Is Further Maths really Hard!?!

[Karma]

Hey,

Quick question, Is Further Mathematics really hard at AS-Level to A2? I am thinking off taking it at 6th form college, I am predicted "A" in Edexcel GCSE Maths. I asked the 6th form college, How many lessons you have a week and they said 8 including normal AS-Level Maths & Further Maths compared to 4 if I took just normal AS-Level Maths!
Do you think its capable off passing by just listening to the teachers when they teach you during lessons and then some revision before exams? Or do you need to do more than that to get either a "A" or "B"?

Thanks

Amit

[Plank]

I'm personally not too sure but I've heard that Maths is quite hard at A level, so Further Maths must be even harder. You'll probably have to work hard to get As and B's.

Found some pages on Google which should help.

1 (http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=604035)

2 (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080323124334AABphsf)

[Havoline]

Apparently it is quite hard but the thing is if you don't want to like do it 'cause you find it to hard the way they work it is you do maths in the first year then further maths in the second year - so if you drop it at the end of the first year you still have an a level in maths anyway and it only took one year to get.

[kk.]

i took AS maths (doing A2 now) and to begin with, C1 is pretty much GCSE module 10 (A* maths) and it gets gradually harder. Im taking AS further maths next year (assuming everything goes to plan) and its not that much harder than maths at AS. Its just you have to like amths and have an open mind to it.

Hope it helps

[PaintYourTarget]

At my 6th form you could only take Further maths if you did maths aswell, and apparently it's easier that normal AS maths, but maths is stupidly hard and takes a lot of effort, both in and out of lesson.

[Alkaz]

I hope not because I want to do the full A level in maths aha.

[Virgin Mary]

Yes .

[Pixzo]

Yes,
I had sixth form taster lessons a while back, and im not going to lie Im in lower for maths as Im rubbish at it..
They had examples up on the board, And I had no clue how to work them out..

[Eamonn]

Eughh I'm doing further maths as well :X
But I have decided I'm only gonna do it if I get an A* tbh, if I get an A/B I will just take regular AS/A2 maths and If I get even lower then an A*/A/B I've screwed up :P

[Bun]

eh i'm sure you can only take further maths if you get an A* in GCSE at my college.. :S. anyway, even though i like maths i doubt i would be able to cope with half my lessons at sixth form being maths :P.

[N!ck]

Further Maths isn't thatr much harder than the standard maths course, there's just twice as much work which is why you have double the lessons. Really, you only need further maths if you're looking to do a degree in maths or applying to Oxbridge.

[Puma!]

Further maths is very hard, it has the highest GCSE requirement for any A-level subject. No disrespect but if you wern't aiming for an A* at GCSE maths, then further maths isn't for you. I may sound a pessimistic, but your chances of getting an A/* in FM would just be too much of a challenge.

[Mitch4?]

Yeah, it's the hardest A level out there, followed by physics, then maths, then chemistry.
which are the four im taking, joy.
aha.

If you're not predicted high A or A* it's not for you, but really, if you're only going to a good university they'd prefer you to have a broader spectrum of subjects,
im doing an engineering degree at cambridge hopefully - i need further maths because its cumpolsory.
ahhh joy,

p.s.
the people at my school who do it now have 20 lessons of maths every 2 weeks, so like 10 hours a week, then they do 3 out of 5 lunch times, and 2 after schools, so like ALOT of time, and thhen they do all their homework for it
its cause
in year 12 you do you're 3 AS levels, plus your further maths AS level, plus your standard course maths A level
so you leave year 12 with 4 AS levels and 1 A level
then in year 13 you only have further maths chemistry and physics to do
so you don't drop an a level, x

[Puma!]

Yeah, it's the hardest A level out there, followed by physics, then maths, then chemistry.
which are the four im taking, joy.
aha.

If you're not predicted high A or A* it's not for you, but really, if you're only going to a good university they'd prefer you to have a broader spectrum of subjects,
im doing an engineering degree at cambridge hopefully - i need further maths because its cumpolsory.
ahhh joy,

p.s.
the people at my school who do it now have 20 lessons of maths every 2 weeks, so like 10 hours a week, then they do 3 out of 5 lunch times, and 2 after schools, so like ALOT of time, and thhen they do all their homework for it
its cause
in year 12 you do you're 3 AS levels, plus your further maths AS level, plus your standard course maths A level
so you leave year 12 with 4 AS levels and 1 A level
then in year 13 you only have further maths chemistry and physics to do
so you don't drop an a level, x
Spot on!

Just out of interest, but do you go on the "The Student Room"? Just you certainly seem to know your academics!

[Karma]

Further maths is very hard, it has the highest GCSE requirement for any A-level subject. No disrespect but if you wern't aiming for an A* at GCSE maths, then further maths isn't for you. I may sound a pessimistic, but your chances of getting an A/* in FM would just be too much of a challenge.

Well my friend got "A" at GCSE and did Maths,Further Maths & Physics, He got AA in Maths & Further Maths and then a B in Physics and went on to do a Mathematics Degree at University of Manchester and got a 2:1, So I think it is possible to do Further Maths with "A" at GCSE.

[Puma!]

Well my friend got "A" at GCSE and did Maths,Further Maths & Physics, He got AA in Maths & Further Maths and then a B in Physics and went on to do a Mathematics Degree at University of Manchester and got a 2:1, So I think it is possible to do Further Maths with "A" at GCSE.
It's an exeption to the rule though, it wouldn't happen nine times out of ten.

[Karma]

It's an exeption to the rule though, it wouldn't happen nine times out of ten.


So do you think its worth it or not, doing it with a Grade "A" at GCSE Maths, well hopefully or even A*?

[Puma!]

So do you think its worth it or not, doing it with a Grade "A" at GCSE Maths, well hopefully or even A*?
It's totally subjective on how you percieve the subject; if you really enjoy maths, take it. If you don't, then well... don't! :P

[Mitch4?]

Spot on!

Just out of interest, but do you go on the "The Student Room"? Just you certainly seem to know your academics!

I just take my choices seriously so i spend a lot of time looking them up and found alot of facts on them ;D

[alexxxxx]

i was under the impression that if you didn't need to really study further maths unless you were studying maths at uni.

[Eamonn]

;4930194']i was under the impression that if you didn't need to really study further maths unless you were studying maths at uni.

Yeahh that's why I'm still undecided between FM and normal maths because I don't plan to study maths, so if I was to take FM it would only because it well looks better. But I am swaying more to normal maths because I'm taking biology, chemistry and theatre studies as well so I know they will require alot of my time and work also (yes even theatre studies LOL, gcse drama was so time consuming, so I expect TS to be more so).

I take it everyone here doing maths is most likely taking science subjects as well?

[Mirkwood]

A small amount of universities have required Further Maths for Engineering, mainly Electrical Engineering; which is generally Applied Physics and Applied Maths in a more practical approach.

However, for subjects such as Physics, Computer Science and others Further Maths is on many prospectuses as preferred but not required, the difficulty depends on your ability with maths and what modules you do, FP1 I found was quite easy like C1-C2 style, and I did further mechanics and D1/D2 which some people struggle on because of their content.

[Karma]

A small amount of universities have required Further Maths for Engineering, mainly Electrical Engineering; which is generally Applied Physics and Applied Maths in a more practical approach.

However, for subjects such as Physics, Computer Science and others Further Maths is on many prospectuses as preferred but not required, the difficulty depends on your ability with maths and what modules you do, FP1 I found was quite easy like C1-C2 style, and I did further mechanics and D1/D2 which some people struggle on because of their content.

I see, I want to do an Economics/Business Finance related degree or a Dual honours degree which is Maths & Economics hopefully at a good university and I think F.Maths will help me greatly but some Universitys don't ask for F.Maths. So I am still deciding!

I also see you a from Greater Manchester, where abouts?

Thanks

Amit

[helenhiya]

well i got 1s (scottish equivilent of like A*s) all through standard grade maths (scottish equivilent of GCSE) then did Higher (equivilent of A level) & it was my lowest grade, only got a C :(

but to be fair could have something to do with the 50% attendance/the fact that i was doing 4 other subjects.
was easily the hardest out of all of them for me though, and at Standard grade i found it like the easiest.

[Soka]

well, i may be doing further maths at AS and from friends who do it i wouldn't say its that hard, as long as you enjoy AS maths you'll be fine.

You'll do a second module to your applied module so i'll be doing D2, (just learning things i assume)

Further Pure 1 (this will be the biggest step - although C3/C4 work will help)

and first module in other applied, i'm doing M1 (links in greatly with my physics)

if you choose further maths, you can't do it until doing AT LEAST AS IN Maths, as you'd just fail badly, i will be doing A2 Maths alongside AS further maths

pm me if you wana discuss properlyyyyyyyyy
or pm me on student forum

as far as im aware, further maths is only necessary if your looking at doing a maths degree at a decent university, quote me if im wrong, but if your doing a NON-maths related degree at oxbridge they won't accept maths and further maths as 2 A Levels due to the great overlap, and will class them as one (ONLY FOR NON-MATHS degrees)