My first full year away from home, 2016, involved many experiences that worked to mature and shape me as a growing adult. My involvements on campus helped me to meet a lot of new people and really enjoy my time on campus. This pushed me to stay and take a May class that I was interested in. Professionally, I faced a major challenge. I began my exam process for the Society of Actuaries. In April, I failed the first actuarial exam. Although the exams all have pass rates less than 50%, I underestimated their difficulty. This made me realize how difficult the process would be, and I passed that exam in August. Passing this exam was a huge relief and even a motivator to keep pushing forward. During this fall semester, I applied to a few places where that offered very meaningful internships. I received interviews with most of these companies, but did not receive an offer at any. This hurt me mentally, but it also made me realize how much harder I would have to work to make sure I get one of these top tier internships next year. To do so, I plan on taking two actuarial exams this upcoming summer. It will be a very difficult and trying summer, but if I am successful with it I will put myself in a great position moving forward.
On top of these actuarial specific challenges, I pushed myself to get more involved on campus and enjoy my limited time here. My involvements include working on campus, volunteering with the women’s basketball team, joining a fraternity, intramural sports, and working as a peer adviser for freshman in actuarial science. These have helped me meet a lot of new people, learn new things, and really turn Ohio State into a place I feel like I can call home.
Moving forward, my challenges will include passing the next two actuarial exams and securing an internship I want so that I can make myself as valuable as possible when looking for a full time job after college. I will also push myself to do more on campus to continue to learn and grow as a person.