True to form, my laziness has prevented me from chronicling any adventure since July. However, with the Actuarial Students' Society Vision 2009 publication almost as barren as Julia Gillard in terms of articles, I was requested as the Face of the ASS for 2010 to pen an article for sponsors and students. I confess, churning out an entire piece without baring any potentially unemployable characteristics was quite a struggle.

So, in an attempt to appear like a diligent blogger, I've decided to post my article up.

I beg to differ. Whilst I concede that I am in possession of a T-shirt with “sec(c)” emblazoned across it, I am an average uni student. I am willing to admit that like most of my peers, I derive great joy from dissecting the latest TV drama scandals; crooning 90s anthems into tortured microphones at karaoke; engorging myself on hearty lunches in the CBD; spending hours entangled in the time-engulfing black hole of YouTube; going on road trips with music blaring at full volume; or joining a taskforce of girlfriends, arming ourselves with measly student wages and stimulating the economy at Chadstone. That’s right: actuaries are capable of having fun, and do have a normal life outside pricing fixed interest investments.

As the President-Elect of the Actuarial Students’ Society, I am hoping to remedy the public misconception that actuaries are human calculators with the personality of a park bench and the heart of a Connex inspector. With the creation of a new Sponsorship Officer position and an overhaul of committee members’ roles and responsibilities, the society’s 2010 Committee has a clearer vision than ever to work efficiently and seamlessly, to forge links between sponsors and students and fund a barrage of exciting new social events next year.

Sponsors are integral to our society’s operation (10 actuarial points to those who were instantly reminded of calculus), so we will ensure that by supporting the society, strong relationships will be built to provide company promotion, exposure to a pool of highly talented and promising students as well as involvement in students’ university lives through a series of social and careers events. Students will be informed of the opportunities available to them as they are released from the fetters of structured education and commence working in the Real World (unless they’ve already had a brief tryst with McDonalds or Kmart).

Moreover, with the help of our sponsors, we aim to fulfil our role as a student society, which is essentially to build bridges, bring together and involve fellow actuaries through the organisation of more events. Hence, I’m eagerly looking forward to next year, as the Actuarial Students’ Society will debunk the erroneous public idea that "actuarial jokes" are oxymoronic, and that actuaries are as cool as a solar-powered sauna on the surface of the sun.

- La Presidente Mel

Labels: Maths, Uni, Work

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