#welcome #general-chat (4 Viewers)

[valeriexbk]

HAPPY NEW YEARRR!!!

 

[Wizjaro]

wow cool.


Do you self study math or tutoring?

I self study. I don’t particularly think I need tutoring, but if I were to start dropping I might consider.

 

[Wizjaro]

Also HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

 

[SpiderX1X]

I self study. I don’t particularly think I need tutoring, but if I were to start dropping I might consider.

That's nice, what's your aspiration for University ?

 

[Wizjaro]

That's nice, what's your aspiration for University ?

Actuarial studies co op is my main goal, but tbh anything in maths is fine. What is your goal for uni?

 

[SpiderX1X]

Actuarial studies co op is my main goal, but tbh anything in maths is fine. What is your goal for uni?

Cool, Actuary.

I don't know my goal actually.

 

[Wizjaro]

Cool, Actuary.

I don't know my goal actually.

Thats fine you have plenty of time to think about it.

 

[sida1049]

Actuarial studies co op is my main goal, but tbh anything in maths is fine. What is your goal for uni?

Personal opinion: if the only thing that attracts you to actuarial studies is that it allows you to study and use maths because you enjoy maths, then you're almost always better off going directly into a mathematics degree.

Additional personal opinion: ...even more so for employability.

 

[Drdusk]

Additional personal opinion: ...even more so for employability.

How is a Math deg more employable than an actuarial deg..?

 

[Wizjaro]

Personal opinion: if the only thing that attracts you to actuarial studies is that it allows you to study and use maths because you enjoy maths, then you're almost always better off going directly into a mathematics degree.

Additional personal opinion: ...even more so for employability.

I did originally want to go into a maths degree but I’m pretty sure an actuarial degree is more employable and it still has maths so that’s why I’m going for it. However if there is a maths degree that is more employable I would definitely opt for that but so far I haven’t found one.

 

[sida1049]

How is a Math deg more employable than an actuarial deg..?

I did originally want to go into a maths degree but I’m pretty sure an actuarial degree is more employable and it still has maths so that’s why I’m going for it. However if there is a maths degree that is more employable I would definitely opt for that but so far I haven’t found one.

When you complete an actuarial degree, you're most suited to becoming an actuary. That in and of itself is a very specific role sought by insurance companies, and you're going to be competing with many others who do your exact same degree and who are as good as you are - what do you bring to the table that makes you stand out from other actuarial students? Sure, a good actuarial student can find employment, definitely, but it is a very rigid path, for example, what about life post-actuary? Will you remain as an actuary from the moment you complete your degree until retirement?

Secondary positions that actuarial students can apply to are risk analysts for companies in finance, and possibly data analysis.

A mathematics degree, however, provides you with general quantitative and analytical skills that can be advantageous for a wide-range of roles. For example, financial trading firms are sometimes known to exclusively hire maths graduates and comp sci graduates. Believe me, there is way more demand from trading firms than insurance firms. It is very common (pretty much the status quo) for these firms to tell you "okay, we want to hire you because you have a strong quantitative background - don't worry about any of the finance stuff, we'll train you ourselves." (Example.)

If you're not interested in trading, don't worry - this doesn't just apply to trading companies. It applies way more generally than that. For example, Department of Defense, APRA, ATO, RBA, et cetera, are all examples of government institutions that have known to hire mathematics graduates without background knowledge in their industry, and provide them with the training after hiring. Commercial banks and consulting firms will also hire mathematics graduates. Generally speaking, any firm advertising a quantatitive role will consider you if you have a mathematics background.

And while it is true that actuarial graduates can also in principle apply for similar roles above, there is one huge advantage that doing a maths degree will give you - a second major. If in addition to your maths major, you pick up a computer science, statistics or data science major, your employability will definitely exceed that of your average actuarial studies graduate. And your second major makes sense too - those who enjoy maths tend to enjoy other analytical and quantatitive disciplines. If you want to take up a second major in addition to doing actuarial studies, you must do a combined degree, which extends your time at uni by 1 year. Whereas with a Bachelor of Science (at a decent uni), you get to complete both majors on time by the end of your 3 years (that said, do honours).

And all this, I haven't even mentioned another noteworthy option - staying in academia. If you find that you enjoy maths, then 100% do an honours in it. Not only does it significantly improve your employability, but also can lead into a career as an academic researcher. I will make the following assertion:

• An honours year in mathematics is the best honours you can do.

Why? Because it gives you arguably the largest possible range of options for PhD. A maths honours can immediately lead to a PhD program in (at least)

• Pure mathematics
• Applied mathematics
• Statistics
• Computer science
• Physics
• Economics

No joke. You can legit do an honours in pure maths one year, then get accepted into an honours in comp sci the next. It happens fairly often.

This is why I hold strongly the opinion that high school graduates who enjoy maths should go enrol into a proper mathematics program. It's beneficial intellectually (studying maths properly, not purely for the sake of application, is important), socially (you get to meet other people who love maths, not just money), gives you the most choice possible, and superior employment opportunities.

This is of course all in my opinion, but honestly, from seeing where the people I know have ended up, it feels absurd to say so.

 

[Drdusk]

When you complete an actuarial degree, you're most suited to becoming an actuary. That in and of itself is a very specific role sought by insurance companies, and you're going to be competing with many others who do your exact same degree and who are as good as you are - what do you bring to the table that makes you stand out from other actuarial students? Sure, a good actuarial student can find employment, definitely, but it is a very rigid path, for example, what about life post-actuary? Will you remain as an actuary from the moment you complete your degree until retirement?

Secondary positions that actuarial students can apply to are risk analysts for companies in finance, and possibly data analysis.

A mathematics degree, however, provides you with general quantitative and analytical skills that can be advantageous for a wide-range of roles. For example, financial trading firms are sometimes known to exclusively hire maths graduates and comp sci graduates. Believe me, there is way more demand from trading firms than insurance firms. It is very common (pretty much the status quo) for these firms to tell you "okay, we want to hire you because you have a strong quantitative background - don't worry about any of the finance stuff, we'll train you ourselves." (Example.)

If you're not interested in trading, don't worry - this doesn't just apply to trading companies. It applies way more generally than that. For example, Department of Defense, APRA, ATO, RBA, et cetera, are all examples of government institutions that have known to hire mathematics graduates without background knowledge in their industry, and provide them with the training after hiring. Commercial banks and consulting firms will also hire mathematics graduates. Generally speaking, any firm advertising a quantatitive role will consider you if you have a mathematics background.

And while it is true that actuarial graduates can also in principle apply for similar roles above, there is one huge advantage that doing a maths degree will give you - a second major. If in addition to your maths major, you pick up a computer science, statistics or data science major, your employability will definitely exceed that of your average actuarial studies graduate. And your second major makes sense too - those who enjoy maths tend to enjoy other analytical and quantatitive disciplines. If you want to take up a second major in addition to doing actuarial studies, you must do a combined degree, which extends your time at uni by 1 year. Whereas with a Bachelor of Science (at a decent uni), you get to complete both majors on time by the end of your 3 years (that said, do honours).

And all this, I haven't even mentioned another noteworthy option - staying in academia. If you find that you enjoy maths, then 100% do an honours in it. Not only does it significantly improve your employability, but also can lead into a career as an academic researcher. I will make the following assertion:

• An honours year in mathematics is the best honours you can do.

Why? Because it gives you arguably the largest possible range of options for PhD. A maths honours can immediately lead to a PhD program in (at least)

• Pure mathematics
• Applied mathematics
• Statistics
• Computer science
• Physics
• Economics

No joke. You can legit do an honours in pure maths one year, then get accepted into an honours in comp sci the next. It happens fairly often.

This is why I hold strongly the opinion that high school graduates who enjoy maths should go enrol into a proper mathematics program. It's beneficial intellectually (studying maths properly, not purely for the sake of application, is important), socially (you get to meet other people who love maths, not just money), gives you the most choice possible, and superior employment opportunities.

This is of course all in my opinion, but honestly, from seeing where the people I know have ended up, it feels absurd to say so.

I mean this makes complete sense to me but every time I see articles about post deg outcomes a degree in Math always appears in the bottom 5.. soo idk

 

[sida1049]

I mean this makes complete sense to me but every time I see articles about post deg outcomes a degree in Math always appears in the bottom 5.. soo idk

That surprised me at first, until I realised that most maths students don't actually do honours, and a decent portion of the job market for maths requires you to have done at least honours

I think for every discipline, if you intend to secure a relevant job immediately after your degree, take every internship or research opportunity you can

 

[idkkdi]

Also next year I’m doing English advanced, maths ext 1, physics, economics, business studies, Jap Continuers and Extension accel.

No joke. Drop business studies and possibly economics as well if you already know the stuff being taught. A yr 7 could understand business studies content. Zero intellectual challenge, 100% rote memorisation. The subject is a battle of how many practice essays/report you write and how much you are willing to rote memorise. Read the book like 5 times, the syllabus like 20 times and you have a guaranteed band 6 if you can write essays/reports. You're legit never going to want to touch the book again after the HSC External exam.

 

[Wizjaro]

No joke. Drop business studies and possibly economics as well if you already know the stuff being taught. A yr 7 could understand business studies content. Zero intellectual challenge, 100% rote memorisation. The subject is a battle of how many practice essays/report you write and how much you are willing to rote memorise. Read the book like 5 times, the syllabus like 20 times and you have a guaranteed band 6 if you can write essays/reports. You're legit never going to want to touch the book again after the HSC External exam.

If I drop both id only have 8 units cause jap cont and ext are accelerated, so not really an option. And a guaranteed band 6 seems like a nice thing tho? Why would you drop a guaranteed band 6?

 

[idkkdi]

If I drop both id only have 8 units cause jap cont and ext are accelerated, so not really an option. And a guaranteed band 6 seems like a nice thing tho? Why would you drop a guaranteed band 6?

Because the subject is boring as ****

 

[Wizjaro]

Because the subject is boring as ****

Well I’ll just have to see whether I enjoy it. Cause everyone likes and hates different subjects.

 

[BLIT2014]

Well I’ll just have to see whether I enjoy it. Cause everyone likes and hates different subjects.

I liked economics and didn't mind Business Studies. You never know what you'll end up hating in year 12 too!

 

[Drdusk]

I liked economics and didn't mind Business Studies. You never know what you'll end up hating in year 12 too!

Exactly I hated English every year before and loved it in year 12.








Just kidding....

 

[Forever21]

Hey! I was wondering if anyone could give me any tips on how they plan to tackle subjects like mine. Next year I will be doing: English Extension 1, Legal Studies, Modern History, Biology, Math Standard, Business Studies.

Thanks!