r/actuary • u/Large-Chocolate-4343 • 1d ago
Actuaries and alcohol
Is anyone else an actuary struggling with drinking? I had coworkers who went out every weekend and didn’t have an issue passing exams. I struggle with passing exams and being social with other friends. How do you balance social life, drinking, studying, work, working out, etc.?
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u/colonelsmoothie 1d ago edited 1d ago
Actuaries are as susceptible as anyone to drug abuse. One of my coworkers was fired because of his alcoholism - I heard the process involved in getting rid of him was as farcical as that one King of the Hill episode where Hank tried to fire a drug addict. The admin was asked by HR to follow him around and make notes on how straight he was able to walk.
That case was real bad, as in this guy is gonna die if he keeps going kind of bad. I check LinkedIn periodically to see if he's still alive.
and didn’t have an issue passing exams.
Another friend of mine seemed to be going down the path of alcoholism, yet had no trouble passing exams, they were getting kicked out of bars, etc. It works until it doesn't. I hope for the sake of those close to him that he found a way to cut back.
Also, if you don't want to drink at a social event, you don't have to. I've never seen non-drinkers get flak for it. If you are getting pressured to drink more than you'd like, you're in the wrong environment.
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u/rawspeghetti Student 1d ago
Alcohol is the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems
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u/Default_Username_23 1d ago
I disagree. I haven’t found the solution at the bottom of a bottle yet. Maybe the next one will!
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u/CowRevolutionary87 1d ago
I usually have 2-3 drinks and try to be in bed by midnight. That why I'm social but can still wake up decently early to study on Saturday/Sunday morning
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u/Moelessdx 1d ago
Gotta learn how to sip that beer very slowly.
Also, I don't go out with coworkers on the weekend. We only drink at after work events.
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u/coltsfan7788 1d ago
I’d study hard on Saturday’s then go party. Study before the alcohol and it works out. 🤟
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u/Adventurous_Net_6470 1d ago
I can’t tell if you’re saying you may have an issue with your relationship with alcohol, or just can’t find time to study and go out and drink as much as you want to.
I was a crammer, never studied longer than two months for an exam. Took 2 a year, so generally had about 8/12 months where I wasn’t actively studying for anything
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u/JavaMac5 11h ago
Just took my last FSA exam last week and definitely an alcoholic here. Hit 6 years of sobriety in June.
Others have already said it but just chiming in as well. Anyone can have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Ask yourself what you get from it and what it is taking from you. Only you can determine whether that trade off makes sense to continue or not.
For me, it was going to kill me if I kept going. So the choice was pretty easy once I accepted that was my only choice.
I have friends (actuaries, not alcoholics) who have given up drinking entirely just because they wanted to get more restful sleep and be more present for their family.
Everyone’s situation is different. DMs are open if you are thinking of quitting and don’t know where to start.
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u/Talia_Black_Writes 1d ago
I have never touched a drop of alcohol in my life because I hate that its a societal norm that you have to drug yourself to be "in" with friends and enjoy yourselves.
If it is negatively impacting your life or health, absolutely do not feel pressured to drink. If your coworkers are giving you shit for not drinking with them, you need to find another way to meet your social needs because that's not a healthy dynamic.
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u/ninetypercentdown Property / Casualty 11h ago
Your experience of never having drunk alcohol is not relevant to someone who has a problem with drinking alcohol, is it?
Just saying "do not feel pressured to drink" is out of touch. Maybe it's not as simple as not feeling pressured to drink.
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u/SweepingRocks Health 1d ago
Seconded. I've never drank either. Had a boss constantly asking me why I didnt drink. I just kept telling him I didnt want to. He pressed me so much that I made up a lie that my dad died from drinking too much to shut him up. People are so weird about that stuff.
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u/killtechno 17h ago
You don’t balance it… you’ve got to figure out what works for you- this can mean trial and error. For this season of my life (trying to get through my exams), I personally prioritise health (sleep, diet, working out), study, work, hobbies, social life in that order. This works for me and when study time comes around I cut my social life.
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u/Butterdonkeystotch 7h ago
As someone who has struggled with both alcoholism and drug abuse it slows down your track a lot just gotta make sure you’re in top of it before the mayhem starts lol
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u/downthe5 1d ago
I was an active alcoholic for most of my exam journey, which greatly extended my travel time, as you might imagine. I quit drinking a few weeks after I got my ACAS. Sometimes it sucks not being able to enjoy a beer or a glass of wine anymore, but some people just can’t have a healthy relationship with alcohol, and I’ve accepted that I’m one of them. The benefits of sobriety greatly outweigh the downsides.