A-Level Maths - Mechanics or Statistics?

This question has probably come up lots of times on this forum, but I still can't decide which module to take out of M1 and S1. I've heard that Mechanics is very hard but is more interesting than Statistics. I've done a GCSE in Statistics and there is a fair bit of A-Level content in there (Standard deviation, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Box plots etc.) but then I've also read that S1 is more relevant to another one of the A-Levels I want to study - Biology (I hope to study Medicine at university). What I'm saying is, should I take Mechanics but risk not doing that well in it, or do Statistics but find myself doing a lot of the same work again? Also, would medical schools be put off my application if they see me doing S1 even though I've done a GCSE in Statistics?

If you don't mind posting exam grades (UMS etc.) from any M1/S1 exams, that would be helpful :smile:

Reply 1

Helsy

12

It really depends on what you feel comfortable doing. I don't think that Universities will see you doing S1/2 etc and see your GCSE and think "My God, why is he doing that", so with respect to that, you can do whatever you want. As long as you get the grade you need.

Personally, from the way you're saying it, I might do stats. You already know how to do some of it, which helps to get good grades, and it will be relevant to your further studies. Though, at Uni they may teach you it all again.

But ignore what you think other people outside will think (i.e. teachers, universities and possible employers etc) and what do you want to do??

[Though, you can always do M1 and S1... you don't have to do two modules that are the same topic, you can do two first modules from 2 different topics]

Reply 2

hoody33

Original post by TurkeyMCB

This question has probably come up lots of times on this forum, but I still can't decide which module to take out of M1 and S1. I've heard that Mechanics is very hard but is more interesting than Statistics. I've done a GCSE in Statistics and there is a fair bit of A-Level content in there (Standard deviation, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Box plots etc.) but then I've also read that S1 is more relevant to another one of the A-Levels I want to study - Biology (I hope to study Medicine at university). What I'm saying is, should I take Mechanics but risk not doing that well in it, or do Statistics but find myself doing a lot of the same work again? Also, would medical schools be put off my application if they see me doing S1 even though I've done a GCSE in Statistics?

If you don't mind posting exam grades (UMS etc.) from any M1/S1 exams, that would be helpful :smile:

I don't think posting grades would do you any good, they would all average out some people are better at mechanics and others better at statistics.

If you put the work in neither M1 or S1 should cause you too much trouble. What I would say is that if you cover all of S1 and learn it all there's not much they can catch you out on, it's just a matter of repeating procedures.
Mechanics you'll need a bit more feel for, although from what I remember there really is just one or two core things you need to learn and then just apply it.

Reply 3

tooambitious

16

Do s1, it's easier and (as far as I'm aware) It shouldn't disadvantage you and you'll do pretty well I'd you've already done GCSE stats :smile:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 4

James_Archer

I studied Biology, Physics and Maths at A level, so naturally took the Mechanics modules and really enjoyed it. A lot of people complained about statistics being boring so I felt I made the right choice.

However, there was quite a bit of statistics in biology, especially in ecology. And though all the statistics was taught to you, it is being taught by a biology teacher not a maths teacher so I felt a lot of the other students who had already learnt it in maths had a better understanding than me.

I'm going into engineering so Mechanics was the right choice, but for biology/medicine perhaps statistics would be more useful?

J

P.S. Medical schools won't care about you studying mechanics or statistics. They'll just be happy you did maths.

Reply 5

gdunne42

21

Original post by TurkeyMCB

This question has probably come up lots of times on this forum, but I still can't decide which module to take out of M1 and S1. I've heard that Mechanics is very hard but is more interesting than Statistics. I've done a GCSE in Statistics and there is a fair bit of A-Level content in there (Standard deviation, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Box plots etc.) but then I've also read that S1 is more relevant to another one of the A-Levels I want to study - Biology (I hope to study Medicine at university). What I'm saying is, should I take Mechanics but risk not doing that well in it, or do Statistics but find myself doing a lot of the same work again? Also, would medical schools be put off my application if they see me doing S1 even though I've done a GCSE in Statistics?

If you don't mind posting exam grades (UMS etc.) from any M1/S1 exams, that would be helpful :smile:

Most people who do just Maths (ie. not Further Maths as well) complete 2 out of D1, M1 or S1. For the majority of people, including potential medical students, the only thing that matters is the final grade. Admissions will not care which modules you chose. Typically students do best by taking S1 in Y12 and M1 in Y13 - one of the reasons as you've pointed out is that a lot of the S1 content builds on things you learn in Maths or Statistics GCSE. It makes sense to do the M1+M2 combination if you plan to study something physics/engineering related. There is some merit in the S1+S2 combination if you plan to study biological or social sciences/economics.

Reply 6

lukas1051

18

Most courses don't really care which modules you take. I know some like computer science prefer it if you take lots of decision modules, for example, but as far as medicine goes I highly doubt they'll care. If you're doing maths to A2 level, then you'll have the opportunity to take both.

S1 is generally seen as easier, but then I know of people who just naturally understand mechanics and do better in it. I personally would go for S1, if you've done GCSE Statistics then you will find it very easy, and there is not a great deal of new content, so you're likely to get a higher grade. That's all that really matters, the grade. I highly doubt medical schools would care about such minor details.

Reply 7

Artemis 97

11

Original post by TurkeyMCB

If you don't mind posting exam grades (UMS etc.) from any M1/S1 exams, that would be helpful :smile:

I did both and D1 as well, got 100 in D1, 94 in M1 and 84 in S1. i really hated stats but if you've already done bits you should be ok but M1 is way more interesting. S1 is probs more useful that M1 unless you're doing physics though, but some unis may ask for M1 if you dont have physics so you should check.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 8

ok_cub2008

13

Original post by TurkeyMCB

This question has probably come up lots of times on this forum, but I still can't decide which module to take out of M1 and S1. I've heard that Mechanics is very hard but is more interesting than Statistics. I've done a GCSE in Statistics and there is a fair bit of A-Level content in there (Standard deviation, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Box plots etc.) but then I've also read that S1 is more relevant to another one of the A-Levels I want to study - Biology (I hope to study Medicine at university). What I'm saying is, should I take Mechanics but risk not doing that well in it, or do Statistics but find myself doing a lot of the same work again? Also, would medical schools be put off my application if they see me doing S1 even though I've done a GCSE in Statistics?

If you don't mind posting exam grades (UMS etc.) from any M1/S1 exams, that would be helpful :smile:

Bros prefer mechanics, hoes prefer statistics.

Reply 9

aljabiraa

10

unless you're going for engineering, it doesnt matter.

however i will say this, stats is the MOST boring module ever invented by mankind

oh and you wanted UMS (i'm also applying for medicine):
93 M1 :woo:

total fluke there but it happens
89 S1 (i do further)

Reply 10

ALevelGirl

If you do physics AS then mechanics will be easier to do during your first year of maths A level. Then, in the second year of your maths a level, you can do statistics.

If you decide not to do physics however, then you can do statistics in the first year, and then decision in the second year.

Statistics will help you with Biology and mechanics with physics so its up to you. :smile:

I dont think medical schools even look at what you choose to study because overall they just look at your Maths A level.

(Had 89UMS for mechanics - but to be honest, i thought i would get a B :tongue:

)

Reply 11

Rational Paradox

9

Mechanics is challenging and the exam is a lot more difficult, but at least you won't spend the entire year bored out of your mind and if you are good at maths and physics then it shouldn't present too much of a problem

Reply 12

tomtom94

Just do one in the first year probably s1 as it will still be in your mind and then m1 then second year.

Reply 13

tooosh

16

If you're doing Physics then do M1, no question.

Reply 14

tehsponge

11

Mechanics. First time I've actually had fun doing maths. It was a little unsettling.

Reply 15

oli_G

12

Well i'm doing pure maths (one of each) but generally if you're doing physics do mechanics. Otherwise I guess it depends on where your strengths are.

Reply 16

iMe

I did S1 in AS and it had a lot of overlap with GCSE, and everything you needed was in the formula booklet. I hated it though as I found it really boring and I much preferred the C1 and C2 modules... but I've dropped maths now anyway so only have 5 weeks experience with M1... I found M1 very hard though.

Reply 17

JayTeeKay

12

Original post by TurkeyMCB

This question has probably come up lots of times on this forum, but I still can't decide which module to take out of M1 and S1. I've heard that Mechanics is very hard but is more interesting than Statistics. I've done a GCSE in Statistics and there is a fair bit of A-Level content in there (Standard deviation, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Box plots etc.) but then I've also read that S1 is more relevant to another one of the A-Levels I want to study - Biology (I hope to study Medicine at university). What I'm saying is, should I take Mechanics but risk not doing that well in it, or do Statistics but find myself doing a lot of the same work again? Also, would medical schools be put off my application if they see me doing S1 even though I've done a GCSE in Statistics?

If you don't mind posting exam grades (UMS etc.) from any M1/S1 exams, that would be helpful :smile:

Mechanics is VERY easy. Especially so if you've done AS physics, as there isn't really any new content covered (some would say it's easier since it's almost all numbers, and there's one or two marks in explanation at best). All you're doing is using vector notation (which will take you all of 10 minutes to get comfortable with), learning the SUVAT equations by heart instead of having them on a sheet and using the friction coefficient (F = uN. It's not hard!). The level of maths involved is at GCSE level and you get a calculator for it. Once or twice there have been the odd questions where you need to substitute a value for an expression and do some tricky rearranging, but for the most part it's all quite simple. I scored 97% in my paper this summer, and I know I lost one mark on significant figures (if you get complacent you don't check these things!) and the other was probably something like a rounding error or I worded my modelling assumptions for rope wrong.
I heard from the stats people that it was boring. Apparently you can just type all the data into a calculator, mess around with it and get your answer. It looks particularly dull to me, and I doubt I'd have the motivation to apply myself to do well in it. That said, mechanics was very dull for me as I'd done it all before. I'd have found it interesting if it was fresh, but after a while it just became monotonous. Considering the level of difficulty, the same would probably be true if I was new to it. Mechanics is easy, so you should score highly unless you're one of those people with an aversion to physics.

Reply 18

MissBrown

1

Everything posted is simply subjective.

Mechanics is easy, mechanics is hard.
Stats is easy, stats is hard

Nobody but you can say which you find harder. Its all about which you connect with. Some of my students love mechanics and hate stats, some the other way round. 9/10 times is about how comfortable they are with the content.

Personally I find mechanics far more satisfying than stats but to suggest you wil find one easier than the other is pure speculation.
I would much prefer to spend my time messing about finding the coefficient of friction in a little problem with inclines that seeing if I can hold my nerve putting 36 different values through a calculator......each to their own and TBH the whole 'its easy' thing is not really helpful to anyone.

Reply 19

wannabeme

8

Original post by ok_cub2008

Bros prefer mechanics, hoes prefer statistics.

Rubbish

A-Level Maths - Mechanics or Statistics?

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