The Student Room Group

Unfair Maths expectations

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Original post by natninja
Maybe foundation tier?


If people struggle on foundation tier, then there is literally zero effort being put in. Foundation tier is basically simple arithmetic. My maths teacher actually makes fun of the schools that teach foundation tier lol
Original post by Trapz99
It's sad that so many people seem to think that they can't "get" maths or have the capacity for it. It's just like any other GCSE- if you don't understand it, make sure that you do. There is no concept at GCSE that one can never understand- try and try again and you should understand everything, at least to a C grade level. In my school we have different ability sets in maths- and no one in the bottom set got below a B. Shows that anything can be understood.


I'm sorry but did you even read what I wrote? Just because your bottom set can get a B doesn't mean that I can. I'm in the second from top set, even though I scrape a C. Ever since I was younger I have just completely understood English naturally and not understood maths. I also know it works the other way round because there's a guy in my year who's an A* in maths but he's completely failing English. Different people's brains work differently, and I'm sorry there are some ignorant people in the world who decide to put others down because they can't reach a 'standard'.
Original post by harrietbh12
I'm sorry but did you even read what I wrote? Just because your bottom set can get a B doesn't mean that I can. I'm in the second from top set, even though I scrape a C. Ever since I was younger I have just completely understood English naturally and not understood maths. I also know it works the other way round because there's a guy in my year who's an A* in maths but he's completely failing English. Different people's brains work differently, and I'm sorry there are some ignorant people in the world who decide to put others down because they can't reach a 'standard'.


You do not need natural ability to do maths. You just need to learn it. How come Chinese and South Korean students are far better than British students in PISA maths tests? Because their education system stresses that practice, not nature or "how your brain works", determine how well you can do. Every single student can get a C at least if they work hard enough. There are many subjects which I struggle at but I work hard so I can get good grades in them.

You can get any grade you want in maths- just go through every topic one by one, do every question and if you cannot do a question, find out how to do it. The exam papers are very similar most of the time- you can get used to the style of questions. I can guarantee you that if you go through all past papers and figure out how to do each question, you can get a lot better than a C. This can work for English too- one can look at exemplar answers and figure out what they should include in their answer and find out how to structure it correctly.
Original post by Trapz99
You do not need natural ability to do maths. You just need to learn it. How come Chinese and South Korean students are far better than British students in PISA maths tests? Because their education system stresses that practice, not nature or "how your brain works", determine how well you can do. Every single student can get a C at least if they work hard enough. There are many subjects which I struggle at but I work hard so I can get good grades in them.

You can get any grade you want in maths- just go through every topic one by one, do every question and if you cannot do a question, find out how to do it. The exam papers are very similar most of the time- you can get used to the style of questions. I can guarantee you that if you go through all past papers and figure out how to do each question, you can get a lot better than a C. This can work for English too- one can look at exemplar answers and figure out what they should include in their answer and find out how to structure it correctly.


Don't you think I've tried that already? I've had maths tutors, I've tried to practice with multiple teachers, I've had my friends try to teach me, I've tried to teach myself. It just literally doesn't work. I'm sorry we can't all be as amazingly academic as you obviously are.
Original post by harrietbh12
Don't you think I've tried that already? I've had maths tutors, I've tried to practice with multiple teachers, I've had my friends try to teach me, I've tried to teach myself. It just literally doesn't work. I'm sorry we can't all be as amazingly academic as you obviously are.


I am not an amazing person by any means. I don't see why you cannot just practice and practice again. It's not just me saying this- the teachers at my school have long said that everyone is capable of at least achieving an A or a B or a C if they try hard enough. It does work. Be positive and believe in yourself. If you say you can't do it you never will. Say that you can.
Reply 25
I think getting a C grade at Mathematics GCSE is not too difficult. Everyone is good in one particular subject, and therefore the Government gives you the opportunity to select the subjects that you enjoy the most, or get good grades, for A-levels. If you didn't enjoy mathematics at GCSE, you won't carry on. C grade is provided to students where they are able to solve real-life mathematical questions that may appear in your life. I think it's fair. The higher B/A/A* grades are gained by students that have an interest to the subject.
Reply 26
Original post by harrietbh12
Don't you think I've tried that already? I've had maths tutors, I've tried to practice with multiple teachers, I've had my friends try to teach me, I've tried to teach myself. It just literally doesn't work. I'm sorry we can't all be as amazingly academic as you obviously are.


It's probably due to your mentality and you constantly telling yourself that you are not good at Maths. I got a B in GCSE Maths, hated and struggled with it whilst thinking "I can't do this I'm naturally not good at Maths". Then I started doing A-level Maths, and decided to do Further Maths when everything just started to make sense the harder I worked for my grades. I am definitely not naturally gifted and am just your typical average student who got B's and C's during GCSE, but the only reason I am even able to get As in my A-level is purely due to me working 10x harder, and also due to my mentality and not making any excuses.

What I suggest you do (in any subject and activity) is to always review what you're doing right/wrong and think about how to improve.
Original post by kkboyk
It's probably due to your mentality and you constantly telling yourself that you are not good at Maths. I got a B in GCSE Maths, hated and struggled with it whilst thinking "I can't do this I'm naturally not good at Maths". Then I started doing A-level Maths, and decided to do Further Maths when everything just started to make sense the harder I worked for my grades. I am definitely not naturally gifted and am just your typical average student who got B's and C's during GCSE, but the only reason I am even able to get As in my A-level is purely due to me working 10x harder, and also due to my mentality and not making any excuses.

What I suggest you do (in any subject and activity) is to always review what you're doing right/wrong and think about how to improve.


I do agree that negative mentality will not help anyone progress in any subject, but I since I was younger I have tried all of these suggestions. It's got to the point where I have tried everything, nothing has worked, and it's no longer a negative mentality it's a fact. I can't do maths. It doesn't bother me as long as I pass the exam, maths has no place in my aspirations for the future.
I'm very glad maths worked out for you, but unfortunately it won't for me.
Reply 28
Original post by Trapz99
If people struggle on foundation tier, then there is literally zero effort being put in. Foundation tier is basically simple arithmetic. My maths teacher actually makes fun of the schools that teach foundation tier lol


Simple to the point where you overwork yourself and get the wrong answers, the wrong method of working out and all sorts.

I mean I roughly got about 41 marks out of 100 on the non-calc after getting scores of around 70% on the plentiful of past papers that I did - all under self-imposed exam conditions (no breaks, no revision) even though I answered every question and felt confident. I was so prepared and now I think I'm going to get a D which means I'll be the age that people leave university by the time I start university.

Original post by Wahrheit
tl;dr: my lowest scoring GCSE was in English, still bitter about it 6 years on
The beauty of it though is that all papers have the same formula every year. You will always know how to answer each of the six questions and which buzzwords to use - it's easy to memorize. The only difference is the source material (and maybe what you're supposed to write about on the last two questions in Section B, but it's not that significant) So essentially this means that English Language only has three or four real topics to consider.Meanwhile, Maths has some 20-40 odd topics in Foundation alone and you have to memorize all of them. A handful will go to waste when they don't appear in the paper (Gee, looks like I never needed to know about stem and leaf when it never even appeared in the first paper) which contributes to failure.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 29
Original post by Maker
There should be a special GCSE for potential arts students with really simple maths any 5 year old can do. They can also use calculators and help from anyone they can think of during the actual exam.

In fact, they should just get someone like a 5 year old to do the exam for them.


That comment is very intimidating. A student is discussing his difficulties with understanding maths, and you are taking it well further. Please understand his feelings.
Original post by harrietbh12
I do agree that negative mentality will not help anyone progress in any subject... it's no longer a negative mentality it's a fact. I can't do maths... maths has no place in my aspirations for the future.

I'm very glad maths worked out for you, but unfortunately it won't for me.


Ok hold on, this is entirely an individual issue. You say this is something through from primary school, well that is entirely possible, how you learn Mathematics affects your ability to extend that knowledge later, simply memorising and rote doesn't work beyond the short term.

There is no such thing as a fact "I can't do Maths", it does not exist, it is a myth. Some people do genuinely have additional needs that can impair ones ability to improve Maths yes, but does it mean they cannot do Maths? No, that is no the same thing and it is damaging to others who might read this.

Article off Google- http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/11/30/not-a-math-person-how-to-remove-obstacles-to-learning-math/

Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Math-Gene-Mathematical-Thinking-Evolved/dp/0465016197/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464623536&sr=8-1&keywords=maths+gene

Scientific article from a famous academic - https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/willingham.pdf

A tiny flavour of what exists, there is mountains of literature on this topic.

You said peoples brains work differently, yes perhaps, however that doesn't mean they cannot achieve the same ends, just the route to get there is different. This exists in all subjects.

Not going to dive into curriculum as that issue is a mess but it is not as apocalyptic as people say.
Original post by Enjor
In comparison to English - the other required GCSE - English is more important as it allows you to understand what people are really saying, improves communication, writing and everything else. You can apply the knowledge to pretty much everything involving people. Knowing your own tongue is much more valuable to life than figuring out where in life you'd have to use trial and improvement, or algebra, or circle theorems - topics specific to people who go onto study STEM, but not necessarily people who go onto humanities subjects like law, history or English.


My English GCSEs largely involved fabricating inferences I didn't believe. It was useless. "Knowing your own tongue" and writing skills and stuff is useful, but for me that was entirely picked up before I even started English GCSE.

Original post by harrietbh12
I agree. Maths is my worst subject, but I excel at English. I'm going on to study Law, Philosophy, Sociology and English language at A-level but if I don't pass my maths then that may all be ruined by one subject that won't even be important to me?! I find it ridiculous when people say "if you're not getting a C at GCSE then you're not studying hard enough." No matter the amount I study, I will just never really 'get' maths. It is not someone elses place to tell me that I'm not putting the work in just because I'm borderline C grade.


I thought I was never going to "get" the first unit of AS level maths. In the end I taught myself the majority of it in about 2 weeks, took myself from barely D grade to B/A borderline.

If you can't manage that with a GCSE you are not doing things right.
Reply 32
Original post by Zacken
The thread was titled maths expectations, no?


I don't think the GCSE students really need some of that S4 knowledge, though it was mildly amusing
Reply 33
Original post by Vitaliy
I don't think the GCSE students really need some of that S4 knowledge, though it was mildly amusing


It's S3. But yeah, tongue in cheek. :tongue:
Reply 34
Original post by Zacken
It's S3. But yeah, tongue in cheek. :tongue:


Must be a different exam board to mine then. I'm doing MEI.
With the amount of effort you put into constructing this thread, you could have taught your self the GCSE maths syllabus to at least a grade C. :chaplin:
Reply 36
Maths is the basis to a persons IQ and how fast you can process things, a C not GCSE maths is really not asking for much. Just learn some basic formulas like quadratic and pythag, learn some simple calculations and how to expand and simplify things and you've got a B.… to get a C you only need like 35/100… like wow how does one complain about that? All they ask is that you try. If you say you hate maths you're also telling us you won't be good at other things since you're not open to the idea of new things. Maths is used in so many daily actives, I personally think the government asking for a C isn't enough.
Reply 37
Original post by Retired_Messiah
My English GCSEs largely involved fabricating inferences I didn't believe. It was useless. "Knowing your own tongue" and writing skills and stuff is useful, but for me that was entirely picked up before I even started English GCSE.



I thought I was never going to "get" the first unit of AS level maths. In the end I taught myself the majority of it in about 2 weeks, took myself from barely D grade to B/A borderline.

If you can't manage that with a GCSE you are not doing things right.


Once I looked at A2 maths I felt sad… I took the fun and excitement in AS maths for granted lol next year seems like it's gonna be pure sweat and work. Did you do AS maths this year?
Reply 38
Original post by Charlotte.P
I agree with you tbh. I get that a lot of A level subjects include maths in them, but they're mainly stem subjects. Of course, there are courses like geography which I assume have a good portion of maths in them that aren't stem subjects, but it seems ridiculous that so much rides on getting a decent maths grade at GCSE.


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

The closest thing to maths in Geography A-level is the disaster risk equation (risk = hazard x vulnerability / capacity to cope). This just makes me laugh a lot, sorry.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Original post by Plagioclase
I do agree with you to some extent but on the other hand, you really do need to have some basic understanding of maths to get through life and I don't think the expectations for C grade maths are too high. It's worth mentioning that a lot of countries have maths compulsory all the way up to the age of 18, so you're really not that bad off in the UK.

Grade C isn't even that hard to get in maths to be honest

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