Maths/Further Maths Self-Teaching Help and Discussion Thread

I've just finished my A2 but I'm going to be self-teaching Further Maths for uni!

Reply 2

OP

Original post by Kyou

I've just finished my A2 but I'm going to be self-teaching Further Maths for uni!

Ah, good luck! What are you studying at uni?

Reply 3

Pidge Gunderson

Original post by Sonechka

Ah, good luck! What are you studying at uni?

Physics!

Reply 4

Anonymous1502

Do you know what pure mathematics with comprehension is?What is the difference between OCR and OCR MEI?

Reply 5

OP

Original post by Kyou

Physics!

Oh, cool! Ahh I'm going to miss physics so much next year :frown:

I take it you're doing a bunch of mechanics modules then?

Reply 6

OP

Original post by Anonymous1502

Do you know what pure mathematics with comprehension is?What is the difference between OCR and OCR MEI?

I found a specimen paper for pure maths with comprehension. From what I can gather, it's pure maths, but it tests ypur ability to extract mathematical information from texts using longer, more wordy problems. Looks like quite a neat paper actually (maybe that's just because I like maths and English).

MEI is a specialist maths exam board run by OCR; it's also known as OCR B, I think. People generally say it's harder.

Reply 7

Lemur14

Volunteer Section Leader

21

Excellent thread idea :smile:

I'm intending on working through as much as I can of the Edexcel maths paper 1 content to give myself a head start, but we'll see if that actually happens given my usual level of motivation to do anything...

Reply 8

OP

Original post by Sanjeet74

Sitting FM old spec next year, take it your on the new spec?

Yep! Although the new spec has basically no resources so I'm using old spec resources to self-study. I should probably add to the OP that the specs linked are from 2017, actually; thanks for reminding me :smile:

Reply 9

Anonymous1502

Original post by Sonechka

I found a specimen paper for pure maths with comprehension. From what I can gather, it's pure maths, but it tests ypur ability to extract mathematical information from texts using longer, more wordy problems. Looks like quite a neat paper actually (maybe that's just because I like maths and English).

MEI is a specialist maths exam board run by OCR; it's also known as OCR B, I think. People generally say it's harder.

Is the content the same?Why do people think it's harder,what's harder about it?

Reply 10

Not really much point self teaching anything at this point because I'm being taught all the modules next year and any extra modules I would want to do are post the ones I'm doing.

Reply 11

Pidge Gunderson

Original post by Sonechka

Oh, cool! Ahh I'm going to miss physics so much next year :frown:

I take it you're doing a bunch of mechanics modules then?

Yep, gonna do FP1-2 and M1-2

Reply 12

OP

Original post by Anonymous1502

Is the content the same?Why do people think it's harder,what's harder about it?

I'm not too sure since I do Edexcel; the content should mostly be the same since maths is maths and A-level can't overlap too much with undergrad maths, but maybe the style of questions is more challenging? Seeing as they offer papers like maths with comprehension, I guess MEI is more focused on encompassing a range of different skills in their maths papers, if that makes any sense.

Original post by Lemur14

Excellent thread idea :smile:

I'm intending on working through as much as I can of the Edexcel maths paper 1 content to give myself a head start, but we'll see if that actually happens given my usual level of motivation to do anything...

Haha I get you! It looks so much more interesting than GCSE maths though, and hopefully having this thread will help us.

Nice thread :h:

Original post by Sonechka

Yep! Although the new spec has basically no resources so I'm using old spec resources to self-study. I should probably add to the OP that the specs linked are from 2017, actually; thanks for reminding me :smile:

Textbooks have now been released for the new spec but I can understand if people here are not willing to spend £20 for books with content very similar to the old spec.

Further maths textbooks haven't been released yet for Edexcel though (not sure about other exam boards).

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 15

OP

Original post by black1blade

Not really much point self teaching anything at this point because I'm being taught all the modules next year and any extra modules I would want to do are post the ones I'm doing.

Well you could always get a head-start on the modules you'll be doing next year and then get started on the extra ones you're interested in when you're bored in class because you already know the content so well :smile:

that's mainly why I'm doing it, since I'm doing AS further maths as a private candidate and I need enough time to self-teach it in Year 13 alongside preparing for my (linear) A-level maths exams.

Reply 16

Yeah tbh I do kinda want to do m3 but I already have 6 maths exams next year so that's enough stress. Just for cambridge they say either physics a-level or m1-3 for physics so it would be nice to have both.

Reply 17

But yeah I guess there would be no point just doing 1 extra module so would probably do m3, s3 and either m4 or d2 alongside but eh more work and more exams and it's more important that I get A*s in physics and chemistry.

Reply 18

OP

Original post by Notnek

Textbooks have now been released for the new spec but I can understand if people here are not willing to spend £20 for books with content very similar to the old spec.

Further maths textbooks haven't been released yet for Edexcel though (not sure about other exam boards).

Ahh that reminds me, I need to buy the new FCP, FP1 and FM1 textbooks :s or borrow them from school but the maths department now has a grudge against me for not doing full further maths :')

Original post by black1blade

Yeah tbh I do kinda want to do m3 but I already have 6 maths exams next year so that's enough stress. Just for cambridge they say either physics a-level or m1-3 for physics so it would be nice to have both.

Go for it! You can never have too much mechanics :P (I've only glanced over M1/Paper 3 mechanics but it looks neat.) You don't have to sit the exam - you could always just learn the material for fun.

Reply 19