Mega A Level Maths Thread - Mark V

I literally just started my prep for STEP 1 a couple of weeks ago so I've got that covered too.

Reason we're doing the M3/S3+ is because we exhausted all the pure modules We all do/have done C1-4 + FP1-3

Actually going off my AS results, I'd definitely appear to be a purist on paper

For the time, I just do it as a hobby alongside a game I'm afking or in my study periods. I tend to work quite quickly but the most important thing is to ensure you understand everything!

No doubt there is an uneven gender ratio in FM/AFM, but there's not much we can do - and hopefully it shouldn't make a difference to anything

Are you a Cambridge offer holder as well, then?

How can you have exhausted all the pure modules already? I've only just started to learn FP3.

As a hobby? You seem so nonchalant about it. Unless you've got zilch to do, I don't know how anyone in their sane mind would want to do more Mechanics and Stats. Wait, do you do Physics as well?

There definitely isn't anything we can do about it, I suppose it spurs me on to beat all of you guys...not that I'm competitive or anything



If I was a Cambridge offer holder, I would have said I'm preparing for STEP 2&3

Oh let me rephrase. In school I learn FP2/3 with my class and at home I teach myself M4/M5. I try to work quickly in lesson so generally I have no maths/fm homework ever, leaving me more time for my own maths pursuits.

I half agree I have NO idea how anyone would want to do more stats I'm kinda nonchalant because with M4/5 I'm not taking the exams - just learning he content to give me a headstart at uni I do physics, yep! What do you take?

Embrace your competitive self You will go far! Nah but seriously if I didn't join TSR، I'd still be just trudging along with my class. Having joined, I've met a few brilliant people who have a passion for maths, enough to do study for themselves. That inspired me because (I admit) I wanted to be like them. So I started off with baby steps by self teaching D1, and now I guess I'm slowly progressing up the ladder

I wish I could work as fast as you! I'm somewhat on the slower side, in fact I didn't even finish my C4 or M2 mock last month... Actually thinking about it, I rarely finish any exam on time.

I guess I should start thinking about trying to get a head start too. That's what summer is for though Until I'm acing everything, there's no point getting ahead myself. Though I do have to ask, does studying M3 make M2 easier?

Why don't you try and guess my 3rd subject? Obviously Maths and FM are my first two. I just knew it! Do you just do Maths, FM and Physics or is there another subject?

That's great! A little inspiration goes a long way.

If I was a Cambridge offer holder, I would have said I'm preparing for STEP 2&3

Ahh unlucky! You get faster with practice With practice, the general exam questions become routine and the method becomes trivial (generally speaking, not always).

I think the summer is great for that, yeah. The only reason I'm doing M4/M5 now is so I can study the full Chemistry A level during the summer. Honestly... Yes and no. M2 I still find some energy questions annoying to think about, but it does make statics, centers of mass and all that a lot easier. M3 in my opinion is the first really challenging mechanics module.

Well (totally didn't stalk ) English lit? Do you take a fourth? Indeed there us another subject - a humanities subject like yours: German!

Thanks I hope you will find inspiration on here to help you achieve your goals

Yep, Lit is my 3rd subject, what gave it away? No I don't, used to do History but I gave it up to focus on Maths and Lit.

You have a stalker/admirer. - he can tell it's lit, because your first post on TSR is on an English thread here.

Well clearly you practice a lot! I know the routine and I've got the method down, it's just... I don't even know to be honest..

A full Chemistry A-Level over summer? May I ask why? What degree have you applied to do at uni?

Yep, Lit is my 3rd subject, what gave it away? Scratch that, I know what gave it away now! No I don't, used to do History but I gave it up to focus on Maths.

Haha, the quality of students definitely varies! Whereabouts in the world are you sitting your exams?

Doesn't seem like there's a lot of purists, you guys all seem to be doing M3, M4, S3 etc - I'm just sticking to the basics with good old M1-2 and S1-2. How do you even find the time to do all the extra units?! Plus you all seem to be guys, please correct me if I'm wrong. I literally just started my prep for STEP 1 a couple of weeks ago so I've got that covered too. Unfortunately I'm covering one of the "soft" exam boards so it's a good job I've been doing OCR papers.

No worries you have a lot of time before June

Just studying, not focusing on exams. It's cause I wish I took it during sixth form but decided to play it safe with 4 subjects. Applied to do aero engineering

@Zacken is correct - your first post gave it away

Respect for making a sacrifice for maths

I'm sifting my exams in Bangladesh. I'd say that Zacken is completely a purist - like you, he prefers pure way more than applied and you'll meet many like him here. 403 and I like our applied but I don't past M3 I'm doing it just to get a further maths qualification. I've registered for S3 as well but I haven't started learning the module as of yet. It's my 7th module so I'm doing it as an insurance. The thing is, past M2/S2, there's very little content and it's more about practice. I also knew most of M3 from A level physics, so it isn't too bad! Ah yeah, there's definitely a gender gap but it's nice to have another female mathmo here.What modules are you doing for further maths?

Ahh but Zacken is a much better mathematician than I, though he prefers pure over applied, both appear to come so naturally to him. You guys go above and beyond, definitely admire that! Let's see I'm doing C1-4, FP1-3, M1-2, S1-2 which in totality will make up my Maths and FM A-Levels. Keeping things basic on the applied side haha, I need to save time somewhere to do some Lit and I find the applied to be more time consuming than pure.

God Zacken !!!

Playing it safe with 4 subjects? I think not. Playing it safe is doing 3 subjects, doing 4 is taking a risk and doing 5 is just completely ludicrous. Clearly there's a different mindset in whatever part of the UK you're in to the part I'm in.

Aero engineering sounds great! Can't say I know much about it though so I'm not going to pretend that I do. What kind of job are you looking to go into after uni?

Ooh perhaps it's a bit weirder in my school (I live abroad in the Middle East). Generally the top third (rough guideline) or anyone who clearly didn't struggle at AS is encouraged to continue with 4, as it looks a lot better when applying to uni (not necessarily to the UK - we apply to the US and Canada a lot too). Maybe that's why?

That's fine! It's similar to mech engineering, just with a specialization in aircraft/spacecraft - my dream job would be to work in one of the space agencies or large defense corporations, but of course that's still a dream. lol What are you looking to do at uni?

@Zacken I didn't realise there would be someone counting and checking how many modules I listed but yeah, I seem to have missed off D1. We can see how much I valued that unit...

On a serious note though, when doing motion in a vertical circle in M2, how do you know which way the reaction force is acting? It doesn't always act in the same direction, does it?

They kind of do the same over here but generally students can't be bothered continuing it. I agree it does look better but you know what? When I was looking around, trying to decide which uni's to apply to (all of which are in the UK, I'm so adventurous ), pretty much all of them including some of the top uni's only care about the top 3 A-Levels. Don't get me wrong though, if you can do it and the college/6th form can see that, they will encourage you to carry on. There are some colleges/6th forms over here that get students to take 5 AS-Levels if they had good GCSE's and then they can drop down to 4 subjects at A2.

Yeah I don't know much about mechanical engineering either With the way you're revising and doing extra things, it definitely seems possible! At least you know what you're working to achieve. I'm actually looking to do Maths at uni (hence the reason I'm doing STEP), not sure which field I will go into after graduating though, there's so many options. Plus I'm hoping my Lit A-Level will open some doors for me, in that I'm not only mathematical but I'm good on the writing side of things too

@Zacken I didn't realise there would be someone counting and checking how many modules I listed but yeah, I seem to have missed off D1. We can see how much I valued that unit...

On a serious note though, when doing motion in a vertical circle in M2, how do you know which way the reaction force is acting? It doesn't always act in the same direction, does it?

I felt restricted with the other 3 subjects being STEM.