Further Maths

Hey I'm a year 12 student. I've been taking maths for 6 months and I'm finishing stats next week. I've found everything easy and on my recent tests I've got 98% on calculus (I djdnt do f maths gcse) and 88% on binomial expansion and trig and 97% on chapters 4 - 7 and I'm getting my stats test results on Monday (hopefully I did well). I've heard that some other boy wants to do f maths a level too in my class.

I was wondering if I should do Further maths as level. I would be doing it alongside a level maths year 2. It would mean I do 4 a levels tho (I do bio, chem and maths). Hoeevrr, its not too necessary for medicine tho and it would be very hard, so im not too sure what to do. Can you guys give me some advice?

Reply 1

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

I think there's two things here:

a) your ability to cope with further maths conceptually - from what you've said it sounds perfectly plausible as you're getting excellent results (may just want to make sure you don't neglect trig stuff as it's quite foundational to a lot of topics)

b) whether you should actually take the formal qualification - which from what you've said, it's not required (nor useful) for your future course, which also requires additional activity as part of the application process (work experience, preparation for admissions assessments, interviews, etc; not to mention the requirement of achieving high grades in your A-levels themselves)

On this basis I think it may not be worth doing an additional formal qualification in it if you're intending to apply to medicine. You'll probably have a lot of things you need to focus on next year and adding something else to the mix just may leave you stretched too thin across all the different things.

What you may find a better option is to see what other ways you can explore your mathematical interests beyond the curriculum, which are not specifically doing an extra qualification. Wider reading, participating in maths competitions or similar, or asking your maths teacher for extra bits of more demanding work (or other ideas!) when you have capacity to do those may be better - as that way when you're having to focus on other stuff, you can set those things to the side temporarily to pick up again later :smile:

Reply 2

Bjdjd

I'm doing math and Further math as a year 12, and I there's more content in a level math then further and plus further math will make a level math feel like children's play, which can help secure you an A* if you work hard in Further math.