Accept or reject?

[sasha]

Hello,
I have cleared 4 exams of SOA and also have credit for VEE Economics. Recently, I applied at ANU for Bsc. Actuarial Studies as an international student. I have received the offer of admission without any credits or exemptions. Is it worthwhile in any way to take up this offer because I will be studying most of the things a second time?

[DW Simpson]

What other options have you?

[sasha]

What other options have you?

Continue taking the SOA exams on my own, as I have been doing till now. I cleared all these first 4 preliminary exams of SOA without any failure.

[DW Simpson]

What other options have you for money or school or otherwise passing the time, besides taking exams?

[actuarial_apprentice]

Wouldn't it be a waste of time and money to study everything again, especially if its going to take three or more years? Would an actuarial degree help you (with work or the later exams) given that you've passed four exams?

The actuarial program at ANU can lead to the AIAA qualification (if you take the Control Cycle after three years), but aren't you already close to ASA?

What about the other Australian universities with actuarial programs eg. Macquarie, Melbourne or UNSW? They may be able to offer credits or exemptions. They may also have postgraduate courses with research which might be of interest.

Can you start work anywhere?

[sasha]

Wouldn't it be a waste of time and money to study everything again, especially if its going to take three or more years? Would an actuarial degree help you (with work or the later exams) given that you've passed four exams?

The actuarial program at ANU can lead to the AIAA qualification (if you take the Control Cycle after three years), but aren't you already close to ASA?

What about the other Australian universities with actuarial programs eg. Macquarie, Melbourne or UNSW? They may be able to offer credits or exemptions. They may also have postgraduate courses with research which might be of interest.

Can you start work anywhere?

Thanks for your reply
I am not sure whether other Australian universities will give any exemptions to me.
Entry to postgraduate courses in these universities require a graduate degree which I dont have.
Yeh I can start work anywhere.

[DW Simpson]

What other options have you for money or school or otherwise passing the time, besides taking exams?

What is your citizenship? Have you looked for entry level roles internationally? Where do you live?

I don't think anybody can tell you whether you should accept or reject unless we know more about your situation.

[sasha]

What other options have you for money or school or otherwise passing the time, besides taking exams?

What is your citizenship? Have you looked for entry level roles internationally? Where do you live?

I don't think anybody can tell you whether you should accept or reject unless we know more about your situation.

I am a Pakistani currently residing in Pakistan. I dont have any previous job experience.

[DW Simpson]

Have you looked for entry level roles [in Pakistan]?.

[atomic]

What was the p-value you obtained? :-D

[sasha]

Have you looked for entry level roles [in Pakistan]?.

No

[DW Simpson]

.

No

Then I remain unclear on why you would choose paying for school over being paid to work.

[actuarial_apprentice]

Thanks for your reply
I am not sure whether other Australian universities will give any exemptions to me.
Entry to postgraduate courses in these universities require a graduate degree which I dont have.
Yeh I can start work anywhere.
Masters courses usually only require an undergraduate degree. Do you have one?

But as D.W. Simpson put it: Why not work?

Exams and relevant work experience will probably help you more than exams and a degree would. Furthermore, your exams may already make you 'overqualified' (judging from other people's posts in the Careers - Employment section).

[no]

No

Then I remain unclear on why you would choose paying for school over being paid to work.

That is the easiest route for a person from a developing country to get into a developed country.

[DW Simpson]

Then I remain unclear on why you would choose paying for school over being paid to work.

That is the easiest route for a person from a developing country to get into a developed country.

But the original poster didn't search for work in their home country.

If the objective is to get into a developed country, then of course that's a pertinent detail.

If the objective is to get actuarial experience anywhere, then that's where I remain unclear.

[sasha]

Then I remain unclear on why you would choose paying for school over being paid to work.


Sorry for the delay in replying.
For entry level, many employers over here prefer students to have an undergraduate degree(in any discipline) along with 1 or 2 actuarial exams. Since I don’t have a degree I decided to take one.
Along with the exams of SOA I am also taking exams of ACCA (UK) and if for example, had I chosen Bsc. Mathematics then it would have become really difficult for me to give time to three areas i.e. SOA exams, ACCA exams and the degree itself. So, because of my actuarial background, I decided to do Bsc. Actuarial science, as my SOA exams would help me get exemptions in this course. Also it would be easy for me to do as I have already studied it before. We only have one university over here that is offering Bsc. Actuarial science and its program is also not up to the standard. It was for these reasons I applied at ANU, expecting to get some exemptions based on my SOA result, but was really disappointed when I saw that I haven’t got any exemptions.
After this background, what do you advice should I accept the offer?

[DW Simpson]

Then I remain unclear on why you would choose paying for school over being paid to work.


Sorry for the delay in replying.
For entry level, many employers over here prefer students to have an undergraduate degree(in any discipline) along with 1 or 2 actuarial exams. Since I don’t have a degree I decided to take one.
Along with the exams of SOA I am also taking exams of ACCA (UK) and if for example, had I chosen Bsc. Mathematics then it would have become really difficult for me to give time to three areas i.e. SOA exams, ACCA exams and the degree itself. So, because of my actuarial background, I decided to do Bsc. Actuarial science, as my SOA exams would help me get exemptions in this course. Also it would be easy for me to do as I have already studied it before. We only have one university over here that is offering Bsc. Actuarial science and its program is also not up to the standard. It was for these reasons I applied at ANU, expecting to get some exemptions based on my SOA result, but was really disappointed when I saw that I haven’t got any exemptions.
After this background, what do you advice should I accept the offer?

Ok. What about this?:

What about the other Australian universities with actuarial programs eg. Macquarie, Melbourne or UNSW? They may be able to offer credits or exemptions. They may also have postgraduate courses with research which might be of interest.

[actuarial_apprentice]

Sorry for the delay in replying.
For entry level, many employers over here prefer students to have an undergraduate degree(in any discipline) along with 1 or 2 actuarial exams. Since I don’t have a degree I decided to take one.
Along with the exams of SOA I am also taking exams of ACCA (UK) and if for example, had I chosen Bsc. Mathematics then it would have become really difficult for me to give time to three areas i.e. SOA exams, ACCA exams and the degree itself. So, because of my actuarial background, I decided to do Bsc. Actuarial science, as my SOA exams would help me get exemptions in this course. Also it would be easy for me to do as I have already studied it before. We only have one university over here that is offering Bsc. Actuarial science and its program is also not up to the standard. It was for these reasons I applied at ANU, expecting to get some exemptions based on my SOA result, but was really disappointed when I saw that I haven’t got any exemptions.
After this background, what do you advice should I accept the offer?
What do you want out of your degree?

1. Just to have one - actuarial studies at ANU would not be a bad choice, although its hardly the easiest course even if you've covered most of the material once before

2. Learn something - there should be plenty of courses besides actuarial studies where you can learn how (not what!) to think and enjoy the course

[sasha]

Sorry for the delay in replying.
For entry level, many employers over here prefer students to have an undergraduate degree(in any discipline) along with 1 or 2 actuarial exams. Since I don’t have a degree I decided to take one.
Along with the exams of SOA I am also taking exams of ACCA (UK) and if for example, had I chosen Bsc. Mathematics then it would have become really difficult for me to give time to three areas i.e. SOA exams, ACCA exams and the degree itself. So, because of my actuarial background, I decided to do Bsc. Actuarial science, as my SOA exams would help me get exemptions in this course. Also it would be easy for me to do as I have already studied it before. We only have one university over here that is offering Bsc. Actuarial science and its program is also not up to the standard. It was for these reasons I applied at ANU, expecting to get some exemptions based on my SOA result, but was really disappointed when I saw that I haven’t got any exemptions.
After this background, what do you advice should I accept the offer?

Ok. What about this?:

What about the other Australian universities with actuarial programs eg. Macquarie, Melbourne or UNSW? They may be able to offer credits or exemptions. They may also have postgraduate courses with research which might be of interest.

I have to apply in these universities to check whether these are offering me exemptions.
As far as ANU is concerned, I shouldn't consider its offer.Right?

[DW Simpson]

I have to apply in these universities to check whether these are offering me exemptions.
As far as ANU is concerned, I shouldn't consider its offer.Right?

I'm not necessarily saying that. I wouldn't actually advocate accepting or rejecting anything, I'm better at just asking questions to get at what could drive decisions.