[Intriguing Alias]

(Original post by Silent--ly)
Hey I have some questions if you don't mind

Which universities did you eventually choose as your Firm and Insurance?

Also STEP - how did you find it? What sort of things did you do to prepare?

Firmed Cambridge, insured Warwick maths and physics.

It was okay - I'm not sure whether I've done enough to get 11. I feel that I was on the 2/1 boundary for STEP II and the S/1 boundary for III.

I plainly just did past papers - starting at 1994 and getting newer and then checking my answers on TSR solution threada. Eventually started doing timed mocks - definitely at least keep the last 2 or 3 years to do as mocks.

One thing I'd say I did wrong was give up too easily. Far too often did I look at the solution without spending an hour or more really thinking about a question. Make looking at solutions before completing a question an absolute last resort.

[nicole.94]

By August next year I will have the following A Levels:

Psychology A2
Maths A2
Further Maths AS (picking it up in September)
Sociology AS (dropped it at A2)
Applied Business A2


I am predicted the following grades for these subjects (respectively): A*A*AAB

Currently looking at: UOB, Loughborough, Nottingham, Leicester and Aston (as an insurance)


Still in two minds as to study Maths or Psychology yet. I adore both subjects equally.

[Silent--ly]

(Original post by hassi94)
Firmed Cambridge, insured Warwick maths and physics.

It was okay - I'm not sure whether I've done enough to get 11. I feel that I was on the 2/1 boundary for STEP II and the S/1 boundary for III.

I plainly just did past papers - starting at 1994 and getting newer and then checking my answers on TSR solution threada. Eventually started doing timed mocks - definitely at least keep the last 2 or 3 years to do as mocks.

One thing I'd say I did wrong was give up too easily. Far too often did I look at the solution without spending an hour or more really thinking about a question. Make looking at solutions before completing a question an absolute last resort.

Hopefully you did enough for 1,1

Ah, thank you. I'll try that. I've been doing some 'STEP style' questions so far (NOT actual STEP questions) and I see that looking at the answers could be an issue. I don't have solutions for the questions I do, but normally I give up and then realise the answer on the bus / in the shower / while eating dinner the next day. Not great for a timed exam though

[Intriguing Alias]

(Original post by nicole.94)
By August next year I will have the following A Levels:

Psychology A2
Maths A2
Further Maths AS (picking it up in September)
Sociology AS (dropped it at A2)
Applied Business A2


I am predicted the following grades for these subjects (respectively): A*A*AAB

Currently looking at: UOB, Loughborough, Nottingham, Leicester and Aston (as an insurance)


Still in two minds as to study Maths or Psychology yet. I adore both subjects equally.

Is UOB Bath, Bristol, Birmingham...?

(Original post by Silent--ly)
Hopefully you did enough for 1,1

Ah, thank you. I'll try that. I've been doing some 'STEP style' questions so far (NOT actual STEP questions) and I see that looking at the answers could be an issue. I don't have solutions for the questions I do, but normally I give up and then realise the answer on the bus / in the shower / while eating dinner the next day. Not great for a timed exam though

Thank you, I hope so.

I do that a lot too, don't worry - think of it positively (at least you're getting it eventually) - timing is something that will come with practice

[shorttstuff]

(Original post by Silent--ly)
Is this thread still active?

I'm not really sure what I want to do, but I'm leaning towards maths... I guess it will depend on my results are like in August

AS Levels: Maths, Further Maths, Further Maths (Additional), Physics, History, Art + EPQ
A levels: Maths, Further Maths, Further Maths (Additional), History, Art

Looking at Durham, Bath, Imperial, Warwick, UCL

Yes it is just thought that if people were gonna write in this thread, they would have common sense to search it!

p.s. are you doing all of those a-levels at school or are you self teaching yourself the further maths ones?

[Silent--ly]

(Original post by shorttstuff)
Yes it is just thought that if people were gonna write in this thread, they would have common sense to search it!

p.s. are you doing all of those a-levels at school or are you self teaching yourself the further maths ones?

I guess... I just thought it would be awkward if the last post on this thread was me asking if it was still active...

Next year I'm self-teaching S3, D2, S4 and last year I self-taught M1 and S2, but all the others I'm taught at school

[shorttstuff]

(Original post by Silent--ly)
I guess... I just thought it would be awkward if the last post on this thread was me asking if it was still active...

Next year I'm self-teaching S3, D2, S4 and last year I self-taught M1 and S2, but all the others I'm taught at school

Wow, no way in hell would my school let me do that many.. I'll probs end up self teaching a lot of maths and reading loads of maths books this summer..

[Silent--ly]

(Original post by shorttstuff)
Wow, no way in hell would my school let me do that many.. I'll probs end up self teaching a lot of maths and reading loads of maths books this summer..

My approach is to tell my school what I'm doing, as opposed to "asking for permission"

[CD315]

I guess I'll join this thread

[nicole.94]

(Original post by hassi94)
Is UOB Bath, Bristol, Birmingham...?

University of Birmingham!

Sorry, maybe I should have made that more clear

[Tomcrease]

(Original post by Oneilly)
Help please, my son is taking 4 A Levels, Math, Biology, Physics, English, he hoping to get A*AAA, he wants to go to bath to study Maths, is there any point applying if he didn't take Further Maths, he's thinking that he may take a gap year and take an AS in further and then re apply?

Your help would be appchiated.

Bath is my insurance university for 2012 maths entry. The offer is A*AA with A* maths, A in further maths, A in 1 other subject excluding general studies and critical thinking. I think It's basically unheard of to get an offer without further maths at all. If the school he's at doesn't offer further maths as a subject then you can still get an offer quite happily I imagine but would have to contact admissions an explain and see what they say.

Otherwise I would think it unwise even with the wonderful grades he would have to apply without further maths or your personal statement would have to do some damn good explaining.

Good luck.

[CD315]

What extra reading etc is everyone doing?

[DJMayes]

(Original post by CD315)
What extra reading etc is everyone doing?

The extra-curriculars I'm doing are:
- General mathematical reading (Authors like Ian Stewart, etc.)
- Self-teaching the first two Mechanics modules so as to get an AS in additional further maths next year and let me do FP3
- Looking at STEP questions every so often
- Privately tutoring Maths to a GCSE student

There isn't that much possible for Maths, but from the open days I've been to they understand that. My biggest worry so far is having to sit STEP next year. I have done choice questions from STEP I and STEP II past papers, but so far STEP III just seems completely unapproachable.

[CD315]

(Original post by DJMayes)
The extra-curriculars I'm doing are:
- General mathematical reading (Authors like Ian Stewart, etc.)
- Self-teaching the first two Mechanics modules so as to get an AS in additional further maths next year and let me do FP3
- Looking at STEP questions every so often
- Privately tutoring Maths to a GCSE student

There isn't that much possible for Maths, but from the open days I've been to they understand that. My biggest worry so far is having to sit STEP next year. I have done choice questions from STEP I and STEP II past papers, but so far STEP III just seems completely unapproachable.

Any particular books you're reading? I'm getting worried. I lack in extra curricular quite a lot - I mean, it's hard to find maths related events or whatever. I wish I could learn some extra modules for an extra AS, but doing maths and further maths on my exam board leaves you with only one extra module.

I don't think I'll look at STEP too much until I've got a good grasp of C3 and C4. I'll do STEP I for interview prep (if I apply to Cambridge, that is.)

[DJMayes]

(Original post by CD315)
Any particular books you're reading? I'm getting worried. I lack in extra curricular quite a lot - I mean, it's hard to find maths related events or whatever. I wish I could learn some extra modules for an extra AS, but doing maths and further maths on my exam board leaves you with only one extra module.

I don't think I'll look at STEP too much until I've got a good grasp of C3 and C4. I'll do STEP I for interview prep (if I apply to Cambridge, that is.)

I honestly get the impression that if you can show you've done Maths outside of the classroom, that's all you really need for extra-curriculars. In that extent we're lucky; the amount of work experience some of the people in my school applying for Medicine are doing is simply daunting.

Possibly one of the best general Maths books I've read is Ian Stewart's "Flatterland". It's a good story and focuses on elements of Maths such as topology that aren't covered in school. The prequel, "Flatland" (Edwin A. Abbott) is equally recommended. "Fermat's Last Theorem" is an easy recommendation although everyone will have read it. Also look at "What Is Mathematics", by R. Courant and H. Robbins. It's on the Cambridge maths reading list, and with good reason. Whilst it's not as accessible as any of the books previously mentioned, I can guarantee you'll learn something new whilst reading it.

Where are you thinking of applying? I'll be applying to Cambridge, Warwick, Nottingham, and a couple of others.

[On a side note, first ever STEP III question answered correctly (Q1, 1995) ]

[CD315]

(Original post by DJMayes)
I honestly get the impression that if you can show you've done Maths outside of the classroom, that's all you really need for extra-curriculars. In that extent we're lucky; the amount of work experience some of the people in my school applying for Medicine are doing is simply daunting.

Possibly one of the best general Maths books I've read is Ian Stewart's "Flatterland". It's a good story and focuses on elements of Maths such as topology that aren't covered in school. The prequel, "Flatland" (Edwin A. Abbott) is equally recommended. "Fermat's Last Theorem" is an easy recommendation although everyone will have read it. Also look at "What Is Mathematics", by R. Courant and H. Robbins. It's on the Cambridge maths reading list, and with good reason. Whilst it's not as accessible as any of the books previously mentioned, I can guarantee you'll learn something new whilst reading it.

Where are you thinking of applying? I'll be applying to Cambridge, Warwick, Nottingham, and a couple of others.

[On a side note, first ever STEP III question answered correctly (Q1, 1995) ]

I'll have a look into those, anything by Ian Stewart is good I guess I've got through 'A Mathematicians Apology', 'A Concise Introduction to Pure Mathematics' and some elements of 'Mathematical Methods for Science Students.' I don't know what else to read, lacking suggestions!

I have a limited amount of work experience that I could link to maths, in particular an economic forecasting place. I guess I could use it for its computational maths

I'm looking at Warwick, Cam, Bristol, Imperial, LSE or maybe Durham. Not sure. Ps, wish I could attempt STEP III! But well done

[DJMayes]

(Original post by CD315)
I'll have a look into those, anything by Ian Stewart is good I guess I've got through 'A Mathematicians Apology', 'A Concise Introduction to Pure Mathematics' and some elements of 'Mathematical Methods for Science Students.' I don't know what else to read, lacking suggestions!

I have a limited amount of work experience that I could link to maths, in particular an economic forecasting place. I guess I could use it for its computational maths

I'm looking at Warwick, Cam, Bristol, Imperial, LSE or maybe Durham. Not sure. Ps, wish I could attempt STEP III! But well done

I liked "A Mathematician's Apology" although I thought it was a bit of a depressing read. I've heard of the second (Would you recommend it?) but not of the third.

[Apple-Pi]

AS levels: Maths, History and Psychology (dropped Religion and Philosophy) oh and EPQ which is maths related

Predicted: BBB

Unis: Coventry, Surrey, Brunel

I know my grades aren't that great but I'm really passionate about maths or have been recently. I'm going to try and see if my school will let me take AS further maths in year 13 next year. Fingers crossed they do. I'm also going to study really really hard during the summer and next year, re-take the modules I did the worst on to try and get an A or A*.

Hopefully it all goes to plan

[Stray]

(Original post by Apple-Pi)
AS levels: Maths, History and Psychology (dropped Religion and Philosophy) oh and EPQ which is maths related

Predicted: BBB

Unis: Coventry, Surrey, Brunel

I know my grades aren't that great but I'm really passionate about maths or have been recently. I'm going to try and see if my school will let me take AS further maths in year 13 next year. Fingers crossed they do. I'm also going to study really really hard during the summer and next year, re-take the modules I did the worst on to try and get an A or A*.

Hopefully it all goes to plan

It's definitely worth getting going on AS Further Maths straight away - FP1 is designed to be able to be done with only AS Maths. Get stuck in and see if you like it (it'll also help school to believe you're up to the challenge).

The difficulty you face is that the window of time you've got to not just acquire the knowledge but also mature as a mathematician is quite short.

So - do as much maths as you can, but not *just* AS/A2 modules, as they only teach you to replicate methods. The Nrich website is a good source of exercises that can help you to deepen your maths understanding (more modules mostly only broadens it).

Good luck!

[maliksajwani]

(Original post by Stray)
It's definitely worth getting going on AS Further Maths straight away - FP1 is designed to be able to be done with only AS Maths. Get stuck in and see if you like it (it'll also help school to believe you're up to the challenge).

The difficulty you face is that the window of time you've got to not just acquire the knowledge but also mature as a mathematician is quite short.

So - do as much maths as you can, but not *just* AS/A2 modules, as they only teach you to replicate methods. The Nrich website is a good source of exercises that can help you to deepen your maths understanding (more modules mostly only broadens it).

Good luck!

Hey I have a query!! My examination is confusing in further math matter. If I choose Further math then...1. I have to complete whole Mathematics AS and A2 in one year and in second year I have to do Full further math (AS and A2)

Than is it a risk doing full further math in A2 cuz u if do Whole math in one year and whole F.math in second year. To be honest i wanna go to LSE or City for Economics and actuary but they require A* in Mathematics. Doing Accelerated math will be a risk of not geting an a* So what should i do? Cuz F.Math is highly recommended. Should I leave f.math or take the risk?

Thanks alot!!