Physics a level vs maths

My first post on here after hearing about it from a friend, but I have just finished my gcses and struggled quite a bit with maths. I'm still ok at it but I needed a lot of help from my dad to scrape an A eventually. I did better than I expected to in physics and as I want to study medicine I was wondering if anyone has any advice as to how hard either physics or maths is at a level?

Thanks a lot,
:smile:

Reply 1

nmanvi

I personally find physics much much harder than maths.
but it depends, do the subject you enjoy more

Reply 2

Sun_Bear

Original post by norfaaalk boy_97

I don't do physics but a lot of my friends say that physics AS is very hard and a massive step up from GCSE.

Reply 3

Aspiring_Doctor

This may just be me but I found physics a lot easier than maths but this may have been down all my choices. I'm also hoping to medicine and I finished my A Levels in Bio/ Chem/ Physics/ Maths. I found Physics "easier" than any of my other choices, but studying maths mechanics really helped with some aspects of physics.

Reply 4

alow

Original post by norfaaalk boy_97

I'd say physics is harder than maths simply because there is so much more content. With maths the exams are all really generic too, where in physics they can ask obscure questions.

Also, the gap from physics GCSE to A Level, for me, was the biggest gap in any of the subjects that I took (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths). So if you do physics, be prepared to work really hard at it!

Reply 5

Inazuma

Definitely maths > physics
:-) Huuuuge step up from gcse, I got A* in physics at gcse with no revision.. only a b at a level (a high b but still)

Reply 6

anonymouspie227

Maths is actually fun and nice and if you work hard enough you'll get a good grade. S1 was particularly exciting. You just need good resources and you need to ask for help when you need it and practice a lot.
Physics is something else. (as phys) It's beautiful. No seriously though, it's got a lot of maths in it. No joke, unit 2 paper was just a series of calculations and a couple of written questions that linked to maths lol. For that reason I'd say that physics for me is harder than math. That being said, it depends on who you are, and things do change when you get to alevel.
Just consider which one you think you'll do better in and which you'll enjoy. (And which is more relevant for your chosen degree)

Reply 7

DurhamChemist

Original post by norfaaalk boy_97

You really shouldn't be worried at any increases in difficulty from GCSE to A level. Seriously.

Having just completed them, I can tell you that you can get the top grades in A levels if you work hard enough and have the right attitude. Yes, the first few weeks or so will be hard, but after a while things will click, and you'll find them not too hard.

Both maths and physics will help you out for medicine. I suggest you take both; the guys at my school who did well in Physics (myself included) all took Maths. A fair amount of the papers I sat was essentially applied maths (moreso the top end of GCSE stuff, but related to physics theory).

I'd say A level maths doesn't require you to be amazing at GCSE level. It's just a long sequence of learning how to deal with different types of equations/expressions. You are told the techniques on how to solve them, and then you simply do loads of questions until that process is like clockwork in your brain.

I'd say, with enough effort Maths becomes the easiest A level. It's very easy to get nearly full UMS in papers if you have invested enough effort, as it's very unlikely you'll be completely stumped.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 8

goldengirlss

Anyone who took all papers of the Cambridge International A Level course in the same examination session?
anyone who took all papers of the Cambridge International A Level course in the same examination session can please tell me how much biology papers did he/she give such as paper1 p2 p3.. and what was paper's code? such as 42,52,66 or what please heeeeelp. i am a pre med student ang asking about chemistry physics nd biology