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Maths at Uni, how does it compare to say, FP2?

I am studying pure mathematics at Exeter next year and really don't know how different it will be.

The hardest module I have studied so far is FP2, so how would you say this compares with university level maths?

Reply 1

IrrationalNumber

Totally different. Maths modules at A-level are all about calculating things... university pure maths is not like that at all.

The difficulty level is a massive jump, but there is help available!

Reply 2

Totally Tom

So far it's been pretty much just covering FP2. We have a similar exam at the end of this year which decides if we can stay for the 4 year course (where you'll study FP3!). If you can understand the content of FP2 then you'll be ahead of 98%+ people who will be on your course next year. Seriously, learn that ****.

Reply 3

AndersonsBentFoot

Isnt Further Maths what you learn at Uni in the first few weeks?

Reply 4

Totally Tom

AndersonsBentFoot

Isnt Further Maths what you learn at Uni in the first few weeks?

Maybe at places like Harvard. Not at U.K. unis I don't think. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Reply 5

Burnsy91

Thanks for your replies. Also could you say what Uni you are at studying maths as well :smile:

Reply 6

Totally Tom

I'm at Warwick :smile:

Reply 7

Burnsy91

Totally Tom

I'm at Warwick :smile:

Oh nice. A better University than me then and yet you seem positive that FP2 compares well with Uni maths?

That has given me great confidence :smile:

Fp2 Ftw!!!! =)

Burnsy91

Oh nice. A better University than me then and yet you seem positive that FP2 compares well with Uni maths?

That has given me great confidence :smile:

He was joking.

Reply 10

balliolrulez

Hey I'm doing Maths at Oxford and if the Exeter course is anything like ours you'll cover some FP material (just basic use of complex numbers - polar form, De Moivre's theorem, that sort of thing) in the first few weeks but after that the stuff you do will be quite different. Pure maths is essentially split in Algebra and Analysis. Algebra is about studying various algebraic structures, so groups, polynomial rings, vectors etc. and it's most comparable with things like looking for related roots of equations, the factor theorem (that I think you do in C4, FP?).

Analysis isn't much like anything you'll have seen before. It's all about building up theory of the real and complex numbers (starting with sequences and eventually moving on to calculus) starting from very basic axioms and definitions.

In terms of difficulty, university level maths is much harder than A-level, especially for the first few weeks, and it can be a bit of a shock to get your first piece of work back with more red ink than black! Don't worry though you'll soon get used to it and hopefully enjoy being challenged a bit more than you're used to.

Reply 11

jayshah31

Burnsy91

Oh nice. A better University than me then and yet you seem positive that FP2 compares well with Uni maths?

That has given me great confidence :smile:

This:

SimonM

He was joking.

--

I'm doing a joint course, which is 70% of a maths degree at Imperial. Yes, probably most of the content has been covered in FP3/4 (which I didn't do, though) - if you think that will carry you through, expect to get 0% in each of the exams. University level maths is completely different to A-level, and you'll quickly realise if you idle for more than 1 day, you'll fall behind quicker than you can catch up. Maths exams at this level are about rigorous proof and logical argument, not just about calculating things. It's very, very, different.

Reply 12

SouthernFreerider

maths at uni is horrendous.

things used to be simple.

I used to think I was good at maths.

ahhhhh, simpler times :frown:

Reply 13

nuodai

I think it depends a lot on your course. In mine, we skimmed through pretty much everything that's in all the Further Pure modules within two or three lectures and the pace got even faster, and there's a lot of completely new stuff that you probably won't have met before. You're also likely to go into a lot greater depth than you did at A-level, and realise that half of the techniques you learnt in A-level are completely invalid in a whole host of situations that you have to work around. On top of that you have to know how to prove/derive/apply/comment on everything you're taught... FP2 is no comparison.

But it's amazing fun :p: