can someone explain how edexcel further maths works

hello,
i am currently in y12 and i am looking to potentially do as further maths as i want to do physical natsci at cambridge.
I'd just like to know how the modules and stuff work, and also, if possible give me any recommendations on what modules to take.

also, is it too late to start doing as further maths, and potentially, a level further maths?

thanks : )

Absolutely not. The first year of Further Maths is actually really easy and I would say that Year 2 Normal Maths is harder than AS level Further Maths. But the problem is the concepts in Further Maths are quite abstract, theoretical and boring. However, my motivation to do well is high so that's why I'm interested in it. Also, most of my teachers make it really interesting for our class.

That being said, if you are doing it for the sake of your application, I wouldn't recommend it. I would say do the A levels you enjoy, not the ones you are being forced to do.

For your optional modules, it depends on what you are looking for.

These are the options available:
D1 - Decision Maths 1 (related to Computing. You look at things like path-finding algorithms, graph theory and other cool stuff).
D2 - Decision Maths 2 (related to Computing. You look at things like path-finding algorithms, graph theory and other cool stuff but obviously taken a notch further).

FS1 - Further Stats 1 - Just more distribution stuff and a few other things which links really well with the Year 2 Stats of Normal Maths

FS2 - Further Stats 2 - More complicated stats.

FM1 - Hard Mechanics but I'm guessing you do Physics A level so it shouldn't be too bad for you. You look at things like Oblique collisions, Hooke's law. People who do Physics in my year find Mechanics easy.

FM2 - Horrible Mechanics and people last year struggled a lot with it (which is why I think my school is now forcing us to do FM1 and FS1).

FP1 - Further Pure 1 - You already do two compulsory Core Pure modules and this is just an extra overdose of Pure maths looking particularly at undergrad Maths study.

FP2 - FP1 - Further Pure 2 - You already do two compulsory Core Pure modules and this is just an extra overdose of Pure maths looking particularly at undergrad Maths study and taken even further.

To get a good mixture, I would recommend FS1 and FM1 (which is what my school forced our cohort to do if we pick Further Maths. Otherwise, I would have picked Decision Maths since the hardest thing taught in Decision Maths was taught to us in Year 12 in Computing and Further Stats 1. In my own teacher's words, "at the previous school I used to teach at, if we had any students who weren't as interested in the Maths element itself i.e. more inclined towards problem solving, we would recommend them to do FS1 and then D1.). Since you are considering Physical NatSci, I would consider taking FM2 (though it is quite a hard option).

I wouldn't recommend doing FP1 or FP2 unless you have some Pure Maths obsession that makes you want to do it. The only time I would recommend considering it is if you want to do Maths at a top uni (which you don't because you ain't considering applying for Maths).

Further Stats 1 is relatively straightforward. There's just a decent amount to learn but it's more distribution focussed and being able to apply your knowledge a bit more. They give you 95% of the formulae on the formula sheet so it really does save your time. I don't know anyone doing Further Stats 2 but Stats is quite boring because it's easy but also, there isn't really that much application involved in the sense that the challenge that Mechanics and Pure puts you up with, Stats doesn't have it as much comparatively.

Further Mechanics is hard (for me) but I'm getting better with it through more practice. I don't do A level Physics which is partly why I'm finding it hard but also because I get so confused and our teacher just makes us copy stuff from her board in the lesson.

The Core Pure stuff - Core Pure 1 is fine on the whole except maybe the Vectors topic but again, practice = better.

Core Pure 2 - stuff steps up a lot. Also, the other thing is the stuff taught in the Pure Lessons aren't the same as what you will come across in the exam so you not only need to understand the stuff taught in the lesson and be able to do the stuff in the lesson but also much harder abstracted stuff because the exam questions are on the whole quite a bit harder.

oh my god thank u so much - this is so useful : )

have a great rest of your day brother : D