Growing up and studying mathematics in early education, we all said, when are we going to ever use this stuff?  As mentioned in the last post, focusing on thought-provoking activities, like reading a fantasy novel or doing math problems allows for one to think beyond the banal; giving chase to the extraordinary.

My grandfather was a mathematics professor and my dad loved studying mathematics in school.  I believe that there is an interest that I didn’t even see was there.  I was at a tutoring session for my Multivariable Calculus with Linear Algebra class and I picked a random question, wanting to know about parametrization of surfaces in general.  Instead, I learned about a specific example of parametric surfaces, called surfaces of revolution.  By the end of the session, I was left in a daze.  However, as I drove home, things fell into place and my mind was blown.  I learn best audio cues, so hearing math from a peer is an amazing tool.  Surfaces of revolution really got me to really love mathematics as a whole!

 

It is a given that actuaries need a strong mathematics background to enter a competitive market.  However, listening to an actuary speak at an Stony Brook University actuary society meeting, I came to realize that a lot of the math we learn in school becomes a relic of the past.  I would like to keep the knowledge I learn in each class because I am becoming enraptured by mathematics and human ingenuity.

In the formative years, it is important to have a sound mathematical foundation.  Stipek, Shoenfield and Gomby, (2012) states that didactics are there to “help children develop, discuss, and use efficient, accurate, and generalizable methods to solve mathematical problems.”  I was in a gifted program in elementary school.  I vaguely remember working on developing math skills at that age.  I thank my teachers and my schools for giving me a great foundation in mathematics. It always gave me that extra option to pursue as a career (though I eventually followed a science track).

Career paths have always been vacuous for me in general.  I have always looked at the questions: What can I do next?  Would this career be good for me or would this?  As an analytical person, science and mathematics were logical choices.  I’m glad I have the choice to choose mathematics as an area of study to solidify my general analytical skills.  The actuarial field offers that chance to use mathematical models and programming skills to solve complex problems.  Though math skills are often forgotten in the field, I realize that the increased ability to think in the abstract is still there.

A course that I am really looking forward to is the foundation of chaos theory.  Now, when we think of chaos theory, we think of Dr. Ian Malcolm and the Jurassic Park franchise.  Dr. Malcolm does the experiment with Dr. Saddler, when he tells her to predict the direction of where the drop of water will fall if he were to place a drop on her hand.  She guesses a direction and it goes in another direction!  Besides what we see here, the fractal image I have provided as a background image to my blog is a large part of chaos theory. I am ready to learn and continue on this journey of the mind!