[CharlotteH92]

So theres an actual individual interview during the Ucas day? All I was told about in my email was that it was an open day sort of thing...this will be interesting, aha!
I've applied for English there, do they just ask you general questions about literally anything then?

[banu]

(Original post by MathsGirl)
I am in my final year and ive truly enjoyed every moment of it.

I did do Further Maths but all this did was give me a very slight head start in the first part of the first term as very little material was covered. If you want to do a little work over the summer i would advise having a look at first and second order differential equations particularly the integrating factor method ( i was taught this in FM i think but it definitely comes up every year here) but there are many methods for solving ODEs do have a look at some of the stuff in the FP modules. Binomial expansion is pretty simple and comes up a lot and polar co ordinates, vectors from FM (i think) the stuff that involves the foot of the perpendicular and that sort of stuff.

If you have an acknowledgement then you will shortly be asked in for an interview. This is nothing to worry about as all out lecturers are friendly. It will involve a tour of campus, lunch, a short lecture and an informal interview where they will ask you why you want to do maths, whether you want to do a placement year and a maths question which i doesnt matter if you get wrong. Then you will receive an offer within a few days. This will be exactly what it says on the website AAB (i think!) where one A must be in maths.

If you get offered a place and you accept then there will be a "calculus test" but dont be fooled this involves very little calculus and is more just very basic algebra- this is usually during the first week of term and it doesnt really matter if you dont do well in it.

Overview of what to expect form the course: 4 modules a term (we call them semesters) 3 hours per week per module so 12 timetabled hours a week plus one hour with your tutor. If you are doing straight maths you will not have any choices in your modules until second year. Usually you have 1 or 2 class tests worth a total of 25% of that module and a 75% exam at the end of the semester wither in january or june. Some modules have coursework instead but only a couple. You have to get 40% in every module to pass the year 70% gives you a first class mark (you probably already know this). You will get unassessed complusory assignments throughout the year and these are usually a couple of weeks before your class tests and usually cover the material from the test in a similar style to the test! Lecturers try their hardest to give you marks so dont complain unless you have good reason to.

If you want to know anything specific then just ask. Everyone wants to know different things . Most people tend to ask about the campus or textbook and the answers are always the same, beautiful and dont really need any. Goodluck and keep me posted

Thank you very much this information was very useful. So are you doing a placement year as well? Is this beneficial? What would you like to do after completing your maths degree seeing as it's very open? What are the most challenging topics you have come across in this course?

[MathsGirl]

(Original post by banu)
Thank you very much this information was very useful. So are you doing a placement year as well? Is this beneficial? What would you like to do after completing your maths degree seeing as it's very open? What are the most challenging topics you have come across in this course?

Im not doing a placement year but this is because i want to teach and have been having interviews for PGCEs. The placement year is very good as most people get offered graduate jobs (so if your going to do one make sure its something your really interested in). The Mmath one is slightly different as its for 1 semester rather than a year but im guessing it works the same. Our lecturers have contacts which is needed for an Mmath placement. Placement years also make you very employable. i remember a statement released a few months ago saying graduates are not ready for real work straight out of a degree- the placement year solves this. If you dont know whether you want to do a placement, put it down as your option becaus eyou can always change off of it. i managed to change from maths with stats to maths and friends of mine have changed on and off of placements and Mmaths courses.

For me the hardest areas are dynamics (mechanics) and analysis which is probably nothing like you've seen before. And i dont believe you can get away from analysis regardless of where your degree is. Its taking maths back to its purest form which is something i (and many others) find difficult.

[banu]

(Original post by MathsGirl)
Im not doing a placement year but this is because i want to teach and have been having interviews for PGCEs. The placement year is very good as most people get offered graduate jobs (so if your going to do one make sure its something your really interested in). The Mmath one is slightly different as its for 1 semester rather than a year but im guessing it works the same. Our lecturers have contacts which is needed for an Mmath placement. Placement years also make you very employable. i remember a statement released a few months ago saying graduates are not ready for real work straight out of a degree- the placement year solves this. If you dont know whether you want to do a placement, put it down as your option becaus eyou can always change off of it. i managed to change from maths with stats to maths and friends of mine have changed on and off of placements and Mmaths courses.

For me the hardest areas are dynamics (mechanics) and analysis which is probably nothing like you've seen before. And i dont believe you can get away from analysis regardless of where your degree is. Its taking maths back to its purest form which is something i (and many others) find difficult.

oh ok.. is mechanics a compulsory module?

[MathsGirl]

(Original post by banu)
oh ok.. is mechanics a compulsory module?

Replying on my phone so I appologise in advance if there are spelling mistakes.
If you are taking straight maths then yes, there is a compulsary mechanics module in level 1 and 2. The course changes every year so it might be different for you but from what I had, level 1 dynamics is very similar to mechanics, level 2 fluid dynamics which was compulsary for me is very different as it doesn't involve much maths. Its more about learning the science. Level 3 you choose all of your modules. In theory you will only have to do 2 mechanics modules but make sure you look at the level 3 options before you pick your level 2 options otherwise you might find you have no choice but do a mecs mod.

If in level 2 the dynamics module is optional then you can pretty much do your degree without mecs because level 1 doesn't count towards your classification. If not then you will only have 1 dynamics module in your whole degree.

Hope this helps

[banu]

Oh ok thank you it helped a lot Also I received an email today inviting for a UCAS visit day on the 14th December

[KeelyEverywhere]

I didn't apply yet cos my school is so slow! We are having mock exams next week when we'll get our predicted grades and then we'll able to spply through UCAS finally!!! Surrey is my first choice, business management

[colly92]

(Original post by clau.dia)
just got an offer from surrey! ABB
i've applied to
oxford brookes, central lancashire, sheffield hallam and brighton

got an offer for central lancashire also.. think it was 280 points

Ah nice one well done on getting the offers. Believe it or not most of the choices that I’m thinking of putting on my ucas are very very similar to your choices! I really wanna go to surrey and I have my a levels already so I hope I get an unconditional from surrey! What is your preferred uni?

[MathsGirl]

(Original post by banu)
Oh ok thank you it helped a lot Also I received an email today inviting for a UCAS visit day on the 14th December

Awesome.
Im sure i mentioned it before but UCAS days are very informal. You get given a tour, a short sample lecture, lunch and an interview. Have you answer to why do you like maths ready and some of their favourite maths questions involve "show that this is irrational" or "intergrate this" but i did further maths so my questions were intentionally harder. Remember if the top is a derivative of the bottom then when you integrate it its a multiple of log(bottom) thats was my question and i got it wrong lol. In my interview they were also more concerned about me not living in student accommodation and not wanting to do a placement year than maths. Also if your concerned about what to wear
(really sorry i didnt take note if you were a girl of boy before posting this) either trousers and a shirt, not a full suit, or skirt and top or even a dress but keep it comfortable and warm. I believe some peaople even wear jeans but avoid the hoody. It looks sloppy (even though 3/4 of us wear hoodies on a daly basis) for interviews.

[banu]

Thanks... Do u have like any sample questions that they have previously asked ? This problem with is that I may sometimes go blank when they ask me a question I'm not sure of lol. By the way I just applied for the Maths bsc course, if I want to do placement year can I change it afterwards? Also, do u live far from the uni? If u don't mind could you tell me What u said to them for not living in student accommodation?

[MathsGirl]

(Original post by banu)
Thanks... Do u have like any sample questions that they have previously asked ? This problem with is that I may sometimes go blank when they ask me a question I'm not sure of lol. By the way I just applied for the Maths bsc course, if I want to do placement year can I change it afterwards? Also, do u live far from the uni? If u don't mind could you tell me What u said to them for not living in student accommodation?

I live about 30 min drive from uni and i had personal reasons for wanting to live at home but also money was a factor as i saved so much.

You can change onto a placement year but its probably easier to change off of it. Im not entirely sure as ive never looked into it but yes, changing is relatively easy and they like people to do placements as it makes them look good.

Hard to give you sample questiosn but integrate 2x/x^2+3 something like that or show root 2 is irrational. All you have to do is say if its rational it must have the form p/q which is a fraction in its lowest form and then show that this isnt possible. Its possible your questions will be easier as you havent done FM

[banu]

Oh kl thx

[master_blaster66]

has anyone got a interview on the 14th december at surrey for chemical engineering?

[ohhaiikim]

(Original post by iona.carys)
Thank you! I got my first acknowledgement and embarrassingly went all crazy Especially as its no big deal, I think I was just relieved they'd got my app.
Good luck for your interview Are you nervous?

Thank you! Yeah, it's not just an interview though, there are 2 short tests you have to do as well.

[clau.dia]

(Original post by colly92)
Ah nice one well done on getting the offers. Believe it or not most of the choices that I’m thinking of putting on my ucas are very very similar to your choices! I really wanna go to surrey and I have my a levels already so I hope I get an unconditional from surrey! What is your preferred uni?

i've applied to other countries as well.. like hong kong and switzerland but in england my first choice is surrey, then oxford brookes

[AdamBeee]

anyone going to the Maths UCAS day on the 7th December?
Or has anyone been to one before? I don't have a clue what to expect in the 'informal interview' :/

[KingGoonIan]

**** **** **** got my interview on Thursday so anxious I'll mess up and get rejected. Anyone else in the same position as me?

[master_blaster66]

(Original post by KingGoonIan)
**** **** **** got my interview on Thursday so anxious I'll mess up and get rejected. Anyone else in the same position as me?

got mine on the 14th, lol ive never had a proper interview. fingers crossed

[nsk94]

i'm applying as an international student for Electronic Engineering with AAAB but i've got the potential to get A*AAA! anyone else applying for the same course as me?

[Cath-ay]

Cool someone finally made a thread for Surrey
MEng Chemical Engineering, been interviewed, waiting for the decision!