[Opsimathmo]

Time to discuss the coolest subject studied by the coolest people out there

[Zhen Lin]

What, you mean we can't chatter inappropriately all over the Maths forum as we discuss STEP questions? :-)

Anyway... so. What are your insurance choices going to be? I think I will put down either Imperial or UCL.

[Simba]

Woo for new TSR mathmos ... Woo for older ones too hehe ...

[Nadeshka]

I can't decide between my insurance choices - I think I might just put down the first one to get back to me with an offer; they've all sent letters saying I won't hear till after the deadline. I've still got another choice left to add but again I can't really pick anywhere - I've ruled out all the London unis (especially Imperial - it's next door to my work), and there's nowhere else I want.
I haven't done much proper maths since the interviews, I figured I would relax in the holidays and there was no point working if I wasn't going to get an offer. And now I've forgotten so much.

[Opsimathmo]

hehe

STEP will get your mathematical muscles back from atrophy. Just start with Siklos' two booklets if you don't know where to start!

[Peeete]

I tried my hand at a STEP II paper for the first time since finishing the single maths the other day and found i could do enough of it (I think..) to do alright.. I'm hoping desperately that I'll find the same once I've finished the further maths stuff with STEP III...

[wiio]

Let's get started then, first example sheet for analysis in 2006

http://www.dpmms.cam.ac.uk/site2002/...es-An-07-1.pdf

actually thats from the january term, so sorry.

Looks like you get about 10 days per sheet, perhaps someone already up there could clarify how the examples sheets work? I mean, are they meant to take up most of / all of your study time?

[fatuous_philomath]

(Original post by wiio)
Looks like you get about 10 days per sheet, perhaps someone already up there could clarify how the examples sheets work? I mean, are they meant to take up most of / all of your study time?

For the first two terms you have two examples sheets to do each week - each course of 24 lectures has four sheets to do.

You're supposed to read your lecture notes each day, to make sure you understand everything in them (which makes future lectures much easier to understand), but it seems few people actually bother. Aside from that, yeah - your examples sheets take up the rest of your study time. How long it'll take you to do them to a satisfactory standard (I was talking to someone at Trinity who was told that doing three quarters of an examples sheet is roughly equivalent to getting a low first, and from my experience that seems about right) depends entirely upon your intelligence, of course.

If you have further questions, do ask! And good luck in STEP!

[Andy H]

People vary massively on how much they do on example sheets.

I also would take everything you hear about how much people do and how much time with a pinch of salt. Personally for me I aim to get 3/4 of a sheet done, but what I end up doing is about 2/3 to 7/8 depending on what course it is, but spend about 15-20 hours in doing so (including going over notes time, as I do both together)

I've only just finished my first term granted, although I have found the course hard, it has been manageable, whilst having a social life. WHat I will say though is don't listen to the people who say that they have to work all the time; they are either lying, really bad at time management, or trying to do everything which is thrown at them (which is enough to keep you going 24/7)

If you enjoy STEP, you should enjoy the Cambridge course. Good luck with STEP, like most things it requires determination

[Nadeshka]

At the moment I've dug out some STEP I to ease me in, and had a look through the textbook I need to learn for STEP III (the perils of doing Decision Maths modules). I'm steeling myself for the teasing I'll get at work for doing maths in my lunch break.

One thing I'm wondering is actually how bad is it having Saturday lectures? Is it only for the first year or does it continue through?

[Andy H]

I don't mind saturday lectures. As they finish at midday - it means that you actually get up and do something useful with the day! Though you do tend to get back into college and meet everybody just strolling out of bed after staying out until 4 in the morning.

2nd years at the moment don't have them, but I think 3rd years do depending on which courses they take. Though things could all change. Be prepared for Sat lectures though!

[wiio]

Am I right in thinking lectures are 10 till 12? And in the centre of town? It doesn't sound too bad, certainly not a gruelling schedule - I would probably be getting up a couple of hours later than I have to now.

[fatuous_philomath]

Yeah, 10 am until 12 pm, Monday to Saturday, at the Cockroft Lecture Theatre on the New Museums Site - about a five to six minute walk from the Christ's porter's lodge, I'd guess.

[wiio]

(Original post by fatuous_philomath)
Yeah, 10 am until 12 pm, Monday to Saturday, at the Cockroft Lecture Theatre on the New Museums Site - about a five to six minute walk from the Christ's porter's lodge, I'd guess.

Thanks.

[Glutamic Acid]

Maths is great.

[Andy H]

(Original post by wiio)
Am I right in thinking lectures are 10 till 12? And in the centre of town? It doesn't sound too bad, certainly not a gruelling schedule - I would probably be getting up a couple of hours later than I have to now.

I get up at 10 and still make it on time to lectures, so it is certainly do-able!

I do find that you have to motivate yourself in the afternoons to do work as it is far to tempting to think "Other subjects are working, I don't have to"

[Y__]

I'm wondering whether many people will be able to meet their 1,1 offers in STEP II/III this year or if they'll end up taking a fair share of 1,2 people as well. I'm one of the few "lucky" candidates to be offered 1,1 in STEP I/II... hopefully I'll make it .

By the way, did anyone else feel that the first example sheets are 1) somewhat easier and 2) (not surprisingly) much more interesting than all the STEP stuff?
Has anyone heard about deadlines for applying for STEP this year? I read they transferred it from OCR to Cambridge Assessment, but CA's website doesn't say anything about registration deadlines...

[Echolife]

(Original post by Andy H)
WHat I will say though is don't listen to the people who say that they have to work all the time; they are either lying, really bad at time management, or trying to do everything which is thrown at them (which is enough to keep you going 24/7)

That's a relief!

[Glutamic Acid]

Hmm, I'd be interested in knowing the deadline for registering. I might take STEP I this year.

[*bobo*]

March 21st I think...