A Level Maths

[HseagullsH]

It's my decision though is it not? So if I want to do the 3 that I am 100% confident I'll carry on into the second year it should be alright?

Yes

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Lucky thing. I was there for two years and loved more or less every minute of it.



I did 4 AS levels in my first year. In my second year I dropped one AS level, continued the other three to A2 and also picked up a new AS level. So, first year was 4 AS and the second was 3 A2 and 1 new AS.

If you can't do a subject then definitely drop it, I wasted a year on a course I couldn't get the hang of.

Cheers. I'm at Varndean as well seems decent so far.

 

[SNOOBS]

No need to write what I was going to after that. I gave up after a month, it is bastard difficult, if you don't think you'll manage get out now before you're too far behind in whatever subject you replace it with.

hmm the deadline for changing is tomorrow so I would end up just dropping it I'd guess. Economics and Business studies would interest me but I think my parents think they are spastic subjects and want me to carry on with maths.

Snoobs, if you are willing to work hard then yes keep it.
I got an A in GCSE but my friend only got a B.

Neither of us understood it for most of the year but with a lot of revision near the end we both did well.

My friend managed to get an A this year after only getting a B in gcse but he worked damn hard.

I still managed to get a B so yer i'd say keep it up

Looks like I'm just going to slog it out. At least there is some hope.

 

[Gully]

Maths O/Level was a doddle and I managed to get a grade B, A/Level was however a completely different kettle of fish as I couldn't understand integration...it might as well have been aincient Greek!

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

Absolute deadline day is 22nd - but make your mind up ASAP ! Ulitimately A levels are about hard work - 2hrs per night minimum.
Don't waste so much time on NSC ! Don't you know that your teachers are patrolling this site ?. Now I must get back to my marking.

 

[scotjem]

i did not study it at A level, but i wish i did. i have extensive maths & stats on my uni course and i really struggle because i, unlike my pals on my course, did not do it..



stick with it if you can, if you're good at maths, you will make a lot of money.

I wish !

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Absolute deadline day is 22nd - but make your mind up ASAP ! Ulitimately A levels are about hard work - 2hrs per night minimum.
Don't waste so much time on NSC ! Don't you know that your teachers are patrolling this site ?. Now I must get back to my marking.

I do hope you're my economics teacher

A levels may be hard work work, but I'm not gunna be working hard in economics if I'm not allowed to get rid of it like my tutor seems to think.

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

No not economics ! or Maths.

 

[Al Bion]

I know this will make me seem well old but as a mum and someone who interviews and employs a lot of younger people, can I suggest you speak to either your parents (they do have your best interests at heart but won't want you to be unhappy and struggling) or could you speak to the tutor and tell him how you're thinking. I know it's hard to admit to finding things hard but people can help you if they know.

Also, with my employer hat on, I would see maths on a cv as a definite plus point so it is worth working for in my opinion if you can hack it.

Good luck, hope you get it sorted.

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

I agree ! wise words (also talk to your maths tutor there may be some additional support available) - NSC is bad for you, still haven't finished my marking.

 

[Gwylan]

I did my maths A level more than 30 years ago so I'm not sure how helpful I can be, but I'd say stick at it. I found co-ordinates quite easy but thought vectors were a real bastard but I did stick with it, did pass and glad I did.

Maths certainly helped at uni and has given me a good foundation for various bits of knowledge. I'd say go for it - but be prepared to work hard.

 

[Conkers]

Just wait until you get to the (what was known as P2 & P3 more than 3 years ago) modules. Those modules were easily the hardest modules I ever did at college. I would say the majority of people I knew were brought down to B's and C's (overall) at A-Level maths because it was almost impossible to get anything above 50%. Infact most people probably FAILED those modules. I'm not sure how it is these days because I heard they were changed to "Core" modules but if the basic structure of AS/A-Level maths is the same, the 2nd year is 10x more difficult than the stuff you do at the start of AS level.

 

[HseagullsH]

Just wait until you get to the (what was known as P2 & P3 more than 3 years ago) modules. Those modules were easily the hardest modules I ever did at college. I would say the majority of people I knew were brought down to B's and C's (overall) at A-Level maths because it was almost impossible to get anything above 50%. Infact most people probably FAILED those modules. I'm not sure how it is these days because I heard they were changed to "Core" modules but if the basic structure of AS/A-Level maths is the same, the 2nd year is 10x more difficult than the stuff you do at the start of AS level.

Yer that is right.

The core modules in As are C1 and C2 and aren't too hard.

But C3 and C4 in the 2nd year are a completely different story. So much harder

 

[Conkers]

These days it's all about taking the piss easy subjects like Film Studies (I didn't take it myself but my friend at Uni did, did almost no work and got an A) is the way to go. Employers don't even look at what subject you got an A in, they just care that you GOT an A even if it is in a subject that has absolutely no relevance to the job you are applying for.

 

[The Optimist]

My advise, as a Maths teacher, is that doing AS with a grade B is very hard work. If you are prepared to work extremely hard, about 6 hours of work outside of lessons a week and taking up any help availaible from the teachers, then stick at it. If that sounds like too much work save yourself the hassle and quit now. Also have you asked your teachers what they think?

 

[Skint Gull]

Having got a couple of % off an A* at GCSE maths then a D at A-Level maths i would say for sure if you only got a B at GCSE i'd get rid now. As others have said, it only get harder

 

[Al Bion]

These days it's all about taking the piss easy subjects like Film Studies (I didn't take it myself but my friend at Uni did, did almost no work and got an A) is the way to go. Employers don't even look at what subject you got an A in, they just care that you GOT an A even if it is in a subject that has absolutely no relevance to the job you are applying for.

As an employer that has sorted through a big pile of CV's this afternoon I can tell you that I most certainly do look at the subjects, as well as the grades, and I would positively prefer someone with a lower grade in a 'proper' subject over someone who has got an A in what I consider to be an easy subject.

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

I tried it, many years ago, and, as some others have said, it was a completly different language. It might have helped if my teacher had explained WHY we were doing certain things. I just couldn't work out what it was all about.

I suppose maths is a bit like art. If you've got little artistic talent then you can try as hard as you like but you still can't draw...(.won't stop you mugging posh folk for millions though!) If you have got that strange mathematical mind that can grasp those concepts then you'll be lucky if hard work alone does it.

 

[SNOOBS]

can I suggest you speak to either your parents (they do have your best interests at heart but won't want you to be unhappy and struggling) or could you speak to the tutor and tell him how you're thinking.

Tried explaining that to my parents, my Dad just says he can show me and my Mum says just pull your socks up, easier said than done

 

[fatboy]

It's easy, and surely has got easier since my day.