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Which course should I apply for university?

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Reply 20
Original post by Muttley79
It is complicated! You have a lot of choice of which modules you take so its best to talk to your school because schools offer different paths to F Maths. It's worth looking at the specification for whichever exam board we are talking about.


My school's exam board is Edexcel. AQA's the most popular exam board, but Maths has traditionally been a stronghold of Edexcel (I don't know why!) for both GCSE and A Level.
Original post by Palette
What happens to Further Maths? How do you calculate the grade for that (given there are only 3 pure modules not 4)?


Further Maths is different - you only have to take 2 of the further pure modules. I only did FP1 and FP2.

The grade boundaries for further maths are the same, but to get an A* you need to average 90%+ in your best 3 "A2" modules, these are modules ending in 2 or above (not including C2/3/4).

So you could do FP1, FP2, M1, M2, M3, M4 (my further maths modules), then you need to average 90% in your best 3 of M2/3/4/FP2.
Original post by Palette
My school's exam board is Edexcel. AQA's the most popular exam board, but Maths has traditionally been a stronghold of Edexcel (I don't know why!) for both GCSE and A Level.


Edexcel has a great Maths website for teachers which holds all the past papers and answers and loads of useful stuff! So it tends to be popular ...

http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/mathematics-2008.html

This is the public one which explains the options - we offer all 18 modules but not all schools do.
Reply 23
Original post by Muttley79
Edexcel has a great Maths website for teachers which holds all the past papers and answers and loads of useful stuff! So it tends to be popular ...

http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/mathematics-2008.html

This is the public one which explains the options - we offer all 18 modules but not all schools do.


That explains it.

Results from my questionnaire came out:

Top 5:

1. Mathematics and Statistics
2. Chemistry
3. Economics
4. Computer Science
5. Physics and Astronomy.

I think I'm better off pursuing no. 5 as a hobby in my spare time than spending 3/4 years studying it. I have an interest in Chemistry but it's likely not enough to push me beyond A Level.
Original post by Palette
That explains it.

Results from my questionnaire came out:

Top 5:

1. Mathematics and Statistics
2. Chemistry
3. Economics
4. Computer Science
5. Physics and Astronomy.

I think I'm better off pursuing no. 5 as a hobby in my spare time than spending 3/4 years studying it. I have an interest in Chemistry but it's likely not enough to push me beyond A Level.


You can redo it in a few months time to see if it comes out the same. It will also give you course options.
Reply 25
Original post by TheIrrational
Further Maths is different - you only have to take 2 of the further pure modules. I only did FP1 and FP2.

The grade boundaries for further maths are the same, but to get an A* you need to average 90%+ in your best 3 "A2" modules, these are modules ending in 2 or above (not including C2/3/4).

So you could do FP1, FP2, M1, M2, M3, M4 (my further maths modules), then you need to average 90% in your best 3 of M2/3/4/FP2.


How are you finding Further Maths? In your school, are you forced to choose between Statistics and Mechanics? And is it true the maths in Mechanics is much more difficult than the maths involved in A Level Physics?
Reply 26
Original post by Muttley79
You can redo it in a few months time to see if it comes out the same. It will also give you course options.


You're a maths teacher? I remember the last time I encountered a teacher here and it didn't go quite so well for me!

Thanks for your advice!
Original post by TheIrrational
Further Maths is different - you only have to take 2 of the further pure modules. I only did FP1 and FP2.

The grade boundaries for further maths are the same, but to get an A* you need to average 90%+ in your best 3 "A2" modules, these are modules ending in 2 or above (not including C2/3/4).

So you could do FP1, FP2, M1, M2, M3, M4 (my further maths modules), then you need to average 90% in your best 3 of M2/3/4/FP2.


You are technically incorrect in what you say here. You don't choose how applied modules are spread between maths and further maths, the exam board does this to maximise the grades in each. Sometimes we've had to request a change when students needed a particular pair of grades.
Original post by Palette
How are you finding Further Maths? In your school, are you forced to choose between Statistics and Mechanics? And is it true the maths in Mechanics is much more difficult than the maths involved in A Level Physics?


I did further maths 3 years ago now! I'm currently sitting my finals in my maths degree! When doing further maths at my college we had two choices:

C1,C2,C3,C4,FP1,FP2,M1,S1,D1 everyone doing further maths A2 had to do, then you had the option of either:

M2, M3, M4 (I did) or S2, D2, M2 (I did not do!)

It is true that the maths you do in mechanics in maths is much more difficult than the maths you do in physics A level - especially later on (M2/3/4).
Original post by Palette
You're a maths teacher? I remember the last time I encountered a teacher here and it didn't go quite so well for me!

Thanks for your advice!


Yes - I teach maths and try to help people on here when I can. I'm involved in UCAS as well ... glad I helped :smile:
For all of the potential courses, maths is essential and taking further maths would really strengthen your mathematical ability and make you a stronger candidate for these courses. They all require a logical mind and so your subject combination at A-level should reflect this. Mathematics courses all need mathematics and for places like Cambridge, you also need further maths. With economics, mathematics is looked upon very highly and essential at top unis such as LSE, where they also name further maths as desirable. The decision modules within mathematics A-level provide some insight into computer science and so if you do one of them and enjoy them then this could be a potential pathway. With PPE, unis want a combination of traditional subjects with a science/humanities mix. They do not have specific requirements but A-level maths would be very useful for the logical side of philosophy and the mathematics involved in the economics side of the degree.

I'm currently in year 13, studying maths, further maths, physics and DT with an offer from Oxford to study engineering (another maths related course open to you if you also take physics A-level) so if you have another questions then please message me. When choosing my A-levels I initially took english lit in place of further maths and after a week I was sick of it so I choose further maths as I knew it would help with what I would like to pursue in a science/maths related area, so your choices aren't set in stone and you can change if you don't enjoy them. I've been through the whole application process and decision making between a degree in maths, physics and engineering so I can send you some resources that helped me decide.
Reply 31
Original post by Muttley79
Yes - I teach maths and try to help people on here when I can. I'm involved in UCAS as well ... glad I helped :smile:


How many UCAS points do you get for supercurricular things like UKMT Maths Challenges?
Original post by Muttley79
You are technically incorrect in what you say here. You don't choose how applied modules are spread between maths and further maths, the exam board does this to maximise the grades in each. Sometimes we've had to request a change when students needed a particular pair of grades.


That is true, I was just giving an example of how mine worked out.

Although I believe there is some odd rule where if you do M3/4 you also have to have M2 with your further maths results too? That's what I was always lead to believe at A level..
Original post by Palette
How many UCAS points do you get for supercurricular things like UKMT Maths Challenges?


None for that but it can enhance your personal statement.

https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/getting-started/entry-requirements/tariff
Reply 34
Original post by Muttley79
None for that but it can enhance your personal statement.

https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/getting-started/entry-requirements/tariff


It doesn't make sense to me how something as irrelevant as ABRSM Music Exams gives you UCAS credit but participating in something as demanding as the SMC doesn't!

Perhaps that's why top universities don't care about UCAS points.
Reply 35
I don't know much about PPE or economics but i looked a lot into maths and computer science myself. Now for maths the course doesn't really vary much between universities; its split into pure and applied maths and its very different from school level maths. Pure maths is very much based on proof and is completely algebraic. Applied maths is more on mathematical modelling and the other aspects of maths like the physics or even computer side. I would suggest reading a few books on maths, maybe check out the reading list of some universities. I would def say take further maths if you wanna do maths 100 percent.

Computer science is still very very mathematical and you should also probably take further maths if you wanna study it. You don't so much learn to programme in the way you may think, you tend to learn how computer science works, i.e. the maths and science behind it because programming languages change anyway. You don't need to know programming but you should try it maybe to see if it interests you. Again
maybe read on it.

For these two subjects id say to take maths, further maths, physics and then the fourth can be anything you want really, another science, economics, whatever. Even though further maths sounds hard the workload isn't actually that hard because all 12 exams help each other out. Like if you learn m1, m2 and m3, by the time you get to m3 m2 and m1 are pretty easy. same with c1-4 and all the others really.
Reply 36
Original post by Palette
For Economics A Level do you need to write a lot of essays?


At AQA AS, half of the paper is multiple choice, and the second part is source material. Some of the early questions in this section are based purely on the source, and there is some graph work. There are longer essays at the end of the AS papers and A2, but these are based on source knowledge and own knowledge. A bit like General Studies if you're being asked to do that next year :smile:
(edited 8 years ago)
"Now for maths the course doesn't really vary much between universities; its split into pure and applied maths."

Sorry, I completely disagree with you. There's a vast difference in the proportions of pure maths in some degree courses. You need to look at the content in detail and the number of options.

If you might do Computer Science then D1 and D2 are useful
Reply 38
Original post by Muttley79
"Now for maths the course doesn't really vary much between universities; its split into pure and applied maths."

Sorry, I completely disagree with you. There's a vast difference in the proportions of pure maths in some degree courses. You need to look at the content in detail and the number of options.

If you might do Computer Science then D1 and D2 are useful


My school doesn't even offer Decision Maths- they only offer Statistics and Mechanics as applied maths modules. If I do end up choosing Computer Science, which of Statistics/Mechanics is preferable to focus on?
Original post by Palette
My school doesn't even offer Decision Maths- they only offer Statistics and Mechanics as applied maths modules. If I do end up choosing Computer Science, which of Statistics/Mechanics is preferable to focus on?


You could ask to self-study D1?

Do they do FP1, 2 and 3 then? I'd do S1 and S2 and M1 and M2 then see which you prefer; will you get a choice?

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