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Riley Rock

Sophomore Year Essay

08 April 2021

Fall of 2020/spring 2021

Development of Mathematics

During the past year, I have continued to be challenged not only mathematically, but also

in a social aspect. The courses I have taken have definitely been challenging, but socially I have

pushed myself more than I ever have. After a discussion with Dr. B that I will never forget, he

told me to be vocal, branch out, and answer questions. It took math to a whole new level when I

started to put myself out there and helped me make connections I would have never made.

Some main courses I took last fall include Calculus II and Introduction to Theoretical

Calculus. Calculus II was one of the most difficult courses I have come across due to the

application of the different concepts. Introduction to Theoretical Calculus built on my knowledge

of proofs and how important the structure of them is. The Euler’s disk was something that still

sticks to me today from the class. During this spring I am taking Calculus III, Programming I,

and Applied Statistics. Calculus III is advancing my integral computation abilities and

application of calculus to 3D, which also has a lot of application aspects. Programming I is

advancing my computer skills significantly, which is a huge part of the actuarial career these

days. Applied Statistics is expanding my knowledge of in depth data analysis. In this class we are

combining programming and math, which has not been done in any other classes yet and I

believe will be extremely useful in my future career.

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From the time that has passed since freshman year, I am confident in my path to become

an actuary. The courses that are starting to expose more applicable applications to the career have

me excited for the future. I still want to follow the track of getting my MBA at Seton Hill to

further my education.

For my resume, internship experience and actuary exams are something I need to look

into adding. I plan to take exams after taking the probability and statistics courses, since the first

recommended exam is Exam P. My plan for the future is to continue learning and enjoy the math

courses, start looking for internships, and plan my schedule to take exams before I graduate.