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Lost confidence in my maths abilities

I am a year 13 student who just finished A-Levels.

Throughout my time in year 13 I was getting A*s in fm past papers and thought I was relatively good at mathematics and decided to take it as a degree since I seemed to enjoy it and have a knack for it.

However when I opened my results I was shocked as not only did I not get an A* in further maths, I didn't even get an A* in single maths.

I don't know what happened, people who got A* in maths always came to me for help for questions they struggled on and in the end I didn't even do as well as them.

I don't know what to do now I love the subject but I've lost all my confidence and am starting to dread starting a degree in it. What do I do?

(I also got a B in further maths, 3 marks off an A)
(edited 8 months ago)
Reply 1
Original post by WantToStudyMafs
I am a year 13 student who just finished A-Levels.

Throughout my time in year 13 I was getting A*s in fm past papers and thought I was relatively good at mathematics and decided to take it as a degree since I seemed to enjoy it and have a knack for it.

However when I opened my results I was shocked as not only did I not get an A* in further maths, I didn't even get an A* in single maths.

I don't know what happened, people who got A* in maths always came to me for help for questions they struggled on and in the end I didn't even do as well as them.

I don't know what to do now I love the subject but I've lost all my confidence and am starting to dread starting a degree in it. What do I do?

(I also got a B in further maths, 3 marks off an A)

So you got AB in maths and FM? On the positive side, those are perfectly respectable results and put you above the vast majority of the population in terms of mathematical ability.

But you haven't said exactly what your current situation is - did you miss your offer, but your firm uni still let you in? Or have you been rejected by your firm uni and now taking up your insurance place? Or something else? Broadly speaking, if a uni lets you in with the grades you've achieved that means that they expect you will be able to cope with the course. If you've been hitting A* standard throughout the year then there's really not much difference between an A candidate and an A* candidate at the end of the day, and as you say, you weren't far off an A in FM.
Original post by davros
So you got AB in maths and FM? On the positive side, those are perfectly respectable results and put you above the vast majority of the population in terms of mathematical ability.

But you haven't said exactly what your current situation is - did you miss your offer, but your firm uni still let you in? Or have you been rejected by your firm uni and now taking up your insurance place? Or something else? Broadly speaking, if a uni lets you in with the grades you've achieved that means that they expect you will be able to cope with the course. If you've been hitting A* standard throughout the year then there's really not much difference between an A candidate and an A* candidate at the end of the day, and as you say, you weren't far off an A in FM.


I did not hit my warwick offer but I do have a uni of leeds place for maths! (AAA reqs)

Idk it's just hit my confidence because there were people who constantly used me for help on maths and in the end did better than me.

That's why it's hit my confidence especially because I want to do maths a subject :/ I was so confident on A* in single maths I didn't bother to do a single past paper and only did further maths past papers as well.

Which is why my B in fm was also so disappointing to me because I was getting A*s in past papers:/

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