Advice needed!

Daniel123 · 2007-05-24 00:28:00

I need some advice in what to take next year for AS level.

Im doing my GCSEs right now, and i should be getting a minimum of 9A*s and 2As (in RS and Food Tech).

Im definitely going to take maths, but i dont know whethere to do maths with mechanics, maths with statistics, or even further maths?

The other subjects im thinking of taking include physics, english, german and history.

I can only pick 4.

Advice will be greatly appreciated.

luca-deltodesco · 2007-05-24 00:56:53

the maths course contains 6 modules, 4 pure modules (core 1 - 4) and two applied modules (stats,mech,finite/discrete)

i did my maths with stats and mechanics.

the futher maths course contains 6 modules, 4 pure modules (further pure 1 - 4) and another two applied (stats,mech,finite/discrete)

so far ive done mech2 for it, and im probably going to do discrete.

its up to you.

physics goes very well with maths for future education and occupation.

Daniel123 · 2007-05-24 00:59:57

Thanks... i think i might do what you did.

Sekky · 2007-05-24 02:16:39

Hehe, you seem to think further maths is a big deal.

I wouldn't recommend anything less than the whole course, maths, further maths, further further maths, further further further maths, further further further further further maths...

In fact, just take the

Daniel123 · 2007-05-24 02:19:37

haha ill pretend i know whay the little i and the little n means maybe wait til next year... thankss

Last edited by Daniel123 (2007-05-24 02:22:59)

Identity · 2007-05-24 02:29:43

Hmm yes what is n?

mathsyperson · 2007-05-24 02:32:16

To clarify a bit of what Luca said, maths contains 6 modules, C1-C4 and two applied ones.

Further Maths contains 6 modules as well, but it only goes up to FP3 and you only actually have to do two of those. It's allowed to take another applied module instead of a third FP.

The other fun bit is that you can mix and match your applied scores as much as you like, to try to get the best final mark in both. It's perfectly allowed to put the harder applied modules with the core subjects, leaving you free to use the easier ones to bump up your Further mark. It's only the core and further modules that have to stay where they're put. This is especially helpful is you decide to make your Further course composed of 4 applied modules.

Finally, while doing just single maths allows you to only do one type of applied thing, taking Further allows you to mix them up as much as you want. You could do 2 of everything if you so wished, which would mean you had the easiest two modules of each category.

I think my final grades in both were made up of the scores in these modules:

Maths: {C1, C2, C3, C4, M3, S2}
Further: {FP1, FP3, M1, M2, S1, D1}

So I exploited the system as much as I possibly could to get two A's.

I would highly recommend doing Further Maths, if only because it can actually make getting an A in normal maths easier. Be aware that that would fill up 2 of your subjects though.

As for the others, I agree with Luca that Physics would be an excellent choice to go along with maths, and as for the others, just go with what you like best really. Maths and Physics are both very academic subjects, so you might want to do something else a bit more vocational, to get variety. But then again, I tried that and ended up disliking the subject I chose, so perhaps not.

Finally, it's worth noting that if you really can't decide, then you are allowed to pick 5 subjects instead of 4. It means more work for you, but you also get more qualifications at the end of it all. Plus it gives you leeway to drop one of the subjects if you really despise it.

luca-deltodesco · 2007-05-24 03:16:57

ive got an A already in C1-4,S1, and anyone who finds M1 hard, is a disgrace so thats an easy A, and im pretty sure ill get quite an easy A in Mech 2 aswell

i did Mech 2 as an extra module that i didnt have to take (how did i managed to take an extra A-Level module, when im not even doing my A-levels, and ive been fitting all this around my GCSE studies? lol)

ill probably do all the further pure, M3, and as many discrete as i can, i hate statistics, so i dont really want to do S2

Sekky · 2007-05-24 03:26:56

Identity wrote:

Hmm yes what is n?

I guess it shouldn't be n, it should be infinity

Daniel123 · 2007-05-24 03:27:03

Thanks for the advice.. im still not 100% about further maths though. The only thing im really concerned about is what grade i would be able to get. Realistically i dont want to do an A-level unless im going to get an A in it, but i dont know whether i would be able to cope with further maths to get an A.

Sekky · 2007-05-24 03:30:08

Daniel123 wrote:

Thanks for the advice.. im still not 100% about further maths though. The only thing im really concerned about is what grade i would be able to get. Realistically i dont want to do an A-level unless im going to get an A in it, but i dont know whether i would be able to cope with further maths to get an A.

Well, put it this way, taking further maths will guarantee you an A in regular maths.

and an A in further maths isn't hard if you have a thirst for the subject.

Just because it says "Further Maths" doesn't necessarily mean it's harder, it's slightly harder, but really that means "there's MORE of it"

Daniel123 · 2007-05-24 03:34:41

Oh i thought it was meant to be a lot harder.

We've been told that regular maths and physics have by far the biggest step-up from GCSE, so it made me think Further Maths would be unbearably hard. I dont mind a challenge, but only a challenge i can do

Sekky · 2007-05-24 03:46:13

Daniel123 wrote:

Oh i thought it was meant to be a lot harder.
We've been told that regular maths and physics have by far the biggest step-up from GCSE, so it made me think Further Maths would be unbearably hard. I dont mind a challenge, but only a challenge i can do

You'll start thinking in a more abstract manner, that's what they mean by step up, but once you've made the leap it's really not that difficult.

Actually, maybe we should make a calculus thread in the Help Me forum when term starts, kind of like an open course where people can contribute materials in the standard order they're taught, and just have questions and answers along the way.

Identity · 2007-05-24 04:04:18

Remember that if they didn't think you could do it then they wouldn't have it as a subject. Everything is within your reach if you put in the effort.

Sekky · 2007-05-24 04:21:55

Identity wrote:

Remember that if they didn't think you could do it then they wouldn't have it as a subject. Everything is within your reach if you put in the effort.

Why didn't I just say that? Listen to this guy, he's right.

Math Is Fun Forum

#1 2007-05-24 00:28:00

Advice needed!

#2 2007-05-24 00:56:53

Re: Advice needed!

#3 2007-05-24 00:59:57

Re: Advice needed!

#4 2007-05-24 02:16:39

Re: Advice needed!

#5 2007-05-24 02:19:37

Re: Advice needed!

#6 2007-05-24 02:29:43

Re: Advice needed!

#7 2007-05-24 02:32:16

Re: Advice needed!

#8 2007-05-24 03:16:57

Re: Advice needed!

#9 2007-05-24 03:26:56

Re: Advice needed!

#10 2007-05-24 03:27:03

Re: Advice needed!

#11 2007-05-24 03:30:08

Re: Advice needed!

#12 2007-05-24 03:34:41

Re: Advice needed!

#13 2007-05-24 03:46:13

Re: Advice needed!

#14 2007-05-24 04:04:18

Re: Advice needed!

#15 2007-05-24 04:21:55

Re: Advice needed!

Board footer