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best modules for a level further maths

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Magical Moogles

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Whats in the decision stuff? I just got told by people here studying maths that it was really easy and pretty useless. Is there logic in there? I agree with you about the other modules though! Pure maths all the way! At uni its assumed you have no knowledge of mechanics or statistics (even if your doing a stats degree).

Reply 21

xobile

thanks a lot for the insights.

ive decided not to do d1 purely because its not highly rated by unis.
instead ill do s3 -- so that i have a sound understanding of stats.

the most mathematical degree i wud like to do is economics, so AS further maths (fp1 + s2 + s3) shudnt look bad, or are the things in fp2 really fundamental, as Ewan suggests?

my other AS subects are phys, chem, econs and history (and ive alredy done A level maths)

Reply 22

Ewan

Sorry I misunderstood, I didn't realise you were only doing AS (why are you only doing AS?).

If the most mathematical degree your thinking of doing is straight economics, then I doubt you will need FP2 (you don't even need further maths). Then the choice you made is probably best. If your thinking of doing a 50/50 degree I would swap S3 for FP2

Reply 23

qgujxj39

(This is based on the assumption that you do Edexcel.)

You have to do FP1. S2 is very easy, as is D1, and M2 isn't too much of an addition to M1, either. FP2 might be a good idea, although it is difficult. M3 is a very interesting module, if a bit difficult. I can't comment on S3 or D2, I've never done them.

Reply 24

xobile

thanks for the advice everyone.

ewan, im only doing the AS because i have four other a levels on which to concentrate. I am not a brilliant mathematician, so doing a level further maths alongside these other, quite tough subjects seems too difficult for me.

its all a question of psychology, really. in year 10, for example, i managed to finish mathematics, additional maths and stats gcse's all in one year. the next year, year 11, i finished the whole maths a level. but that was coz i was motivated and very confident that i cud cope.

but my whole aim had been to finish off all the maths i wud ever need before sixth form. now it has emerged that it might be good for me to do further maths too. but now i lack the motivation and, importantly, the confidence to take it all the way to a level, even over two years of sixth form. in fact a teacher (hu doesnt noe me well at all) suggested that even AS further maths wud be too difficult, and that i shud try to do AS level statistics instead.

Reply 25

qgujxj39

What grade did you get in A-level maths? If you managed to do 6 modules in one year and get decent results, you'll be able to do 6 (albeit harder) modules in two years.

Reply 26

Economist1

I would say FP1, FP2, FP3, S2, S3 and D1 (unless you happen to really like mechanics)

Reply 27

Ewan

xobile

thanks for the advice everyone.

ewan, im only doing the AS because........

its all a question of psychology.....

but my whole aim......

I always found maths to take the least amount of work (even as two A levels). Surely you found this too, if you did indeed do the entire A level in one year? Why do you want to finish all maths by the end of 6th form? If you do economics there will be some maths involved, which will probably be more complicated than A level.

Teachers and other people always talk crap about maths I find. I remember at the start of A level, everyone in my family were all trying to persuade me against FMath because they thought I wasn't good enough.... Only people to listen to are people that know you, and understand how difficult FMath is. Basically, talk to your regular maths teacher, he should have an idea (mine was very enthusiastic, and he was right, not my friends or family).

Reply 28

xobile

i got an A, with around 93% on everage in each module, tommm.

ure right ewan, my regular maths teacher can advise me best, but ive changed skls in sixth form, and all my teachers have never taught me before. incedentally my old maths teacher left my old skl too.

i'm quite confident that id be able to score equally well in stats, mech or decision, partly becoz of the replies to this thread. i cud do enuf of the application modules to take me upto a level. but its the pure maths parts, esp fp2 and fp3, that are daunting.

i think the thing to do now is to study fp1 and s2. then if i think the pure wasnt too bad, ill do fp3. then in yr 13, i can do 3 application modules (d1, s3, m2) and cash the whole lot in for the full A level further maths (fp1 + s2 + s3 + fp3 + m2 + d1).

if, however, i find fp1 too challenging, i wont move on to fp3; instead ill just do s3 and get an AS in further maths (fp1 + s2 + s3).

thanks again for the advice everyone

Reply 29

Trevor 12345

xobile

thanks a lot for the insights.

ive decided not to do d1 purely because its not highly rated by unis.

I don't know where you have got this information from, but it is simply not true.

Reply 30

.x.alexa.x.

D1... Its pretty simple... :smile:

Reply 31

Trevor 12345

.x.alexa.x.

D1... Its pretty simple... :smile:

I'm not sure of the relevance of this point.
I mean, at the end of the day FM is pretty simple.

Reply 32

xobile

my mistake Mrm... i was under the wrong impression that decision modules are not as well respected by unis as are mechanics and statistics. i got this impression from some of the replies to this thread, but that's besides the point.

instead, i think, unis want to see the rite application modules for the rite courses. so, stats for social sciences (eg econs, geography), mechanics for engineering/physics and decision for computing.

my conclusion to 'best modules for a level further maths' wud then be to follow the strands of maths that u will use in uni. so in my case, this is to do mostly stats.

Reply 33

Kevlar

I'd do FP1 FP2 FP3 FP4 S2 D1

ps you doing this in a gap year? coz im planning to do further maths in a gap year next year while studying physics to and apply to uni with 9a-levels Loooool xD

ps. if u dont reckon d1 highly looked upon by uni's it doesnt really matter, on ucas u can just put ur overal mark with a ums and not put down each unit.

Reply 34

xobile

kevlar, im not in my gap yer lol. im jsut in my first yr of sixth form. i have an a level maths alredy, though, coz i rushed it in year 11.

secodnly, i dont think edexcel or ocr offer fp4. dunno bout other boards.

thirdly, good luck with your 9 modules. :| But arent u meant to take a 'gap' in studies durin a gap year? As in, arent u meant to travel, get work experience or volunteer in a gap year?

and btw, wat do u wana do at uni? from ur a levels it seems u wana do medicine, or something scientific, rite?

Reply 35

xobile

so wat i think ur suggesting, magical, is that i do fp1, s2, s3 and another module in which i myt score well.

thats good advice for many, but not for me, becoz i feel ill do fine in s2 and s3, esp if i dont divert atention a
fourth module. theres no point in spreading myelf too thinly over more modules.

in fact, i suggest u do the same. if u think mechanics is tricky so, given its nto essential for computing, dont do it at all. jut do fp1 + s2 + ur third module.

Reply 36

silent ninja

xinolisss

Yeah, I'm basically reapplying on a gap year... Cambs, Imperial, Soton, Bath and Manchester.

Also some of them in the US, Berkeley, Caltech, MIT, Harvard and Stanford...

Yep, I crammed A2 Maths and Further into 1 year and FP2 and FP3 into 3 weeks with a friend of mine because the stupid teacher had to leave... got it through in the end, and managed 100UMS on both those modules including the self taught M4 at 100... =) so that was great! my friend self taught M5 and wrote a few jokes for the examiner in the exam... =)

Nah not nosy... :smile:

Sounds good! US would be cool (especially somewhere with nice weather as bonus!), those are some big guns; i'm sure you'd be pleased to go to any of them. I presume it's for a mathsy subject.
Good luck with your apps :smile:

Reply 37

xinolisss

silent ninja

Thanks. Engineering btw :smile:

Reply 38

xobile

lol... i understood wat u sed i think. (which is more than what can be sed about my last post with all the typos)
thats great news if its true. but i think there will be two constraints:

1. you probly cant swap modules if uve 'certificated' the a level maths (which i have)
2. you can probly swap, say, S1 and D1 modules, but not S1 and S2, because it wudnt make sense to have done S2 before doing S1.

but these are just suppositions. i think the first one is more likely than the second one to be fact.

Reply 39

Honey badger123

Hi sorry for bumping an old thread.
Iv'e decided to do further maths in a year as I have changed what I want to do at university. I now want to do maths.
In Maths at AS and A2 the modules covered are C1-C4 D1 and M1.
In my AS further maths class in A2 we are being taught FP1 FP2 and M2
If I were to complete A2 further maths in a year which extra 3 modules should I take. (This will all be self taught).
I have been recommended S1,S2 and S3 by a friend, however I'm not sure if I can do this. Is it obligitary to take FP3 or FP4?
What would some of you say are perhaps the easiest modules that I can take in A2 further maths baring in mind I'm already 2 months into my second year at college.
Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks.