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Economics applicant thread UCAS 2014

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Original post by Fas
self-studying FP1 is not really an issue , difficulty wise i'd place it inbetween C1 and C2. why don't you do S2 and S3 instead of S3 and S4 ?


He's doing S2 as part of his Maths course
Original post by Boy_wonder_95
He's doing S2 as part of his Maths course


This^
Sorry for making it unclear but I was meant to say only self studying S3/S4 because I can probably join the lower years further maths class for FP1.



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Original post by Fas
FP1 - i am studying this atm , and currently finding it a walk in the park. covered 3/6 chapters and they have been SO easy.

cannot say for the other two.


Assuming the chapters are the same for all exam boards (I was edexcel), the first few are easy but it starts getting difficult with the last two. As usual though, once you've got it down you're sorted.

FP1 probably was the hardest unit to revise since the last chapter for me was 'Induction' and this needed some creative thinking, something I didn't have.
Ah ok then , also when I'm applying for uni do I put As further maths pending?


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Original post by blazekid75
Ah ok then,I heard FP2/3 are hard and I think the statistics modules would be more beneficial for economics
But the problem is I might be the only one doing it at my school,so prob self study ~_~


Don't let that put you off, you will find many people will be doing exactly the same, and so to remain competitive...

FP2/3 are trickier than c3/c4, but not that much trickier. Definitely chose statistics over mechanics, and honestly don't even waste your time thinking about decision. I found in my first year of uni the most helpful Alevel modules from all of my alevel subjects were s2 and s3; at university all the econometrics builds on the simple statistics concepts which you'll cover in futher maths.
Original post by Jkizer
May I ask how much roughly was your exams/content maths rather than essays ?


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I had 9 exams in each of my 3 years. In the 1st year, a mathematical economics module, and an introductory econometrics module. In the 2nd year again you do 2 econometrics modules, though you have the choice of following the econometrics stream, or the less intense quantitative economics stream. In the final year there are 3 more econometrics modules, though there are no compulsory maths/econometrics modules in the final year. That leaves 7 modules each year, all broadly essay based to an extent, but of course some of those will be more technical than others and so you will still have to use algebraic equations and graphs (I don't think I sat a single exam at university without using some sort of graphical or algebraic analysis somewhere in my answer)

Hope this helps
Original post by NesQuiK.
Don't let that put you off, you will find many people will be doing exactly the same, and so to remain competitive...

FP2/3 are trickier than c3/c4, but not that much trickier. Definitely chose statistics over mechanics, and honestly don't even waste your time thinking about decision. I found in my first year of uni the most helpful Alevel modules from all of my alevel subjects were s2 and s3; at university all the econometrics builds on the simple statistics concepts which you'll cover in futher maths.


In Year 13, I'll be doing C4, FP2, FP3, S2, and M2. These modules are my schools choice so I'll be taught them. Should I try convince my school to let me sit more statistic modules instead of M2?

Is there an advantage learning more Stats modules?
Reply 787
Avatar for Liamnut
Liamnut
13
Original post by NedStark
Cambridge, LSE, Warwick, UCL, Bristol. But I guess I'm being a bit too ambitious (mind the pun) with my choices. I have a very small chance of getting rejected by all 5 so getting an offer from Bristol like you said you did early, would mean I don't have to take a gap year.


If you get rejected by 3 of them it's unlikely you'll get an offer from the others. That's why selecting at least two backups is strongly recommended-but if you're confident in your abilities, go for it. That said, your logic suggests you're just applying to all of them in the hope you'll get an offer from at least one.
Original post by Liamnut
If you get rejected by 3 of them it's unlikely you'll get an offer from the others. That's why selecting at least two backups is strongly recommended-but if you're confident in your abilities, go for it. That said, your logic suggests you're just applying to all of them in the hope you'll get an offer from at least one.


Spot on, I'd be happy with any of the top 4. Bristol I'd be satisfied with. I've thought of backups and have a few in mind but I really can't decide which of the top 4 to drop.
Original post by NedStark
In Year 13, I'll be doing C4, FP2, FP3, S2, and M2. These modules are my schools choice so I'll be taught them. Should I try convince my school to let me sit more statistic modules instead of M2?

Is there an advantage learning more Stats modules?

I'm even more screwed my modules for FM are FP2, M2 and M3 as there's only 1 teacher who teaches FM and he doesn't know S3/S4.
Tomorrow is my Enrolment day so hopefully I'll be able to take an AS including S3 and S4.
Any Good textbooks(excluding the official one)/websites you recommend since they will probably be self study for me.
I just hope I can persuade my teacher to give me at least an A prediction in maths
Reply 791
Avatar for Liamnut
Liamnut
13
Original post by NedStark
Spot on, I'd be happy with any of the top 4. Bristol I'd be satisfied with. I've thought of backups and have a few in mind but I really can't decide which of the top 4 to drop.


Well, LSE and Cambridge are both extremely competitive for economics, which suggests if you don't get into one, you won't get into the other, so I'd consider dropping one of them. Even if they did both give you offers, would you want your insurance and firm to be LSE and Cambridge? If you cock up just one subject, it's clearing or a lot of ringing around.
Reply 792
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KD35
15
Original post by Liamnut
Well, LSE and Cambridge are both extremely competitive for economics, which suggests if you don't get into one, you won't get into the other, so I'd consider dropping one of them. Even if they did both give you offers, would you want your insurance and firm to be LSE and Cambridge? If you cock up just one subject, it's clearing or a lot of ringing around.


A lot of people get offers from one and not the other, if he isn't too worried about missing the grades, I think putting both LSE and Cambridge down isn't a bad idea, as long as he has a reasonable chance of getting an offer.
Original post by blazekid75
Tomorrow is my Enrolment day so hopefully I'll be able to take an AS including S3 and S4.
Any Good textbooks(excluding the official one)/websites you recommend since they will probably be self study for me.
I just hope I can persuade my teacher to give me at least an A prediction in maths

You don't have to do S3 and S4 in AS and I wouldn't advise it. First get the foundations down and do S1/S2 then go and do S3/S4 in your A2 year, I did S2 without doing S1 and there were gaps in the knowledge like skewness and normal distribution. So I assume it will be the same for S3 or S4.
Original post by Dilzo999
You don't have to do S3 and S4 in AS and I wouldn't advise it. First get the foundations down and do S1/S2 then go and do S3/S4 in your A2 year, I did S2 without doing S1 and there were gaps in the knowledge like skewness and normal distribution. So I assume it will be the same for S3 or S4.


Erm i'm going into my A2 year and so decided to do an As in further maths.
I've done S1 and going to do S2 this year :O
Reply 795
Avatar for Dynamic74
Dynamic74
Hey guys, new user here wanting to apply for Econ, I was just wondering if anyone could help me with a small situation with choosing my A2 levels for the coming school year.
I currently take Maths, Chemistry, Economics And IT A levels, while i understand I should be dropping IT Alevel I got a decent score in this last year and I would be losing what is essentially an 'easy' A or A* at A2 Level. I am also unsure whether Chemistry is really for me since it was my lowest score this year and i'm pretty sure the A2 gets a lot harder, in addition to this I have the option of doing AS FM next year alongside my A2 levels. So my real question is whether to take IT A level and FM or shall i risk it and carry Chemistry onto A2 with FM.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Original post by Dynamic74
Hey guys, new user here wanting to apply for Econ, I was just wondering if anyone could help me with a small situation with choosing my A2 levels for the coming school year.
I currently take Maths, Chemistry, Economics And IT A levels, while i understand I should be dropping IT Alevel I got a decent score in this last year and I would be losing what is essentially an 'easy' A or A* at A2 Level. I am also unsure whether Chemistry is really for me since it was my lowest score this year and i'm pretty sure the A2 gets a lot harder, in addition to this I have the option of doing AS FM next year alongside my A2 levels. So my real question is whether to take IT A level and FM or shall i risk it and carry Chemistry onto A2 with FM.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


Hey I'm also thinking of doing further maths as!
Well it depends what you got for chemistry(if udont mind me asking) and if you are up for the hard work for A2
What module do you want to do for Fm as?


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Reply 797
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Dynamic74
Original post by blazekid75
Hey I'm also thinking of doing further maths as!
Well it depends what you got for chemistry(if udont mind me asking) and if you are up for the hard work for A2
What module do you want to do for Fm as?


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Yep, I got 86% for Chemistry last year. Currently im planning to do S3 but am skeptical over S4 and whether I could learn it in time. Looking through my friends M1 book last year it actually looked quite interesting. What about yourself?
Original post by blazekid75
Erm i'm going into my A2 year and so decided to do an As in further maths.
I've done S1 and going to do S2 this year :O

Oh sorry, when you said enrolment I thought you meant sixth form enrolment so you were going into year 12 XD.
Original post by Dilzo999
I'm even more screwed my modules for FM are FP2, M2 and M3 as there's only 1 teacher who teaches FM and he doesn't know S3/S4.

Original post by blazekid75
Tomorrow is my Enrolment day so hopefully I'll be able to take an AS including S3 and S4.
Any Good textbooks(excluding the official one)/websites you recommend since they will probably be self study for me.
I just hope I can persuade my teacher to give me at least an A prediction in maths

Original post by NedStark
In Year 13, I'll be doing C4, FP2, FP3, S2, and M2. These modules are my schools choice so I'll be taught them. Should I try convince my school to let me sit more statistic modules instead of M2?

Is there an advantage learning more Stats modules?


I taught myself all 6 of the AS/A2 further maths modules in less than a year as I took up the whole Alevel in my final year alongside my other four A2s (so it didnt physically fit into my timetable).

If you really want to study economics at university, I feel choosing to self studying some more relevant maths modules because you think they will help you do better once you get to university, is exactly the type of thing which will impress admissions tutors. By doing a module by yourself you are demonstrating you can work independently, are driven, and also that you must be fairly intelligent to go it alone, so just work hard guys and you'll reap the rewards!

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