About my college education:
To be honest, it wasn’t an easy pass. I took accounting and business administration courses, both of which have quotas. I got a DPWAS (Degree Program with Available Slot) but since I was all set in studying at UP, I took the slot and chose the course that is similar to one of my favorite subjects in school, mathematics.
I studied Bachelor of Science in Statistics. In my four years in UP, I can say that I have lived a full college life. Yes, there were difficult times: the adjustment period when I was a freshman took its toll on me for a while, but the people I get to interact with made it endurable.
Studying Statistics is both challenging and fun. It is a vast science, encompassing data and processes used in almost all industries. There are a large part of the curriculum (until 3rd year I think) which focuses on the theoretical part; how the laws of statistics are fundamentally applied in real life were packed in the fourth year, that made my last year unbearable.
There are a lot of interpersonal skills necessary as a statistician. Gathering data, analyzing them, presenting this to people in a way they can use it requires interpersonal and analytical skills, the love for numbers, enjoys problem-solving, hardworking and a lot of “lakas ng loob”. I wasn’t very extroverted when I entered college, but it’s a practice I’ve learned along the way. Don’t worry, the curriculum allows growth in a lot of skills, even outside statistical processes. The school and the university are made for you to grow; you don’t have to be pressured to have all these skills. One thing though I’m certain you would need is the love to learn. Instill that in you and you’re good.
My current job:
I work as an Actuarial Analyst in an insurance company. It is one of the many career opportunities as a statistician while also applicable for graduates of mathematics.
Am I using what I learned in college:
There are a lot of disciplines required to practice actuarial science, just one of them is statistics. Only a small degree of what I studied in Stat do I use in my current job. More specifically, these are probabilities, statistical models and processes. If one can take my word for it, I would still suggest statistics as a course if one intends to be an actuary in the future.
Compared with graduates of mathematics, statisticians learn beforehand about data presentation, data handling and management, etc. The actuary field is very reliant on mathematical formulas and concepts but in my opinion, those can be learned over time. But the skills imparted in studying a statistics course are crucial and I think that’s the edge of statisticians.
How long did it take to find a job:
I graduated April 26, 2009 and started work May 20 of that year, so less than a month.
Do I recommend studying Statistics:
Actuarial science have professional exams one can take every season (at least twice a year) that can improve your professional career and employment status. That being said, I think it is solid proof of how challenging and growing the actuarial profession is.
Furthermore, when I look up actuary in the internet, I found out that it always frequents lists of jobs/careers with satisfying salary level and income opportunities. So it's a win-win. You can look it up for further proof.
Was this review useful to you?
