New type of exam seminar---the PREview

[Jim Daniel]

29 October 2002

Because of my experience teaching intensive exam-prep REview seminars for SoA/CAS Courses/Exams 3 & 4 as well as normally-paced college classes on everything on the syllabi for those exams, I?ve decided to start offering a _new type_ of exam seminar---the PREview seminar---both for 3 and for 4. [I?ll continue to offer traditional exam-prep REview seminars on both those, independent of the PREview seminars.]

PREview seminars are given in mid-January and late July. In 2 or 3 days they introduce _all_ the fundamental ideas and topics on the syllabus with a thorough treatment of representative sections.Their aim is to provide a solid foundation for self-study, especially for those that have not had the advantage of studying all the material in college. For information on all my seminars, see my website www.actuarialseminars.com .

Jim Daniel
jimdaniel@actuarialseminars.com

[The Drunken Actuary]

I like the idea.

[glenn]

Prof Daniel - make sure you send me a reminder in advance, we'll get a note posted on the home page here.

[Avi]

:)

That's sort of what I used the NEAS Seminar for. Since I found a job, and moved 1000+ miles after the last exam, I didn't start studying effectively until late August. I hadn't touched Macro/Micro until the NEAS exam. Now, while the instructor left alot to be desired, I did get a semi-decent foundation in 2 days, enough to build on that will hopefully allow me to pass. :wall:

--Avi

[c3 taker]

:)

That's sort of what I used the NEAS Seminar for. Since I found a job, and moved 1000+ miles after the last exam, I didn't start studying effectively until late August. I hadn't touched Macro/Micro until the NEAS exam. Now, while the instructor left alot to be desired, I did get a semi-decent foundation in 2 days, enough to build on that will hopefully allow me to pass. :wall:

--Avi

Well Avi......you deciding to not prepare yourself for the NEAS seminar really had an adverse affect on the other 60 people in the room. Not to be rude, but your little interjections were less than helpful and definately caused the instructors, espeically professor feldblum to not be as an effective professor as he could have been for the rest of us. Personally, I was prepared for the seminar and my main purpose of attendence was to have some points clarified and topics explained by someone with a better knowledge of the subject matter. All three professors asked you to have at least a general understanding of the material. You didn't, so the least you could have done was just listen and ask a few questions every now and then rather than force your misunderstandings of the material at the room every 5 minutes. JMHO

[The Drunken Actuary]

:rofl: :lol: :lolup: :bump: :D

OMG, I'm dying! The contrast in these two posts is killing me.

[Avi]

:)

That's sort of what I used the NEAS Seminar for. Since I found a job, and moved 1000+ miles after the last exam, I didn't start studying effectively until late August. I hadn't touched Macro/Micro until the NEAS exam. Now, while the instructor left alot to be desired, I did get a semi-decent foundation in 2 days, enough to build on that will hopefully allow me to pass. :wall:

--Avi

Well Avi......you deciding to not prepare yourself for the NEAS seminar really had an adverse affect on the other 60 people in the room. Not to be rude, but your little interjections were less than helpful and definately caused the instructors, espeically professor feldblum to not be as an effective professor as he could have been for the rest of us. Personally, I was prepared for the seminar and my main purpose of attendence was to have some points clarified and topics explained by someone with a better knowledge of the subject matter. All three professors asked you to have at least a general understanding of the material. You didn't, so the least you could have done was just listen and ask a few questions every now and then rather than force your misunderstandings of the material at the room every 5 minutes. JMHO

Firstly, let me point out that I never claimed I was unprepared for Int Thr and Crp Fin per se. Au contraire, and it's actually kind of funny, as both Professor Batten and Professor Smith sought me out after each of their respective sessions and personally thanked me for attending. To paraphrase Dr. Batten, he felt that my "interjections" clarified the material for the session and actually helped the flow and progress of the 2 days. Ditto for Dr. Smith (not to mention my finding an omission from his syllabus), so while I understand your frustration, I think I can say that when it came to Finance and Int Thr. I was as prepared as anyone in that room.

As regards Mac/Mic I agree I was not as prepared as I should have been, but then again neither was Dr. Feldblum. If you are referring to the time of the "outburst" when a gentleman in the middle of the room became perturbed as Dr. Feldblum talked himself into circles, all I can say is that all of us (or our companies) paid good money for us to take this course. If I point out to Dr. Feldblum that according to what he has been teaching, his last statement doesn't make sense, and he tails off in a confused sputter, is that the fault of the student or the the teacher?

I understand that there are students that are more vocal, and those that are less. From my years as a teacher, as well as a student, I believe that the <u>well prepared and competent</u> teacher prefers a student who interacts with him or her in class.

I have also found that many times, many students are too bashful to speak up and admit ignorance in front of a large group, and thus no one asks the questions, or elicits the clarifications that are necessary. I'd rather tell 60 students that yes I dont understand something and can the teacher please explain it, than go on in a fog. I would proffer that most of the questions I asked in Macro/micro were going through the minds of plenty of others in that class besides myself.

Ah well, I guess I'm vain enough that I felt the need to respond :oops:

In any event, should you feel that I materially interfered with your ability to gain as much as you could out of the seminar, you have my apologies. That was not my intent.

--Avi

PS Good Luck!

[Avi]

:rofl: :lol: :lolup: :bump: :D

OMG, I'm dying! The contrast in these two posts is killing me.

Out of sheer curiosity (and a healthy helping of ego), what exactly did you mean by the contrast? :D

[Macroman]

I'm sure there are always people at the August and March seminars that are marginally or unprepared for some of the topics. That is what many people use them for, to catch up.

Asking a few questions in class that are below the level of some of the other students should not be frowned upon, most often there are other students harboring similar questions who might be afraid to ask.

I think obviously there is a line that can be crossed where one student cannot be allowed to hold up the whole group. I think generally it is up to the instructor to signal this by saying something to effect of "Avi, could we go over this after class?"
:)

I think the preview seminar sounds like a good idea.