Do maths teachers find Further Maths trivial?

Can they easily finish it and get above 90%?

I know mine seem to be able to get through the content, though they have said that they make stupid mistakes too. Anyways if they cannot, they shouldnt be teaching fm. Do you have doubts about your teachers?

Reply 2

username5386340

16

How much more difficult is further maths compared to the normal a level? It seems like another language to me

Idk about 90% but having done a maths (or mathematical) degree you shouldn't be finding FM a significant challenge. A lot of it is bread and butter for a maths degree and it's not as if it's still as hard after. They are of course allowed to make silly computational errors or have mind blanks, everyone does this at every level.

That said - there may be topics they haven't seen (eg. if they're teaching an option they didn't cover at undergrad) or are rusty on, but they shouldn't be having major difficulties generally.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 4

boss.man

6

Original post by Lookingzar

How much more difficult is further maths compared to the normal a level? It seems like another language to me

I am in year 12 rn but I spend time reading ahead and tbh its harder but its much more enjoyable if you like maths. I have all the fm books in a ggl drive, if you want them to look through? Btw, if you do fm then you have to be good at normal because you speed through it.

Original post by boss.man

I am in year 12 rn but I spend time reading ahead and tbh its harder but its much more enjoyable if you like maths. I have all the fm books in a ggl drive, if you want them to look through? Btw, if you do fm then you have to be good at normal because you speed through it.

Some schools do maths/further maths side by side throughout y12/y13. (but ofc generally people who do well in FM are very confident in single maths and do very well, would think a B or above)

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 6

username5386340

16

Original post by boss.man

I am in year 12 rn but I spend time reading ahead and tbh its harder but its much more enjoyable if you like maths. I have all the fm books in a ggl drive, if you want them to look through? Btw, if you do fm then you have to be good at normal because you speed through it.

Thank you for the offer but I'm retaking as I can barely pass the a normal a level 😂😭

Reply 7

boss.man

6

Original post by Lookingzar

Thank you for the offer but I'm retaking as I can barely pass the a normal a level 😂😭

lmao fair enough, well gl to you then :smile:

Reply 8

boss.man

6

Original post by _gcx

Some schools do maths/further maths side by side throughout y12/y13. (but ofc generally people who do well in FM are very confident in single maths and do very well, would think a B or above)

I think my school is doing them side by side, but only in the second term onwards. We have been doing yr 1 maths and yr 2 stuff too so its just a big mix of whatever works haha

Reply 9

Muttley79

20

Original post by MrMemez1

Can they easily finish it and get above 90%?

Yes of course :smile:

Reply 10

MrMemez1

OP

14

Original post by Muttley79

Yes of course :smile:

for all modules??

Reply 11

username5386340

16

Original post by _gcx

Idk about 90% but having done a maths (or mathematical) degree you shouldn't be finding FM a significant challenge. A lot of it is bread and butter for a maths degree and it's not as if it's still as hard after. They are of course allowed to make silly computational errors or have mind blanks, everyone does this at every level.

That said - there may be topics they haven't seen (eg. if they're teaching an option they didn't cover at undergrad) or are rusty on, but they shouldn't be having major difficulties generally.

What's your experience of maths at uni if you don't mind me asking?

Original post by Lookingzar

What's your experience of maths at uni if you don't mind me asking?

Different focus than A-level, A-level is more about computation (ie. the what) and university maths is principally about understanding (ie. the how/why) and then using this understanding to build the foundations of what you need to solve problems. Bridging material like STEP helps adapting to the "problem solving" focus, but is still very much grounded in school maths.

Reply 13

Muttley79

20

Original post by MrMemez1

for all modules??

If they are teaching them then, yes. I aim to finish papers in about half the time to judge if they are the right sort of standard.

Reply 14

MrMemez1

OP

14

Original post by Lookingzar

What's your experience of maths at uni if you don't mind me askin

Maths teachers will have a very hard time with IMO maths. Even professors cannot answer IMO questions. Competition maths is a different ball game to normal maths.

Reply 15

username3477548

20

one of my FM teachers is quite...how do i say it
he's a great, funny guy but not a very good teacher.
my best friend asks loads of questions and he hardly answers them lol...and makes us read the textbook and do the questions ourselves without any actual teaching :/
so we have to self teach ourselves the content using TL maths lmao

Original post by MrMemez1

Maths teachers will have a very hard time with IMO maths. Even professors cannot answer IMO questions. Competition maths is a different ball game to normal maths.

A professor at my uni countered this point (not taking it well) by solving an IMO problem in 10 minutes: http://homepages.warwick.ac.uk/~masbm/PCAPP/Events/Discussion/ma4.html.

But yes this is probably true in general, though I don't see how it relates to the topic!

Reply 17

MrMemez1

OP

14

Original post by vix.xvi

one of my FM teachers is quite...how do i say it
he's a great, funny guy but not a very good teacher.
my best friend asks loads of questions and he hardly answers them lol...and makes us read the textbook and do the questions ourselves without any actual teaching :/
so we have to self teach ourselves the content using TL maths lmao

that is a lot of teachers tbh. My bio teacher reads off textbook and strokes her hair for the whole lesson.

Reply 18

MrMemez1

OP

14

Original post by _gcx

A professor at my uni countered this point (not taking it well) by solving an IMO problem in 10 minutes: http://homepages.warwick.ac.uk/~masbm/PCAPP/Events/Discussion/ma4.html. Yi

But yes this is probably true in general, though I don't see how it relates to the topic!