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Mathematics Applicants 2012

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Original post by ben-smith
EDIT:Cheers for this.
I'm glad you liked it!
I'd never even thought of this.

Maths is really full of stuff that make you say that. That's what makes it interesting, I guess.
Original post by L'art pour l'art
I'm glad you liked it!

Maths is really full of stuff that make you say that. That's what makes it interesting, I guess.


are you doing maths at uni?
Original post by ben-smith
are you doing maths at uni?
I'm applying this year.
Original post by deejayy
What module is it where you use integration to solve that?


I think FP2/FP3 is where some might come in, but then it's just sandwiching sums between limits.

Original post by around
Integration was in my C2...


But summing series with integration probably wasn't!

I'm applying to Cambridge but that question makes my brain cry :frown:
Original post by L'art pour l'art
I'm applying this year.


2011 entry?
Original post by ben-smith
2011 entry?
Sorry, I wasn't clear - 2012 entry. Hence my presence in this thread! :tongue:
Original post by L'art pour l'art
Sorry, I wasn't clear - 2012 entry. Hence my presence in this thread! :tongue:


tbf that doesn't stop second year uni students posting here. What unis are you applying to?
Reply 887
Avatar for around
around
13
Original post by Xero Xenith


But summing series with integration probably wasn't!

I'm applying to Cambridge but that question makes my brain cry :frown:


You get used to things like that after a while. The most important thing to learn is to realise that at A-level you're taught a bunch of tools and you have to be able to make use of all of them to do a question.

I mean, one of the best ways to make progress in a question is to reduce it to something you know. So, for that example, you know how to sum a geometric series, but this series isn't quite a geometric series. But it looks awfully like one (you multiply by something each time), so you think to yourself 'how can i get this to look like a geometric series?'. You then scratch around and notice that, apart from a factor of r, every term in that series is the derivative of the corresponding term in a geometric series. So you take the r out, integrate term by term (remembering constants of integration!) and then this lets you evaluate the new sum in closed form. Then you differentiate to get your original series back.

That was a bit long winded, and maybe a little confusing, but those were my thought processes when I saw this trick for the first time. Differentiating/integrating a series to sum it is one of those tricks which is very good to know.
Original post by ben-smith
tbf that doesn't stop second year uni students posting here. What unis are you applying to?
Cambridge, Bristol, Warwick, Durham, and Bath. What about you?
Original post by L'art pour l'art
Cambridge, Bristol, Warwick, Durham, and Bath. What about you?


Cambridge, Imperial, Warwick.
I genuinely have no idea how to choose the rest.
Original post by ben-smith
Cambridge, Imperial, Warwick.
I genuinely have no idea how to choose the rest.
Sounds familiar. I had quite a big list of choices but it shrunk when I eliminated all the London universities (simply because I don't like idea of studying in there).
how are people who need STEP starting to practice it? Would it be better to start off with AEA (I've heard its similar but easier) first and then practice STEP papers? I've just looked at my first one and I have no idea how to start it :s-smilie:
Original post by like_a_star
how are people who need STEP starting to practice it?
To be honest, I'm not sure. But I'll be aiming to do a year's worth of papers every week from next week.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by like_a_star
how are people who need STEP starting to practice it? Would it be better to start off with AEA (I've heard its similar but easier) first and then practice STEP papers? I've just looked at my first one and I have no idea how to start it :s-smilie:


If you haven't done a single question, have a look at siklos's booklets and give one question a real go. Once you have done one or two, have a go at a paper.
Original post by L'art pour l'art
Sounds familiar. I had quite a big list of choices but it shrunk when I eliminated all the London universities (simply because I don't like idea of studying in there).


I'm not applying to london either...mainly cause I live there
Original post by like_a_star
how are people who need STEP starting to practice it? Would it be better to start off with AEA (I've heard its similar but easier) first and then practice STEP papers? I've just looked at my first one and I have no idea how to start it :s-smilie:


As someone who's done lots of Olympiads in the past, I started by going through all the olympiad papers that contained maths that might come up in step e.g. combinaorics etc... Our school told us not to do the Siklos booklet unless we really have to as we're using it next year in school to prepare
Reply 896
Avatar for Gamma
Gamma
Guys I need some advice.

In AS Maths I think I did alright:

C1 - 97
C2 - 100
S1 - 84

281/300 - A

In AS Further Maths:

FP1- 97
S2 - 76
D1 - 77

250/300 - A

I still got As in both but my applied modules are really poor compared with the pure modules I took - should I retake S2 or D1 or both? Or should I not retake at all?

I'd rather not retake and concentrate on my A2s really. I'm not going to apply to Cambridge so the UMS shouldn't matter should it?
Original post by Gamma
Guys I need some advice.

In AS Maths I think I did alright:

C1 - 97
C2 - 100
S1 - 84

281/300 - A

In AS Further Maths:

FP1- 97
S2 - 76
D1 - 77

250/300 - A

I still got As in both but my applied modules are really poor compared with the pure modules I took - should I retake S2 or D1 or both? Or should I not retake at all?

I'd rather not retake and concentrate on my A2s really. I'm not going to apply to Cambridge so the UMS shouldn't matter should it?


your UMS shouldn't matter in that respect but, obviously, they will make it harder for you to get an A* but by no means impossible. If you don't fancy retaking then don't because you don't need too.

welcome to the thread btw. where are you applying?
Reply 898
Avatar for Gamma
Gamma
Original post by ben-smith
your UMS shouldn't matter in that respect but, obviously, they will make it harder for you to get an A* but by no means impossible. If you don't fancy retaking then don't because you don't need too.

welcome to the thread btw. where are you applying?


Thanks. I think I may retake S2 because it is an A2 module and could help me in the long run.

I'm thinking at the moment of applying to Oxford, Warwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Bath. Not quite 100% sure yet though.
Anyone else applying for Oxbridge but not Warwick, or are anyone_can_fly and I the only ones?

Original post by anyone_can_fly
Snap! That means we have three choices in common.


:yy: Still not completely sure about it though, I mean it's an extra year of fees :dontknow:

Original post by BeccaCath94
I'd always considered either maths with a year in europe or maths with a minor in german but after getting my AS results I think the former is now more likely!! Would I be able to apply to 'both types' in my UCAS application?

What kind of things are studied in years 1,2,4 to do with the chosen country or is there nothing other than year 3 when you go there for a year?


I think for some universities you have to take some language modules

Original post by twig
Which countries/ unis do the courses have links with?


http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/ugprospectus/facultiesanddepartments/mathematics/mathseuropecourses
Bristol stupidly doesn't tell you, and I haven't looked at any other unis

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