Actuarial studies

[TrueTears]

I have never done commerce before and I'm already finding it interesting lol

[ReVeL]

^ There you go.

[Ilovemathsmeth]

QuantumJG, Uni is really scary. Nobody knows who you are and it's harder to make friends - been to only two tutorials. The work is faster paced and generally there's a lack of motivation to do it How are you finding your (second?) year?

[Ilovemathsmeth]

tram, I took Actuarial over Accounting because I love Maths WAY more than I love Accounting (which I love a fair bit ). Maths is very exciting, it's the only subject where I don't feel the work is a chore. The pay is also good, which appeals to me too (I love money too).

[QuantumJG]

He said as a rule the more dull the work, the more money and conversely the more fun, the less money.

That's a bit of a generalisation, no?

Yes it is a generalisation to say this, but I believed it to have truth in it. Obviously it isn't the case for everything. The dream job would be a fun-high paying job, but people do need to make some tradeoff.

But with commerce you would do it for the money - it seems like a very dull area.

I think thats pretty unfair. Yes many people do commerce for money, but quite a few are generally interested. Some areas are quite dry but theres also some very interesting stuff. I mean, I could say people doing Law are only motivated by money because after doing a Law subject I found it somewhat boring - but I don't because I know people that enjoy it.

I made a generalisation in an area that I don't really know a lot about. Re-reading this sounds like an attack (not intended).  

[QuantumJG]

QuantumJG, Uni is really scary. Nobody knows who you are and it's harder to make friends - been to only two tutorials. The work is faster paced and generally there's a lack of motivation to do it How are you finding your (second?) year?

This is what I didn't like (some people probably love it), because I would get motivation from feeling as though I could discuss what we are doing with my teachers (especially in VCE), whereas with lecturers you ask a question (very specific to what is being taught) and they answer and you don't get that rapport you get in school.

As for friends I found it easier than starting high school and making friends. When you make friends you get some feeling of people knowing who you are and don't feel like you are tackling a maze by yourself.

Second year is faster paced than first year, but because I have already done 1 year of uni, that had compensated for the change in pace. 

Anyway I hope you find the rest of the year not as scary.

[tram]

I was seriously considering actuarial studies too and spent alot of time thinking about it.

The main reasons I didn't do actuarial studies was because 1. You can't get a PhD, the highest degree you can get is a bachelor. 2. You have to consistently take exams for 8 years to reach the highest salary.

The reason I'm doing Finance/Maths is because finance requires maths and it has more job opportunities where as actuarial studies is too restricted. Plus you can get a PhD in finance and could become a uni lecturer/work at banks/CEO etc.

1)You can do a PhD in Acturial studies
2)Fair point abou the exams, but if you were to do another degree, you'd be doing exams anyway
3)yes it is restricted, but you are specialised
4)Becomming a CEO if much more about who you know and your daddy sending you to the right school(so you and me are fine;))

don't get me worng, this is not an attack, just my opinion and i would love to be told that i'm am wrong cos wile i love being right, i prefer to know the real situation;)

tram, I took Actuarial over Accounting because I love Maths WAY more than I love Accounting (which I love a fair bit ). Maths is very exciting, it's the only subject where I don't feel the work is a chore. The pay is also good, which appeals to me too (I love money too).

Exactly the same. I'm loving spech and enjoy uni maths even more, granted i haven't done accounting but i'm at least enjoying it more than chem or english. And who dosen't love money;)

[appianway]

Oh, and becoming a CEO doesn't require a finance degree. Two members of my family have worked as executives - both did science undergrads, one did a MBA and the other did a law degree.

[QuantumJG]

Oh, and becoming a CEO doesn't require a finance degree. Two members of my family have worked as executives - both did science undergrads, one did a MBA and the other did a law degree.

What was their science major?

We had an engineer give us a lecture on a career in engineering and he was saying how with engineers they start doing technical stuff and then become less technical and run the business (or are up there on the board).

I was seriously considering actuarial studies too and spent alot of time thinking about it.

The main reasons I didn't do actuarial studies was because 1. You can't get a PhD, the highest degree you can get is a bachelor. 2. You have to consistently take exams for 8 years to reach the highest salary.

The reason I'm doing Finance/Maths is because finance requires maths and it has more job opportunities where as actuarial studies is too restricted. Plus you can get a PhD in finance and could become a uni lecturer/work at banks/CEO etc.

1)You can do a PhD in Acturial studies
2)Fair point abou the exams, but if you were to do another degree, you'd be doing exams anyway
3)yes it is restricted, but you are specialised
4)Becomming a CEO if much more about who you know and your daddy sending you to the right school(so you and me are fine;))

don't get me worng, this is not an attack, just my opinion and i would love to be told that i'm am wrong cos wile i love being right, i prefer to know the real situation;)

tram, I took Actuarial over Accounting because I love Maths WAY more than I love Accounting (which I love a fair bit ). Maths is very exciting, it's the only subject where I don't feel the work is a chore. The pay is also good, which appeals to me too (I love money too).

Exactly the same. I'm loving spech and enjoy uni maths even more, granted i haven't done accounting but i'm at least enjoying it more than chem or english. And who dosen't love money;)

There was a thread about becoming a CEO a while ago and that was emphasized.

[TrueTears]

Yeah too restrictive, which is why I didn't pursue actuarial. Anyway actuarial is probability heaven not enough number theory in it for me.

[tram]

Three, more specfic question, probs for people that have actually done the subject:

1)If 1 was the difficulty of methods and 3 was the difficulty of specialist maths. what would the difficulty of Acturial studes be? (feel free to go over 10)
2)What types of maths are used in Acturial studies? Obviously A LOT of statistics, but wat else (if anything).
3)Do you have to be good with computers, as in like programming and using all sorts of random, obscure programs like C++ to create models? Cos as far as computers go i'm pretty useless.

Thanks a lot:)

[tram]

I'm most likely going to do Bcomm Actuarial Studies or BActStud in uni, but I'm not sure whether to stay in Victoria and go to Melb Uni or go to Sydney to Macquarie or ANU. I've heard Macquarie's very good at commerce... Any tips?

Seeing as you kinda got ignored i'll have a go at anwsering ur Q. From what i see i reackon you should wait it out and see how the situation is going in a coupple years. By that time Monash might have gotten a reli good acturial course up and running. Or mabey Melbourne is going stong and the other unis have gotten worse. So bottom line, wait it out. I mean next year u probs wont wanna think about it with ur 3 3/4s!

Lol, u've got exactly the same subjects as me, only ur also doing Biol in Yr 11. Seriously, strap in for one hell of a year, going into 3 3/4s will reli take it out of you and ur doing 7 subjects all up! But, gud luck with it all:)

[TrueTears]

Three, more specfic question, probs for people that have actually done the subject:

1)If 1 was the difficulty of methods and 3 was the difficulty of specialist maths. what would the difficulty of Acturial studes be? (feel free to go over 10)
2)What types of maths are used in Acturial studies? Obviously A LOT of statistics, but wat else (if anything).
3)Do you have to be good with computers, as in like programming and using all sorts of random, obscure programs like C++ to create models? Cos as far as computers go i'm pretty useless.

Thanks a lot:)

during the holidays i have been reading actuarial studies books that prepare you for the different level exams, you start off with methods probability (very easy), then you progress to harder types, like i said, it is probability land.

[appianway]

Oh, and becoming a CEO doesn't require a finance degree. Two members of my family have worked as executives - both did science undergrads, one did a MBA and the other did a law degree.

What was their science major?

We had an engineer give us a lecture on a career in engineering and he was saying how with engineers they start doing technical stuff and then become less technical and run the business (or are up there on the board).
 

One did physics, and I think the other did earth sciences/geology or something akin to that. One works in something related to earth sciences, the other does nothing to do with physics

[tram]

dude are u kidding me if anything i would be dropping a subject. You obviously love maths so dont drop uni maths, u'll have a seriously awesome time, If i were you i'd actually DROP biol or Chem. You only need one of them for pre-req, and chem is beta for pre-req than biol, ie it gets you into more.

I actually was down to do legal studies this year and dropped it not 2 weeks ago. BEST DECISION......EVER. so much better for my other subjects.

Bottom line, DO NOT PICK UP PHYSICS, unless you drop biol. and concider dropping a subject (biol) but 8 subjects is crazy and will kill you. Unless of couse ur an absolute freak.

PS: from a more unbised point of view, do physics 1/2 next year and see you you go. both on your 1/2 s and ur 3/4s. if you get 3 49s drop physics. but reli i think its a bad idea to kepp physics.

PPS:Wat school do you go to that is letting you do 3 3/4s in year 11??? (not against ur school or anything, just interested)