Mechanics or statistics at maths A-level?

I am taking the maths A-level in september along with all the sciences in the hope of applying for medicine. Does it matter whether I choose mechanics or statistics? I know mechanics is better for physics and I would probably enjoy it before but statistics is good for biology and chemistry and as I slightly struggle with it, it might be better to focus on it more so I can improve. If anybody has done both in further maths and could tell me which one they preferred, it will be greatly appreciated :smile:

Reply 1

Mini-Minion

I'm going to be studying it come September; personally I think statistics is easier than mechanics, but the content of the mechanics module is based on maths that you'd have done a million times before, so simultaneous equations and rearranging equations e.t.c.

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Reply 2

Sparta_Kane

Statistics is better for medicine I've been told.
However I hated stats and decision but loved mechanics (but then I'm a biased physicist and I would loate doing medicine)
At the end of the day it's up to you but you can always do S1 and M1 anyway so you get the best of both.

Reply 3

Jammy Duel

21

AS in both is an absolute doddle (mechanics more so than stats) and A2 isn't much harder. Mechanics will be good with physics since a good chunk of it you will do in both. Neither is particularly beneficial for Chemistry, haven't a clue about biology, but any advantage would be negligible.

Reply 4

username1333513

21

i heard statistics is better if you're looking to do medicine but i don't think it would matter too much if you chose mechanics instead, if you really enjoy it then go for it

Reply 5

loperdoper

15

Any statistics related bits of biology don't come in until A2, whereas mechanics comes in straight away in physics. Thus, if you're doing all the sciences it would make sense to do M1 in AS and S1 in A2. But I can't be of too much help - I did D1 in AS.

Reply 6

Jobin123

OP

3

Thanks very much, still haven't quite decided. I'm doing physics, chemistry and maths and to be honest all the statistics at GCSE bored me sooo much so I'm quite reluctant to take the statistics. But I will be dropping physics at the end of the first year so I wont really need the mechanics. I'm not sure if I am able to switch at my sixth form but I will ask when I take in my results. Thank you all very much for replying :smile:

Reply 7

7253567

8

M1 is useful for AS physics and I assume M2 is useful for A2. As far as I am aware (not from personal experience), S1 isn't particularly useful because only standard deviation really comes in biology. S2, on the other hand, is useful because it contains hypothesis testing and a couple of new distributions.
Hope this helped.

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Reply 8

TajwarC

17

Taking mechanics along with physics means both will become easier as there is a decent overlap. Stats is much easier though. If you're dropping physics you might as well take M1 this year because it will help with physics so hopefully you'll get the best possible grade. So essentially you're killing two birds with one stone and then you can say goodbye to mechanics forever :smile:

Reply 9

Jobin123

OP

3

Original post by TajwarC

Taking mechanics along with physics means both will become easier as there is a decent overlap. Stats is much easier though. If you're dropping physics you might as well take M1 this year because it will help with physics so hopefully you'll get the best possible grade. So essentially you're killing two birds with one stone and then you can say goodbye to mechanics forever :smile:

Very true. Thank you very much

Reply 10

scientific222

13

Definitely do mechanics if you are doing Physics, it is almost a no brainer. Once you nail the mechanics (M1) content, the mechanics content within Physics (such as forces, vector diagrams, moments e.t.c) becomes an absolute joke for you

Reply 11

Sena5

20

Original post by Jobin123

I am taking the maths A-level in september along with all the sciences in the hope of applying for medicine. Does it matter whether I choose mechanics or statistics? I know mechanics is better for physics and I would probably enjoy it before but statistics is good for biology and chemistry and as I slightly struggle with it, it might be better to focus on it more so I can improve. If anybody has done both in further maths and could tell me which one they preferred, it will be greatly appreciated :smile:

Stats is much easier than mechanics..I DID science too for A/L.
It's your choice though to choose either. I know statistics is easier to practice and not thinking like mechanics physics lol
These modules are not under further maths. Stats/Mechanics should be done under the core math only S1/M1. Otherwise S2/M2, S3/M3,S4/M4 and so on are further maths.

Mechanics or statistics at maths A-level?

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