Haha RyukA you make it sound like it's all quite simple.

I know a lot of posts go up saying actuarial science doesn't have the serious hard kind of straight maths - I like the sound of that, because I am not a hard fan of vectors or trigonometric graphs.

However, looking at all the pure math topics they have, especially matrices and vectors, I kinda go like "Whaaah" cos who the hell likes that stuff anyway.

And mumeichan is telling me one god book will help me. I will definitely check it out after my exams.

Mumeichan are you in a UK school now?

And RyukA how is ANU? Do they have a July intake for Actuarial Science, and is it the same as the Feb intake? I can get in without Further Maths you reckon?

Thanks for that.

I realise a lot of the skills needed for work in whichever field (finance, quantitative finance, actuary, banking) can and will be learned only then. But before that I have to do well first. I know that I cannot enter uni and simply because I don't have a further maths background I allow myself to fall behind.

Ok well I didn't take further maths that's why I'm planning to take classes or something at least to help me. I'd like to know what there was in Further Maths that I might have missed out on - CIE A level further maths is only A2 and only 2 papers (not sure if this is how it is for everyone)... while other A level boards have further math modules for AS and A2, some of which are interchangeable...

In A level maths I have covered algebra, pemutations and combinations, binomial expansion, polynomials, series/progression, differentiation, integration, differential equations, vectors, complex numbers (and others, but these are specifically mentioned in the CT list).

Now here are things I have never done/heard of (I am reading out of a non-comprehensive CT1-CT8 math content list): interpolation and local approximation, higher order derivatives, Lagrange multipliers/maximisation under constraints, Taylor's theorem (power series expansion of e^x), double integrals and changing their order, partial derivatives of two variables, (what are: exact, separarble, logistic, linear?) differential equations, matrices.

Now here are things in the CIE Further Maths syllabus I don't know: polar curves (how does this relate to polar coordinates?), area of a sector (some integration formula), sum of finite series, mathematical induction (something I am worried about), conjecture, reduction formula to evaluate definite integrals, mean values and centroids of 2D and 3D figures using strips, discs, or shells (including use of a parameter), arc lengths, complementary functions, particular integrals, the general solution, de Moivre's theorem for a positive integral exponent (to express trigonometrical ratios of multiple angles in terms of powers of trigonometrical ratios of the fundamental angle; for a positive or negative rational exponent; in expressing powers of sin θ and cos θ in terms of multiple angles; in the summation of series; in finding and using the nth roots of unity),
some vector product rules with |a||b|sinθ n where n is the unit vector (a2 b3 – a3 b2) i + (a3 b1 – a1 b3) j + (a1 b2 – a2 b1) k, the axioms of a linear (vector) space, linear independence, determine whether a given set of vectors is dependent or independent, the subspace spanned by a given set of vectors, a space is a linearly
independent set of vectors that spans the space, the dimension of a space is the number of vectors in a basis, represent linear transformations, ‘column space', ‘row space', ‘range space' and ‘null space', the rank of a square matrix, and use (without proof) the relation between the rank, the
dimension of the null space and the order of the matrix, use methods associated with matrices and linearspaces in the context of the solution of a set of linear
equations, evaluate the determinant of a square matrix and find the inverse of a non-singular matrix, ‘eigenvalue' and ‘eigenvector', as applied to square matrices, express a matrix in the form QDQ^-1.

What do I need to do? How much of the further pure maths is relevant? Is actuarial maths all about the vectors and matrices, because I don't like vectors and I haven't learned a lot of matrices, as exemplified by the above.

(School said prior statistics knowledge is not required)

Thank you. I hope this is understandable.

-About not taking further maths, it was because it was only A2 - of course now I regret it, but it did not seem like the right choice then, and I wanted to maximise my grades - I was wrong, of course, because A2 further maths would have helped immensely. It's not too late (to catch up before heading to uni?)

Haha RyukA you make it sound like it's all quite simple.

I know a lot of posts go up saying actuarial science doesn't have the serious hard kind of straight maths - I like the sound of that, because I am not a hard fan of vectors or trigonometric graphs.

However, looking at all the pure math topics they have, especially matrices and vectors, I kinda go like "Whaaah" cos who the hell likes that stuff anyway.

And mumeichan is telling me one god book will help me. I will definitely check it out after my exams.

Mumeichan are you in a UK school now?

And RyukA how is ANU? Do they have a July intake for Actuarial Science, and is it the same as the Feb intake? I can get in without Further Maths you reckon?

Thanks for all the info guys.

RyukA: I see, TY, so you just switch up the classes and end up the same. Great

Well I eyed Actuarial Science a little while back, too bad didn't take Further while I could have. My school Does offer it, and the schools won't be pleased that I didn't take it while I could have.

I like maths and calculus enough. The school says "prior knowledge of statistics is not required". I did S1 and I'm doing M1, didn't do S2. Suppose that doesn't matter then. (M = mechanics). Hope to get A*. But you know how it is, the results come out after application, and ultimately A* is not the requirement, but necessary if they hold. if they "hold" I am lucky, if they don't then ...

I feel like I should tell the schools (compulsory personal statement) in my application that I have time from November 2010 till September 2010, and that I want to maybe get a work attachment and take math classes - actuarial stuff. Is that part about classes appropriate at all? They could think I am industrious, but they could think I am not prepared. And I want to make it clear that I am definitely ready, but I want to prep myself for the work ahead. How do I say this? Please help.

Do enlighten us,
what courses you are currently taking?
What subject are u currently taking?
What you gonna do next?
What Uni would you be interested to apply to?

---

Added on September 11, 2010, 10:59 pmBy the way guys, I'd like to ask - Which is a better degree to study:

BSc Statistics / MSci Statistical Science

or

BSc Statistics, Economics, and Finance

whether one intends to be an actuary or work in risk management or finance or investment? (both are offered at the same university)

The BSc Statistics has a lot of statistics and maths subjects common to other Actuarial Science courses. I ask this because I have 5 choices and only 1 or 2 of them are called BSc Actuarial Science. I'm not interested in non-applied maths and didn't take further so I won't be applying to any Mathematics courses.

Another university has BSc Actuarial Science and BSc Business Mathematics and Statistics. They said the BSc AS is directed towards actuarial study, although the other BSc many more options in statistics and risk subjects. But I suppose they should be very close.

Apparently I gather there are only about a handful of fully qualified actuarists in Malaysia. How are we going to find jobs in the future? There aren't many insurance companies here and most require only a few for job positions.

Please enlighten me if i'm wrong

thanks

I'm currently a Form 5 student from Malaysia opting to take up Ac .Sc. next year.
1)Which pre-uni courses should I take up considering STPM , A-levels , VCE , ADP.
2)What subject best to take.
3)Which uni.

I'm currently a Form 5 student from Malaysia opting to take up Ac .Sc. next year.
1)Which pre-uni courses should I take up considering STPM , A-levels , VCE , ADP.
2)What subject best to take.
3)Which uni.

Let's start by:
Why do you want to be an actuary? or why do you choose an actuarial degree? * to clear some misconception*

Let's start by:
Why do you want to be an actuary? or why do you choose an actuarial degree? * to clear some misconception*

I think it's better that he starts by reading all the actuary related threads here first.

His post is too general, so we shouldn't conclude that he hasn't read anything yet. So, a simpler question to know whether he research or not yet is to ask him why he wants to be an actuary..

Well, asking him why he wants to be an actuary is a good question. But I think the answer for his original question has been posted a few time here already and he'll probably find alot of useful info from reading past topic.