Actuaries can run!

Many students in the Actuarial Science Club are involved in different clubs, organizations, and teams. A few students, who are very passionate about running and fitness are involved in Club Cross Country. Club Cross Country is a flexible club, as far as commitment, since attending competitions is not required and all students are welcome to join for friends and great exercise. They meet to run for an hour or so daily at 4:30 at Rec Hall with more intense training days on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Grace McStravock and Aidan Lake are active cross country competitors who think that Club Cross Country is very important in helping them maintain a balance in their actuarial academics.

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Junior Grace McStravock is a big advocate for having the club as a way to get away from her actuarial science work and uses it to help her de-stress. She said, “[Club Cross Country] is the one place I can go and feel totally free from my work.” Maintaining this balance is very important for any student and doing so with physical activity and fresh air make it even better for you and your health! Grace also mentioned that after running, she “feels refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of being an actuarial student.” Sophomore Aidan Lake, says that it is more than just relaxing, and when he is running he is “flooding oxygen into his brain and reacting quickly to changes in [his] environment” which is a good change of pace after having your head down studying for many hours.

Club Cross Country also serves as a place to socialize and meet other people outside of the classes that you have with the same actuarial science students. Aidan said that he “loves cross country because of the people,” and spoke about how the combination of the dynamic team environment and individual effort makes the club so special. 

The mental process of running in long distance races is very similar to that of taking and passing actuarial exams. Grace mentioned, “Both are extreme mental challenges,” and that sometimes for both activities, “If the conditions are bad, they’re bad for everyone.” Whether it’s the air quality or having to study during a semester or during an already short break, there is adversity in both that you have to overcome and push yourself through. She concluded, “In running, cycling, and exam-taking, at the end of the day, no one can do the work for you – they can just help you find the grit within yourself to keep trying.” Aidan said that, “The strict regimen and discipline that goes into studying for an actuarial exam is similar to long months of training that go into preparation for a race.” In conclusion, it is important for all students, especially actuarial students, to stay involved in different activites. If they can also maintain a healthy lifestyle at the same time like the students in Club Cross Country, that’s a bonus!

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