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Disappointed with Maths!

So here's my story..I was really passionate about Maths and I put a lot of effort into it in my A Level. Although if things had been better, I could've got an A in O'Level Maths too, but due to the circumstances that were, I ended up with a B because I couldn't get enough time to prepare.
But I knew I had to pull out all the stops and must somehow get an A in A'Level at least. I worked really hard in my AS too but I got a B. I was little disappointed but carried on the momentum and kept myself motivated. And there it was P3 that I took on 17th. It was the worst exam I ever took and I know I can't get better than a C in it! Although I had practiced a lot but the paper they made was really really very hard and like 3-4 questions I stuck up in the middle and couldn't complete.
I feel so disappointed that I don't ever want to look at Maths again. I want to throw away all the books and notes and never ever look back! but is that the option? Anyone help me out!
No idea what to do! I also wanted to go in engineering because I was so passionate about Maths and wanted to take it further but it doesn't seem likely that I ever want to study it again.

P.s. I totally self-studied and I had no problem in my preparation at all (or at least that is what I thought) I was really confident about my skills

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Original post by NachoPhilosopher
So here's my story..I was really passionate about Maths and I put a lot of effort into it in my A Level. Although if things had been better, I could've got an A in O'Level Maths too, but due to the circumstances that were, I ended up with a B because I couldn't get enough time to prepare.
But I knew I had to pull out all the stops and must somehow get an A in A'Level at least. I worked really hard in my AS too but I got a B. I was little disappointed but carried on the momentum and kept myself motivated. And there it was P3 that I took on 17th. It was the worst exam I ever took and I know I can't get better than a C in it! Although I had practiced a lot but the paper they made was really really very hard and like 3-4 questions I stuck up in the middle and couldn't complete.
I feel so disappointed that I don't ever want to look at Maths again. I want to throw away all the books and notes and never ever look back! but is that the option? Anyone help me out!
No idea what to do! I also wanted to go in engineering because I was so passionate about Maths and wanted to take it further but it doesn't seem likely that I ever want to study it again.

P.s. I totally self-studied and I had no problem in my preparation at all (or at least that is what I thought) I was really confident about my skills


A B shows good promise and I think with more time to prepare, you could do better if you wanted to. I understand that you hate it now and don't want to do it because of some tricky questions in an exam (which is fair enough, it seems that every year the questions get more difficult and difficult) but you have a lot of time between now and the exams if you want to do it again.

Do you still want to go into Engineering or not sure ranymore?
Original post by SeanFM
A B shows good promise and I think with more time to prepare, you could do better if you wanted to. I understand that you hate it now and don't want to do it because of some tricky questions in an exam (which is fair enough, it seems that every year the questions get more difficult and difficult) but you have a lot of time between now and the exams if you want to do it again.

Do you still want to go into Engineering or not sure ranymore?


idk...I need advice
if that's how math continues at Bachelor and Masters level, i'm surely out of it
Not that I find it difficult, Maths always is challenging but I always enjoyed it till now.
What should I do?
Reply 3
Buy a graphical calculator, use its power and achieve the grade you've always wanted.

@NachoPhilosopher
m8... I got a B in further maths AS aswell looking back on the past papers i did, I wish i know more things and did more past papers, even though I did every single one. I think that further maths took me by surprise. Anyway im just working harder this year, you should be fine just put more effort in. Take a couple of days out of maths and do nothing then come back to it.
Reply 5
It's not about the past papers... just purchase a graphical calculator and you'll be fine, believe me!!!
Original post by NachoPhilosopher
So here's my story..I was really passionate about Maths and I put a lot of effort into it in my A Level. Although if things had been better, I could've got an A in O'Level Maths too, but due to the circumstances that were, I ended up with a B because I couldn't get enough time to prepare.
But I knew I had to pull out all the stops and must somehow get an A in A'Level at least. I worked really hard in my AS too but I got a B. I was little disappointed but carried on the momentum and kept myself motivated. And there it was P3 that I took on 17th. It was the worst exam I ever took and I know I can't get better than a C in it! Although I had practiced a lot but the paper they made was really really very hard and like 3-4 questions I stuck up in the middle and couldn't complete.
I feel so disappointed that I don't ever want to look at Maths again. I want to throw away all the books and notes and never ever look back! but is that the option? Anyone help me out!
No idea what to do! I also wanted to go in engineering because I was so passionate about Maths and wanted to take it further but it doesn't seem likely that I ever want to study it again.

P.s. I totally self-studied and I had no problem in my preparation at all (or at least that is what I thought) I was really confident about my skills



I FEEL YOU OH MY GOD. I took P3 on the 17th as well and it was freaking hard that I wanted to cry in the exam hall so so bad. I want to at least get B overall but my dreams are shattered when I looked at the question paper. Which country are you from?

Strangely Statistics was super easy god dammit
Original post by samendrag
m8... I got a B in further maths AS aswell looking back on the past papers i did, I wish i know more things and did more past papers, even though I did every single one. I think that further maths took me by surprise. Anyway im just working harder this year, you should be fine just put more effort in. Take a couple of days out of maths and do nothing then come back to it.
Was this an individual B grade for AS further maths, or a combination of modules from both AS maths and further maths to maximise your AS further maths grade?
oh my god! thank God I heard from someone who also went through the same!
I am from Pakistan and I took 9709/32...It was really helllishly had!!
Even M1 wasn't that easy...although that one is supposed to be easy.
where are you from?
Original post by matchalatte
I FEEL YOU OH MY GOD. I took P3 on the 17th as well and it was freaking hard that I wanted to cry in the exam hall so so bad. I want to at least get B overall but my dreams are shattered when I looked at the question paper. Which country are you from?

Strangely Statistics was super easy god dammit
why will they allow us graphical calclator in the examhall! and how does that let me acheive my grades? :O
Original post by Naruke
Buy a graphical calculator, use its power and achieve the grade you've always wanted.

@NachoPhilosopher
Original post by NachoPhilosopher
oh my god! thank God I heard from someone who also went through the same!
I am from Pakistan and I took 9709/32...It was really helllishly had!!
Even M1 wasn't that easy...although that one is supposed to be easy.
where are you from?


I took 9709/33!! Oh gosh didn't know that other zones have hard papers too! I'm from Malaysia!
Original post by matchalatte
I took 9709/33!! Oh gosh didn't know that other zones have hard papers too! I'm from Malaysia!


I don't know how others performed because I' a self-studying private student
though on a forum I've seen a few people complaining too
let's hope gts will be lower :frown: or we are gone!
Reply 12
Original post by NachoPhilosopher
why will they allow us graphical calclator in the examhall! and how does that let me acheive my grades? :O


Yes, certain ones are allowed. Purchase the Casio 9860GII, it can solve trig equations, graph functions, integrate, differentiate etc...

By the way when you graph functions, you can find out a bunch of things, such as intersections, max, min, area under graphs and so much more!

Another thing I use my calculator for is storing notes. This is not allowed. However, I still do it since most invigilators don't know all the rules.
Original post by Naruke
Yes, certain ones are allowed. Purchase the Casio 9860GII, it can solve trig equations, graph functions, integrate, differentiate etc...

By the way when you graph functions, you can find out a bunch of things, such as intersections, max, min, area under graphs and so much more!

Another thing I use my calculator for is storing notes. This is not allowed. However, I still do it since most invigilators don't know all the rules.


wow! you must have got A* then! XD
Which country are you from btw?
Invigilators over here are very strict and won't ever allow graphical calculator I think
Reply 14
Original post by NachoPhilosopher
wow! you must have got A* then! XD
Which country are you from btw?
Invigilators over here are very strict and won't ever allow graphical calculator I think


England, more specifically South London. I got AA in AS.

There is something called JCQ, which stands for Joint Council for Qualifications. They have a set of rules that all Exam boards have to follow. Invigilators don't make the rules, they have to follow them! :tongue:

The rules they have to follow are here: http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/general-regulations
I was really passionate about Maths and I put a lot of effort into it in my A Level.
Original post by jermybrown
I was really passionate about Maths and I put a lot of effort into it in my A Level.


I also put a lot of effort
so what grade did you get?
Are you taking a gap year right now?

If so, you could re-sit the exam(s) this summer.
Original post by Naruke
Yes, certain ones are allowed. Purchase the Casio 9860GII, it can solve trig equations, graph functions, integrate, differentiate etc...

By the way when you graph functions, you can find out a bunch of things, such as intersections, max, min, area under graphs and so much more!

Another thing I use my calculator for is storing notes. This is not allowed. However, I still do it since most invigilators don't know all the rules.


WhAt, my sixth form only let us use scientific calculators :gasp:

PS how much does it cost?
Reply 19
Original post by jessyjellytot14
WhAt, my sixth form only let us use scientific calculators :gasp:

PS how much does it cost?


bought mine for 80. Prices generally range from 30-120.

Not all of them are allowed to be used though.

@notnek is an exam officer and she should be able to give you a powerpoint of all calculators that are allowed.

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