[sunilbindra123]

hi, i have recently attended an induction day, and the a-level taster maths lesson blew me away? could i ask anyone for any advice, and how they found a-level maths, please. Any comments would be appreciated, for maths is a prestigious qualification to attain

[sully123123]

Ive just done as level maths with wjec and am pleased to say it seems hard at the start but it isnt at all just make sure you make ur own revision notes and revise using past papers mainly!!


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[PythianLegume]

It depends on how you currently find Maths. If you are set for A/A* in GCSE, then you should find A-Level fine. However, if you are on a B/C you will struggle and if you get below a C, then don't bother.

[Hillbilly101]

(Original post by PythianLegume)
It depends on how you currently find Maths. If you are set for A/A* in GCSE, then you should find A-Level fine. However, if you are on a B/C you will struggle and if you get below a C, then don't bother.

I second this! It also depends on the board. I did maths with MEI, and I found there wasn't much on the syllabus. However there were a large variety of ways they ask you questions which was the harder part. The actual maths is ok .

[Minerva McGonagall]

I've just finished A Level Maths (WJEC) and I quite enjoyed it (that may change on results day though!)

How difficult you find it depends on how you are currently doing at GCSE. If you are A* - B I think you'll find it okay (I'm basing this on my friends) but if you have/are predicted a C or lower you will most probably struggle.

C1 is non-calculator and is a lovely module, I found that quite easy
C2 is harder but is definitely do-able
C3 and C4 require more work and there is a lot of integration and differentiation but if you master them you'll be fine

[Dalek1099]

All you have to do is buy a GCSE to AS Maths book they will get you prepared and my taster session didn't blow me away,may I ask what the topic was?and if you can,I think it would be beneficial to do GCSE Further Maths because it really helps bridge the gap and I am going to take it,next year.

[rubbermat]

(Original post by sunilbindra123)
hi, i have recently attended an induction day, and the a-level taster maths lesson blew me away? could i ask anyone for any advice, and how they found a-level maths, please. Any comments would be appreciated, for maths is a prestigious qualification to attain

What did you do in the lesson?

[recurring500]

(Original post by rubbermat)
What did you do in the lesson?

Hi, I had a taster and did Binomial Expansion. If I am honest I found it quite hard, although I am on track for A* at GCSE. How hard is this topic, in terms of grade? Thanks

[HouseStark]

(Original post by recurring500)
Hi, I had a taster and did Binomial Expansion. If I am honest I found it quite hard, although I am on track for A* at GCSE. How hard is this topic, in terms of grade? Thanks

Well for AQA A-level Maths (the one I did) you're given the equation for binomial expansion in the formulae book that you have in your exams, so it's a lot simpler than it first appears when you learn it.

[rubbermat]

(Original post by recurring500)
Hi, I had a taster and did Binomial Expansion. If I am honest I found it quite hard, although I am on track for A* at GCSE. How hard is this topic, in terms of grade? Thanks

You may find it hard for a number of reasons. All maths is simply adaptation to overload and after a while it all becomes just a little bit more than it used to be. Many cope, many don't.
After a number of years of teaching both GCSE and A level I really dont see a massively strong correlation between the GCSE grade and the A level grade. Dont get me wrong, there is one, but the progression is not a given.
One thing I can say is that the only students I see really do well in a A level IF they got a B at GCSE are those who dont speak English as their first language or those who werent fully committed at GCSE and then put the work in at A level.
A level maths is no longer hard enough to really be out of range for pupils with a very good work ethic and a fair GCSE grade (A/A*).
Those who do have A/A* dont always make it either (i) Because they hit their peak at GCSE and can't go further (ii) They thought they were good at maths and realise you can't blag it at A level the way you can at GCSE. I have seen many drop out or not pass.
Most normal people will find maths hard at one or more stages through their learning career. You either adapt to it or you dont. The easiest way for fairly able pupils to adapt is through hard work. The community on this forum are not representative of the national cohort and tend to be more able. You will hear of stories of people learning modules in a week. This happens but in reality most dont and we are given around 35-40 guided hours per unit plus the work you do. Its all about your pace and adaptation not what others willy wang about.

The binomial expansion will seem hard now, as will the next topic after that but soon it becomes a case of overcoming each phase if the effort and a basic bit of ability exists.

Maths is the most rewarding A level IMO (well behind Further Maths) but its only for those who want it.

[sunilbindra123]

i have an a* in gcse already- but still am pessimistic/concerned.

i've been looking at c1 past papers- it looks very hard and i can't do the questions . should i be worried

[yennibubs]

you should definitely try your best to do very well in c1 and c2. Both can be done with a bit of work. c3 and c4 in A2 got significantly harder in my opinion. it's important not to miss any lessons if you can, and definitely not a good subject to take if you're a lazy one

[eimmas]

Honestly guys, don't worry. I felt the exact same with the A level maths taster day my school gave us... It blew me away, and I still think that it was partially to single out those who thought they'd just take it because they're cruised through GCSE and those who were really interested in continuing for A level.

Really, it's not that different to GCSE in terms of being taught how to do something and learning to apply that to the exam questions. You'll adapt. It's part of the learning curve involved in all A level subjects. You probably felt the same way in year 9 worrying about GCSE maths...

I, myself, have just finished AS maths and AS further maths with AQA (hoping for good results next month!!!) and absolutely loved it, despite my huge panic at the start of year 12 in wondering whether I'd be able to do maths well. I didn't even choose further maths at first, but I'm so glad I swapped subjects at the start of sixth form, because maths has been my favourite subject by far.

If you've got any specific questions about A level maths feel free to message me because, being the maths nerd I am, I will be more than happy to help!

[usycool1]

(Original post by sunilbindra123)
i have an a* in gcse already- but still am pessimistic/concerned.

i've been looking at c1 past papers- it looks very hard and i can't do the questions . should i be worried

Nope, there's no need to worry When I looked at c1 and c2 papers for the first time last year, I struggled a lot with them and couldn't do the questions. But then after learning all the content and getting lots of practice, the papers were absolutely fine. So there really is no need to panic at all

Good luck

[rubbermat]

(Original post by sunilbindra123)
i have an a* in gcse already- but still am pessimistic/concerned.

i've been looking at c1 past papers- it looks very hard and i can't do the questions . should i be worried

You have not read/understood what I have written.

[Dalek1099]

(Original post by sunilbindra123)
i have an a* in gcse already- but still am pessimistic/concerned.

i've been looking at c1 past papers- it looks very hard and i can't do the questions . should i be worried

Thats the thing with maths,it is always hard until you learn it,I found the GCSE Unit 2 Maths exam papers quite hard,when I 1st seen them but easy once I had learnt the topics and I'm doing Further Maths GCSE to help me with my A-Level Maths and Further Maths,which I plan to take when I go to college.