[Rascacielos]

It's not easy. Well, C1 is pretty straightforward - it's more or less the stuff you get on the last few pages of the GCSE higher tier exam, just with a few extra topics thrown in, but nothing difficult (you should get a high B/A in it really). C2 is probably a bigger step from C1 than C1 is from GCSE. It's quite tricky but if you have an A at GCSE, you should be OK with hard work. I personally wouldn't do A-level Maths if you were working at anything less than an A grade at GCSE. I got an A* and struggled with some of the C2 material at first (I wasn't alone).

[hbeattie]

id say if you were doing physics for a level then you should definitely do it as a lot of the material is the same. if you get an A* or a high A at GCSE maths then also do it, but if you get a low A/B then i wouldnt advise it, maths A level is a big step up. i know people who got an A at GCSE and ended up with a C at A2, most people who got less than an A failed it :/

[TheNightmare]

(Original post by Fool In The Rain)
I know this thread has probably been done a hundred times. But I want peoples own opinions on how they felt about Maths (AS and A2) in terms of difficulty. In my school, as soon as I mention doing Maths for A level, everyone says 'Don't do it, people drop out in 3 weeks.' It might be to do with the college I'm going to (Holy Cross Sixth Form College, Bury) but seeing what C1 Maths is like, it has lots of higher GCSE material in it. Not to mention, common sense would tell me to revise and learn new things in AS Maths before college, as well as practice at home (since I'm quite introvert) so I don't feel far behind (as I would do with French, since the gap from GCSE is apparently quite high at French A level).

I'm expected an A and I've just done the March exams and feel like I could possibly achieve an A and received a B in the November exam.

Any help is strongly appreciated

Edit: I should mention the AS levels I applied for:
-French
-English Lit
-History
-Law(replacing this with MATHS)
-Critical Thinking (dropping this, loads of unis don't accept this)

To be honest, it depends on how clever you actually are and how much work you are willing to put in. It is a MASSIVE JUMP from GCSE's and A-Levels. If you study hard it is quite straight forward and enjoyable. The topics are a lot more interesting compared to GCSE's in my opinion, but some topics are tricky and long but if you are willing to put the work in, it is absolutely possible to achieve a high grade.

[TGH1]

(Original post by Fool In The Rain)
In my school, as soon as I mention doing Maths for A level, everyone says 'Don't do it, people drop out in 3 weeks.' It might be to do with the college I'm going to (Holy Cross Sixth Form College, Bury) but seeing what C1 Maths is like, it has lots of higher GCSE material in it. Not to mention, common sense would tell me to revise and learn new things in AS Maths before college, as well as practice at home (since I'm quite introvert) so I don't feel far behind (as I would do with French, since the gap from GCSE is apparently quite high at French A level).

As long as you can factorise, perform basic algebraic manipulation, and avoid scream at the sight of a surd, AS Maths at the very least should be doable.

[21stcenturyphantom]

(Original post by TGH1)
at the sight of a surd

A surd! It's a surd! Run, run for your lives!

[Implo]

I made this exact thread when I was deciding haha. If you reckon you could get an A at GCSE if you were to put the work in, then you should be alright. I got a B at GCSE but DO NOT doubt my abilities to get an A at A Level. Everyone made it out to be the hardest thing ever (family/friends) but really it isn't, in the beginning I didn't get any of it lol, but it all didn't feel out of my grasp, while people dropped out asap I carried on because I reckoned if I put the work in I could (I did f' all every lesson, no homework/reading). Sadly it was to late before I stepped up, this Thursday when I get my results from January I'm expecting a B, maybe an A with some luck. But really, it's difficulty is overated! Go for it man.

[oh_1993]

(Original post by Fool In The Rain)
I know this thread has probably been done a hundred times. But I want peoples own opinions on how they felt about Maths (AS and A2) in terms of difficulty. In my school, as soon as I mention doing Maths for A level, everyone says 'Don't do it, people drop out in 3 weeks.' It might be to do with the college I'm going to (Holy Cross Sixth Form College, Bury) but seeing what C1 Maths is like, it has lots of higher GCSE material in it. Not to mention, common sense would tell me to revise and learn new things in AS Maths before college, as well as practice at home (since I'm quite introvert) so I don't feel far behind (as I would do with French, since the gap from GCSE is apparently quite high at French A level).

I'm expected an A and I've just done the March exams and feel like I could possibly achieve an A and received a B in the November exam.

Any help is strongly appreciated

Edit: I should mention the AS levels I applied for:
-French
-English Lit
-History
-Law(replacing this with MATHS)
-Critical Thinking (dropping this, loads of unis don't accept this)

I only just scraped an A in GCSE Maths. Now I am in Year 13 and have already finished my Maths and Further Maths A-Levels (A* in Maths, hopefully an A* in Further Maths I will find out tomorrow fingers crossed). I just became interested in Maths and worked harder and now I am well on my way to university and learning things to prepare for it already.

You are at the same level I was 2 years ago. From personal experience I know that previous grades do not determine your ability in a future course. It's the people who are determined to achieve who get to where they want to be.

If you want to do A-Level Maths, you go for it and don't listen to what people say about 'people drop out'. The people who drop out don't try, they give up and probably realise that they don't like maths.

My GCSE maths teacher told me to think hard about taking maths and warned me off further maths strongly because 'it will be too much'. I can quite honestly say it is not enough.

Go for it if you like Maths.

[Danatlive]

If you're doing French then anything is easy in comparison! Trust me, I do Maths, Further Maths and French and wowwwzza. Maths is really fun and it's certainly not too difficult. It requires a lot of work but it's an A Level you shouldn't expect anything less.

If you like Maths enough then go for it - it's by far my favourite course.

EDIT: I also do English Lit so if you have any questions on that along with my other subjects feel free to ask

[Fool In The Rain]

(Original post by Danatlive)
If you're doing French then anything is easy in comparison! Trust me, I do Maths, Further Maths and French and wowwwzza.

Didn't think French would be so difficult in comparision to Maths (then again I got a B in my French in year 9 ).

I am considering Maths, since I don't have a clue what else to take and to be honest, common sense tells me to revise and learn some French and Maths over the holidays. I'm considering purchasing the CGP Head Start to AS Maths and maybe the revision guide for AS Maths to look over anything new and get a nice head start . I'm also considering getting 'Mot a Mot' to learn some French vocab and maybe 'Accion Grammaire' to recap and learn advanced things in French. I'm guessing this is a good idea (even though Accion Grammaire is £20 ).
Does everyone else believe this a good plan to get a head start in these hard-working A levels?

[RyanB1993]

C1 is okay. C2 a little harder. C3 I found quite easy (haven't sat exam in that yet) but am finding C4 very hard. As others have said, your result really depends on the paper you get on the day.

[sabre2th1]

It depends what you get in GCSE. If you get a B, you would need to put in a LOT of work to get a good grade at AS..

If you get an A/A*, you still need to put quite a lot of work in..

C1 should be simple, just a lot of practice, C2 has many new concepts but can be mastered after a lot of practice, S1 is statistics, also not too hard. A real hard module would be C3 in my opinion.

[charlotteyasmin]

(Original post by Fool In The Rain)
I know this thread has probably been done a hundred times. But I want peoples own opinions on how they felt about Maths (AS and A2) in terms of difficulty. In my school, as soon as I mention doing Maths for A level, everyone says 'Don't do it, people drop out in 3 weeks.' It might be to do with the college I'm going to (Holy Cross Sixth Form College, Bury) but seeing what C1 Maths is like, it has lots of higher GCSE material in it. Not to mention, common sense would tell me to revise and learn new things in AS Maths before college, as well as practice at home (since I'm quite introvert) so I don't feel far behind (as I would do with French, since the gap from GCSE is apparently quite high at French A level).

I'm expected an A and I've just done the March exams and feel like I could possibly achieve an A and received a B in the November exam.

Any help is strongly appreciated

Edit: I should mention the AS levels I applied for:
-French
-English Lit
-History
-Law(replacing this with MATHS)
-Critical Thinking (dropping this, loads of unis don't accept this)

Sorry to restart an old thread but I'm just finishing my first year at Holy Cross, so if you have any specific questions about AS maths at holy cross, or just the college in general, then I'll be happy to help

[Fool In The Rain]

(Original post by charlotteyasmin)
Sorry to restart an old thread but I'm just finishing my first year at Holy Cross, so if you have any specific questions about AS maths at holy cross, or just the college in general, then I'll be happy to help

How do you find Maths? I got an A in it in March (aiming for an A* now). Is there a lot of work? Are the teachers nice/good? Is it an enjoyable lesson? Well as much as it can be, it is Maths!
Also, not Maths related but do you know how people feel about History, Eng Lit and French?

It would be very nice if you could answer any of these questions
So happy to see someone from Holy Cross on the TSR! Makes me feel a little better about going there in September (Oh! The nerves!)

[charlotteyasmin]

(Original post by Fool In The Rain)
How do you find Maths? I got an A in it in March (aiming for an A* now). Is there a lot of work? Are the teachers nice/good? Is it an enjoyable lesson? Well as much as it can be, it is Maths!
Also, not Maths related but do you know how people feel about History, Eng Lit and French?

It would be very nice if you could answer any of these questions
So happy to see someone from Holy Cross on the TSR! Makes me feel a little better about going there in September (Oh! The nerves!)

Hi!
Maths isn't too bad. My teacher sets quite a bit of homework, but he doesn't check if people have done it. It can be quite tempting not to do it, but obviously you'll benefit more if you do it. My teacher is quite nice, and all the other ones are willing to help if you get stuck on homework and need help As for lessons being enjoyable, I think they're okay. They certainly aren't my favourite but I only really picked maths because I thought I was good at it, not because I particularly enjoyed it. It really depends who is in your class. You'll start with C1 and most of that unit follows on from GCSE Maths. If you've already got an A at GCSE and are aiming for an A*, you should be fine with it.
I also do English Lit and History!
Presuming the course is the same next year (which it should be), the first unit you'll do in History is Russia (can't remember the exact dates but it's something like 1860 - 1940). Personally, I didn't find it very interesting. I came out with a B in the January exam, which considering how little revision I did, was quite an achievement. The second unit is Ireland (again, can't remember the exact dates but it's something like 1850 - 1924). I found this unit very interesting, as did a lot of others. This exam is partially source based, so you'll have to be able to interpret sources, but I think most of these skills you should pick up in GCSE History. Lessons are enjoyable and the teachers are all really nice.
If the texts for English Lit stay the same, you'll probably start with a piece of coursework on a collection of poems called Skirrid Hill by Owen Sheers. Then you'll do another piece of coursework comparing The Great Gatsby and A Streetcar Named Desire. I really enjoyed these texts, as did most of the class. For the exam, we did Turn Of The Screw and some Emily Dickinson poems. Turn of the Screw was interesting, as there are a lot of different interpretations, some of which are borderline ridiculous. I didn't really enjoy the Dickinson poems because it can get a bit tedious constantly pointing out metaphors and changes in rhythm. English Lit lessons are always interesting and most people enjoy them.

Just some general tips for you - make sure you know how to write a good essay. Try and stay on top of the work. If you're a bit unsure about your subjects, a lot of people change in the first 2/3 weeks and it's not really a bit deal. Don't be overwhelmed by it all. When I first started, it seemed like so much work, but that's because you've done nothing all summer and you'll soon get used to it. Don't be nervous about it! Are a lot of people from your high school going? Everyone is really friendly and seems a lot more grown up than in high school, as there isn't too much bitchyness and 'high school drama'. Don't worry about getting lost. French is right across from History and English is on the next floor above it, so you'll find everything perfectly fine.
Sorry it's quite a long post I think I addressed most things, but anything else, just let me know

[James A]

Make sure you constantly do exam questions and its a very straightforward a level to get good at.

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my HTC Desire HD A9191

[Fool In The Rain]

(Original post by charlotteyasmin)
Hi!
Maths isn't too bad. My teacher sets quite a bit of homework, but he doesn't check if people have done it. It can be quite tempting not to do it, but obviously you'll benefit more if you do it. My teacher is quite nice, and all the other ones are willing to help if you get stuck on homework and need help As for lessons being enjoyable, I think they're okay. They certainly aren't my favourite but I only really picked maths because I thought I was good at it, not because I particularly enjoyed it. It really depends who is in your class. You'll start with C1 and most of that unit follows on from GCSE Maths. If you've already got an A at GCSE and are aiming for an A*, you should be fine with it.
I also do English Lit and History!
Presuming the course is the same next year (which it should be), the first unit you'll do in History is Russia (can't remember the exact dates but it's something like 1860 - 1940). Personally, I didn't find it very interesting. I came out with a B in the January exam, which considering how little revision I did, was quite an achievement. The second unit is Ireland (again, can't remember the exact dates but it's something like 1850 - 1924). I found this unit very interesting, as did a lot of others. This exam is partially source based, so you'll have to be able to interpret sources, but I think most of these skills you should pick up in GCSE History. Lessons are enjoyable and the teachers are all really nice.
If the texts for English Lit stay the same, you'll probably start with a piece of coursework on a collection of poems called Skirrid Hill by Owen Sheers. Then you'll do another piece of coursework comparing The Great Gatsby and A Streetcar Named Desire. I really enjoyed these texts, as did most of the class. For the exam, we did Turn Of The Screw and some Emily Dickinson poems. Turn of the Screw was interesting, as there are a lot of different interpretations, some of which are borderline ridiculous. I didn't really enjoy the Dickinson poems because it can get a bit tedious constantly pointing out metaphors and changes in rhythm. English Lit lessons are always interesting and most people enjoy them.

Just some general tips for you - make sure you know how to write a good essay. Try and stay on top of the work. If you're a bit unsure about your subjects, a lot of people change in the first 2/3 weeks and it's not really a bit deal. Don't be overwhelmed by it all. When I first started, it seemed like so much work, but that's because you've done nothing all summer and you'll soon get used to it. Don't be nervous about it! Are a lot of people from your high school going? Everyone is really friendly and seems a lot more grown up than in high school, as there isn't too much bitchyness and 'high school drama'. Don't worry about getting lost. French is right across from History and English is on the next floor above it, so you'll find everything perfectly fine.
Sorry it's quite a long post I think I addressed most things, but anything else, just let me know

Thank you, you've really helped me a lot! Looking forward to seeing Holy Cross now and YES, loads of people from our school (St Monica's) go to Holy Cross, apparently last year 95% of students went to Holy Cross . I hope to have a 'fresh' new start in September and hopefully I'll meet lots of lovely people there .

[charlotteyasmin]

(Original post by Fool In The Rain)
Thank you, you've really helped me a lot! Looking forward to seeing Holy Cross now and YES, loads of people from our school (St Monica's) go to Holy Cross, apparently last year 95% of students went to Holy Cross . I hope to have a 'fresh' new start in September and hopefully I'll meet lots of lovely people there .

I know so many people that went to St Monica's, it's crazy! Don't worry about meeting new people, I've met people from schools I didn't even know existed.

[nash_4_lyf]

Its okay, Its WAAAY HARDER THAN GCSE. C1 is piss easy
as is C2. C3 is...umm okay.
C4 bit me in the arse =_=

[M4LLY]

Its challenging to say th least

[The Polymath]

(Original post by Fool In The Rain)
I know this thread has probably been done a hundred times. But I want peoples own opinions on how they felt about Maths (AS and A2) in terms of difficulty. In my school, as soon as I mention doing Maths for A level, everyone says 'Don't do it, people drop out in 3 weeks.' It might be to do with the college I'm going to (Holy Cross Sixth Form College, Bury) but seeing what C1 Maths is like, it has lots of higher GCSE material in it. Not to mention, common sense would tell me to revise and learn new things in AS Maths before college, as well as practice at home (since I'm quite introvert) so I don't feel far behind (as I would do with French, since the gap from GCSE is apparently quite high at French A level).

I'm expected an A and I've just done the March exams and feel like I could possibly achieve an A and received a B in the November exam.

Any help is strongly appreciated

Edit: I should mention the AS levels I applied for:
-French
-English Lit
-History
-Law(replacing this with MATHS)
-Critical Thinking (dropping this, loads of unis don't accept this)

Good choice to switch out Law - even if you decide against Maths replace it with a 'proper' subject ( ) like Economics or something.

As for Maths, it's impossible to say how difficult you'll find it. I personally find it easy, but I'm good at maths. Others find it difficult, because they're bad at maths. Maths doesn't have this fixed universal difficulty, it depends entirely on you.

From what you've said, though, and from what I've generally heard along with my own experience, AS Maths is very, very easy if you're good. Even if you're not that good, with a structured work ethic you'll find it absolutely fine. The difficulty of C1, as you said, is comparable to higher level GCSE, and C2 just builds on it. I say go for it, but if not, go for Economics or Politics.