The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

Maths degree without further maths and physics?

Scroll to see replies

Original post by Zacken
Ah, okay. That's impressive.

It's a bit of an inside joke with my friends, don't take that part seriously, I will be sitting STEP. You cannot apply to both Oxford and Cambridge in the same admissions cycle, Cambridge was the obvious choice for me.


Do you find STEP easy? They didn't have it in my day but we had something similar. Looking at STEP questions now they look very easy but then I guess they should for me. (Sorry, had to say that out loud.)
Reply 81
Avatar for Zacken
Zacken
22
Original post by pvaz6965
Do you find STEP easy? They didn't have it in my day but we had something similar. Looking at STEP questions now they look very easy but then I guess they should for me. (Sorry, had to say that out loud.)


Ah, did you do the old CCE papers, with the scholarship exams and fourth or seventh term examinations? (not sure if I got that right).

STEP I and II are manageable, STEP III is fairly daunting, but I'm far from being an excellent mathematician, so I do expect that the excellent ones will find it easy.
Original post by Zacken
Ah, did you do the old CCE papers, with the scholarship exams and fourth or seventh term examinations? (not sure if I got that right).

STEP I and II are manageable, STEP III is fairly daunting, but I'm far from being an excellent mathematician, so I do expect that the excellent ones will find it easy.


I did Special Papers (S levels) because I went to a state school in a poor area. And that got me a special scholarship from my local education authority because of my results.

I was looking at STEP the other day and I though STEP I looked very easy and STEP III looked easier than STEP II from my quick glance.
Reply 83
Avatar for Zacken
Zacken
22
Original post by pvaz6965
I did Special Papers (S levels) because I went to a state school in a poor area. And that got me a special scholarship from my local education authority because of my results.

I was looking at STEP the other day and I though STEP I looked very easy and STEP III looked easier than STEP II from my quick glance.


Ah, okay! Forgot about those, sounds like you did really well. Did you do Part III as well?

STEP I is meant to be the easiest paper - which is why Cambridge doesn't use it as part of their offer. STEP III tests a uch wider amount of content than II, so the depth of questions is reduced ever so slightly at the expense of having reduced question choice. So I can definitely see why you'd find III easier than II.
Original post by ameenatariq
can you do a maths degree without further maths and physics at a level?


Are you doing AS now or are you thinking about what A-Levels to pick?
Reply 85
Avatar for Ayman!
Ayman!
15
Original post by pvaz6965
STEP should not be a killer. It does separate the decent from the very good but that's about it. The elite applicants get two S grades at STEP. But I agree that maths/further maths A level is a trivial exercise for top applicants.


It was an exaggeration, I am not sitting STEP (mostly because it isn't possible for me to) so what I said was purely from hearsay, so I cannot agree with nor disagree with you.

Surely adequate practice will ensure 1, 1
Original post by Zacken
Ah, okay! Forgot about those, sounds like you did really well. Did you do Part III as well?

STEP I is meant to be the easiest paper - which is why Cambridge doesn't use it as part of their offer. STEP III tests a uch wider amount of content than II, so the depth of questions is reduced ever so slightly at the expense of having reduced question choice. So I can definitely see why you'd find III easier than II.

You mean Part III of the Tripos?
Original post by Shiv is Light
I do biology maths and chemistry, i got 4 offers for maths :smile:


really!!! thanks for the hope!
Original post by Louisb19
Are you doing AS now or are you thinking about what A-Levels to pick?


thinking about what a levels to pick.
Reply 89
Avatar for Ayman!
Ayman!
15
Original post by pvaz6965
...


Hi, sorry for bothering you, but do you think it's possible to pursue postgraduate mathematics coming from an applied science/engineering background? I know it depends on a range of factors and that the individual would be disadvantaged in comparison to someone doing a maths degree, but do you believe that it can be done?
Original post by ameenatariq
thinking about what a levels to pick.


If you are thinking about a Maths degree may I ask why you would prefer not to take Further Maths. I didn't take FM in year 12 and found myself having to self teach the entire thing in year 13 since the universities worth going to all put a lot of weight on it!
Original post by aymanzayedmannan
Hi, sorry for bothering you, but do you think it's possible to pursue postgraduate mathematics coming from an applied science/engineering background? I know it depends on a range of factors and that the individual would be disadvantaged in comparison to someone doing a maths degree, but do you believe that it can be done?

Yes it can be done but it depends on the area of mathematics. There is obviously a bit of a grey area with applied maths/theoretical physics for instance.

But it would be unusual to go from say chemical engineering to algebraic number theory for example. But it is down to the individual case - maybe someone does a degree in chemical engineering but just happens to be truly gifted at pure mathematics and was self taught to a high level and convince the department/faculty member that they could succeed. Anything is possible as they say. I have seen someone with a degree in history do a PhD in topology for instance.

You tend to see such crossovers more in quantum theory, group theory, numerical analysis of PDE's and statistical inference. Less so in pure mathematical areas.
Original post by Louisb19
If you are thinking about a Maths degree may I ask why you would prefer not to take Further Maths. I didn't take FM in year 12 and found myself having to self teach the entire thing in year 13 since the universities worth going to all put a lot of weight on it!


because if some unis don't require it then there's no point taking it.
Original post by ameenatariq
because if some unis don't require it then there's no point taking it.


But it shouldn't really be about if you're required to or not. If you like maths (which you should if you're thinking of a maths degree), then further maths should excite you and not be something that you either do or do not impose on yourself.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by ameenatariq
what if you get A* in a level maths, but dont do further maths?


Doesn't mean too much in the bigger picture because it just means your flawless
at the content you know yet you still lack crucial knowledge in further maths such as complex numbers, matrices, differential equations, polar coordinates etc.
Original post by ameenatariq
because if some unis don't require it then there's no point taking it.


I would say that if you are planning to take maths at uni, do further maths too because it will help in your first year at uni massively. But I know someone who did maths bio chem and is doing maths and econ at UCL so do whatever you want, and at least do AS further maths cos that is apparently quite easy too
Original post by ameenatariq
because if some unis don't require it then there's no point taking it.


That doesn't really add up. Why on earth would you want to study maths at university if you want to avoid it as much as possible before that point.

Thats like me wanting to be a writer but refusing to go to any english classes.
Original post by ameenatariq
because if some unis don't require it then there's no point taking it.

I think I'd then advise you to not take maths at university.

Remember the vast majority of jobs in the world do not need a maths degree so I by your criterion there's no point taking a maths degree.
Reply 98
Avatar for Ayman!
Ayman!
15
Original post by ameenatariq
because if some unis don't require it then there's no point taking it.


you are wasting a golden opportunity. your aim shouldn't be to study at an average RG, rather aim for the likes of Oxbridge, Imperial, Warwick, etc. for which you will definitely need Further Maths.
Original post by ameenatariq
because if some unis don't require it then there's no point taking it.


Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you