Needs Must

I had a two-year gap between School and University. These “Gap Years” are more common in the UK and Australia than in South Africa. I went to the UK to work as a Gap Student at a prep-School. During this time, I was able to give more thought about what to study. My choice was deeply pragmatic. It wasn’t realistic to study the mating habits of the North Sea Clam, or anything else that was simply a liberal education. There was a clear STEM filter. I looked at surveys of pay, challenge, ability to advance, work-life balance, supply, and demand. Of these, Actuarial Science seemed to best match my skills. As a 14-year old, my Maths teacher had mentioned the profession, but that was about as much knowledge as I had. “What is an Actuary?” was an interesting starting point for many 18-year olds who made the same choice. I like the idea of a liberal education that isn’t focused on putting food on the table. But needs must. I was lucky to have the choice, and grateful to those who had given me my menu.