Onboarding

Last updated 12/1/2023

Welcome to BUAlpha, BUFC's quantitative research team.

Introductions

We will be using this GitHub page (@bualpha) to manage projects, give lectures, and share resources. You can feel free to check out past archived repositories for project inspirations.

Below are a series of steps and info that will get you acclimated to our workflow.

For Quantitative Analysts

Here is how to set up your coding environment for lectures and projects.

1. You need a Code Editor. You may use JupyterLab to run notebooks for lectures, but Visual Studio Code is one of the most powerful modern code and text editors. If you do not already have a good code editor installed, please download VSCode here.
   Hint: you may open a file on VSCode from your terminal by running code <file_name>.
2. If you do not already know git, check out the learn-git repository for a crash course. You may feel free to use any other resources as well.
3. Lecture materials for Fall 2023 can be found here.

For Quantitative Developers

Project Templates

Each project repository should include:

• README.md showcasing the theory, usage, and any other information
• A clear one or two line describing your work in the README.md file and/or in About section
• requirement.txt or environment.yaml file for reproducibility
• .gitignore file for organization purposes
• Well organized scripts or notebooks
• LICENSE if needed
• CITATION.cff if needed (be sure to cite your sources either here or in README.md)
• Other .md files if needed

Your code should be written so other people on the team can understand. That means salient comments and example codes (if necessary) should be included. A general rule of thumb is that you will not be embarrassed if you were to show your projects to a recruiter. They do not have to be perfect, but a completed and well-organized project will go a long way, demonstrating your competency for real world projects. Sample past projects can be found above in this repository.

Presentation and Research Paper Templates

Templates and past presentations can be found above under BUAlpha_template.pptx. A sample LaTeX format for research papers can be found here.

Org chart and Responsibilities

BUFC and Alumni
└── VP of Quant
    ├── Assistant VPs
    ├── Quantitative Developers
    │   ├── Lead Developer/Project Managers
    │   └── Developers
    └── Quantitative Analysts

VP of Quant is a member of BUFC's E-Board. They are responsible for managing the entire program, the GitHub page and the structure of quant meetings. They prepare lectures, brainteasers and puzzles for interviews. They are also responsible for coordinating with alumni Quant Advisory Board, and E-Board members for BUFC related events including quant presentations at the end of each semester.

Assistant VPs are responsible for assisting the VP in a variety of tasks. This can include parsing through applications during the beginning of the semester, preparing special topics lectures for analysts, as well as coming up with ideas to improve the team. They also serve as quantitative developers and are typically project leads for projects.

Quantitative Developers are a group of talented students who are able to demonstrate programming proficiency and working knowledge of mathematical skills through projects. They typically have prior project experiences and have completed advanced coursework in math, statistics, CS, etc. As a member of the core team, their projects have the potential to be used within the club and team. They will present their findings and projects to alumni and the rest of BUAlpha towards the end of the semester. Experience as a quantitative analyst is not required.

Quantitative Analysts are a group of beginners with deep interests in quantitative finance. They will attend weekly lectures and practice interview style questions. Throughout the semester, they will have the opportunity to work through one or two guided projects with the VP of Quant. Though it is not a requirement, outstanding analysts can also participate in the presentations at the end of every semester. Analysts can typically only go through the program once, and are encouraged to apply as developers the following semester. It however, does not guarantee a position as quantitative developer. Failure to attend meetings is detrimental to any future applications to the team.

Quant Board - Fall 2023

VP:
Ryan Nie

Assistant VPs:
Patrick Browne, Ryan Gilbert

BUFC email:
buinvest@bu.edu