Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>

How difficult is the Maths in D2?

I'm finishing my A2 Maths and A Level Further Maths this year, but I still have to take A2 Physics on the next academic year. I decided to take AS Add. Further Maths with modules, M5, D1, and D2 along Physics.

I'm curious though, what's the level of D2's difficulty? Will there be lots of trig and calculus? or will it be mostly algebra?

Thanks.

Reply 1

Farhan.Hanif93

There's maths in D2? That's news to me. :p:

Reply 2

dknt

Original post by Alpha-Omega

Trig? Calculus? Algebra?! The most maths you get are sums. Perhaps the occasional inequality.

Reply 3

tehforum

Original post by Alpha-Omega

You should be fine.

Reply 4

Kasc

Shush you lot, of course there's maths in it. Saying that though, there are no new mathematical techniques to learn, it's all bunging values in to equations and knowing when to use the right equations on it.

It's all fairly simple, it taught to myself in ~2 weeks and got a very good mark; anyone who is doing maths, in general, can cope with D2 without a problem. Although saying that I did terribly on D1!

Reply 5

ak9779

It continues D1's tradition of teaching you how to tediously trace through algorithms that machines can already do perfectly in tiny fractions of seconds rather than actually teaching you the useful applications of decision maths such as using and writing algorithms... So no, the only 'maths' is on the level of adding numbers, solving simultaneous equations and drawing histograms.

Reply 6

Alpha-Omega

Original post by Farhan.Hanif93

T...:

Original post by dknt

....

Original post by tehforum

...

Original post by ak9779

....

Original post by Kasc

...

Thanks. Another one: in terms of mechanical engineering, which is more useful S2,S3,S4 or D1,D2? or are they both useful? If that's the case, I might take the full A-Level Add. Further Maths. I'm giving my application tomorrow.

Would you consider D1 and D2 practical/useful in real life? If you've studied them, do any of you actually use them to make decisions?

Reply 7

Kasc

Original post by Alpha-Omega

I myself do mechanical engineering (Where you planning on going?), I would say that the general skill you would pick up from D2 would be better, although the logical thinking of statistics would really help with some of the modules you might do.

To be perfectly honest I don't think it matters in the slightest which you pick in terms of how it would apply to your degree.

Personally, I'd do S2, it's incredibly easy. I got 100% and taught it to myself in less than a week.

Reply 8

Alpha-Omega

Original post by Kasc

I'm thinking of studying Mechanical Design Engineering at Nottingham University. They only accept 25 people though, so I'm not really confident about getting in there. I'm also planning to apply at Imperial, Cambridge, Southampton, and Manchester.

In what means would D1 and D2 skills would be useful to Mechanical Engineering?

Which university do you go to? Do you enjoy studying Mechanical Engineering? What do you enjoy about it? Would you have picked another university if you had a chance?

If there was one thing you knew (or should have done) before applying to mechanical engineering, what would it be?

When you study Mechanical Engineering, do you also get taught how to use those electrical circuits, control, automation, etc...? I want to learn those too.

Do you actually get to build and design stuff in your course?

I know those are a lot of questions, but I just want to be sure what I'm getting myself into. :biggrin:

Thanks!

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 9

Kasc

Original post by Alpha-Omega

Thanks!

None really, I can't see it being of great use. Neither will, just the general 'knack' you would pick up for problem solving.

University of Liverpool

Yes

The variety of stuff we learn, although admittedly I'd probably more suited to something like theoretical physics.

No, for Engineering the university you go to isn't that much big of a deal, as long as it's decent and the class of your degree when you finish it good, employers won't have much of preference.

Nothing, you don't need to learn anything before you go, or if you asking if I regret choosing my course? No.

In 1st year I did a module in Digital Electronics (logic circuits), circuit analysis and drives and actuators (electromagnets, etc.).

Didn't build anything in 1st year, but we did have to disassemble a petrol garden strimmer, document the parts and then reassemble it; was pretty boring though.