Help Please!... MST224, SXPA288 and S217

So this October I will be trying to take on 120 credits with the OU so that I can get into University in 2017. Now here is my problem.

I have just finished MST124 with my exam in a month. So before October I would like to get a head start as I understand SXPA288 requires some prior Physics knowledge and recommends 60 credits to already have been studied at level 2, which will not be the case for myself. I also have very little clue as to what MST224 entails.

Does anybody know of the exact syllabus so I can begun some self learning or what I should focus on given the modules and the time I have?

Appreciate any hep in advance.

Regards, Craig

In addition to Sputum above.

For MST224 the diagnostic quiz
(at https://mcs-notes2.open.ac.uk/WebResources/Maths.nsf/A/j2ws/$FILE/MST224dq.pdf )
might help as it's supposed to help see if have the required prerequisite knowledges & skills. Or if you want to get ahead, see more materials than just the sample units, you could see if anyone has the PDFs for it (I've never done it so can't give you any sorry) but some people might not want to share as technically not supposed to share the PDFs (but in reality a fair few do!). Or could buy second hand books of the course off the likes of Ebay, Amazon, uni book search, ask on OU forums if anyone selling etc...

For SXPA288, it looks like they want you to have done MST224 first as it's a bit of ground work for it according to http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/modules/sxpa288#am-i-ready and they want SXPA288 to be last level 2 module you do ideally. You will have to speak to your SST as they are getting a bit more rigid on prereqs but you should be able to do it. It looks like a practical course hence why I'm struggling to find any links to material for it but it does say "The physical world (S207)(now discontinued) or Astronomy (S282)" are prereqs so you could try getting the materials (PDFs/second hand books) for those to read up on the subject.

What other level 1 modules have you done and what else are you planning at level 2?

Thanks for all the information and thanks Sputum too, can't believe I hadn't already seen those. I've tried finding the books online with no luck. I'm living in Korea at the moment so its adding to the difficulty of finding them. If I could find someone with the PDFs that would be ideal, but so far no luck.

That is one of my worries with regards to SXPA288, I feel that it should ideally be done after studying the Physics module (now S217) but that would mean going to University in 2018 and not next year which I would really like to avoid as an already mature student.

So far I have only finished MST124 which was 30 credits and after the next 120 I will be going to Loughborough to complete a Physics degree.

You're welcome
Trying creating a new thread on here titled SXPA288 & MST224 and ask people for PDFs and to PM you.

I done this combination in a year. I cant remember S207 using calculus, if it did it was very basic. MST224 teaches you the calculus approach to physics thats required for SM358 and SMT359. S207 is very demanding (not mathematically), it covers all classical physics and some of quantum and 1 exam for 60 credits is brutal so you need to put your A game into revising lol.

I believe the first book of MST224 was enough to use the mathematics in the final group project for SXPA288 if you volunteer to be a modeller. The group project is built from everyone taking the course, so you get some people who have not done MST224, so its not a requirement. Actually, i think it was a first order differential equation and MST124 would likely cover you.

I really disliked SXPA288, it was easily the worst module I have done. It appeared rushed and the content was not on the same level as other modules. Maybe it is because they upped it from SXP288 to SXPA288 to get accreditation by the IOP and just didn't put the same effort into designing it. Theres not much you can pre-prepare for SXPA288, you use software they provide and write scientific reports.