University Maths 1st year - experience

Yh, so i am going to study maths at university this september, and having looked at the lecture notes, it looks mental. I was just wondering, did people find it mental when they went to their first lecture. As it looks like a big leap between a-level maths, so how did you ppl eradicate the leap?

Reply 1

around

13

You'll be fine. Just be (relatively) conscientious about your work and it won't be as bad as it seems.

Reply 2

qgujxj39

17

Don't worry - everything will look gibberish to you, there will be lots of new notation and ways of thinking that you haven't encountered yet. When you get there, you'll learn everything thoroughly and in a logical order, and hopefully understand it.

Reply 3

username387126

8

I made a similar thread couple of months back

Reply 4

deltabomber

12

Original post by ajayhp

Yh, so i am going to study maths at university this september, and having looked at the lecture notes, it looks mental. I was just wondering, did people find it mental when they went to their first lecture. As it looks like a big leap between a-level maths, so how did you ppl eradicate the leap?

If the lecturer says something is trivial, dont worry if its not...

Reply 5

IrrationalNumber

12

If you were to look at C4 while you were doing GCSE you would find it mental. It's the same thing as looking at university maths now.

If you want something to do to make it slightly easier, try doing some STEP questions.

Reply 6

Simplicity

17

Original post by IrrationalNumber

If you were to look at C4 while you were doing GCSE you would find it mental. It's the same thing as looking at university maths now.

If you want something to do to make it slightly easier, try doing some STEP questions.

I disagree strongly with that. like C4 to GCSE is like two years.

C4 makes sense if you think about what Maths is. You are giving some algebra and equations and trig.

However, say if you looked at second year uni stuff you would be thinking what the hell. Like proofs aren't what you think Maths is. Also, analysis would look strange to most people. Through I'm probably biased because I knew a lot of the stuff in first year from reading post in the Maths section. I remember when I only knew GCSEs and was looking at an old A level book, it didn't look strange to me and it was mostly further maths stuff.

ajayhp

Yh, so i am going to study maths at university this september, and having looked at the lecture notes, it looks mental. I was just wondering, did people find it mental when they went to their first lecture. As it looks like a big leap between a-level maths, so how did you ppl eradicate the leap?

First year is easy. Most of it is basically common sense and in a year you would find taking a piss harder. Standard advice is do all example sheets, that all you need to get high grades. Also, try not to get drunk everyday. Also, get ready to memorize tedious definitions like what a limit is or what continuity is.

P.S. 1st year is easy through. OP don't worry.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 7

IrrationalNumber

12

Original post by Simplicity

I disagree strongly with that. like C4 to GCSE is like two years.

C4 makes sense if you think about what Maths is. You are giving some algebra and equations and trig.

It has loads of these funny S signs. People could reasonably come out of GCSE maths and think that most of mathematics is about arithmetic, just as they could reasonably think that maths is about nothing but computations from a-level maths.

However, say if you looked at second year uni stuff you would be thinking what the hell.

The gap between GCSE->A-level and A-level>2nd year uni should be far smaller though because at a-level you are less mature, you take 3 subjects and you don't always have to pay for your education. University students focus on one subject (split into modules, sure, but it's one linked subject) and they are far better at seeing what to work at.

Also, analysis would look strange to most people.

Those funny S signs surely look strange to most people.

Through I'm probably biased because I knew a lot of the stuff in first year from reading post in the Maths section.

This is quite possible.

First year is easy. Most of it is basically common sense and in a year you would find taking a piss harder.

Hmm, I'm pretty sure some first year analysis questions are quite hard.

Standard advice is do all example sheets, that all you need to get high grades. Also, try not to get drunk everyday.

I agree mostly, but you also need to have an idea of the way the standard proofs go (like uniqueness of limits, mean value theorem e.t.c.)

Also, get ready to memorize tedious definitions like what a limit is or what continuity is.

I memorize them by remembering the ideas, rather than the precise logical formulae. I would remember something like continuity at u by saying that one should be able to get arbitrarily close to f(u) by making x close to u. This reminds me what the definition should be, and I remember a few counterexamples for other definitions.

P.S. 1st year is easy through. OP don't worry.

Sort of, but OP don't worry is good advice.

Reply 8

alibee

2

I'm worrying tbh!! I'm 24 and took my A Levels 6 years ago now. I feel like I've forgotton everything I ever knew. I've done some OU courses in maths (levels 1 and 2) but I still don't feel like I'm properly running at the level I used to with my maths.

I'm not sure what it'd be most helpful for me to practice before I arrive. I just don't want to show myself up compared to all the school leavers with it fresh in their minds.

Reply 9

IrrationalNumber

12

Original post by alibee

I'm worrying tbh!! I'm 24 and took my A Levels 6 years ago now. I feel like I've forgotton everything I ever knew. I've done some OU courses in maths (levels 1 and 2) but I still don't feel like I'm properly running at the level I used to with my maths.

I'm not sure what it'd be most helpful for me to practice before I arrive. I just don't want to show myself up compared to all the school leavers with it fresh in their minds.

Go through an a-level maths textbook?

Reply 10

Dam

2

Original post by alibee

I'm worrying tbh!! I'm 24 and took my A Levels 6 years ago now. I feel like I've forgotton everything I ever knew. I've done some OU courses in maths (levels 1 and 2) but I still don't feel like I'm properly running at the level I used to with my maths.

I'm not sure what it'd be most helpful for me to practice before I arrive. I just don't want to show myself up compared to all the school leavers with it fresh in their minds.

Hey, I know where you are coming from, I'm 29 and did my A-level 8 years ago, I'm starting at Nottingham in a couple of weeks and pretty nervous about being left behind by all these youngsters with 3 A*s!

I have been doing some STEP questions, I think these are more useful than just churning out excercises in A-level books, altough I've been doing some of that too in my weaker areas.

Where are you studying?

Reply 11

alibee

2

Original post by Dam

Where are you studying?

Southampton :smile:

Reply 12

refref

Just remember this and you will be fine.

Given a function f and an element c of the domain I, ƒ is said to be continuous at the point c if the following holds: For any number ε > 0, there exists some number δ > 0 such that for all x in the domain of ƒ with c − δ < x < c + δ, the value of ƒ(x) satisfies

f(c) - \varepsilon < f(x) < f(c) + \varepsilon

Of course, this isn't exactly what I remembered because I have forgotten what I was supposed to remember.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 13

jit987

13

OP I'm in the same situation as you :s-smilie:

Original post by refref

Just remember this and you will be fine.

Given a function f and an element c of the domain I, ƒ is said to be continuous at the point c if the following holds: For any number ε > 0, there exists some number δ > 0 such that for all x in the domain of ƒ with c − δ < x < c + δ, the value of ƒ(x) satisfies

Unparseable latex formula:

f(c) - \varepsilon < f(x) < f(c) + \varepsilon

Of course, this isn't exactly what I remembered because I have forgotten what I was supposed to remember.

Reply 14

r_mar

Is doing STEP actually that effective for preparing for first year uni maths?

Reply 15

refref

Original post by r_mar

Is doing STEP actually that effective for preparing for first year uni maths?

In my opinion, no. Getting a good introductory book on analysis and reading a bit of that is more helpful.

Reply 16

Dam

2

Original post by refref

In my opinion, no. Getting a good introductory book on analysis and reading a bit of that is more helpful.

You got any recommendations? I've still got 2 weeks!

Reply 17

RamsFanNo1

11

Try not to worry about it. I thought it was just going to carry on from A level and so the material would just be like the module C5, C6, C7, C8 etc. However maths at degree is much more pure. It is hard to even explain it to somebody who hasn't started learning the material. What I will say is, do not panic. It might be rather mental at first, but after not long at all it will become a second nature to you and you'll wonder what all the panic was in the first place.
I wish you all the luck when you start your first year and if you ever need help or advice then feel free to message me.