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IB HL Math = too Hard

Anyone doing IB HL Math? People how do you find it? I'm in the first year of the IB course taking Math HL, its just so complicated compared to IGCSE maths... How do You find it?

Reply 1

sak-y

14

yes i know what you mean! It is more difficult than GCSE...but i think its mainly because at GCSE, when you were introduced to a new topic, you'd instantly get it, whereas with this, you have to think a bit more, do a few more excercises etc. to fully get it!

It was a bit of a shock to me at first, and i was seriously considerng changing it...but its got better now, probably because i've learnt to accept that i'm not going to be great at it first time round and that i've got to work and try harder to get it!

and if you're worried about having a bad grade now...i no people who's report card within the 2 years went something like this: 3-3-4-3-6-7 and actually ended up with a 7 in the end! so there's hope for all of us! :smile:

Reply 2

Les_Miserables

I'm taking HL II this year. It's a bit tough, I must admit, and a lot of the time my expression is one of dumbfounded confusion, but it's not that hard. However, I know that a lot of the people who came from IGCSE maths (most of us came from American maths) are confused...cos the IB is a big leap from IGCSE maths. Thing is, persevere a bit more...I was really confused in IB physics at first (because everyone had taken the school's pre-IB physics course, while I hadn't), but after a bit it kind of became clear. Of course, if half a year on you're still struggling, I'd recommend going to your teacher and talking it out, maybe you should take it SL...good luck!!!

Reply 3

ngassa_mhula

OP

Well, in that case I will have to work a bit more. I can't change it to SL because I would like to take Engineering in the University, and to make it easier to get that kind of a course, I think I need HL math. My friends have been telling me that doing math at HL increases the chances of being selected in Engineering courses. Isn't that true

Reply 4

sak-y

14

Les_Miserables

I'm taking HL II this year. It's a bit tough, I must admit, and a lot of the time my expression is one of dumbfounded confusion, but it's not that hard. However, I know that a lot of the people who came from IGCSE maths (most of us came from American maths) are confused...cos the IB is a big leap from IGCSE maths. Thing is, persevere a bit more...I was really confused in IB physics at first (because everyone had taken the school's pre-IB physics course, while I hadn't), but after a bit it kind of became clear. Of course, if half a year on you're still struggling, I'd recommend going to your teacher and talking it out, maybe you should take it SL...good luck!!!

you couldn't really change it to SL half way through the year could you? that would mean that you would have missed a lot of work on whatever you decide to replace it with!

Reply 5

HMSChocolate

13

probably that's true.

IB Maths is much closer to IGCSE Additional Maths. I took Add Maths at IGCSE and sucked at it, but it helped me a lot with Maths HL. The only thing that remotely resembles IGCSE Maths in Maths HL is the matrices. other than that it's almost all new stuff that you ahve to actually understand and get a grip of before it becomes easi (or easier).

Reply 6

Les_Miserables

sak-y

you couldn't really change it to SL half way through the year could you? that would mean that you would have missed a lot of work on whatever you decide to replace it with!

Oh yes, you're right. Sorry, I forgot; in my school, ALL the SL/HL classes are mixed, so it doesn't really matter if you switch from HL to SL (in the first year, anyway). But I can see how it would be a problem with schools that don't mix them (i.e. practically every other IB school lol)...

probably that's true.

IB Maths is much closer to IGCSE Additional Maths. I took Add Maths at IGCSE and sucked at it, but it helped me a lot with Maths HL. The only thing that remotely resembles IGCSE Maths in Maths HL is the matrices. other than that it's almost all new stuff that you ahve to actually understand and get a grip of before it becomes easi (or easier).

The other thing that (so far) I've noticed is parametric equations - I'd never heard of them before seeing them in HL II (even though I did Advanced Algebra, albeit at another school), while everyone else (except the IGCSE boy) had done them before...

Reply 7

immaculate_m

doing a very tough Indian central board, i don't find math really that hard. yes, some concepts are really hard, but to be frank i am really struggling to keep up with the pace of work with English sl, its killing me... i guess central's english standard isn't really good.

Reply 8

andy_cole2

14

Indian exams are harder though :p:

you should be whizzing through IB

Reply 9

dits

In my opinion IB Math has a lot more in common to IGCSE math than matrices.Check out the trigonometry chapter,they have some stuff from IGCSE there.Check out the functions,we did them all in IGCSE.There are more chapters in IB that we learnt in IGCSE,just check out the book.

Which books do u guys use?

Reply 10

HMSChocolate

13

really? I can't remember considering I did IGCSE math in one year which made that nearly 4 years ago. the only thing I remembered matrices because it was the only thing that I found was dead easy and didn't require any study. :smile:

Reply 11

sadiqhassan

It was so hard that I changed to Methods SL and I am now doing GCE A Level Maths instead which I find somewhat easier.

Reply 12

sak-y

14

sadiqhassan

It was so hard that I changed to Methods SL and I am now doing GCE A Level Maths instead which I find somewhat easier.

you found HL Maths impossibly hard, and yet you do HL Physics! :eek:

Reply 13

sadiqhassan

surprisingly, I find the HL Physics math quite easy. It's the theory that I find difficult :mad:

Reply 14

dan

11

I enjoy the Astrophysics option in Physics HL. :p:

Reply 15

Les_Miserables

The thing is, like sadiqhassan, I find the maths in Physics easy. Like, especially if she (the teacher) explains it in a mathematical way, and shows me all the maths stuff behind it, I get it just fine. Makes a lot of sense to me. However, it's the concepts I find hard. Like for example, if you drop a cannonball off the edge of a cliff, and you horizontally project a cannonball over a cliff, they will apparently hit the water at the same time. In my mind, this makes no sense whatsoever, so conceputally, I don't get it. Show me the maths though, and everything becomes OK :smile:

Apparently, this is because I have a mathematical mind, according to the teacher. I asked her why in IB (contrary to every other system in the world), physics is so UNmathematical, and she said that it's because physics is normally very calculus based. However, IB wanted people who are not taking Maths HL a chance to take physics, so they deliberately took most of the calculus out, and made it more "conceptual". Besides, if you learn everything with the mathematical equatinos, you're not really getting the concept of physics, but just taking equations and plugging numbers in. Not sure where I wanted to go with this post....... :rolleyes:

Reply 16

IB-more

I'm in Maths HL, and I don't find it that hard... Maybe it's because I'm taking it at an American school, where things aren't as intense as they should be. Our teacher taught Math SL for two years before this, so I think he's basically using the same cirriculum until next year.

We're doing trig functions now, which were a little hard to understand at first with the whole concept of radians (you don't really get to that concept until Pre-Calc here), but now it's fine.

Reply 17

sadiqhassan

we have some guys in our physics class who are taking SL studies and doing fine :smile:

I kinda wish that calc was moved to unit 1 in methods, so that at least some calc could be included in physics.

Reply 18

dan

11

Maths HL is hard, but its not too hard.

I dont think i'll get a 7, but i'll try my hardest to :wink:

Reply 19

o.Ob

sadiqhassan

we have some guys in our physics class who are taking SL studies and doing fine :smile:

I kinda wish that calc was moved to unit 1 in methods, so that at least some calc could be included in physics.

Given the nature of the subject, it is kind of stupid to completely remove the calculus aspect of physics. However, because of how the IB Diploma programme is set up, everyone is not responsible for knowing calculus (some may be taking SL Math studies or some may be doing it as a certificate). But then again, if you're going to bother taking physics, it should be compulsory to at least take SL Mathematics. Oh well, not in our IB lifetime :p:

IB HL Math = too Hard

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