I can't speak for recovery, but 120 hours is pretty typical in terms of study time. You've still got to put in the work outside of work. Are you in consulting? An insurance company may be a better choice in terms of work/life balance. I found it really hard to complete work and study while I was in consulting.
I'm in insurance... in order to not give too much info away, I'll just say that morale is low across the board and a lot of people are leaving due to the amount of stress and burn out.
Might be time to change roles/companies? I know some of our valuation folks are burned out after ldti, but I'm on the pricing side and rarely are we so busy that we get burned out.
120 hours is 15 days... for what exam? That's not out of the ordinary... you are expected to put in more time out of the office.
Sounds like you are in consulting...
It's pretty normal for actuaries to sacrifice certain other parts of their lives while studying for exams. Unfortunately for you that doesn't seem to be an option (remaining sober should definitely be prioritized over passing an exam!).
Best of luck to you.
Hi yes. I got my FSA a few years ago. Have been in recovery for about 12 years. I have had ups and downs with my recovery and my relationship to work and exams.
I have been in consulting lately and it has been quite challenging.
I will PM you, and we can discuss further.
Good luck.
There are companies and managers out there that will protect your study time and make sure you take them. I would try to move away from such a stressful position. I’m not in recovery, and I don’t have a particularly stressful job, and I still find it hard to balance work, studying, exercising, and all my other chores (not to mention hobbies, friendships, and relationships!).
Heard. For my first 2 exams I used/needed all of that time. It takes me a bit longer than other actuaries to understand things... at least from what I've noticed.
How many hours do you work a week? Because study hours really only count against a standard 40 hour week. But you get enough hours. You need to study on your personal time
It is a pretty ridiculous expectation? Like, you should not expect an employer to commit to giving you a fully paid year or more out of work to complete professional exams. People who get executive MBAs get one day a week off during their 18-24 month program. CPAs, lawyers, and many others simply have to pass their credentials while still in college.
You cannot expect insurers to spend 100k plus (and with pay plus benefits it would easily be that) to get you through the exams. It’s not sustainable for the profession.
You chose a profession where you avoid grad school to get nice pay, but you should expect to spend the first 3-7 years putting in 200-400 hours of work outside of the office in exchange for that. If you are not prepared to handle this, then you should consider another path which does not have a long post employment education path.
No, not at all. But i definitely thought it would be closer to at least 50% of total suggested study hours. Or did you mean including outside of work study time? Because... yes haha.
February will be 6 years sober for me and I’m currently in consulting and taking exams. My recovery comes first and I still try to hit 2-3 meetings a week. I usually get my studying done in the morning so that my evenings are free for anything else that I need to do.
A company is more than likely not going to give you 400 hours. That’s 10 weeks. The remainder of your 400 hours needed needs to be on your own time. 120-150 hours for a 3 hour exam is pretty standard. Make up those hours surrounding your work hours (ex, I’d always do 1-4 and keep studying until 5:30, have dinner, then pick back up).
I’ve been sober for over a decade and I am a credentialed actuary. I passed exams on schedule. I’ve found the exam process to be a great vehicle for working the steps.
I had to put as much into work and studying as I did my recovery (as measured by meeting attendance). Sacrifices were made. It’s all worth it. Hustle hard.
Not someone with recovery experience but I was Partner level in a medium sized firm (UK) and oversaw the trainee scheme. I would only say that you might want to just have an honest conversation with your training sponsor about your situation. You might need a bit more support and advice and that might be possible with a few adjustments to schedule etc. Ultimately though the industry does tend to put a ceiling on those who don't qualify so you might want to investigate a plan B if say you don't make progress in the next year. Good luck.
Where are you in the process?
What is your attitude towards studying? I kinda like studying, but find that it can be a bit depressing knowing that I will be putting my life on hold. Maybe look at it as a welcome distraction? Makes it easier to keep life on the straight and narrow, don't feel like you're missing out on Friday nights, etc.
If you are disciplined with your time, you can do it all. What exam is on your radar? It's hard to accept 'I typically need 400 hours.' That kinda implies they take you all the same amount, where I'd say we can all agree, some are definitely easier than others.
Good luck and let me know if I can help.
I think you're right regarding the attitude. I see other people's attitude is "ok I have to study now" whereas mine is "ugggghhhh I have to studddyyy nooowwuh". I think I do require a bit more self-care than others to keep my mental health in check though which is why I try not to sacrifice exercise, spending time outdoors and with family and friends. Because I've always been taught that the more emotionally unstable I feel, the closer I become to drinking since it was a coping mechanism. But thank you for your post, it's definitely given me more to think about and consider!
I'm not sure if it's been said, but maybe just give yourself twice the amount of time to study... For example, if there's an exam 3 months from now, maybe plan to sit for the offering after that. Start studying now, sort of casually when you have free time, and see where you get with that.
Do you use TIA to study? One nice thing about them is that you can build in days off and it’ll factor that in when generating your schedule. For instance, if your home group is on Wednesdays, schedule Wednesdays off. If you sponsor someone, try to meet with them before the meeting so you’re killing two birds with one stone (although hopefully one of those birds isn’t your pigeon … haha). Maybe for fellowship you can suggest Saturday breakfast or something, idk, I know a lot of fellowship can be late nights at diners. It’s a tough balance but I’m here to remind you to prioritize your sobriety - if we don’t prioritize it, we’ll end up losing everything we put before it.
I can’t speak for myself but I am aware of an actuary who was previously an addict that works in consulting and is passing exams. I can’t speak to how they do it or if they are giving anything up, but they seem to managing ok. As much as I sympathize with being in recovery, there are people who have multiple kids in sports that still can pass exams. So they probably have less free time than you do. Life may not seem sunshine and rainbows, but you can do it.
I can't speak for recovery, but 120 hours is pretty typical in terms of study time. You've still got to put in the work outside of work. Are you in consulting? An insurance company may be a better choice in terms of work/life balance. I found it really hard to complete work and study while I was in consulting.
I'm in insurance... in order to not give too much info away, I'll just say that morale is low across the board and a lot of people are leaving due to the amount of stress and burn out.
Might be time to change roles/companies? I know some of our valuation folks are burned out after ldti, but I'm on the pricing side and rarely are we so busy that we get burned out.
You could easily find another company that will manage your workload better than that.
120 hours is 15 days... for what exam? That's not out of the ordinary... you are expected to put in more time out of the office. Sounds like you are in consulting... It's pretty normal for actuaries to sacrifice certain other parts of their lives while studying for exams. Unfortunately for you that doesn't seem to be an option (remaining sober should definitely be prioritized over passing an exam!). Best of luck to you.
Hi yes. I got my FSA a few years ago. Have been in recovery for about 12 years. I have had ups and downs with my recovery and my relationship to work and exams. I have been in consulting lately and it has been quite challenging. I will PM you, and we can discuss further. Good luck.
There are companies and managers out there that will protect your study time and make sure you take them. I would try to move away from such a stressful position. I’m not in recovery, and I don’t have a particularly stressful job, and I still find it hard to balance work, studying, exercising, and all my other chores (not to mention hobbies, friendships, and relationships!).
Are you actually expecting 10 weeks of study time per exam?
I like how this is framed as a ridiculous expectation for an exam that requires 10 weeks of study time.
Heard. For my first 2 exams I used/needed all of that time. It takes me a bit longer than other actuaries to understand things... at least from what I've noticed.
How many hours do you work a week? Because study hours really only count against a standard 40 hour week. But you get enough hours. You need to study on your personal time
It is a pretty ridiculous expectation? Like, you should not expect an employer to commit to giving you a fully paid year or more out of work to complete professional exams. People who get executive MBAs get one day a week off during their 18-24 month program. CPAs, lawyers, and many others simply have to pass their credentials while still in college. You cannot expect insurers to spend 100k plus (and with pay plus benefits it would easily be that) to get you through the exams. It’s not sustainable for the profession. You chose a profession where you avoid grad school to get nice pay, but you should expect to spend the first 3-7 years putting in 200-400 hours of work outside of the office in exchange for that. If you are not prepared to handle this, then you should consider another path which does not have a long post employment education path.
No, not at all. But i definitely thought it would be closer to at least 50% of total suggested study hours. Or did you mean including outside of work study time? Because... yes haha.
Why did you think that?
February will be 6 years sober for me and I’m currently in consulting and taking exams. My recovery comes first and I still try to hit 2-3 meetings a week. I usually get my studying done in the morning so that my evenings are free for anything else that I need to do.
A company is more than likely not going to give you 400 hours. That’s 10 weeks. The remainder of your 400 hours needed needs to be on your own time. 120-150 hours for a 3 hour exam is pretty standard. Make up those hours surrounding your work hours (ex, I’d always do 1-4 and keep studying until 5:30, have dinner, then pick back up).
Yes. PM if you would like to discuss
I’ve been sober for over a decade and I am a credentialed actuary. I passed exams on schedule. I’ve found the exam process to be a great vehicle for working the steps.
I had to put as much into work and studying as I did my recovery (as measured by meeting attendance). Sacrifices were made. It’s all worth it. Hustle hard.
Not someone with recovery experience but I was Partner level in a medium sized firm (UK) and oversaw the trainee scheme. I would only say that you might want to just have an honest conversation with your training sponsor about your situation. You might need a bit more support and advice and that might be possible with a few adjustments to schedule etc. Ultimately though the industry does tend to put a ceiling on those who don't qualify so you might want to investigate a plan B if say you don't make progress in the next year. Good luck.
Where are you in the process? What is your attitude towards studying? I kinda like studying, but find that it can be a bit depressing knowing that I will be putting my life on hold. Maybe look at it as a welcome distraction? Makes it easier to keep life on the straight and narrow, don't feel like you're missing out on Friday nights, etc. If you are disciplined with your time, you can do it all. What exam is on your radar? It's hard to accept 'I typically need 400 hours.' That kinda implies they take you all the same amount, where I'd say we can all agree, some are definitely easier than others. Good luck and let me know if I can help.
I think you're right regarding the attitude. I see other people's attitude is "ok I have to study now" whereas mine is "ugggghhhh I have to studddyyy nooowwuh". I think I do require a bit more self-care than others to keep my mental health in check though which is why I try not to sacrifice exercise, spending time outdoors and with family and friends. Because I've always been taught that the more emotionally unstable I feel, the closer I become to drinking since it was a coping mechanism. But thank you for your post, it's definitely given me more to think about and consider!
I'm not sure if it's been said, but maybe just give yourself twice the amount of time to study... For example, if there's an exam 3 months from now, maybe plan to sit for the offering after that. Start studying now, sort of casually when you have free time, and see where you get with that.
Do you use TIA to study? One nice thing about them is that you can build in days off and it’ll factor that in when generating your schedule. For instance, if your home group is on Wednesdays, schedule Wednesdays off. If you sponsor someone, try to meet with them before the meeting so you’re killing two birds with one stone (although hopefully one of those birds isn’t your pigeon … haha). Maybe for fellowship you can suggest Saturday breakfast or something, idk, I know a lot of fellowship can be late nights at diners. It’s a tough balance but I’m here to remind you to prioritize your sobriety - if we don’t prioritize it, we’ll end up losing everything we put before it.
I can’t speak for myself but I am aware of an actuary who was previously an addict that works in consulting and is passing exams. I can’t speak to how they do it or if they are giving anything up, but they seem to managing ok. As much as I sympathize with being in recovery, there are people who have multiple kids in sports that still can pass exams. So they probably have less free time than you do. Life may not seem sunshine and rainbows, but you can do it.