Panicked and looking for help in Chicago

[Damascus]

Hey all,

So I just moved to Chicago and have been spending the last few weeks with my nose in books. I've got my P exam friday and feel very unprepared.

Is there any chance someone in the Chicagoland area would be interested in a quick tutoring/review session? I'm willing to pay of course.

Also, how crazy is it for someone to hope to find a internship/entry level job after taking only 1 exam and not having a degree (yet)? I dropped out of school 7 years ago and just came back. I'm going for a math/actuarial science degree.

For the record, the time I spent not in school was filled with tons of work experience in lots and lots of different work environments (I've worked for NASA, a massive law firm, been a Series 3 and 34 broker, and spent several years in the circus to name a few). I have never gone to an interview and not been offered the job... I just can't usually get the interview because of my lack of education.

P.S; I also have a wife and son, which sometimes helps to show you're serious about a career...

Thanks in advance.

[Sinkingfun]

how much studying have you put in cumulative?

No offense, but I think someone in a position to pass should not need this last week of gun hoe studying. This week should be light reviewing (not getting rusty) and relaxing.

My advice is to understand the TIA exams and understand the SOA 150 perfectly.

[Damascus]

No offense taken. I am well aware that I am highly unprepared. The fact is that I bit off far more than I can chew with the time frame I gave myself and the lack of proper background.

But my options are give up and wait for attempt #2 or do my best to pass the first time.

Thank you for the advice about TIA and SOA 150 and for your honesty.

In response to your question, I have been studying for about a month and a half and have never taken a statistics or probability course. I know just enough about probability to know that my chances are very bad =).

*Edit*- Forgot to mention. I am using the ASM study guide

[Fianchetto]

*Edit*- Forgot to mention. I am using the ASM study guide

IMO ASM's P/1 is poor choice for people who aren't already well versed in probability and calculus.

Good luck and if you don't pass give TIA a shot. It will treat you much better than ASM's P/1 manual.

[Sinkingfun]

how are you doing on practice exams?

I haven't taken the exam yet, but based on what people have told me, if you are hovering near 20, you have a good chance.

[Damascus]

IMO ASM's P/1 is poor choice for people who aren't already well versed in probability and calculus.

Good luck and if you don't pass give TIA a shot. It will treat you much better than ASM's P/1 manual.

Thank you for your advice Fianchetto. I have to say I agree very strongly. Although ASM is an excellent study guide, I have found it to be very hard to keep up with. I feel like it's perfect for the college student who is currently immersed in math. I'm going to definitely take a look at the TIA whether I pass or not, even if just to further my personal understanding. Especially now that I'm seeing how widely it is recommended.

Thanks again.

[Damascus]

how are you doing on practice exams?

I haven't taken the exam yet, but based on what people have told me, if you are hovering near 20, you have a good chance.

Allow me to answer your question in a roundabout way:

I took a break yesterday from studying the exams in order to attempt to calculate the probability of passing the exam on sheer guessing... and although I'm pretty sure I got it wrong... it's a very small number :lol:.

I'd say I'm hovering closer to a 15 on a good day.

Something just isn't clicking, and I know that when (probably this coming semester) I take a probability course in school, that little lightbulb will go off. I can do most of the calculations and understand most of the practical problems, but the theoretical ones that require a more intimate knowledge of math are lost on me.

I think it's really just that I haven't been in that environment in so long that I cannot pull theoretical concepts out of my head like I used to. Once I get my head right, I should be fine.

[Sinkingfun]

If you fail and have the money, definitely buy TIA. I leisurely ran through TIA and scored like a 17 on my first PE a month and a half ago.

[Pat89]

Which problems in particular are giving you trouble?

[Damascus]

-Sinkingfun

I'll do that for sure, thanks.

-Pat89

It's hard to say. Some problems that I think I won't figure out, I nail. And ones that seem like I've done a million times will stump me on a technicality. I recently ran through 10 practice problems in a row and got them all right without so much as a second thought, then spent the next few hours trying to understand a handful of problems after those.

I just draw blanks on definitions. I think I need to work more on memorizing properties, distributions, laws, etc... Securing that should have been step 1.

[Sinkingfun]

Which problems in particular are giving you trouble?

branching off of this... I think it's best to narrow down what you are really bad at. Then spend a whole day...10 hours of studying or more working on that weakness and doing practice problems.

Then the next day do the same thing...and so on until exam day. I mean 15 on a good day isn't enough to think you're going to pass...but I would say it's a start.

Another great thing you'll have going for you is that you won't be nervous on exam day because you already expect to fail.

Work on your weaknesses and push that 15 to an 18 in the next couple days...get some lucky guesses on exam day and you at least have a CHANCE.

[Damascus]

Yeah, Sinkingfun, I think you hit the nail on the head there on all accounts.

[lonelym3]

can't you postpone the exam date?

[Damascus]

Not as far as I know. It's 1 week away and I've already paid, registered, etc... I think if you make any changes to your exam date it's gotta be at least a month in advance.

[Kaner3339]

Not as far as I know. It's 1 week away and I've already paid, registered, etc... I think if you make any changes to your exam date it's gotta be at least a month in advance.

RESCHEDULE / CANCEL POLICY
There is a $35.00 reschedule fee for changing an appointment if the change is made 30 days prior to your appointment and up to 48 hours before your scheduled test date/time. No changes may be made within 48 hours of your scheduled appointment date/time. Your candidate number is only valid for the current exam session.
Candidate must re-register with the client.

Copied from my email. You're in luck.

[Damascus]

RESCHEDULE / CANCEL POLICY
There is a $35.00 reschedule fee for changing an appointment if the change is made 30 days prior to your appointment and up to 48 hours before your scheduled test date/time. No changes may be made within 48 hours of your scheduled appointment date/time. Your candidate number is only valid for the current exam session.
Candidate must re-register with the client.

I don't think this is as lucky as it seems. It looks like this is saying you can reschedule for a different time within the same period (push it from 29th to 31st), not from July to September. I don't think 2 days will make the difference.

[Damascus]

Yeah:

NOTE: A $35 rescheduling fee must be paid directly to Prometric if the test is rescheduled between 30 days and 49 hours of the appointment. Candidates may only reschedule an appointment within the same testing window.

Exam fees or registrations cannot be transferred from one session to a future session.

From: http://beanactuary.com/exams/cbt.cfm#dates

[Kaner3339]

2 days!?!?! That's 48 hours!!! MONTAGE!

[Damascus]

Haha, I miss the 80's... =)

But I don't have $35 to spend on an exam I'll probably fail. That money would be better spent going towards trial #2 I think.

Although the idea of running up stairs, benching bales of hay, and chasing chickens does sound like a good time....

[joni308]

If you managed to work at so many places including NASA and law firms without a degree we are the ones that should be asking for advice from you. You know there are people WITH degrees and not just one who struggle to find a job and you are landing jobs at NASA without one my opinion is YES, anything is possible for you.

[Kaner3339]

I agree with Joni. What's it like being either a superhuman or the most likable person on the planet Damascus?

[joni308]

I agree with Joni. What's it like being either a superhuman or the most likable person on the planet Damascus?

Think of the exact opposite of me. He must be THAT likeable.

[Sinkingfun]

If you managed to work at so many places including NASA and law firms without a degree we are the ones that should be asking for advice from you. You know there are people WITH degrees and not just one who struggle to find a job and you are landing jobs at NASA without one my opinion is YES, anything is possible for you.

hahahaha joni i'm starting to like you and respect your arrogance.

[Kaner3339]

I already do like you Joni. If you get the exam results to back up the talk you are actually my hero.

[Damascus]

Haha,

Thanks guys!

I'm hoping my lucky streak will continue in this field.

All it takes is a quick glance at this forum to see I'm not exactly the top math guy in the nation, but I like to think I've got a good professional attitude, strong work ethic, and a hopefully likeable personality. I know I can learn the math, it's just a matter of time. And if I don't learn it by Friday, I'll get it by next time.

Getting people to like you is much harder to learn =). So, in the long run, I've already got the tricky part down.

*Edit* For the record, although I've worked in so many places, for 3 weeks just after moving to Chicago I was delivering pizza for $5.50/hr plus tips. Funny enough, while I was still delivering those pizzas, I received a $2400 check for royalties on an international commercial I did. Life is funny. I'm ready for a steady career :).

[CaffeineAddict]

Can you afford to purchase a 7 day trial of ADAPT? This will help you narrow down what topics you are weak in. Then you can actually review questions only in those topics. Also, it will help give you an idea of how prepared you are.

[Kaner3339]

I'd like to meet you. You sound more interesting than the Dos Equis guy.

[Damascus]

Can you afford to purchase a 7 day trial of ADAPT? This will help you narrow down what topics you are weak in. Then you can actually review questions only in those topics. Also, it will help give you an idea of how prepared you are.

That's a really good idea, but it's probably not worth it this close to the exam.

I still have plenty of practice problems in my ASM exams and I have a hard time isolating which ones I have trouble with anyway... Honestly, it seems like I have a hard time with problems on the subject of "difficult" and am really good at calculating probabilities of anything related to "easy"...

I've found that if I know a problem, I can tackle it very quickly, so I'm just focusing on doing everything left in the ASM manual. If it's an easy one, it only takes a minute, if it's hard, then it's obviously one I need to work on.

[CaffeineAddict]

That's a really good idea, but it's probably not worth it this close to the exam.

I still have plenty of practice problems in my ASM exams and I have a hard time isolating which ones I have trouble with anyway... Honestly, it seems like I have a hard time with problems on the subject of "difficult" and am really good at calculating probabilities of anything related to "easy"...

I've found that if I know a problem, I can tackle it very quickly, so I'm just focusing on doing everything left in the ASM manual. If it's an easy one, it only takes a minute, if it's hard, then it's obviously one I need to work on.

But you already admitted that ASM is going too fast for you :-? ADAPT is designed to specifically help you prepare for the exam. They have ratings for how hard the questions are and will target your weak areas. Sure, it feels good to get the 'easy' questions right when studying, but why waste your time? Why would they create a 7 day trial, specifically for days before the exam, if it were a waste? IMO, if nothing else, stop doing the practice problems in ASM and master the SOA 153.

[Damascus]

Actually, you got me thinking there CaffeineAddict.

My logic was that the manual itself, in its approach to teaching, was difficult, but the practice problems are just practice problems...

The reason I've been focusing on those is because they are all (mostly?) taken from previous exams and I thought it would be a good idea to work on something as close to the exam as possible. Also, because when I did try to add a different source, it confused the bijeezes out of me...

But I think you're right. I'm gonna switch to the 153. If I get through it in time I'll go back to ASM and see if it helped.

Thanks for the tip!
(Thanks to you too Sinkingfun, for pointing that out earlier too. I didn't forget about you :-D)

[CaffeineAddict]

If you get through the SOA 153, take the TIA 4 free practice exams and see how you do.

[Sinkingfun]

if you are dilligent, I bet you have time to master all of the SOA 153 and all 4 TIA exams. That's like 273 problems mastered covering a wide spectrum of topics. I think you can do it, just don't count yourself out until you fail.

[Damascus]

Thanks a lot guys, I really appreciate it.

I'm working the SOA 153 now. I"m gonna do what you all said about the 153 and TIA.

A question on the 153. Is there some type of order to it? The first ones seems really easy... plus I'm pretty sure I've done several of them in the ASM manual.

Also, did you guys try to do all 153 then go back and check if you got them right, or did you check as you went? Like I said, I've been out of school for a long time and my study skills are taking a detour on their way back...

[Sinkingfun]

Thanks a lot guys, I really appreciate it.

I'm working the SOA 153 now. I"m gonna do what you all said about the 153 and TIA.

A question on the 153. Is there some type of order to it? The first ones seems really easy... plus I'm pretty sure I've done several of them in the ASM manual.

Also, did you guys try to do all 153 then go back and check if you got them right, or did you check as you went? Like I said, I've been out of school for a long time and my study skills are taking a detour on their way back...

I'm pretty sure the SOA questions run through based on topic..so like the first 70 are a joke because they are the very basics...but as you do more they cover more topics.

I would say if you are dominating them, keep cruising. If you get to a section where you just can't get it, the psycho analyze each problem and hope you can answer more.

[CaffeineAddict]

Thanks a lot guys, I really appreciate it.

I'm working the SOA 153 now. I"m gonna do what you all said about the 153 and TIA.

A question on the 153. Is there some type of order to it? The first ones seems really easy... plus I'm pretty sure I've done several of them in the ASM manual.

Also, did you guys try to do all 153 then go back and check if you got them right, or did you check as you went? Like I said, I've been out of school for a long time and my study skills are taking a detour on their way back...

IMO, go through all 153 straight through and do the ones you can or think you can. This does not have to be in one sitting. Then go back and check the ones you missed. Learn how to solve these problems and then redo them. Keep redoing these problems until you can answer them correctly at least a couple of times. This has worked for others.

[vishusmartishus]

Hey TC, I think your approach is very good. Just remember, there are two outcomes for you this week:

1. You show up to the test, you see about 15-18 problems you are pretty confident you'll get right, you manage to guess about 5 more, you pass, and you throw a huge house party the same night.

2. You show up to the test, you do your best, but you don't quite pass. You go home, think about where you screwed up, and keep working hard knowing that anything is possible for someone with enough resolve and determination.

Don't ever give up!