A Level maths?

Question

I want to pick maths for A Level but I keep hearing so many bad things about it. The biggest thing that is close to putting me off is one of the supply teachers got an A* in maths GCSE and so I asked him about A Level, his opinon totally changed, he said it is extremely difficult I wish I never picked it and i really advice you not to, he was dead serious.
So have you done maths A Level?
How is it, what did you get?
I'm sure it can't be that bad as long as you put in work right?
(btw he was like the Einstein of his school)

Answer 1

It IS difficult, and as with any A level, it takes you to a much higher level than GCSE. But if you need it for whatever else you want to do, then do it.



I did it 30 years ago - pure maths rather than just maths (the exam board divided it into pure and applied maths, rather than maths and further maths) - and got a B. Remember we didn't have A* then - I might even have got an A now. I then went on to do physics at a university that NOW requires A* in maths to get into the course. I managed OK, came out with a degree and got a graduate-level job with it.



There does come a point where you start to lose the plot and you feel your brain turning to mush. Maybe that teacher found that point at A level. I found it in second year university physics when we got into the deeper levels of partial differential equations. But if you did well at GCSE and quite like playing around with numbers and equations, especially equations, go ahead. Do the work and it'll be fine. Do you have that "facility" - say when you get a question on simultaneous equations, do you get it right from following rules or do you really have a feeling of WHY that's the way to do it? Could you teach me how to do it if I didn't know? If you can, you can do A level, I know you can.

Answer 2

Maths has become the most popular A-level, overtaking English for the first time, as more students seem to opt for subjects that they believe will secure them top jobs.



The number of students who sat maths rose by 0.9%, while those who took further maths was up 1.5%. Entries for English fell 4.6% – a drop blamed on the GCSE debacle that left thousands of teenagers with lower grades than expected in 2012.

"This is an insignificant drop of just 0.1 of a percent in the pass rate from A* to E. We are never going to get a pass rate of 100% and we should not expect one. An exam which no one fails would not be worth much. This figure indicates stability much more than change," a Department for Education spokesman said.

Answer 3

Dude anything can be easy if U LEARN..when u go to A level class on maths DONT EVER LET ANYTHING DISTRACT U..just listen when the teacher is explaining to u.There is 1 boy in my class who gets everythin bout 90..physics,biology and even maths he gets 90 and above and he NEVER TALKS durin tht period..all he do is listen when the teacher is teaching him..i asked him how to do it and he said all u need to do is when the class starts..put ur talks away...and lie back straight and listen to the teacher..and im sure u will get an A+

Answer 4

A-Level Maths is utterly fascinating, but make no mistake - it is difficult and you will work harder than ever before, but that is true of any A_Level: remember these are virtually first year University, and as such are never going to be all that funny - unless you have a peuliar sense of humour!

Answer 5

Don't listen to others. You want to take it, it means you are good at it. Math is not hard or easy, it's all about practice. More you practice, the better you get at it