The Student Room Group
Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>
Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>
Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>

The 2012 STEP Results Discussion Thread

Scroll to see replies

Original post by ben-smith
At the physics equivalent in Oxford apparently they do...


Yeah but that one is softcore
Original post by TheMagicMan
Yeah but that one is softcore


From the sound of it it couldn't have been more hardcore. Two friends of mine went on it and they were in lecture/practicals non stop from about 8 in the morning till 7 in the evening.
Original post by ben-smith
From the sound of it it couldn't have been more hardcore. Two friends of mine went on it and they were in lecture/practicals non stop from about 8 in the morning till 7 in the evening.


Softcore as in they struggle to attract the best physicists to do it...

which is why they have to work so hard :tongue:
Original post by TheMagicMan
Softcore as in they struggle to attract the best physicists to do it...

which is why they have to work so hard :tongue:


can't argue with that:tongue:
Which bits of physics are you most looking forward to doing?
Original post by ben-smith
can't argue with that:tongue:
Which bits of physics are you most looking forward to doing?


Relativity and Electromagnetism
Original post by Ree69
Are you coming to Warwick on Saturday? :smile:


Yes :smile:
Original post by TheMagicMan
Relativity and Electromagnetism


they are very badass.
I'm actually looking forward to less mainstream stuff like waves and classical dynamics though what I'm really wanting to do is some of the part III stuff i.e quantum information theory(epic blog about that sort of stuff here) but that's ages away.
Original post by TheMagicMan
Why would you pay to do a soul-destroying exam :confused:


How can you destroy that which does not exist? :devil3:
I know this conversation is long gone but my timing seems to be quite good at the moment. Getting 5+ solutions in each STEP II I do, ranging from 20 to 45 minutes most of the time :smile: Quite a majority recently I've been doing in under half an hour, which gives me a bit of leeway to be slow on one or two questions or to waste time and end up getting nowhere on a question.

For STEP III the story's fairly similar except there are fewer questions I can actually do so I'm struggling to get 4 decent solutions. However, there's still a lot of time to go.
Original post by hassi94
I know this conversation is long gone but my timing seems to be quite good at the moment. Getting 5+ solutions in each STEP II I do, ranging from 20 to 45 minutes most of the time :smile: Quite a majority recently I've been doing in under half an hour, which gives me a bit of leeway to be slow on one or two questions or to waste time and end up getting nowhere on a question.

For STEP III the story's fairly similar except there are fewer questions I can actually do so I'm struggling to get 4 decent solutions. However, there's still a lot of time to go.


Sounds great. 5 good solutions is pretty much guaranteed a 1. A lot of people seem to think that III is easier than II, is that something you agree with?
Original post by Extricated
Sounds great. 5 good solutions is pretty much guaranteed a 1. A lot of people seem to think that III is easier than II, is that something you agree with?


At this point in time, I find II significantly less challenging than III...probably 10 minutes per question difference (which is a reasonably large gap percentage wise)
Original post by TheMagicMan
At this point in time, I find II significantly less challenging than III...probably 10 minutes per question difference (which is a reasonably large gap percentage wise)


Hmm I guess it varies between people then. I mean it would make more sense for III to be harder than II, although apparently last year II was exceptionally hard (according to some St.John's first years anyway.) I know this also varies, but how long do you think it takes to get into the STEP way of thinking? i.e A level really is just Learn technique ---> Do exam. Whereas I think it'd take me a bit of time to get used to actually thinking about problems. Having said that, you're probably not the best person to ask seen as though you've been doing the BMO since year 9!

Good luck :biggrin:
Another question, do you guys make sure you have finished every question on a paper before moving on to the next? I've done like 9/13 questions on a paper and the ones I have left I am sure I wouldn't have picked in the exam e.g the probability ones and a couple of core questions. Is it worth attempting these questions which I am weaker at and will take much longer or shall I move on?
Original post by TheJ0ker
Another question, do you guys make sure you have finished every question on a paper before moving on to the next? I've done like 9/13 questions on a paper and the ones I have left I am sure I wouldn't have picked in the exam e.g the probability ones and a couple of core questions. Is it worth attempting these questions which I am weaker at and will take much longer or shall I move on?


I've done all the pure and mech on every paper...although there were some pure questions that took much longer, i eventually got them out. I think it's worth doing them all if you have the time (and if you don't it is at least worth looking at the solution)
Original post by Extricated
Hmm I guess it varies between people then. I mean it would make more sense for III to be harder than II, although apparently last year II was exceptionally hard (according to some St.John's first years anyway.) I know this also varies, but how long do you think it takes to get into the STEP way of thinking? i.e A level really is just Learn technique ---> Do exam. Whereas I think it'd take me a bit of time to get used to actually thinking about problems. Having said that, you're probably not the best person to ask seen as though you've been doing the BMO since year 9!

Good luck :biggrin:


Last's year two had stunningly low grade boundaries compared to the year before (which had very high ones)...seemed like a classic case of overcompensating.
Original post by Extricated
Sounds great. 5 good solutions is pretty much guaranteed a 1. A lot of people seem to think that III is easier than II, is that something you agree with?


I used to think that (mind you that was just looking at questions for the most part - I'd attempted very few IIIs when I thought this haha); but I'm starting to lean to III being a fair bit harder. I don't think I'll be in a great position to say either way until I've done more III practice (as I've still done very little).
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Extricated
Sounds great. 5 good solutions is pretty much guaranteed a 1. A lot of people seem to think that III is easier than II, is that something you agree with?


I prefer III to II at the moment, I think. But I'm not sure :tongue:

Original post by hassi94
I know this conversation is long gone but my timing seems to be quite good at the moment. Getting 5+ solutions in each STEP II I do, ranging from 20 to 45 minutes most of the time :smile: Quite a majority recently I've been doing in under half an hour, which gives me a bit of leeway to be slow on one or two questions or to waste time and end up getting nowhere on a question.

For STEP III the story's fairly similar except there are fewer questions I can actually do so I'm struggling to get 4 decent solutions. However, there's still a lot of time to go.


Congrats! Did you try some more recent papers? :smile:
Original post by Xero Xenith
I prefer III to II at the moment, I think. But I'm not sure :tongue:



Congrats! Did you try some more recent papers? :smile:


Well I've already done I think 2003,4,7 (paper II) between jan and march, but I'm just working up from 1997 to 2008 in order - probably go over what I've done anyway. In a more direct answer to your question - I have not done a recent one recently :tongue:
My physics teachers are going to be so annoyed with me. I barely enjoy doing my A-levels maths work let alone opening a Physics textbook when I know there is a juicy STEP question to be hitting up. Anyone else feel addicted to STEP?
Reply 1879
Avatar for gff
gff
5
Original post by TheUltimateProof
Anyone else feel addicted to STEP?


I feel addicted to all sorts of non-A-level related things, which reminds me that I have work to do. :biggrin:

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you