Science TNT

Actuarial Science? What are actuarial science and actuary? Are they the same things? According to Wikipedia, Actuarial science is the discipline that applies mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk in the insurance and finance industries. An actuary is a business professional who deals with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty. Actuaries have a deep understanding of financial security systems, their reasons for being, their complexity, their mathematics, and the way they work.

You can be a genius in mathematics but not must in actuarial science. Actuarial science is NOT ALL about mathematics, but involving lots of statistics, modelling, finance, economics, accounting and so on. So, even when you don’t end up as an actuary, you will still have other career options such as working in risk management, investment, etc. Hence, if you love mathematics, you will love pure mathematics. If you love applying mathematics (in business or economics), you will love actuarial science.

Actuarial science DOES NOT guarantee a HIGHLY paid job. Only qualified Actuary get paid in millions depend on the need in different countries. Fresh actuarial science graduate does not make you different from any other graduates at all. And, there are MANY Malaysians currently studying actuarial science. (JPA scholars, Bank Negara scholars, SC scholars, Khazanah scholars, UKM, UM, UiTM, USIM, UTAR, INTI, Taylor, HELP)

Its easy to get a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science. But it’s not easy to be an actuary. Undoubtedly, the route becoming an actuary is a very tough. If not, millions of people will become actuaries and the job prospect for actuaries will be really bad. My advice is thinking thrice before you make a decision to get into the program, don’t jump into it for the wrong reason, i.e. money. I know that some actuarial majors brag about actuaries getting paid millions, including me! Yes, it is true but take note that you only get paid well if you’re good in term of many things, such as soft skills.

Become an actuary, you must not have the actuarial science degree. You can become an actuary by taking any bachelors degree, but it is better to take something related degree, like mathematics, statistics, economics, finance, etc. The most important is the professional exams. But, most people who take actuarial science fail to become a qualified actuary.

What are the criteria to become an actuary? According to Be An Actuary website, you must have an excellent business sense with a knowledge of finance, accounting, and economics, keen analytical, project management, and problem solving skills, specialized math knowledge, strong computer skills, and solid written and oral communication skills. In addition, you must enjoy learning, like to solve complicated problems, enjoy writing and talking to people, can work effectively alone or as part of a team, are interested in a variety of historical, social, legislative, and political issues, and are self-motivated achievers.

After a short briefing of actuarial science and actuary, lets talk about Why Actuary? If I say I take this course not because the highly competitive salary, then you will definitely not believe me! To be honest, yes, the MAJOR reason I choose actuary as my career is because FINANCIAL FREEDOM (just a major reason, there are some minor reasons). Then, I thought that I have a moderate amount of logical, mathematical, and analytical ability. Since I do not want to teach, being more practical than abstract, mathematically, I thought that being an actuary would be all right. And as a not-so-bad student, I have no other choices! Because there is a myth in Malaysia: Best student always take Medicine, Engineering or Actuarial Science. Finally, I choose actuary as my career due to the myth.

If you are really interested in Actuarial Science, what I think is that getting a local degree or overseas degree is just the same. The most important is the professional examination. There are many ways to pursue actuarial science degree, since I am studying in local university, I just talk about the local one (Malaysia). For SPM students, you can try to get the scholarship, such as JPA/MARA (I think it will become easier to get this scholarship after the 308! ), Bank Negara, Khazanah, SC, Great Eastern and so on. If you didnt get it, you can try to get into Asasi UiTM (for Bumiputera only!), Matriculation, STPM or Private College/University, like INTI, Taylor, HELP ).

After Matriculation or STPM, with CGPA 4.00, you may do actuarial science degree locally at UKM, UM, USIM, UiTM. For non-Bumi, you just can gain the admission into UM or UKM only. One more option is UNITAR.

Well, for those who aspires to become an actuary but failed to get admission to the course, should not give up but instead go into courses like Statistics or Mathematics and start taking actuarial professional examinations.

The path to become an actuary involves going through a well-structured education plan. This involves university-level education and professional examinations, as well as other requirements. You should prepare and start your professional examinations since the first year you get into to University or College ( or even STPM ). For the professional examinations, you have to think about what are the options of societies or institutes.

For me, like my most other seniors, choosing Society of Actuaries (SOA). But now, I am still just a second-year, first-semester actuarial student. The road is still very long. I hope can finish 5 papers before my graduation. Here we go!

The majority of South African matric pupils are only concerned about passing their final exams and finding Jobs in Cape Town, but then there are other pupils who are engaged in science projects that would leave any seasoned scientist green with envy.

Cape Town boasts with Danielle Jacobson from Camps Bay High School, Ben Langer from Herzlia High School, and Philippe Lothaller from Rondebosch Boys High School. Danielle Mallabone from St Teresaa High School will be the only contestant from Johannesburg. And finally, Retselisitsoe Monyake from Harmony High School in Welkom, who all turned heads recently with their inventions at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair, in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Lothaller and Jacobson not only won bursaries to study at top universities in the USA, but also walked away with substantial cash prizes.

Danielle Jacobson, who is only 16 years old, won a $50,000 scholarship at West Virginia University for her work and study of how to employ bacteria and nano-electrodes to increase the electrical output of microbial fuel cells.
Danielles explanation of her research sounds like something from a doctoral thesis, which makes it even more impressive. Microbial fuel cells are devices that convert chemical energy into electrical energy by the catalytic reaction of specialised microbes.

Danielle discovered a method to make the electrodes 2,600 times more efficient, but unfortunately her process was too pricey to be viable for now.

Ben Langer discovered that by adding certain accelerants to rocket fuel, it was possible to increase the power to weight ratio of the rocket-engine. This won him the New American University Provost Scholarship, which allows him to study at Arizona State University. He also won a cash prize of $2,500 to do further research at the Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development.

Philippe Lothaller, who has always been spellbound by aircraft design, discovered a way to reduce wear on the aircraft tyres by attaching scoops to the wheels of the aircraft, which reduces friction-induced wear on the tyres. For his discovery, Philippe won a $7,500 cash prize from the United Airlines Foundation.

The abovementioned pupils were selected after performing well in the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists International Science Fair, which took place in 2012.

South Africas researchers and scientists are ageing and we are trying to encourage young students in these fields to become the next generation of scientists to solve the issues of energy and the environment we are facing, said Eskom Expo director, Priscilla Moodley.

A quick trip down the sports nutrition aisle at your local grocery store quickly brings to light how many products are sold to improve sports performance and health. Each product has been specially designed to do something for your body. Some products are designed to replenish your electrolytes after a heavy workout while others are designed to help rebuild your muscles after a strenuous workout. However, have you ever wondered if the claims made by these products are accurate? This is something that you can test with your science fair project.

Protein Bars

Protein bars are marketed to two specific demographics, people who want to lose weight and people who want to build muscles. The protein bars that are marketed to people trying to lose weight claim that they are able to curb your appetite and to provide your body with lean protein to help encourage weight loss. The protein bars that are marketed to people who are trying to build muscle claim that they provide a quality protein source that will enable the person to build more muscle.

Science Fair Topics

There are a couple of angles that you can take when developing this topic into a science fair project. The first angle is to focus on the weight loss claims and the second option is to focus on the muscle building properties of the bars. If you select the weight loss claims to test then you will need to select people to test that are trying to lose weight and if you select the muscle building claims then you will need to experiment with people who already are training to build muscle.

Testing Weight Loss Claims

The first direction that you can take in a protein bar science fair project is to see how effective it is at aiding in weight loss. To start with you will need to recruit two groups of dieters. The first group will be your control group. They will follow a healthy diet plan, like the Zone, but they will not supplement that diet with protein bars. The second group will be the test group. They will follow the same diet plan as the control group, however, they will add protein bars to their diet as a snack once a day.

To start the experiment both groups will be weighed and measured. They will then be given diet and exercise instructions. They will be given a diet journal to keep each day. This journal will include what they ate, how much they exercised and how they felt. At the end of weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4 the groups will be weighed and measured. After the 4th weigh in the data will be analyzed to determine if protein bars are aiding in the weight loss of the test group.

There is a great old book called “The Science of Getting Rich” written in 1911 by a man named Wallace Wattles. The book was the inspiration for “The Secret” a movie all about the law of attraction. Although “The Science of Getting Rich” is about the law of attraction, it never calls it that, even so this book is perhaps the best reference about using the law and putting it into action in your life.

Basically using the law of attraction boils down to setting up a daily cycle in your life.

Steps To Success UsingThe Science of Getting Rich

1.Visualize an outcome see the result 2.Take note of the ideas that come to mind 3.See the world in the context of this vision 4.Notice new things, create a mindset that appreciates things rather than discounts them 5.Add in these things to your vision and let the vision morph 6.Take action in anyway that you can on these ideas and on your vision 7.Repeat morning and night every day

Science of Getting Rich Lifes Compass

In The Science of Getting Rich, Wattles states: “You must form a clear and definite mental picture of what you want; you cannot transmit an idea before you have it yourself. You must have it before you can give it; and many people fail to impress Thinking Substance because they have themselves only a vague and misty concept of the things they want to do, have, or to become.”

If you close your eyes right now can you see a picture of what you want in your life? Can you step into it and feel, smell, and hear? Wattles says: It is not enough that you should have a general desire for wealth “to do good with” everybody has that desire.

The Science of Getting Rich talks about a sensory rich vision as the first step. This is a vision powerful enough to inspire and motivate you to take action to make the vision a reality. How can you have something if you dont really know what it is. Vague or general ideas are no different from seeing something on TV and then the next day trying to describe the show to a Friend. You have some of it but much of the detail is gone.

Future Vision The Science of Getting Rich Style

In your vision the only way to fill it in is to go through it over and over, perhaps take some notes. Include in your notes how it makes you feel? What do you hear? Who is there with you? Is the scent of sandalwood in the air? Experience it all, put it all down and on successive days fill in the details and intensify the vision. Spend time contemplating this picture.

As you go through the day find moments to bring your vision to mind just long enough to appreciate it and be grateful for it. Continue this process as the first step of the law of attraction daily cycle.

Learn to use The Science of Getting Rich as your own secret weapon and as your key to success and creation.

Science can be a challenge course for students to take. Some students seem to have a natural competency in science while others struggle to master even the most basic science concepts. If the grades in your science class seem to be slipping then give your students a second chance at mastering the concepts in the unit and raising their grade. This can be done by offering extra credit projects.

#1 Science Fair Project

One of the best extra credit projects that you can offer to your science students is a science fair project. Science fair projects can be offered several months before the school science fair. Most schools allow these projects to be done voluntarily, however, if you have a student that is going to flunk the class then you can offer them a chance to raise their score significantly if they do a good job on this project.

#2 Science Report

A good extra credit project for science class that requires slightly less work than a science fair project is a basic science report. You can offer your students 10 to 20 extra points if they complete a three to five page essay on a science topic that you select. This option will not only help the student to recapture some of their missing points, but it will also give them more exposure to the concept that they are struggling with in class.

#3 Interview a Science Professional

A fun extra credit project for science class is to have your students interview a science professional and to write a news story on them. The science professional can be a science teacher, a lab technician, a doctor or a biologist from the local area. You can offer extra points if the student gives a speech in class about the person they interviewed.

#4 Put Together a Collection

Science collections can also be offered as a science extra credit project. As the teacher you will need to define what type of collection will need to be assembled, how many pieces it will need to have and what features it will need to have to qualify for points. Possible collections include leaf collections, flower collections, insect collections and rock collections.

#5 Group Projects

Group projects can also be offered as a middle school extra credit project. This type of project will focus on the solving of a science problem as a group. In order to earn credit each member of the group will need to participate in the presentation of the solution and each member will need to contribute to the solution.

#6 Seasonal Projects

Since the school year covers about 75 percent of the year several seasons and holidays are enveloped in the school year. You can develop extra credit projects around these special events and seasons. For example, you can have your students collect data about something related to a season or a holiday celebration. They can keep a journal about the temperatures and weather or they can collect data on how many calories people consume on a normal day and how many calories they consume at a holiday celebration.