By Will Harriger ’22, guest writer
One of the biggest stresses for students comes when they have major exams on the horizon — the anxiety pulses through their bodies as the day approaches, while the sleepless nights glued to study guides add up. For LVC junior actuarial science major Jeffery Catt, this would describe the experiences he has gone through so far on his collegiate journey.
Catt decided on actuarial science after researching online.
“For my schooling career, I was always good at math, and I knew I wanted to do something that I would be paid for,” he said. “Like being a teacher would be great I feel, but the salary does not make up for how much education you need. So, I looked at things that were math related and had a salary. Here, I found actuarial science.”
Along the same lines, Catt knew the challenges of the major, such as the certifications and exams.
“There is an overarching agency that supervises certifications and the schools that have accredited programs called SOA,” he explained. “So, from the SOA, I saw that LVC was highly rated and prepared me for a lot of certifications, while also being a smaller school which is something I wanted.”
LVC enables Catt to pursue all of his passions while still being able to focus on his major goal. Along with the rigorous coursework required, comes the many exams. Jeffrey so far has completed his Exam P in January 2021 and is looking to take more this upcoming year.
“Generally, Exam P tests knowledge of the fundamental probability tools for quantitatively assessing risk. If I remember correctly, it was around 30 multiple-choice questions that were administered online.”
Passing this specific exam is no easy feat. The exam can take upwards of three hours, with only around a 30%-40% passing rate. Exam P relies heavily on calculus, something that Jeffrey enjoys thoroughly. The hardest part, according to Jeffrey, was the waiting period to receive the results.
“Scores can take up to eight weeks to come out after you take the exam,” he said. “And with how hard I studied for so long, those weeks truly began to feel everlasting. It just made the passing score that much better.”
Next on the agenda for Jeffrey comes Exams FM and IFM, which he intends to take this semester at some point. However, with how involved Catt is on campus, he is battling to balance his schedule each day.
On campus, Jeffrey works hard as a resident assistant and a study pod leader. One might also find him tutoring for his past actuarial classes. And if students attend any LVC athletics program, he may be operating the scoreboard.
Catt is also an avid photographer. His passion had no home on campus when he arrived though, so he decided to change that.
“I knew coming into college, I wanted to do something with the photography club,” he said. “However, after the club fair, I realized we did not have one.”
Jeffrey decided to problem solve, becoming the founder and now president of LVC’s first-ever photography club. It is safe to say Catt’s credentials are lengthy. Looking forward, he would love to find an internship this upcoming summer that involves his knowledge of actuarial studies.
“I have worked as an assistant to a financial advisor with Cetera Financial Specialists for the past three years. However, I am looking for something new this year to further my development professionally. I am currently seeking an actuarial internship for the summer of 2022, to gain that vital experience. I would like to have 2-3 more exams by the end of my senior year”
The future looks to be picture-perfect for Jeffrey Catt.