First Entry

This blog was created in order to keep me organized and focused as I start the process of becoming an actuary. I'll be making entries about the schoolwork/exams/studies that relate to me working towards my goal of becoming an actuary. Sometimes I may blab on about random stuff because I'm bored. Other students who are also working towards an actuarial career can hopefully gain or share some information from this blog. Any current or retired actuaries who read this site and maybe give pointers in the comments section will be greatly appreciated. So, a little bit about myself. I am currently a sophmore in college and thus I am a true newbie in the actuarial field. To be honest I do not know too much about this profession other than some basic facts. When friends and family ask me what I plan on doing for a living after I graduate from college, I always have a hard time explaining to them what an actuary is. I normally just say that actuaries analyzes risk and often work in the insurance industry. A common response to that would be " so kind of like an accountant right?" Since I'm too lazy to say anything else, I tell them that they are correct. One of these days I am definetely going to have to find a better definition of an actuary in order to better answer other people's inquiries about my future plans.

So, why do I want to be an actuary. Well, from the top of my head, there are a couple of reasons why I chose to pursue this profession:
1. I do not want to be stuck in a job that makes me miserable, regardless of the monetary rewards. I used to never understand the old saying "money does not equal to happiness." I used to think that if I was filthy rich it would wash away all my problems and I would become the happiest man alive. Well, all that came crashing down when I got my first job as an Administrative Assistant for a small corporation that teaches students in multiple academic subjects from SAT I/II to third grade writing classes.(yes there are male Administrative Assistants, and no I am not gay). I thought the job only consisted of grading paper, taking attendance, and calling parents if their child was absent. I was right, sort of. Just add to that dealing with difficult/anal teachers, rude parents, horrible and spoiled children, some fiesty coworkers, and a boss that is constantly on your case. The money wasn't all that great either as it was just above the minimum wage. Now I understand that all jobs have their stressors and that there are no such things as "easy" jobs, but if I get to have a stressful job but do something I do not hate, then I'd be content. I've always been quite fond of mathematics. Academically, for me, there is nothing greater than solving a challenging math problem(sounds nerdy, huh). Plus many job surveys done by the likes of Wall Street Journal and U.S. News & World Report have ranked actuary quite high in terms of the best jobs.
2. One of my goals in life is to attain financial independence by age 40.Now I know I said money is not the most important thing in life, but it sure is ONE of the most important. Imagine being content/happy with your job AND being paid a nice salary for it. In the words of Kanye West, "Welcome to the good life."