Actuarial studies or electrical engineering? (1 Viewer)

[Dauen Wu]

Hey,

I am planning what to do in Uni and I am stuck between actuarial studies and electrical engineering.. could anyone maybe list any pros or cons and how they feel about doing these courses. Thanks

 

[pikachu975]

What are your interests? Actuarial encompasses insurance (e.g pricing), risk analysis, a bit of maths, lots of Excel and other programs.

 

[Dauen Wu]

What are your interests? Actuarial encompasses insurance (e.g pricing), risk analysis, a bit of maths, lots of Excel and other programs.

I mean I have a brief understanding of both these jobs, it's just people that have told me that these jobs would be suited to my skillset

 

[Dauen Wu]

Also if I want to do any of these courses in uni could you guys please recommend what subjects to do in year 12 thanks

 

[jazz519]

Also if I want to do any of these courses in uni could you guys please recommend what subjects to do in year 12 thanks

Generally speaking for both those courses you should have a high level of maths so 3 unit maths min (particularly for actuarial but both of them you will be doing lots of math courses in uni). For electrical engineering physics may be helpful as you have to do 2 physics courses at uni from what I remember from my friends that do the course. Other than that doesn't really matter but you should still keep your mind open to other kind of degrees as well so make sure you consider that in your subject choices. I say that because in Year 10 I was leaning towards something in finance, business area and had I just chosen business subjects I would have gone down that root but found I really liked science courses when I did Year 11 and 12 so went down that pathway instead

 

[pikachu975]

Also if I want to do any of these courses in uni could you guys please recommend what subjects to do in year 12 thanks

Defs 3 or 4u maths, I’d recommend 4u (ext 2) if you are capable. Economics might be slightly useful for actuarial since you do micro and macroeconomics first year, and as jazz said physics for electrical engineering. However you learn it all in uni anyway, e.g they taught us complex numbers in maths and taught us all of economics.

 

[Dauen Wu]

Generally speaking for both those courses you should have a high level of maths so 3 unit maths min (particularly for actuarial but both of them you will be doing lots of math courses in uni). For electrical engineering physics may be helpful as you have to do 2 physics courses at uni from what I remember from my friends that do the course. Other than that doesn't really matter but you should still keep your mind open to other kind of degrees as well so make sure you consider that in your subject choices. I say that because in Year 10 I was leaning towards something in finance, business area and had I just chosen business subjects I would have gone down that root but found I really liked science courses when I did Year 11 and 12 so went down that pathway instead

Well that was quite a twist.. from doing something in finance to suddenly doing science lol but then again you are amazing in science so that was unequivocal

 

[Dauen Wu]

Defs 3 or 4u maths, I’d recommend 4u (ext 2) if you are capable. Economics might be slightly useful for actuarial since you do micro and macroeconomics first year, and as jazz said physics for electrical engineering. However you learn it all in uni anyway, e.g they taught us complex numbers in maths and taught us all of economics.

I am so sorry but could you explain what this 'unit' math thing is, this might seem a bit dumb but I am only aware that there is like standard then advanced then extension 1/2.. other than that I have no idea what 2u, 3u, 4u, etc math is..

 

[kevin3314]

I am so sorry but could you explain what this 'unit' math thing is, this might seem a bit dumb but I am only aware that there is like standard then advanced then extension 1/2.. other than that I have no idea what 2u, 3u, 4u, etc math is..

2U = Advanced(Most likely) or standard
Extension 1 equals 3U(i.e. 2U+1U=3U)
Extension 2 equals 4U(i.e. 2U+2U)

 

[jazz519]

Well that was quite a twist.. from doing something in finance to suddenly doing science lol but then again you are amazing in science so that was unequivocal

HAHAHAHA yep. I always enjoyed science even in younger years, but I understood also that it's a narrow career pathway. Especially for the science I was interested (Chem, Physics) where probably only have options of being a teacher (which I am not a fan of doing) or going into research where you have to be like high-performing to get a shot at it. So because of that finance seemed like a good option because I did also like commerce subject in year 9-10.

 

[Dauen Wu]

2U = Advanced(Most likely) or standard
Extension 1 equals 3U(i.e. 2U+1U=3U)
Extension 2 equals 4U(i.e. 2U+2U)

Ahh I see thanks for clarifying it

 

[Dauen Wu]

Defs 3 or 4u maths, I’d recommend 4u (ext 2) if you are capable. Economics might be slightly useful for actuarial since you do micro and macroeconomics first year, and as jazz said physics for electrical engineering. However you learn it all in uni anyway, e.g they taught us complex numbers in maths and taught us all of economics.

Generally speaking for both those courses you should have a high level of maths so 3 unit maths min (particularly for actuarial but both of them you will be doing lots of math courses in uni). For electrical engineering physics may be helpful as you have to do 2 physics courses at uni from what I remember from my friends that do the course. Other than that doesn't really matter but you should still keep your mind open to other kind of degrees as well so make sure you consider that in your subject choices. I say that because in Year 10 I was leaning towards something in finance, business area and had I just chosen business subjects I would have gone down that root but found I really liked science courses when I did Year 11 and 12 so went down that pathway instead

So perhaps I will take math extension 1 (not 2 because I feel like that will be way to much of a burden and if I fail that it will drag my ATAR), english advanced, economics, physics..

 

[jazz519]

So perhaps I will take math extension 1 (not 2 because I feel like that will be way to much of a burden and if I fail that it will drag my ATAR), english advanced, economics, physics..

Well usually like maths ext 2 is something you pick up in year 12, so see how ext 1 is for you in year 11 and if it’s soemthing you are doing good at consider extension 2

 

[kevin3314]

So perhaps I will take math extension 1 (not 2 because I feel like that will be way to much of a burden and if I fail that it will drag my ATAR), english advanced, economics, physics..

Also, consider what you will take for year 11, you need 12 units so at least 3 more units from somewhere(I would recommend an HSIE subject [Maybe business but it's content-heavy as well as on top of eco] or chem/bio.)

 

[Dauen Wu]

Also, consider what you will take for year 11, you need 12 units so at least 3 more units from somewhere(I would recommend an HSIE subject [Maybe business but it's content-heavy as well as on top of eco] or chem/bio.)

Hmm.. should I consider doing studies of religion? People ik are doing it and they won't tell me why, apparently it scales better or something, I honestly have no idea how it works but yeh

 

[Dauen Wu]

Also, consider what you will take for year 11, you need 12 units so at least 3 more units from somewhere(I would recommend an HSIE subject [Maybe business but it's content-heavy as well as on top of eco] or chem/bio.)

Also shouldn't the subjects I select be relevant to what I want to pursue in uni?

 

[SpiderX1X]

People do Studies of Religion mainly because they have a background knowledge in it and it'll give them an easy band 6.

 

[Dauen Wu]

People do Studies of Religion mainly because they have a background knowledge in it and it'll give them an easy band 6.

What kinda background knowledge.. you mean of their own religion..

 

[SpiderX1X]

What kinda background knowledge.. you mean of their own religion..

Yes that, or either they were in a school that did mandatory SOR and moved to a school where it was just an option.

 

[Dauen Wu]

Yes that, or either they were in a school that did mandatory SOR and moved to a school where it was just an option.

ahh ofc the person that did studies of religion went to a Christian school oops didn't take that into account lol