The Probability Path.
Word count: 1497
Choice count: 37
Section count: 22
Image count: 22
Error count: 15
Field Related Analysis
Education : 85 matches
(cegep, choice, class, classes, education, first, grades, graduate, learn, learned, learning, major, management, performance, school, semester, social, speaking, student, students, teach, trainee, training, university, vacation)Dance : 51 matches
(back, behind, break, close, ending, extend, facing, figure, forward, hesitation, out, performance, position, shape, side, skip, social)Business : 46 matches
(actuarial, benefits, company, employee, extend, firm, management, money, offer, office, opportunity, owner, salary, trainee)Target Structure: (40 matches)
comes in handy (1 match)
cursory (1 match)
dead-end job (1 match)
drudgery (2 matches)
hr (2 matches)
intern (5 matches)
internship (12 matches)
internships (1 match)
invaluable (1 match)
learning the ropes (1 match)
more often (1 match)
office politics (2 matches)
on-the-job-training (1 match)
overwhelmed (3 matches)
overwhelming (1 match)
overwhelms (1 match)
pension (2 matches)
premium wage (1 match)
pull off (1 match)
pulled off (1 match)
retirement (1 match)
set aside (1 match)
setting aside (1 match)
straight a's (5 matches)
more often than not (1 match)
the drive of work (1 match)
though (2 matches)
time management (1 match)
trainee (1 match)
undermining (1 match)
vacant position (1 match)
wage (1 match)
withhold (1 match)
corruption (1 match)
corrupted (1 match)
bribes (1 match)
assets (2 matches)
volunteer (13 matches)
volunteering (9 matches)
abroad (13 matches)
The Probability Path.
The End of Cegep.
After two years of late night and early morning studies trying to pull off straight A's, Cegep finally ends. I didn't get straight A's, though some semesters came close. Thanks to decent time management, I survived the drudgery and learned that I truly want to do: become an actuary. Now, I am facing my first major decision: Do I study actuarial mathematics in English at Concordia even though I am French? Or do I stay on the safe side and study at a French university like the University of Montreal.
Choice 1 : Apply to Concordia University.
Choice 2 : Apply to the University of Montreal.
Apply to Concordia University.
Concordia is fully English, which overwhelms me. My French background leaves me feeling skeptical at first, but I know speaking English well comes in handy in the actuarial world. As I start studying in this new environment, I realize I need to decide what kind of student I want to be here.
Choice 1 : Focus on straight A's.
Choice 2 : Focus on social life and dating.
Apply to the University of Montreal.
UdeM feels safe and familiar. No need for cursory translations in class. I know that this choice might withhold opportunities later, but I am fine with it. Now, I need to decide what type of student I want to become.
Choice 1 : Focus on straight A's.
Choice 2 : Focus on social life and dating.
Focus on straight A's.
I dive in university work full force. I learn a lot about actuarial math: probability, interest theory, risk models. Some days are drudgery, but the drive of work pushes me forward. One advisor suggests that volunteering abroad is an invaluable experience for students. Should I volunteer abroad during my two week mid-session break.
Choice 1 : Volunteer abroad.
Choice 2 : Skip volunteering and focus on classes.
Focus on social life and dating.
Instead of obsessing over grades, I start flirting more, going on dates, focusing on my social life. It is fun, even flirty sometimes. But mid-semester, I feel overwhelmed, maybe I should have studied more. Realizing this, I start thinking about how to get myself back on track, and two possible paths come to mind.
Choice 1 : Try volunteering abroad for a reset.
Choice 2 : Stick to fun and skip volunteering.
Volunteer abroad.
During my break, I sign up to volunteer abroad. Two programs stand out: one focused on environmental work, the other on education. I have to decide which type of experience will shape my time abroad the most.
Choice 1 : Volunteer in Costa Rica reforesting cloud forests.
Choice 2 : Volunteer in Morocco to teach math to children.
Skip volunteering and focus on studying.
I stay home, and I keep working on my school work during my break. I still need to find something to do during my break. I need to decide how to make the most out of this break.
Choice 1 : Seek an internship.
Choice 2 : Take a vacation and relax.
Try volunteering abroad for a reset.
To change my mind, I decide to volunteer abroad. I hope that after this trip, I will be in a better mood. I have to decide which type of experience will help me reset the most.
Choice 1 : Volunteer in Costa Rica reforesting cloud forests.
Choice 2 : Volunteer in Morocco to teach math to children.
Stick to fun and skip volunteering.
I decide to stick with fun and skip volunteering altogether. My weeks fill up with parties, dating, and late nights out. It's exciting, but I know that this lifestyle needs to change. I need to figure out how to get back onto a path that actually helps my future. That leaves me facing to different ways to reset.
Choice 1 : Seek an internship.
Choice 2 : Take a vacation and relax.
Volunteer in Costa Rica reforesting cloud forests.
I volunteer to help to plant native trees, and removing invasive plants. The ins and outs of environmental work are intense. Some tasks feel like dead-end job chores, but I still manage. Costa Rica is very different from Canada, but I got used to it. I like it a lot. As my time here comes to an end, I have to decide what direction I want to take next.
Choice 1 : Seek an internship.
Choice 2 : Extend stay abroad for extra weeks.
Volunteer in Morocco to teach math to children.
Teaching kids math feels rewarding. The disadvantages of underfunded schools become clear, but the advantages of helping are huge. I learn way more about myself that I expected. As my time in Morocco shortens, I begin to think about what I should do next.
Choice 1 : Seek an internship.
Choice 2 : Extend stay abroad for extra weeks.
Seek an internship.
I begin applying everywhere. One firm finally offers a position: an actuarial internship with on-the-job-training. As a trainee, I get overwhelmed by spreadsheets, mortality tables and risk models, but I learn a lot. The intern supervising me doesn't treat me the best. Eventually, I realize I need to decide what kind of intern I want to become.
Choice 1 : Work hard and aim to get hired full-time.
Choice 2 : Intern casually searching for a better internship.
Take a vacation and relax.
Vacation is great... until you realize others have internships while I am relaxing. I need to get going to not get left behind.
Choice 1 : Seek an internship.
Extend stay abroad for extra weeks.
Staying abroad for a few more weeks feels freeing. I spend my days exploring new towns, joining last minute volunteer activities and learning about the culture. But as time passed, I notice that friends back home are posting about their first internship. I start to worry about my future. I am coming back to get an internship.
Choice 1 : Seek an internship.
Work hard and aim to get hired full-time.
I feel overwhelmed in the first few weeks but eventually, I start getting better at it. An HR reviews my performance. They talk about compensations, salary expectations, benefits and pension pans. They mention the possibility of hiring me full-time after I graduate.
Choice 1 : Accept full-time offer.
Choice 2 : Decline and pursue a higher-paying firm.
Intern casually while searching for a better opportunity.
After looking around, I found a firm with a vacant position that wants to hire me as an intern. But this company has office politics issues. People get sucked up in drama. More often than not, someone is undermining someone else. What should I do?
Choice 1 : Work hard, Stay out of the drama and secure a future with this company.
Choice 2 : Go back to the more stable firm.
Accept full-time offer.
I get hired! As a full time employee, I now have a salary, benefits, and even vacation time. I am responsible for assets, models and risk projections. It is overwhelming at first, but I have a pulled off everything so far.
Choice 1 : Stable Career (ending).
Decline and pursue a higher-paying firm.
A new company is interested in your profile. This company pays premium wage, but has rumors of corruption. Some employees mention bribes. I try to stay focused on the work but I am not sure how to feel about these allegations.
Choice 1 : Go back to the more stable firm.
Choice 2 : Believe in this company and try getting hired.
Work hard, Stay out of the drama and secure a future with this company.
Working hard payed off. The company decided to hire me. HR talked to me about my salary, benefits and my pension plans. I can't wait to get started.
Choice 1 : Stable Career (ending).
Go back to the more stable firm.
Honestly, the first company wasn't that bad overall. You decide to return to the first firm, hoping some things have changed. It already feels a lot better than the company before. You work hard and learn a lot during your internship. They decide to hire you.
Choice 1 : Stable Career (ending).
Stable Career (ending).
I settle into my actuarial career. I set aside money monthly, building assets, planning for retirement. I am not retired yet, but I am setting aside enough to make it comfortable one day. After years of effort, volunteering, learning the ropes, and surviving office politics, I have finally become what I dreamed of, a full-time actuary.
Choice 1 : The End of Cegep.
Believe in the company.
Taking the chance on the company despite the allegations worked out well for you. The corrupted owner got fired a week after you arrived and everything got back into place. The new owner is friendly and reached out to you for a full-time position with the company. The salary is irresistible, so you take it with no hesitation.
Choice 1 : Stable Career (ending).
