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Original post by Chlorophile
Yes... how anyone could find FP2 and M3 easier than core units is completely beyond me.


huh

It's probably because I didn't do much work last year. M3 genuinely comes easier to me though.. maybe I've finally 'got' it :lol:
Original post by Chlorophile
Yes... how anyone could find FP2 and M3 easier than core units is completely beyond me.


Most people don't do M3 and beyond. That said, I didn't find FP2 any more difficult than FP1 (if I recall)
Original post by StarvingAutist
huh

It's probably because I didn't do much work last year. M3 genuinely comes easier to me though.. maybe I've finally 'got' it :lol:


I found M2 really easy, easier than M1, but M3 is just boom. I'll get probably click eventually with practise but it's so much more complex than any of the previous units. I liked FP2, especially first and second order differentials, but I still found it hard.

Original post by Noble.
Most people don't do M3 and beyond. That said, I didn't find FP2 any more difficult than FP1 (if I recall)


Seriously? As I said, I like FP2 but I definitely found it a lot harder than FP1. Particularly some of the top-end differential equations in FP2 require so much more thought than anything I'd seen before. Still not as bad as M3 though.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by fluteflute
Oxford do the same - http://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/our-services/for/alumni/ They've got a careers advisor who specialises in it, alumni can Skype for help :biggrin:


Was that you in my set theory lecture today? :tongue:
Original post by Chlorophile
I found M2 really easy, easier than M1, but M3 is just boom. I'll get probably click eventually with practise but it's so much more complex than any of the previous units. I liked FP2, especially first and second order differentials, but I still found it hard.



Seriously? As I said, I like FP2 but I definitely found it a lot harder than FP1. Particularly some of the top-end differential equations in FP2 require so much more thought than anything I'd seen before. Still not as bad as M3 though.


If you're having some issues with M3, I wouldn't recommend M4. The jump from M3 to M4 is bigger than the jump from M2 to M3 (and M4 is very arguably more difficult than M5).

You may be finding first/second order differentials in FP2 difficult if you're genuinely trying to understand what's going on, which isn't really necessary at A-Level. If you understand the basic idea and remember the few cases (and can differentiate) you can pretty much do them all via intuition and a bit of trial and error.
Original post by Noble.
If you're having some issues with M3, I wouldn't recommend M4. The jump from M3 to M4 is bigger than the jump from M2 to M3 (and M4 is very arguably more difficult than M5).

You may be finding first/second order differentials in FP2 difficult if you're genuinely trying to understand what's going on, which isn't really necessary at A-Level. If you understand the basic idea and remember the few cases (and can differentiate) you can pretty much do them all via intuition and a bit of trial and error.


It could be that I've been pretty stressed out over the past few weeks (only started M3 a week ago) and I'm sure it will click at some point, I just need more practise. And M4-5 aren't options for me anyway because my school doesn't offer them. I am planning to do AEA though.

A lot of the stuff in the textbook (particularly with second order differential equations) really does seem to be learning equations and what to do with particular equations which is irritating, I completely agree. With first order though, the textbook derives the whole integrating factor thing from first principles which I understand, so I like that a lot more. At least with Edexcel, first-order differential equations seems to make a lot more logical sense whereas second-order is more like "This is what you do if you see this equation".
Reply 926
Avatar for AdamY
AdamY
1
Meanwhile... I didn't do any maths at A Level. At all.

:chaplin:
Original post by AdamY
Meanwhile... I didn't do any maths at A Level. At all.

:chaplin:


Yeah, but you probably do/did humanities based thingies :tongue:
Reply 928
Avatar for AdamY
AdamY
1
Original post by Noble.
Yeah, but you probably do/did humanities based thingies :tongue:


Quite true! I just felt a bit left out of this intelligent discussion :colondollar:

I'll go sit in the corner and think about stuff rather than working out things with answers!
Reply 929
Avatar for Yaz97
Yaz97
2
Original post by AdamY
Quite true! I just felt a bit left out of this intelligent discussion :colondollar:

I'll go sit in the corner and think about stuff rather than working out things with answers!


Make room for me in your corner please

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Original post by Noble.
Was that you in my set theory lecture today? :tongue:


Yes. How obviously out of place was I?
Original post by fluteflute
Yes. How obviously out of place was I?


When you're listening to someone go on about Zermelo Fraenkel axioms and your proof by induction daily quota has been exceeded, you desperately find something else to entertain yourself with.
Original post by Noble.
When you're listening to someone go on about Zermelo Fraenkel axioms and your proof by induction daily quota has been exceeded, you desperately find something else to entertain yourself with.


I don't think I'll be coming back :tongue:
Original post by fluteflute
I don't think I'll be coming back :tongue:


Haha, did you find it boring?
Original post by Noble.
Haha, did you find it boring?


A classic case of lectures not adding enough beyond the notes to justify an hour spent.
Reply 935
Avatar for Marakh
Marakh
7
I found FP2 pretty challenging yes, but I didn't need to do well in it, since you can move around your modules so much. M3 was really quite standard once you understood that they could only ask you a few different type of questions. Admittedly in my school we finished learning the course for Further Maths by Christmas and the next 1 and a half terms was spent doing past papers. M4 and M5 were slightly harder again but nothing too difficult. FP3 was also quite fun. But I went into my FP3, S2 and M5 papers knowing I didn't need to do at all well in them, which probably did make me think the whole course was a joke
Original post by Chlorophile
I found M2 really easy, easier than M1, but M3 is just boom. I'll get probably click eventually with practise but it's so much more complex than any of the previous units. I liked FP2, especially first and second order differentials, but I still found it hard.



Seriously? As I said, I like FP2 but I definitely found it a lot harder than FP1. Particularly some of the top-end differential equations in FP2 require so much more thought than anything I'd seen before. Still not as bad as M3 though.


M3 is definitely easier than FP2. It helps that part of M3 is easy integration/gravity and then it's all the same SHM/circular until centres of mass, which I haven't done yet. That's just one question though.. most of the paper is pretty much the same topic.
And yeah FP2 is certainly harder than FP1 haha. I don't find it as hard as I found C4 though, idk :dontknow:
Can't comment on FP3 apart from hyperbolics and inverse trig which are easy but quite dull :l

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by StarvingAutist
M3 is definitely easier than FP2. It helps that part of M3 is easy integration/gravity and then it's all the same SHM/circular until centres of mass, which I haven't done yet. That's just one question though.. most of the paper is pretty much the same topic.
And yeah FP2 is certainly harder than FP1 haha. I don't find it as hard as I found C4 though, idk :dontknow:
Can't comment on FP3 apart from hyperbolics and inverse trig which are easy but quite dull :l

Posted from TSR Mobile


I think I went slightly crazy because I went back to M3 today and had no problems with it at all... not entirely sure why I was completely flopping earlier lol
Original post by Chlorophile
I think I went slightly crazy because I went back to M3 today and had no problems with it at all... not entirely sure why I was completely flopping earlier lol


Haha good to know :tongue:
Is it just me or is mechanics pretty 'clicky'? Either you get it straight away or you struggle for a while and one day it makes sense.
Original post by StarvingAutist
Haha good to know :tongue:
Is it just me or is mechanics pretty 'clicky'? Either you get it straight away or you struggle for a while and one day it makes sense.


Literally took the words out of my mouth, that's absolutely it.

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