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Can I do maths A-level?

I'm nearly finished AS levels, and am experiencing a fairly major crisis about careers/university courses. Up until a few weeks ago I had planned to do something biologically-based - neuroscience, biochemistry, or biomedicine - but I've been feeling less and less keen on that as time goes by. I'm taking biology, chemistry, physics and English literature AS, and physics is by far my favourite subject right now, biology being my least favourite. I've been feeling more and more like I want to do physics at university, for which I'll need maths. Having got a B in maths GCSE (getting solid A's and B's in physics at the moment), do you think I could handle maths A level?
I wouldn't say I have a natural aptitude for it, so I'm wondering if it's something which I could do well in with lots of hard work and not a lot of natural talent.

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Reply 1
Original post by Vovin
I'm nearly finished AS levels, and am experiencing a fairly major crisis about careers/university courses. Up until a few weeks ago I had planned to do something biologically-based - neuroscience, biochemistry, or biomedicine - but I've been feeling less and less keen on that as time goes by. I'm taking biology, chemistry, physics and English literature AS, and physics is by far my favourite subject right now, biology being my least favourite. I've been feeling more and more like I want to do physics at university, for which I'll need maths. Having got a B in maths GCSE (getting solid A's and B's in physics at the moment), do you think I could handle maths A level?
I wouldn't say I have a natural aptitude for it, so I'm wondering if it's something which I could do well in with lots of hard work and not a lot of natural talent.


TBH

If you got a B and have done no maths for a year then you will struggle
Reply 2
Original post by Vovin
I'm nearly finished AS levels, and am experiencing a fairly major crisis about careers/university courses. Up until a few weeks ago I had planned to do something biologically-based - neuroscience, biochemistry, or biomedicine - but I've been feeling less and less keen on that as time goes by. I'm taking biology, chemistry, physics and English literature AS, and physics is by far my favourite subject right now, biology being my least favourite. I've been feeling more and more like I want to do physics at university, for which I'll need maths. Having got a B in maths GCSE (getting solid A's and B's in physics at the moment), do you think I could handle maths A level?
I wouldn't say I have a natural aptitude for it, so I'm wondering if it's something which I could do well in with lots of hard work and not a lot of natural talent.


it depends on how much effort you put in

a level maths tends to be the same questions every year but with a little catch

but you will struggle though with a B like TenOfThem said

ryan
Reply 3
I wouldn't say I've done NO maths; physics and chemistry both involve various calculations, although obviously not as much as maths itself.
Reply 4
Original post by Vovin
I wouldn't say I've done NO maths; physics and chemistry both involve various calculations, although obviously not as much as maths itself.


The Maths in AS Physics and Chemistry are not in any way representative of the maths in AS maths
Reply 5
would you do A-level maths without doing AS?
Reply 6
Original post by Jorrey10
would you do A-level maths without doing AS?


Well, I was considering taking up the AS next year instead of biology or English.

And I suppose maths uses wouldn't get me anywhere with university courses?
I did both AS Maths and Chemistry, and the maths involved in Chemistry doesn't compare to Maths itself. I also got a B in maths at GCSE, and struggled with it at A-levels. Then again I just didn't enjoy maths, so thats maybe why.

Good luck though.
Reply 8
If you're doing well in physics then you must have some sort of maths aptitude, even if the maths in physics is completely different. I'm taking both physics and maths (at AS-level at the moment) and actually, overall, have actually found maths a bit easier than physics. It is very do-able at A-level, once you get into the swing of things it gets easier. I got a B in GCSE maths, struggled immensely with it at school and really struggled at the very start of college, but now I'm actually really confident that I'll come out with an A or B at AS-level. Core 1 was a real challenge at the start of the year, I think because I hadn't understood it at school, but I look back now and laugh at the fact that I once found it hard. It does get easier with practice. I'm not carrying it on next year purely just because it doesn't interest me. Believe me, I have no natural skill at maths, and if I'm managing, and as you're doing so well in physics, I'd say you're more than capable.

Good luck to you, if you feel up for it and like you'd be capable, go for it :smile:
Original post by Vovin
I wouldn't say I've done NO maths; physics and chemistry both involve various calculations, although obviously not as much as maths itself.


To be totally honest with you I did both of those and they really don't contain much algebraic maths at all. You do a bit of differentiation in Physics, but that's covered in the first unit of maths A-level (the projectiles stuff does overlap a bit though). I don't know why they don't include it - it would make sense.

I don't mean that to put you off though - maths is a great subject to learn just by practicing a lot, and you'll certainly need it for Physics. I think the best way of doing it is to get a C1 textbook and start the first couple of chapters by yourself. Admittedly it's a steep learning curve from C1 to C4, but at least that way you will get an idea of what it's like, and then you can talk to your teachers. I self-taught maths, so it can be done.

Unlike the others, I'm going to say a B at GCSE doesn't automatically disqualify you. If you worked solidly for it, with lots of help, then you will find the A-level hard, but if it was just another GCSE, and you felt you could have done better then you might be ok. Just bear in mind that to do physics at university I suspect you will be at a disadvantage without a good maths grade - not for entry purposes, more because to do higher level physics you need the mathematical element.



Tl;dr Only you can know if you are good enough, but I would say that it's not a bad idea necessarily, so long as you are willing to put a lot of work in, and you definitely want to follow this path to the possible detriment of other ones. The key things with maths are to take it slowly and do a lot of practice. To get a more personal view, talk to your teachers, as they will have seen a lot of students go through with all kinds of backgrounds and grades. All of us only have one point of view each. :smile:

Edit 2: You're doing Chemistry, so you must be bright. I found Chemistry harder than maths, but they require very different learning techniques.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 10
Alright, thanks very much, all of you. I'll speak to my physics teacher and see what he says, then go from there.
Original post by Vovin
And I suppose maths uses wouldn't get me anywhere with university courses?


You suppose correctly.
Reply 12
Original post by Vovin
Alright, thanks very much, all of you. I'll speak to my physics teacher and see what he says, then go from there.


Also check out the sort of universities you think you might be aiming for and see what their requirements are. I would certainly expect top universities to demand a full maths A level for a physics course, and as one of the earlier posters stated, the maths demands of a Physics degree will typically be MUCH higher than those of a Physics A level, so you will need a very solid foundation if you're serious about doing Physics at Uni.
Reply 13
A level maths is really hard. I went from an A* with no effort at GCSE to barely scraping a C at AS (but I didn't work as hard as I should have done, and actually putting effort in has got me on track for an A*).

If you struggled at GCSE, and don't enjoy maths a great deal, I wouldn't recommend it. But physics is an awesome subject, and if you have your heart set on it you will definitely need a good grade in A2 maths. Speak to your teachers, and try working through textbook independently, to see how you get on; the simple differentiation at the start of C1 is nothing compared to C3/C4, but it may give you a decent feel for the course.

If you want to do physics at a Russell-Group university, you will definitely need at least a B, and many ask for an A.
I would say that you can do it. However before learning C1 content, buy a GCSE CGP revision guide and revise all topics. Make sure you have a solid understanding of everything, especially the A/A* content before you move on to C1.

Most of C1 builds on GCSE, with the introduction of a couple of new topics such as Calculus. If you work hard, it might be doable. However that depends on how much you like or enjoy maths.
Hi,

I'm self studying AS maths (edexcel). Recently got my January results and got Bs in both C1 and M1.
I only have a C in GCSE maths and I don't find it particularly hard tbh. If you got a B at GCSE then I'm sure you'll be fine.


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Reply 16
If you haven't done Maths for a year and got a B overall i'd say you might struggle. The first unit you do is Core 1 which is basically just a harder version of your GCSE. As long as you just brush over the concepts from GCSE and maybe have a quick flick through the C1 textbook you should be fine. :smile:
Forgive me, I'm Scottish and therefore ignorant, but I thought that AS levels and A2 levels were just two halves of the same thing rather than being things that you can take on their own. I mean, I know you CAN stop at AS level, but I thought that the AS level grades were counted in the final A level grade.

I am almost certainly completely wrong.
Original post by CurtainrailMan
Forgive me, I'm Scottish and therefore ignorant, but I thought that AS levels and A2 levels were just two halves of the same thing rather than being things that you can take on their own. I mean, I know you CAN stop at AS level, but I thought that the AS level grades were counted in the final A level grade.

I am almost certainly completely wrong.


You are correct but I am not sure how that relates to this thread :smile:
Original post by TenOfThem
You are correct but I am not sure how that relates to this thread :smile:


Well, surely that means if she hasn't done the AS level, then she can't get the A level by sheer administrative malice?

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