A-level student - fire away w/questions

OP

Original post by Fazzy_77

I'm not too bad at writing (unless it's creative writing) but I'm just too lazy and prefer calculations.

same here

Reply 24

Original post by Anonymous030701

Hi guys, I am making this because I think it would be helpful if you had advice from someone in their first yr of sixth form who did their gcses last year. I wish I had a forum like this where I could ask just a normal student for advice so I have made one for you guys. Whether its GCSE questions/advice or a-level I am happy to answer. I am currently taking Maths, Physics and Economics at a-level.
My results last year were fairly average ; six C's/5's (geography, French, computing and two 5's in eng lan + lit), four B's (Science core, science additional, RE and drama), and then a 7 in maths.

Fire away and ask any advice - I AM COMPLETELY HONEST

btw this is a copy of my last thread as I had loads of pm's of people telling me they couldn't comment

How is a-level maths, I choose it for the sixth forms I applied, just hoping it won't be something I would regret, do you think a level maths really is needed for physics, I've heard or been told from a lot of teacher including in open evening that you need a level maths for it, and there's a lot of hard maths in a level physics, however a tutor I have for maths said that a-level maths isn't essential to physics at a-level but will be further on like at uni.

Reply 25

OP

Original post by Iahmed512

How is a-level maths, I choose it for the sixth forms I applied, just hoping it won't be something I would regret, do you think a level maths really is needed for physics, I've heard or been told from a lot of teacher including in open evening that you need a level maths for it, and there's a lot of hard maths in a level physics, however a tutor I have for maths said that a-level maths isn't essential to physics at a-level but will be further on like at uni.

Maths is hard and takes a lot of will power, however it is so rewarding when you understand it! My main point for a-level maths is don't take the subject unless you like it! Otherwise you won't get anywhere with it. My physics class is a class of 2 and I take a-level maths however my friend doesn't. Although the maths can be hard I don't think it makes much of a difference. Do you want to study physics at uni?

Reply 26

Amienio12

8

How different is maths in GCSE level to A-level ?

Reply 27

Original post by Anonymous030701

Maths is hard and takes a lot of will power, however it is so rewarding when you understand it! My main point for a-level maths is don't take the subject unless you like it! Otherwise you won't get anywhere with it. My physics class is a class of 2 and I take a-level maths however my friend doesn't. Although the maths can be hard I don't think it makes much of a difference. Do you want to study physics at uni?

I am liking it at the moment, and actually liking it and doing better than ever before and have improved massively compared to my previous mocks, I am actually not fully sure, because I would like to be an engineer but more on the computing/IT side so like IT engineer but I am also interested in physics and doing well in it and enjoy most of it at the moment, so I would consider doing something physics related, maybe even a combination of them would be cool but I don't know much careers that would involve them that I might enjoy or sounds interesting to me.

Reply 28

OP

Original post by Amienio12

How different is maths in GCSE level to A-level ?

Right maths a-level is split into 3 sections:
Pure - includes a few of the gcse topics but obvs a lot more advanced
Stats - literally interpreting data however this is harder than it sounds
Mechanics - physics side of maths

Main difference
A-level maths takes up a lot more time and is a lot harder, it is one of the hardest a-levels for these reasons

Reply 29

Lydia.Mx

Original post by Anonymous030701

Hi guys, I am making this because I think it would be helpful if you had advice from someone in their first yr of sixth form who did their gcses last year. I wish I had a forum like this where I could ask just a normal student for advice so I have made one for you guys. Whether its GCSE questions/advice or a-level I am happy to answer. I am currently taking Maths, Physics and Economics at a-level.
My results last year were fairly average ; six C's/5's (geography, French, computing and two 5's in eng lan + lit), four B's (Science core, science additional, RE and drama), and then a 7 in maths.

Fire away and ask any advice - I AM COMPLETELY HONEST

btw this is a copy of my last thread as I had loads of pm's of people telling me they couldn't comment

I am really undecided whether or not to do physics, I really enjoy it but dislike maths, although I'll be doing core maths (think its equivalent to an As level according to head of sixth form) as I need to take it for chemistry anyway, but do you think doing A-level physics without maths would be too hard? How hard are you finding physics? Thanks :smile:

Reply 30

OP

Original post by Lydia.Mx

I am really undecided whether or not to do physics, I really enjoy it but dislike maths, although I'll be doing core maths (think its equivalent to an As level according to head of sixth form) as I need to take it for chemistry anyway, but do you think doing A-level physics without maths would be too hard? How hard are you finding physics? Thanks :smile:

GCSE is very different from a-level, its 200x harder. If you like physics then go for it, don't let maths put you off especially if you are doing core. May I ask what grades you would like to get in your a-levels at the end before giving further advice? (CCC,BBB,ABA?)

Reply 31

Original post by Anonymous030701

GCSE is very different from a-level, its 200x harder. If you like physics then go for it, don't let maths put you off especially if you are doing core. May I ask what grades you would like to get in your a-levels at the end before giving further advice? (CCC,BBB,ABA?)

I don't know about a level grades I am aiming for myself, I did hear from a teacher how hard a level really is. I knew it was really hard and a lot harder than gcse like a lot of people do but I didn't realise that it was that hard. I heard that very few people compared to gcse get A grades and that a grade D or E is a pass and then it is a fail or ungraded, also that with an A* even if you got 90% it might not be an A* because a few people in the country might have got higher, they do this at gcse slightly but nothing like A-level.

I'm not being put off by doing physics because of maths, I just want to know if maths is actually a requirement. I do still like maths but I am worried about it in terms of struggling and not doing well, compared to physics for example l, with physics I know it is hard but I think I would be able to manage, and with maths that I might regret it, for one of the sixth forms I applied you have to take maths to at least the first year for physics.

Reply 32

Lydia.Mx

Original post by Anonymous030701

GCSE is very different from a-level, its 200x harder. If you like physics then go for it, don't let maths put you off especially if you are doing core. May I ask what grades you would like to get in your a-levels at the end before giving further advice? (CCC,BBB,ABA?)

Okay, yeah I think that's what's putting me off it at the moment as it just seems like it's going to be so hard! Umm well to be honest, I haven't really even thought about it - I guess I'll strive to get the best grades possible but I don't exactly know what I want to do at uni/what uni I want to go to or anything like that so at the moment there's no requirement/aim that I need but to get the best grades that I can at the end. Thank you!

Reply 33

Original post by Lydia.Mx

Okay, yeah I think that's what's putting me off it at the moment as it just seems like it's going to be so hard! Umm well to be honest, I haven't really even thought about it - I guess I'll strive to get the best grades possible but I don't exactly know what I want to do at uni/what uni I want to go to or anything like that so at the moment there's no requirement/aim that I need but to get the best grades that I can at the end. Thank you!

Every a level subjects will be really hard, so you would struggle even more if you don't do as well for gcse and that's one of the reasons subjects have entry requirements, I Don't know about anything in detail since I'm in year 11 myself.

Reply 34

OP

Original post by Iahmed512

I am liking it at the moment, and actually liking it and doing better than ever before and have improved massively compared to my previous mocks, I am actually not fully sure, because I would like to be an engineer but more on the computing/IT side so like IT engineer but I am also interested in physics and doing well in it and enjoy most of it at the moment, so I would consider doing something physics related, maybe even a combination of them would be cool but I don't know much careers that would involve them that I might enjoy or sounds interesting to me.

I am not going to lie, they are the hardest a-levels, however having maths or physics open a huge range of doors for all different careers!

Reply 35

OP

Original post by Lydia.Mx

Okay, yeah I think that's what's putting me off it at the moment as it just seems like it's going to be so hard! Umm well to be honest, I haven't really even thought about it - I guess I'll strive to get the best grades possible but I don't exactly know what I want to do at uni/what uni I want to go to or anything like that so at the moment there's no requirement/aim that I need but to get the best grades that I can at the end. Thank you!

Maths isn't a requirement it is just one that people tend to do alongside. I know a lot of people who haven't done maths with physics and they are fine. If you get an A* at gcse at put in the same work you did to get that a-level then you would probably come out with a C - thats how hard and demanding it is. If you are taking physics then really you need to except that you may not get an A/A* and could be potentially looking at a B/C/D grade, I am not saying you can't get an A I am just pointing out the difficulty and the effort it requires. If you want to go to a Russel group uni and an A grade I would potentially loom at another A-level. I think physics is definitely harder than maths

I know you've already answered about maths, but I was wondering, do you personally enjoy it?
Also do you have any friends doing psychology? If so, how are they finding it?

Reply 37

OP

Original post by laurawatt

I know you've already answered about maths, but I was wondering, do you personally enjoy it?
Also do you have any friends doing psychology? If so, how are they finding it?

Yes, even though it is a challenge I feel like maths is highly rewarding and it feels great when you get it! I do have friends doing psychology, really its a mixed review, some people love it and admit its hard others hate it because it is false adverting with the a-level and when colleges describe it it sounds interesting and fairly simple however it really isn't. Personally before you choose a-levels look at their content and past papers, its the only way you can find out the truth about an a-level.

Reply 38