Financial Maths and Actuarial Science UCD

Xtina!!

Hey everyone! I was just wondering if anyone who is doing Financial maths and actuarial science could give me some advice/information on the course?

Im very confused at the moment about my future. Im repeating at the moment but am still having doubts about my desired career option of medicine, but my mind keeps coming back to maths.

I love maths and applied maths at school, they are my favourite subjects and I have a natural flair and ability at the subject. I also do business and accounting, and although these arent my favourite subjects, however, on the other hand I dont mind them.

My careers guidance teacher has continuously mentioned this course to me but I didnt really take much notice at it back then.

Ive looked at the course modules throughout the 4 years, however this does not give me a complete outline of the course. So I was hoping if anyone who is doing/ or has done this course could tell me a bit about:

• your experience in the course.
• whether you would recommend this career path if you are good and like maths?
• whether you regret doing the course?
• is it similar to LC maths? I know the financial side comes in here, but was it not as interesting or enjoyable as LC maths?

Could anyone pleasssssseeee help me out?:) Im so lost for direction at the moment its really beginning to distress me.:( Anyone doing this course, can you help me out or answer any of my questions?

misslt

Hey,

I'm only in my 2nd week of first year so I'm probably not much help but so far I love it.

I've looked at the course in DCU, Queens Belfast and Napier University in Edinburgh, and imo UCD was the best.

If you like maths, especially statistics, then it should be good for you.

Take a look at all the modules you will have to do each year and see - you start of with standard maths and stats, then as you go along it gets more specific to the actuarial profession.

Also look at mathematical science and even just maths - would teaching appeal to you?

pathway33

Hey. I don't do that course but I have a pdf folder of about 30 statistics/actuarial finance exams from ucd if you want me to mail them to you.

I don't know if the modules I have are the exact ones on the actuary degree but some of the 3rd and 4th year exams I have are titled 'actuarial.......'

Some of the second year exams are just statistics but I'd say they are pretty relevant

You mightn't make much sense of them and I hope they won't scare you but it may help.

PM me if you want me to email them

Xtina!!

misslt wrote: »

Hey,

I'm only in my 2nd week of first year so I'm probably not much help but so far I love it.

I've looked at the course in DCU, Queens Belfast and Napier University in Edinburgh, and imo UCD was the best.

If you like maths, especially statistics, then it should be good for you.

Take a look at all the modules you will have to do each year and see - you start of with standard maths and stats, then as you go along it gets more specific to the actuarial profession.

Also look at mathematical science and even just maths - would teaching appeal to you?

Thanks for your comments!:) I do like maths a lot, I love calculating and problem solving, but Ive always been back and forward about whether it would be the right career path for me.

Unfortunately I screwed up my cao choices so I didnt put it down as my second choice after medicine. I did want to do medicine, but the fact that its such a demanding and tough career kind of scares me and Im having second thoughts about it. I always thought maths and applied maths were my 'forte'. Ive started to repeat so far even though I did get 550+ points, but this is for other reasons. I think I might end up dropping out.
I was thinking of mathematical sciences in UCC, maybe it would give me more options at the end of the day, and I could still branch out into actuary then if I decide to. But Im still considering my options at the moment. Im going to do a lot of research over the next few months, and make sure I make the right decision.

I naver really considered maths teaching. To be honest I dont like the repetitiveness of the job. Im doing the course again as a repeat and Im bored out of ny mind because Ive done all the same basic questions before.

Did you do applied maths, accounting and business too in school? And what you have done so far is it on the same lines as LC maths?

logic123

Xtina you reapplying next year i guess?

misslt

I'm from the north - I did A-Level maths which included a Statistics module, a Mechanics module and 4 Core Maths modules. I didn't do accounting or business.

A lot of things are going to be very new to me - for example I'm working on a maths problem sheet atm on proof by induction (never even heard of it before) and I haven't a clue whats going on, but a friend of mine who did the LC knows exactly what to do.

This is the only thing so far I haven't met before, everything else I'm familiar with (so far!)

Xtina!!

logic123 wrote: »

Xtina you reapplying next year i guess?

Yeah I am. Put medicine down as my first choice but didnt get in due to the HPAT. Im going to reapply through the CAO next year, but Im reconsidering whether medicine is the right course for me. Im going to really consider mathematical sciences or financial maths and actuarial science though. Ive always had problems about what I want to do with my life. I probably should consider a basic science degree though, but dont know to be honest.

You're doing neuroscience arent you? Hows it going for you?:)

logic123

unfortunatly im not to keen on the course structure at UCD so im reapplyinf for neuroscience in England for next year. Bit of a shocker really as i was looking forward to doing my degree in ireland

Xtina!!

logic123 wrote: »

unfortunatly im not to keen on the course structure at UCD so im reapplyinf for neuroscience in England for next year. Bit of a shocker really as i was looking forward to doing my degree in ireland

What???:eek:Thats such a shame. Can you do one year here then continue the rest of your degree in England? Or do you have to start your degree from scratch in England? Not too familiar with the whole UK/Ireland thing.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Due to last years accreditation, it is now possible to gain an exemption from the CA1 professional exam.

I believe UCD is the only university where this is the case.

logic123

i could but at UCD its only a general science year and in england they go striaght into the neuroscience hence 3 years over there, i dont have the money really to burn on a general science year, so bascially ive sent off my UCAS for neuro next year tis a big shame though so so hyped up on studying here

Xtina!!

logic123 wrote: »

i could but at UCD its only a general science year and in england they go striaght into the neuroscience hence 3 years over there, i dont have the money really to burn on a general science year, so bascially ive sent off my UCAS for neuro next year tis a big shame though so so hyped up on studying here

Well, at least you wouldnt be kicking yourself in a few years time saying why didnt I go to Ireland to study! You gave it a go and unfortunately it didnt work out for you. I was just reading some of yur posts in another thread you created and you said that you prefer the more academic side of university life, instead of the sports/ social life kind of things, which UCD seems to focus on.

Im the same as you. I prefer to be in a more academic surrounding. Thats why Im repeating. I got 580 points, but only had biology, so I could only apply to the 6 yr course in medicine. Ineed chemistry plus a second science subject to get into UCC and the 5 yr course. So I need to repeat everything to do that, as medicine requires everything to be in the same sitting as the LC. Im practically taking the year out anyway, so say if I didnt repeat and get into medicine next year, then Ill be going straight into premed in the 6 yr course, and it seems to be quite an easy going year. Therefore Id taking two 'doss' years out. At least if I repeat I could apply to the 5 yr course and get straight into it. But of course now Im having doubts about the whole medicine thing...

But sure I think you are making the right decision. If you are not happy then whats the point? But maybe give yourself more time, its only been a week. Thats why Im giving myself till the end of October repeating.

Browney7

A lot of the actuarial modules in UCD are of a statistical nature tbh.

UCD is an accredited program now as Sean K said and I believe he is correct in saying that UCD is the only university where you can gain an exemption in CA-1.

The ucd stat department is the place to go for all the info you want.

First year is handy but from then on it gets tough enough.

Xtina!!

Browney7 wrote: »

A lot of the actuarial modules in UCD are of a statistical nature tbh.

UCD is an accredited program now as Sean K said and I believe he is correct in saying that UCD is the only university where you can gain an exemption in CA-1.

The ucd stat department is the place to go for all the info you want.

First year is handy but from then on it gets tough enough.

I didnt know that actually. Thanks and also to Sean K! :)So theres a lot of statistics in it? Tbh I find statistics quite uninteresting, out of everything I have learnt about maths statistics I suppose would be one of the last things I would look at. If you dont mind me asking, did you ever regret doing this course and would you advise people to consider it based on your experience?

Mardy Bum

There is a huge amount of statistics in the actuary course.

Browney7

Xtina!! wrote: »

I didnt know that actually. Thanks and also to Sean K! :)So theres a lot of statistics in it? Tbh I find statistics quite uninteresting, out of everything I have learnt about maths statistics I suppose would be one of the last things I would look at. If you dont mind me asking, did you ever regret doing this course and would you advise people to consider it based on your experience?

PM sent

imsocool chillininda pool

Hey everyone! I was just wondering if anyone who is doing Financial maths and actuarial science could give me some advice/information on the course?

Im very confused at the moment about my future. Im repeating at the moment but am still having doubts about my desired career option of medicine, but my mind keeps coming back to maths.

I love maths and applied maths at school, they are my favourite subjects and I have a natural flair and ability at the subject. I also do business and accounting, and although these arent my favourite subjects, however, on the other hand I dont mind them.

My careers guidance teacher has continuously mentioned this course to me but I didnt really take much notice at it back then.

Ive looked at the course modules throughout the 4 years, however this does not give me a complete outline of the course. So I was hoping if anyone who is doing/ or has done this course could tell me a bit about:
your experience in the course.
whether you would recommend this career path if you are good and like maths?
whether you regret doing the course?
is it similar to LC maths? I know the financial side comes in here, but was it not as interesting or enjoyable as LC maths?
Could anyone pleasssssseeee help me out? Im so lost for direction at the moment its really beginning to distress me. Anyone doing this course, can you help me out or answer any of my questions?

Hey, i was shocked as I read this as you had the exact same feelings as me, i'm drawn towards medicine but i love doing maths and enjoy physics and accounting aswell. My accounting teacher mentioned this course to me but i'm unsure about doing maths for the rest of my life! Have you any advice and what did you end up doing? thank you

Mardy Bum

imsocool chillininda pool wrote: »

Hey, i was shocked as I read this as you had the exact same feelings as me, i'm drawn towards medicine but i love doing maths and enjoy physics and accounting aswell. My accounting teacher mentioned this course to me but i'm unsure about doing maths for the rest of my life! Have you any advice and what did you end up doing? thank you

You do statistics not maths.