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STEP Prep Thread 2016 (Mark. II)

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Reply 2480
Can someone help to predict my grade plz?? (STEP 3)

Q1 Full and correct in every parts
Q2 Only did part 1 in the last 10 minutes
Q4 Full and correct in every parts
Q8 Full and correct in every parts
Q9 Got part 1 right, and did part 2 as well but didn't end up with the required "show that" answer, so weird.

Many thanks!!!
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 2481
Original post by KDDK
Can someone help to predict my grade plz?? (STEP 3)

Q1 Full and correct in every parts
Q2 Only did part 1 in the last 10 minutes
Q4 Full and correct in every parts
Q8 Full and correct in every parts
Q9 Got part 1 right, and did part 2 as well but didn't end up with the required "show that" answer, so weird.

Many thanks!!!


20 + 4 + 20 + 20 + 15 = 79 = definite 1.
Original post by raff97
For you guys wanting to learn so IA over the summer, just be clear that there is no need to do this. I have never met a single person who did this. Just what are you expecting to get from Cambridge if youre learning the content yourself without the lectures and supervisions?

Ive heard of people who read ahead on 1 or 2 courses, but even that was rare. If you do do this please dont spend money on any textbooks. Lecture notes are available for free online and are perfect for the course. They strip away everything thats not needed and teach what you do need in a concise way. You wont be wasting any time trying to cross reference between the syllabus and your textbook.

Finally, I recommend Groups over any course to read ahead on. Generally found to be one of the more difficult courses, but its a very interesting subject and you wont have seen anything like it before in A-level.

You've just finished STEP, concentrate on your upcoming exams then take at least a month off (preferrably do nothing til September). Youll be doing plenty of maths next year so why start early?


Agree with this (except if you are going to insist on starting early, do N&S. An easy introduction is given by Liebeck's book intro to pure maths). But you can get a high first without self studying in advance. Dabble if you really want, but definitely don't do it out of a mistaken belief you'll get left behind.
Original post by KDDK
Can someone help to predict my grade plz?? (STEP 3)

Q1 Full and correct in every parts
Q2 Only did part 1 in the last 10 minutes
Q4 Full and correct in every parts
Q8 Full and correct in every parts
Q9 Got part 1 right, and did part 2 as well but didn't end up with the required "show that" answer, so weird.

Many thanks!!!


Interesting, lots of people got Q9 'wrong' in the show that saying there was no root3. Interesting to see who is wrong.


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Original post by raff97
I've just never heard any complaints about the lecture notes from anyone, so thought Id dissuade anyone reading this thinking they are necessary.


I see. I am definitely using the lecture notes as well as textbooks though. I currently haven't looked at the lecture notes but I feel like my methodology would be something along the lines 1)read lecture notes 2)reference to textbook, read it and see if you make 100% sense of it 3)do example sheets on it. What do you think of this? Are you 100% sure textbooks are not needed?

Original post by raff97
Perhaps you wont get burnt out, but 5 hours is a lot during a holiday is a lot. Some people were doing about that amount during exam term. I know I was...


I was doing three times that during exam term, and that is because I had more exams than usual Maths offer-holders, so it seems like I will have way too much time in my hands during summer. I guess it is all relative. This doesn't even take into account how eager I am to start part IA.

Original post by raff97
Also, if you do all 4 example sheets at once without someone checking over them, thers a very good chance your going wrong somewhere. The good thing about doing that at Cambridge is you learn 1/4 of a course then do the example sheet which is checked by your supervisor. He will make sure you're not going horribly missing the point somewhere, that you understand the course and just general question structure. You can then take his advice to the next 1/4 of the course and so on.


This is why Zacken is setting up ASoM (A Summer of Maths) thread where we will be collaborating and self-studying the Tripos together. It would be great if you and other current Mathmos (as long as you have the time of course) help us from time to time, kind of like in an online supervision, I suppose.

Original post by raff97
Also doing example sheets 4 months in advance of supervisions is very counter productive. You will have forgotten what you were doing in some question so will be slightly lost as to what your supervisor is explaining. Heck, Ive done sheets 4-5 days in advance and still forgotten some of my arguments.


Now, this is something that I can't debate with you about. Are the example sheets online the same that are given every year? Can I not just re-do them when the time comes? I think this 'summer self-study' is more about getting the practice + being familiar with the course in advance, and not about reducing workload during part IA. I never intended it to be this way. I am very eager to start IA, and I want to improve in maths in advance before I come into Cambridge. I am not planning to reduce any potential workload in Cambridge or whatever, I want the contrary of that.

Original post by raff97
You're gonna be at Churchill right? We want as many firsts as we can get! I wouldnt saying this if I didnt want you to do well.


Yes, I am a Churchill applicant! Are you also a Churchillian? :biggrin:

Thanks a lot. :smile:
Original post by Insight314
5 hours: 9am to 2pm doing maths and then 2pm to 12am watching movies, TV series, playing games, going out. I can't see the problem in that.


9am to 2pm maths, more like 9am to 2pm sleep
Original post by shamika
Agree with this (except if you are going to insist on starting early, do N&S. An easy introduction is given by Liebeck's book intro to pure maths). But you can get a high first without self studying in advance. Dabble if you really want, but definitely don't do it out of a mistaken belief you'll get left behind.


I am not doing Numbers and Sets since I am taking Maths with Physics. :tongue:

My motivation to self-study part IA during the summer is only because I am eager to start part IA, I am not doing this so I don't get 'left behind' or anything.
Original post by sweeneyrod
9am to 2pm maths, more like 9am to 2pm sleep


You sleep for 14 hours? :confused:
Original post by physicsmaths
Interesting, lots of people got Q9 'wrong' in the show that saying there was no root3. Interesting to see who is wrong.


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I still can't believe how much of a joke question Q11 was.
Original post by Insight314
I still can't believe how much of a joke question Q11 was.


I still can't believe how much of a joke my life is
Original post by Number Nine
I still can't believe how much of a joke my life is


I can't agree with you more m8.

Spoiler

Original post by Insight314
I am not doing Numbers and Sets since I am taking Maths with Physics. :tongue:

My motivation to self-study part IA during the summer is only because I am eager to start part IA, I am not doing this so I don't get 'left behind' or anything.


You know you can still go to the N&S and D&R lectures right? (They're scheduled so that they don't overlap.) For mathmos I still suggest N&S over Groups because it's a foundational course designed to get you infused to rigorous mathematics with objects (numbers and sets) which you'll be familiar with. If you don't want to do N&S, how about V&M? It's another foundational course that follows on from FP3.

Groups is probably the hardest of the lot you can start with, hence me suggesting otherwise to raff. It's entirely doable to self study though. Whatever you decide, don't waste money on textbooks - get lecture notes instead. A few mathmos have beautiful notes on their blogs which I'm sure you can find with some googling (hopefully some of those in Cambridge now can link to some). Ill put some suggestions for books to look at if you really want some, once you've decided which course you're going to start with
Reply 2492
Original post by Zacken
20 + 4 + 20 + 20 + 15 = 79 = definite 1.


Thank u soooo much!!!!

Original post by physicsmaths
Interesting, lots of people got Q9 'wrong' in the show that saying there was no root3. Interesting to see who is wrong.


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I'll probably be the wrong one, always messed up with SHM lol.
Original post by shamika
You know you can still go to the N&S and D&R lectures right? (They're scheduled so that they don't overlap.)


Yeah, I know that. I really want to specialise in theoretical physics by the time I graduate, and the course details for D&R make it seem as a 'must' for those people who want to do exactly that, since it is one of the first theoretical physics courses that a mathmo would take. However, this one is replaced by the Maths with Physics option due to there already being a Special Relativity course within the fourth paper (the Physics NatSci Tripos one). So would you say it would be beneficial for me to attend those lectures or not?


Original post by shamika
For mathmos I still suggest N&S over Groups because it's a foundational course designed to get you infused to rigorous mathematics with objects (numbers and sets) which you'll be familiar with. If you don't want to do N&S, how about V&M? It's another foundational course that follows on from FP3.


I actually learnt some N&S during Summer 2015 for my personal statement so I can include the book "Numbers and Proofs" by Allenby. This textbook is included in the recommended list for N&S on https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/system/files/schedules.pdf with a 'dagger' next to it which suggests that it is especially written for that course. Here is the Contents page of it: IMG_0496.jpg
Attachment not found
. I have already covered up to Chapter 4 but not more than that. Would you say I should complete it? Although I do find N&S intriguing, I mainly decided to self-study it for set theory and mathematical logic; I am not that much into proofs and the more pure maths to be quite honest. I was definitely planning on taking V&M before Group theory, even before @raff97 suggested me to take Group theory during the summer; I think group theory is taught together with V&M in Michaelmas term, so good to self-study them together.

Original post by shamika
Groups is probably the hardest of the lot you can start with, hence me suggesting otherwise to raff. It's entirely doable to self study though. Whatever you decide, don't waste money on textbooks - get lecture notes instead. A few mathmos have beautiful notes on their blogs which I'm sure you can find with some googling (hopefully some of those in Cambridge now can link to some). Ill put some suggestions for books to look at if you really want some, once you've decided which course you're going to start with


Don't you think textbooks are at least a bit useful though? I've already got an Analysis I textbook. So you are suggesting 1)lecture notes 2)example sheets as a study methodology. Wouldn't it be more favourable to accomodate the lecture notes with a textbook or is that just going to be a waste of time? I feel like cross-referencing would be very beneficial in terms of learning the content in depth.

I thought Cambrige also shares online lecture notes, or are those lecture notes you are talking about different to them? I have to go to sleep now so I will private message you tomorrow with the courses that I may take during the summer.

Thanks a lot. You've been of great help! :tongue:
Original post by Insight314
Yeah, I know that. I really want to specialise in theoretical physics by the time I graduate, and the course details for D&R make it seem as a 'must' for those people who want to do exactly that, since it is one of the first theoretical physics courses that a mathmo would take. However, this one is replaced by the Maths with Physics option due to there already being a Special Relativity course within the fourth paper (the Physics NatSci Tripos one). So would you say it would be beneficial for me to attend those lectures or not?




I actually learnt some N&S during Summer 2015 for my personal statement so I can include the book "Numbers and Proofs" by Allenby. This textbook is included in the recommended list for N&S on https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/system/files/schedules.pdf with a 'dagger' next to it which suggests that it is especially written for that course. Here is the Contents page of it: IMG_0496.jpg
Attachment not found
. I have already covered up to Chapter 4 but not more than that. Would you say I should complete it? Although I do find N&S intriguing, I mainly decided to self-study it for set theory and mathematical logic; I am not that much into proofs and the more pure maths to be quite honest. I was definitely planning on taking V&M before Group theory, even before @raff97 suggested me to take Group theory during the summer; I think group theory is taught together with V&M in Michaelmas term, so good to self-study them together.



Don't you think textbooks are at least a bit useful though? I've already got an Analysis I textbook. So you are suggesting 1)lecture notes 2)example sheets as a study methodology. Wouldn't it be more favourable to accomodate the lecture notes with a textbook or is that just going to be a waste of time? I feel like cross-referencing would be very beneficial in terms of learning the content in depth.

I thought Cambrige also shares online lecture notes, or are those lecture notes you are talking about different to them? I have to go to sleep now so I will private message you tomorrow with the courses that I may take during the summer.

Thanks a lot. You've been of great help! :tongue:


Here are the lecture notes I pretty much depended on this year. Complete set of notes for Part IA is there. As for Cambridge sharing online lecture notes themselves, they only do so for some courses (as far as I can remember for this year: DE, Groups, Probability) and arguably they have a lot of irrelevant content in there, so Dexter's notes (linked) are a very good starting point.
Julia Goedecke's notes for Groups this year, on the other hand, are actually very good and if I can manage to download them I can try to send them to you (and any others who request the same)
https://dec41.user.srcf.net/
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Insight314


....


Why is that so sexy...
Original post by Alex_Aits
Here are the lecture notes I pretty much depended on this year. Complete set of notes for Part IA is there. As for Cambridge sharing online lecture notes themselves, they only do so for some courses (as far as I can remember for this year: DE, Groups, Probability) and arguably they have a lot of irrelevant content in there, so Dexter's notes (linked) are a very good starting point.
Julia Goedeckes notes for Groups this year, on the other hand, are actually very good and if I can manage to download them I can try to send them to you (and any others who request the same)
https://dec41.user.srcf.net/


Those notes look great! Might use some of them next year.
I tried to create a more advanced formulae book, the current A level one is pretty bad, some important formulae not included, and a lot of GCSE stuff such as cosine rule...(leave them to art students please). So if you want to contribute to this booklet, feel free to edit it, and don't forget to put your name in the author section which will be printed on the front page after complection.

https://www.overleaf.com/5560407bbmbvq
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Alex_Aits
Here are the lecture notes I pretty much depended on this year. Complete set of notes for Part IA is there. As for Cambridge sharing online lecture notes themselves, they only do so for some courses (as far as I can remember for this year: DE, Groups, Probability) and arguably they have a lot of irrelevant content in there, so Dexter's notes (linked) are a very good starting point.
Julia Goedecke's notes for Groups this year, on the other hand, are actually very good and if I can manage to download them I can try to send them to you (and any others who request the same)
https://dec41.user.srcf.net/


Oh my god, thank you so much. Do share Julia's notes if you can get your hands across them. :smile:


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Original post by EricPiphany
Why is that so sexy...


I know right. :perv:

I can't go to sleep right now, and she really doesn't help it.


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