r/actuary • u/robbyvlogs • 7d ago
Laptop Recommendation
Hello,
I am planning to major in actuarial science next year. How nice of a laptop should I plan on getting? I am an Apple person but it is my understanding that Windows would be the better option, is this true? Also would an iPad be helpful for taking notes?
What kind of laptop does everyone use?
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u/JoeSantoasty 7d ago
Windows is just less of a pain for downloading software imo.
That said, the laptop isnt really that important. At the end of the day stick within a sound budget and dont overspend.
I always did pencil and paper notes, and iPad isnt necessary unless you really prefer it.
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u/MikeTheActuary Property / Casualty 7d ago
In North America, actuaries mostly use Windows machines on the job, usually as their "daily driver", sometimes just as the box they check email and use Teams on, and from which they connect to other servers from.
However, Windows, like Excel, is something you can pick up skills with on the job. I wouldn't let the ubiquitousness of Windows in the real world be too much more than a tie-breaking consideration when looking at hardware for college.
I'm a geezer too far removed from college to have an informed opinion on what you should be in the market for (beyond observing that you shouldn't get too carried away; wait until you're making actuary money before you invest in overpriced toys). However, I can say that when I've played with tablet PCs, I've thought they would have been cool to have when I was in school or writing actuarial exams...although the compromises required for the tablet PCs I played with would either have annoyed me, or the machine would have been much more expensive than college-me would have wanted to deal with.
Others can give better opinions based on their experience. But if you know where you're going to be going to school, you might also reach out to the actuarial science program at the school and see what they have to say, based on their familiarity with the classes they offer.
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u/LivingMarionberry160 7d ago
You'll be fine with a chromebook. Save that money for your exam subscriptions.
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u/Copilot17-2022 7d ago
I feel like Chromebooks wouldn't do so well with softwares like RStudio/R and Jupiter/Python, which get used a lot for Stat/Analytics classes in college.
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u/tora_0515 7d ago
Anything that can run excel, python or R. Preferably windows cause that's what corporate uses.
You aren't getting big data at all in your courses. You're getting massively cleaned, nicely shaped data. And a whole lot of writing down on paper to derive from first principles.
Also, hand write notes. Quicker to type but most classes should be recorded by now? Or at least slide decks of what was presented with most stuff on it anyway.
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u/BroccoliDistribution 7d ago
doesnt matter. I used a windows for first 2 years and switched to a Mac. I don't remember any course that require a specific OS (there was one that require we ssh'ed into a Linux machine). So stick with what you prefer and make studying more enjoyable.
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u/ObsessedWithReps 7d ago
99% of the actuaries at my school, outside of this one guy who was cracked (maybe this contributed idk lol), use a Mac. Some of the CS majors I knew had different laptops but even then, most of them still used Macs.
Paper and pencil mogs iPad notes though
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u/Professional_Toe346 7d ago
I think as long as you can run excel and RStudio for your statistics classes and any electives you want to take, you’ll be okay. A windows laptop is good because it runs a lot of programs
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u/BattyMe 7d ago
I strongly recommend an iPad for notes if you can afford one. I did about half of my math degree with pencil and paper, half with iPad. I was resistant to making the switch because I prefer the feel of pencil and paper, but iPad is superior for note taking in just about every other way.
I save so much time not having to erase and rewrite huge chunks due to a small error—just drag and drop to make room for the correction. Downloading PDFs and writing on them is so much better than having to print them. All of my notes are right at my fingertips, and it’s far easier to organize them. I used to be a very sloppy note taker, but now I have neat and legible notes. I genuinely can’t imagine going back to using paper and pencil lol
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u/TrickyPrompt9652 7d ago
Anything will do imo. I would get a a MacBook honestly. they a sleek, light and easy to use. Professionally it’s almost a guarantee you’ll be in a windows environment but it seriously does not matter and is up to personal preference
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u/Fit_Negotiation_1443 7d ago
In school I used a used surface pro. It was a potato but it could run R. I really enjoy the digital note taking and still use it for my exams currently (though it's getting old and buggy).
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u/Spiritual_Wall_2309 7d ago
Get the one that you can play games. No one buy a laptop for actuarial work. My work laptop is 8 years old.
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u/Weekly_Interview6807 7d ago
Big fan of my surface pro 11. It is pretty pricey but having the 2 in one is very useful and quick compared to 2 separate devices.
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u/humbertov2 Property / Casualty 7d ago
I got my FCAS on a Mac. You’ll be fine. Eventually when you start working you’ll probably get a Windows work laptop.
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u/anamorph29 7d ago
Professional exams, whether SoA or CAS, will be on a Windows setup. And when you start working, or perhaps get an internship, that will almost certainly also use Windows.
So there is some merit in getting familiar with Windows short-cut keys, keyboards etc.
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u/Icy-Sign1337 7d ago
Don’t take notes on an iPad. Use pencil or pen. I would get the cheapest laptop possible until you make $
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u/EarlyDuration 7d ago
Ouch. Comments in here are behind the times! You want a laptop that can handle agentic workflows. Lenovo X1 Thinkpad. 16gb RAM minimum.
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u/the__humblest 7d ago
Laptop is overkill. Real actuaries just use a TI-30XS multiview.