old degree and gain credits? How would that tie in with potentially getting any co-ops or interns?

2. There are 8 Canadian universities that are CAE accredited. Two of them are in French, Simon Fraser has allegedly a very small class size (like 6 students?), how difficult would entry into the other 5 (Toronto/Waterloo/Western/Concordia/Manitoba) be?

I have no idea if any of this feasible at all, but just looking for some advice.

Is it any better than doing it at Melbourne University? I feel like doing it as a major, and then doing a masters is only taking more time and can't think of any other advantage.

I am planning on applying to UPenn. I am currently in grade 12 and I will be part of that graduating class of 2026. I noticed on the website that actuarial science will no longer be offered as a concentration. However, I saw another page that still has it listed. Does anyone know anything more about this? Thanks in advance!

I'm senoir in high school and I'm at a bit of a cross roads. Yesterday I had no idea what I wanted to do in life, I was thinking accounting because I'm good at math, but that sounds mind-numbingly boring, or maybe electronics engineering, or hell, even welding, but none of those felt right. I was looking around online this morning and found actuarial science and felt like it was calling me. I have a pretty strong background in math. I breezed through AP Stats sophomore year, AP Calc Junoir year, and am currently breezing though Calc 2(Although I took/am taking it through CAPP, a dual enrollment option through one of our state schools if you don't want to do AP, just Google UWO CAPP). I also got a 28 on the ACT, a 34 on the math section. I've always enjoyed math. Anyways, does this career sound right for me? Any other more niche sections that you recommend? Any different career paths you recommend? I need to start getting college apps in and my career path will wildly what college I want to go to.