One Desperate Boy Needs Help

[late_show]

Okay, so I went into teaching because I'm good at it & because I thought that I could make a difference. (I was stupid.) Now, I'm studying like crazy for exam one with absolutely no help & without having taken prob or calc in 5+ years. I'm getting through the A&M book, but I'm getting only about 50% correct when I do the practice problems at the end of each chapter. (I'm on chapter 5 in prob. now.) With only 94 days until the test, am I totally hopeless??? How can I find help??? Is anyone in Indy studying at the same time as I am? Is there somewhere I can go online? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!

Dave[/img]

Relax.

There's lots of time left. If you're getting 50% correct right now, you're in reasonably good shape.

Get your hands on as many practice questions as you can. Do them again. And again.

Draw up a study schedule. Assume you'll need another 250 hours in the next 13 weeks. Figure 2 hours a day weekdays and 6 hours a day weekends. That's a reasonable study schedule for someone in your position. Stick to that schedule, you'll be fine. Deviate from it at your peril.

Support is nice, but not too big of a deal. Lots of us study on our own.

(as for being stupid about getting into teaching, there's folks on this forum who've left promising actuarial careers to go into teaching. )

I was in the same position as you three years ago. I decided to leave my teaching job and hadn't had calc or prob in about five years. I made two mistakes: I procrastinated and didn't even start studying until after I left the teaching job and I studied very little for that exam, so obviously I failed. In the mean time I found a non-actuary job that I like with a company that I like, therefore I never retook the actuary exam. I'm now working on an MBA (through my current company) and may or may not ever get back to the actuary exams.

So, if you really want to be an actuary take Glenn's advice and study your a** off over the next three months. But I would also advise to look around at other opportunities as well. You never know what you'll find.

Good luck!!!!!!!

[winsplod]

I'm in the same situation as you; however, I'm still in the education system and teaching math, so that helps. :P I decided to take exam 1 in January and started studying. Once you get the hang of things, it gets easier. My weakness is in probability, cuz I only took one course of stats in university. So my advice is to focus on your weak areas, whether it be multiple integrals, or Bayes theorem or multivariate probability. And stay focussed and study every day! Good luck!

[late_show]

Thanks! I'm teaching math, too, but it's Algebra I. What good does that do me??? I only had one prob. class in college, too. I feel like I'm probably screwed on this. The odds are so stacked against me, but I really want out of teaching. I've lost belief in our educational system. If it weren't so cold & so far from family, I think my wife & I would move to Canada.

Thanks for your help, everyone. I'm still sying to find someone in Indy who wants to study.

Dave

[Thane9]

I know exactly what you're going through. I too have been teaching and while I don't share your complete lack of faith in the educatonal system as a whole, I am tired of the games.

I am hoping getting this test under my belt will lead to a job I won't mind waking up for.