Crazy man drink through straw now (Mathematics)

Member Name: qrf1

Product:	Mathematics
Date:	03/02/04 (344 review reads)
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Whatever you think about maths - forget it. Once you’ve tasted A-level, it’s a two way road. One way, the way I think I’ve chosen, is to get as far as the exam then ditch it. The other way, the way taken by my friend, is to go as far as Maths, as a degree, at Trinity College Cambridge - the hardest maths course in the world.

Ok let’s start from the beginning - GCSE. The classic exam which I took involved such areas as circle theorems, equation re-arrangement, how-to-use your calculator, quadratic equations, Pythagoras’ theorem, basic statistics up to standard deviation and simple number crunching like multiplying fractions. Not bragging or anything, but it was incredulously easy. The syllabus was split into two papers - a calculator and non-calculator which totalled 3 hours. I finished in an hour and got an A*. But then again, there was a coursework component which took roughly 20 hours work. But if you took this exam and found it hard, then A-level knocks our socks off.

Well let’s put into my perspective:

If you want to do a science at A-level, get at least a B in GCSE maths and try AS maths
If you want to do the whole maths A-level, get at least an A* or high A and have a flair. Me? I went crazy and am currently taking two maths A-levels: Mathematics and Further Mathematics.

My exam board, Edexcel, splits it’s maths into a modular course. There are a total of 20 modules: 6 in Pure Maths (P1 - P6), 6 in Maths with Mechanics (M1 - M6), 6 in Maths with Statistics (S1 - S6) and 2 in Decision Maths (D1 & D2). Mechanics, Decision and Statistical modules are called applied modules. For an AS in maths, 3 modules are required. For a whole A-Level, 6 modules are required. For me, I’m doing 2 A-Levels so I need to take 12 modules. A small note: In order to take the fourth Pure Module, you need to take the first three Pure Modules as they build on a theme.

In my s
yllabus, I’m taking P1 to P6, M1 to M3 and S1 to S3. The requirements for my first A-Level are 3 Pure modules (so P1 to P3) and 3 Applied Modules (M1, S1 and either M2 or S2). The requirements for my second A-Level are at least 2 more Pure modules (P4 and P5) and 4 other modules (I’m taking P6, M2 or S2, M3, S3). When I get all my results in the summer, Edexcel will combine the modules so I will get the best score possible. Which is nice.

But what about the difficulty? Well let me give you the run down on a few of the modules:

P1:

This is the first module that everyone I knew learnt. First of all - calculus. Showing that if f(x) = x^3 + 2x - 1, then f’(x) = 3x^2 + 2 and things like that which get hard. Then it’s a case of proof of geometric series and arithmetic series:

E.g. The sum to n terms of an arithmetic series 3n^2 + 6n. Find (a) Un (b) The sum from term 8 to term 18.

Also advanced algebra (well advanced from GCSE), which involves factorising with 3 roots, inequalities and graph sketching. Trigonometry with radians. Integration (more calculus) and lots and lots of proof.

I did well in this exam. This means I don’t have to retake it. W00t!

M1:

Ideas behind a mechanical model. Vectors, and their manipulation. Kinematics and simple collisions of particles. Projectiles (throwing things like rocks, cats and grannies of cliffs) and moments.

E.g. Two smooth spheres are called A and B. A has a mass of 3kg and a velocity of 5 m/(s*s) and is moving towards B. B has a mass of 1kg and a velocity of -2m/(s*s). After the collision, A stops. Calculate the velocity of B after the collision.

P5:

Integration of hyperbolic functions. Integration of inverse hyperbolic functions. Differentiation of hyperbolic, inverse hyperbolic and inverse trigonometric functions. Equations of circles and ellipses using the focus-directrix propert
ies. Integration using reduction formulae.

e.g. In = (n-1)/n I(n-2). In = Integral of (sin x)^n. Find I8.

I don’t want to put you off maths entirely, but it is for crazy people. It gets real hard, real quick and I’m not boasting. I’m hoping to get an A and a B in my maths A-levels, which will hopefully finish my maths learning for the rest of my life. I mean I’m only going on to do chemistry, so maths in chemistry can’t be that hard… can it?


Advantages:

‘Proudness’ of saying that you got an A-level in Maths
Apparently 33.8% of people who take A-Level maths get an A grade
Very helpful for any career involving maths, like scientist, architect, engineering, aerospace, medicine, etc

Disadvantages:

Hard as a hammer. And then some.

qrf1

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