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Original poster

A'level maths, further maths and physics. Good combination ?

63 replies

FixundFoxi · 15/11/2022 17:51

DS 2 in yr 11 is thinking about taking these subjects next year as A'levels. To me it seems like he's missing another subject but as someone with a degree in modern languages I haven't got a clue !
He's convinced further maths is a whole A'level subject in itself but I'm not so sure.
Can anyone put us right and is it a decent choice ?

OP posts:
Retreat · 15/11/2022 17:55

Your son will need to choose another a level as further maths is additional to the 3 that are chosen. What I would say is do not do further maths unless you need it for the degree course or applying to Oxbridge who don’t state it as a requirement for certain degrees but rest assured they want it. Further maths is hard work on top of the other three subjects. Good luck.

LIZS · 15/11/2022 17:56

Most of those taking fm will take 4. It also leaves no room should he find it too much.

Decorhate · 15/11/2022 17:58

It depends what he wants to do afterwards. For maths & engineering degrees those A Levels are perfect & he won’t need anything else. But for other subjects Further Maths may not be deemed to be a full A Level.

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Stevenage689 · 15/11/2022 17:59

Most students now only take 3 a levels. However, the exception is often further maths students. Further maths is a whole a level.

His combination is classic but very narrow. What does he want to do after? Does he really love maths and physics? How bright is he?

Couchpotato3 · 15/11/2022 18:00

Don't panic. Presumably his school will be advising him as well. FM is usually taken as an add on to Maths, and I think it would be unusual for a school to allow a pupil to do 'just' Maths, FM and Physics. Your son is right that FM is a full A level, but it is usually taken as one of a set of 4 rather than 3.

Gherkingreen · 15/11/2022 18:01

My DS did maths, physics and English Language at A level after prevaricating over engineering or journalism as a career. He's at uni now doing English Language degree, so that's engineering out the door 😆.
He enjoyed maths/physics but they were a challenge especially during lockdown where he pretty much self-taught for a year. Further maths would blow my tiny mind!

Athenen0ctua · 15/11/2022 18:02

DS is doing those plus computer science.

toomuchlaundry · 15/11/2022 18:03

DS was doing that combination but added Economics to the mix. He then dropped Further Maths at end of Y12 to concentrate on the others. Planning to do Engineering Degree but having Economics keeps other options open

TeenDivided · 15/11/2022 18:04

FM is a whole A level.
Many places require an 8 or 9 at maths to do FM
Don't do that combination unless you love maths.

TerminallyIndecisive · 15/11/2022 18:06

I did this combination + chemistry at A level.

Further maths is a HUGE step up from A level maths (and by doing it the A level maths became a bit of a doss, because we would have done it and more in FM, so that was nice 🤣). Having further maths is enormously helpful if he wants to do a degree in science or engineering. I went on to do Chemistry at university and those of us who had Further maths had a much easier time of it than those who didn't. I would imagine it's essential if he wants to do a Maths degree.
Further maths was really fun though, we had a tiny class of only 5 people in my school taking it and it felt much more like a uni tutorial, we got a lot of individual input from the teachers.

In terms of the combination, it's a brilliant preparation if he wants to pursue that sort of thing in higher education, and he will find a lot of crossover between the subjects which is both helpful and can enhance the experience of each one. I remember the A level physics students who weren't also doing maths having a hard time and needing extra sessions with the teacher because they needed more than GCSE maths to do the physics A level.

I do remember feeling I (personally) was a bit trapped in one side of my brain and started to miss essay writing and discussion and those sorts of skills. I do wish I'd kept History as a subject because I loved that, but was very focused on having the "right" qualifications to get into a competitive chemistry degree so threw all my eggs in one basket, as it were.

Good luck to him, whatever he decides.

BayCityTrollers · 15/11/2022 18:06

Ds1 did this combination and is at Oxford University doing engineering. He didn’t do a 4th A level.

I did worry he was narrowing his choices but he always wanted to do engineering so it worked well for him.

Athenen0ctua · 15/11/2022 18:06

TeenDivided · 15/11/2022 18:04

FM is a whole A level.
Many places require an 8 or 9 at maths to do FM
Don't do that combination unless you love maths.

Yes, DS got an 8 almost 9 but with no study except set homework so I know he is capable. I've made sure he knows he will have to study for A levels! They are sitting maths in year 12, FM in year 13.

PatriciaHolm · 15/11/2022 18:07

DS does those plus Biology - he's aiming for top tier Unis for engineering. agree that FM is really an additional one, for those doing 4 for a specific reason. Cambridge require it for Engineering if your school offer it, for example.

VenusClapTrap · 15/11/2022 18:08

At my dc school they do the regular maths A-level in the lower sixth and further maths in the upper sixth, so it just occupies one ‘slot’ of A-level study time but they end up with ‘two for the price of one’, as it were.

Plumbear2 · 15/11/2022 18:36

I've just asked this question. I've been advised that my son can do maths and further maths and still get two other options

EdithSitwell · 15/11/2022 18:40

My daughter did Maths, Further Maths and Physics and also an EPQ. She is now studying Maths at Uni (having received four offers from Russell Group unis).

noblegiraffe · 15/11/2022 18:45

We have lots of kids doing 3 A-levels, one of which is FM, who have got really good uni offers.

HOWEVER I would not advise starting with 3 A-levels, one of which is FM, as this gives no option to drop it should the student find FM too much (and it is for some). The advice would be to start with 4 and drop to 3 once the confidence is there that FM is suitable (usually some drop at the end of Y12).

ErrolTheDragon · 15/11/2022 19:10

noblegiraffe · 15/11/2022 18:45

We have lots of kids doing 3 A-levels, one of which is FM, who have got really good uni offers.

HOWEVER I would not advise starting with 3 A-levels, one of which is FM, as this gives no option to drop it should the student find FM too much (and it is for some). The advice would be to start with 4 and drop to 3 once the confidence is there that FM is suitable (usually some drop at the end of Y12).

Excellent advice as ever.

It's a shame AS were scrapped - my DD was able to start maths, fm, physics and comp sci, then drop the latter after AS and complete an EPQ. She did engineering at Cambridge.
I think that even if she'd not been able to do the AS, the comp sci would have been worth doing through year 12 - learning useful skills/information is an end in itself not just the means to an end ie a certificate.
Similarly, FM shouldn't be seen as just a requirement for certain courses - some uni subjects will just be a lot harder to hit the ground running if the student hasn't done it.

BruceIsACake · 15/11/2022 19:13

Many unis won't take maths and further maths as 2 of the 3 needed for application as they are too similar. Further maths needs to be a 4th option.

EastCoker · 15/11/2022 19:17

Ds is doing Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Geography.

Seems a good mix. With Geography being an essentially free A Level.

TeenDivided · 15/11/2022 19:18

BruceIsACake · 15/11/2022 19:13

Many unis won't take maths and further maths as 2 of the 3 needed for application as they are too similar. Further maths needs to be a 4th option.

Really? Who?

MarshaBradyo · 15/11/2022 19:21

Ds is doing these three plus computer science

It’s a good combination

BayCityTrollers · 15/11/2022 19:23

BruceIsACake · 15/11/2022 19:13

Many unis won't take maths and further maths as 2 of the 3 needed for application as they are too similar. Further maths needs to be a 4th option.

I worried about this but DS1 got offers from Warwick, Imperial college, Bristol, Sheffield and Oxford with Maths, Further Maths and physics for engineering so not sure that advice is completely accurate.

He knew he could manage the further maths as did the school. He got A* in all 3 A levels. He does not take after his mum🤣

ErrolTheDragon · 15/11/2022 19:25

BruceIsACake · 15/11/2022 19:13

Many unis won't take maths and further maths as 2 of the 3 needed for application as they are too similar. Further maths needs to be a 4th option.

The sorts of course someone who chooses to do these 3 subjects will.

carefulcalculator · 15/11/2022 19:28

BruceIsACake · 15/11/2022 19:13

Many unis won't take maths and further maths as 2 of the 3 needed for application as they are too similar. Further maths needs to be a 4th option.

What?? Maths, Further Maths & Physics is a common combination allowing entry to Maths, Engineering, Electronics, Physics or Comp Science degrees.

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