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Self studying FM, need some advice!

Hey guys, I'm planning to self study AS Further Maths over summer and then maybe move onto A2 over the course of next year. I was wondering how difficult it would be to self study specifically M1, along with the other mechanics modules as well as S3 and S4.

I've sat the C1 and C2 exams and will be sitting S1 for AS math next week, how would you guys recommend I go forward, are there any good resources other than examsolutions? Also, have you found any tips/tricks self studying?
Original post by VeryLastMinute
Hey guys, I'm planning to self study AS Further Maths over summer and then maybe move onto A2 over the course of next year. I was wondering how difficult it would be to self study specifically M1, along with the other mechanics modules as well as S3 and S4.

I've sat the C1 and C2 exams and will be sitting S1 for AS math next week, how would you guys recommend I go forward, are there any good resources other than examsolutions? Also, have you found any tips/tricks self studying?


I think you'll find M1 isn't too difficult, as with most people. For AS FM, you'll need to do FP1 - this can get a little confusing without guidance on some chapters, but of course this depends on your mathematical ability.

S3 and S4 are really thin books - it won't take long to learn the entire syllabus. S4 is perhaps easier than S3; I thought anyway. However, I found S3 a but weird, specifically the estimation and confidence chapter (for me it helped to not think about it too much and just memorise the operations rather than understand them, much to my dismay).

Oh, one word of advice that was passed to me was don't do M3. I took up this advice after being told it was much harder than M2. At the time, I was more interested in pure rather than mechanics also, so I did FP3 instead - I can recommend this book indeed! :yes:

Good resources aside from ExamSolutions: a teacher, student who has already done the module, the CD in the back of the textbook (for Edexcel at least) and YouTube. ExamSolutions hasn't got any material for the rarer modules (FP3, M3, M4, M5, D1, D2, S3 and S4), so you'll probably outgrow this resource soon.:sigh:

In a nutshell, it is very doable to self teach FM, many students do it every year.

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Original post by VeryLastMinute
Hey guys, I'm planning to self study AS Further Maths over summer and then maybe move onto A2 over the course of next year. I was wondering how difficult it would be to self study specifically M1

Self-studying M1 over the summer won't be difficult.
,along with the other mechanics modules

Self-studying M2-5 in one year will be tricky, but is definitely possible.
as well as S3 and S4.

I haven't studied these yet.
I've sat the C1 and C2 exams and will be sitting S1 for AS math next week, how would you guys recommend I go forward, are there any good resources other than examsolutions? Also, have you found any tips/tricks self studying?

The Bostock and Chandler books are good.

I think you have to figure it out for yourself to some extent.
What do you guys think about me doing FM with edexcel but as an IAL so I can sit the AS modules in jan and the A2 in june? Does this negatively impact my application because I'll do IAL?

Edit: Thank you both for the help I feel much better about doing the whole thing now :biggrin:

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