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Original poster

A Level Statistics - any experience?

31 replies

minionsrule · 03/09/2021 13:00

Hi, sorry this is not an AIBY but posting for traffic.

DS started college this week doing 4 subjects including Statistics, he adores Maths and excels at it.
4 days in he wants to drop stats as he says its boring and he is doing stuff he covered in Yr 8.
Also said he has looked at past A level papers and its really basic.
My argument was well you'll get an easy A* then (his argument is he's better to drop it and focus on his other 3).
Has anyone's DC done this subject at A level? Does it get more interesting?
I've told him to speak to his tutor as it could be that for now they are just getting everyone to a similar level and it will get better.
Any feedback would be appreciated.

OP posts:
HasaDigaEebowai · 03/09/2021 13:14

A level maths is not really basic and if he's telling you he was doing A level maths in year 8 he's fibbing.

Original poster
minionsrule · 03/09/2021 13:24

Its not A level maths though, he is doing A level further maths as well.
Its Stats and they do cover some stats in GCSE maths, it is quite possible they are going over basic stats now and I just wanted to know if anyone knew if this might be the case.
I never said he did the whole A level course at high school.
And he does not 'tell fibs' thank you

OP posts:
WannabeMathematician · 03/09/2021 13:31

Is he doing Statistics, Math, Further Maths and something else?

Original poster
minionsrule · 03/09/2021 13:37

WannabeMathmetician
Yes, those 3 and Physics. He was originally not doing Physics but as they have to do Core Maths with Further Maths they recommend taking 4 subjects.
Stats was always his first choice with the maths and he was thinking of doing Maths and Statistics at Uni (following his dad Grin)

OP posts:
Mathscourses · 03/09/2021 13:45

Tell your DS that I agree with you, about getting everyone to a similar level and then it will indeed get harder.

I’ve just had a quick look at the specifications for the Pearson Edexcel Statistics A level.

My opinion is that Statistics is mostly rule-following. If your son likes predictable, it’s for him. The third paper gives a bit more scope for interpretation.
Get him to look at these past papers. Most of it should be unfamiliar and definitely beyond GCSE Maths.

I’ve taught A level Maths for a very long time, including all the Statistics options. I’ve never taught Statistics as a discrete A level but it looks interesting. A lot of the topics are taught as part of university courses, including some social sciences and pure science, so if he already knows them he’d be well prepared.

Mathscourses · 03/09/2021 13:50

Ah, your second and third messages came in while I was researching my first one.

What exam board would he be taking? I’m wondering about the overlap between the Statistics sections of Maths and F Maths with the purely Statistics A level.

WannabeMathematician · 03/09/2021 13:50

Can't comment on the course as I've not take it but as someone

a) who has 2 A levels and another AS level in maths
b) who now hires maths grads

Keep it if you can but don't sweat it if you need to drop it. It'll be useful if he wants to study maths and stats and uni and could be useful beyond. I oddly use bits of my MSc and lots of my a level knowledge and little of my degree stuff!

Also there might be a bit of overlap with what he does in the regular maths a levels depending on what courses are taught at his college.

Pigeonpocket · 03/09/2021 13:52

I'm an A-Level maths tutor. It definitely gets harder. The thing with statistics is that you need a thorough grounding in the basic principles before moving on, so that's why they'll be going over the basics again.

I've had a look at some past papers and I can see why he thinks they look basic. At a superficial level they don't look anywhere near as difficult as new concepts in maths. But statistics is complex and subtle, and the questions are not as basic as they appear. They include lots of things that are usually a university level topic.

Original poster
minionsrule · 03/09/2021 13:54

Thank you mathscouses I will show these to him.
I think he has jumped the gun a bit, seen the early work and realised he has (maybe not fully) covered some of it already.
Hopefully he only skimmed the past papers and jumped to a massive conclusion Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
minionsrule · 03/09/2021 14:03

Thanks for the replies so far, really appreciate it.
The exam board is Edexcel for F Maths and Stats.
There probably are going to be overlaps in his subjects although I thought that might actually help him.
I worried about him doing too many maths based subjects at one point but realistically its all he wants to do

OP posts:
idontlikealdi · 03/09/2021 14:10

It is boring by its nature! What does he want to do? There's a finite group of students cut out for stats at uni, often looking for an actuarial qualification long term.

Original poster
minionsrule · 03/09/2021 14:19

idontlikealdi
Lol funnily enough he used to talk about being an Actuary after someone told him it paid better than an accountant Wink.
In truth he doesn't know yet and he may well not take stats at Uni, think it was between that and Economics.
He likes predictable stuff, formula's and the like. He is definitely his fathers son

OP posts:
Mathscourses · 03/09/2021 14:23

Do you know which options he’ll be taking for papers 3&4 of Further Maths?

There could be no overlap in that if college prepares him for F Pure, Mechanics or Decision Maths.

Mathscourses · 03/09/2021 14:26

Statistics is useful for Economics, at least it was for DD1’s university course.

(Remembering happy days of teaching her over the phone....)

HasaDigaEebowai · 03/09/2021 14:27

And he does not 'tell fibs' thank you

No of course not. I’m sure he’s a perfect little angel.

Anyway

Original poster
minionsrule · 03/09/2021 14:27

mathscourses I don't know the answer to that. He only started this week, they are preparing for tests over the next few weeks which I assume is to check where they are all at.
Whether a decision is taken after that I don't know

OP posts:
Original poster
minionsrule · 03/09/2021 14:35

mathscourses
idontlikealdi
pigeonpocket
wannabemathematician
Thank you do much for taking the time to respond to me and suggest reading.
HasaDigiEeBowai Not sure what your problem is but your life must be very meaningless. You could have just replied 'I have no clue' or skipped on by but guess that wouldn't give you a warm glow inside would it.
The lovely people above have sort of helped to disprove your point Hmm

OP posts:
HasaDigaEebowai · 03/09/2021 14:40
Smile
HasaDigaEebowai · 03/09/2021 14:43

It was your outrage that encouraged my response op. You said your DS had looked at the past A Level papers and said they are really basic. They’re not. So I told you that.

I actually changed to the phrase telling fibs to be kinder.

onlyjustme · 03/09/2021 14:47

Hello,
About 30 years ago I did A level pure and statistics and then followed it with a degree in pure and statistics...
... and have just done a statistics module as part of my masters! Much of this was similar to my degree content but with added technology. We had matlab and minitab when I did my degree but to use r in the stats module was fantastic. Do they get to do this at A-level??? I like the "old" way of doing the calculations, following the steps but to then be able to press a button on a computer and get the same answer was fab!

"Hopefully he only skimmed the past papers and jumped to a massive conclusion"
Oh the irony of that statement... statistically, he cannot judge the whole course on the first week!!!
They will be going over the basics, making sure students are confident with those before moving on.

I like the idea of an easy win for a good A level grade for him AND the potential usefulness of it in so many other fields. After my maths degree I started a career in accounting, qualified as a management accountant, and then (after children) moved to academia. I do love statistics though...

takealettermsjones · 03/09/2021 15:00

If he's finding it easy please encourage him to keep it - his course list sounds very full on, and a lot can happen within two years. If he burns out and doesn't end up getting the grades he needs in the other subjects, having an "easier" subject on the list might just give him the UCAS points he needs for university.

Speaking from experience of a family member who got ridiculed for taking an "easy" A level among others, but that easy grade got him into uni and he's now in a career he loves with a very good wage. He wouldn't be where he is without that so called "soft" option.

Original poster
minionsrule · 03/09/2021 15:14

Firstly if you read i was outraged in my OP then you have seriously read it wrong, did you think i was outraged that it was 'easy? I never believed it was easy and was sure they were just covering old ground before moving on - did you not get that far? I actually asked that question so I can quash his belief that this is the level for 2 years.
Your comment said 'if he says he's done A level maths in Yr 8 he's fibbing'.
I never said that, I said the Stats work they are going over now was covered in Yr 8 (in maths).
I just wanted verification they are probably just covering old ground and it will get more interesting. I certainly don't believe he has done it all, no.
A pp said at first glance a Stats paper could appear quite easy but when you study it then it won't be.
I have no doubt my ds has glanced at it and thought this looks basic.
Accusing someone of telling fibs is a strange way of 'being kind'.
And finally, for the record yes my ds is lovely, not perfect but I like him

OP posts:
Original poster
minionsrule · 03/09/2021 15:19

onlyjustme and takealettermsjones
Thank you, yes ironic he probably skimmed it Shock. Agree about going for the grades to get to the Uni he wants.
No idea about matlab and minitab, maths is not my forte !!!!!

OP posts:
forinborin · 03/09/2021 15:53

I have no experience with A-levels specifically, but my professional area is close to mathematics and statistics, and I am educated to postgrad level in the area.

Your son is right to a large degree, in my opinion. Statistics becomes pretty, interesting and elegant only after you've been through the mathematical foundations for it. And that is not a-levels, it is say first two years of a maths degree (not sure about the British curriculum, but at the very least that should include probability theory, measure and functional analysis).
Before that, it is quite annoying rule-following, without understanding why exactly things are what they are.

bungaloid · 03/09/2021 15:56

Back in the olden days when I did Maths and Further Maths A-Levels, the statistics modules were seen as the easier slightly boring bits. How the tables turned, pretty much the only maths I do in my career (scientist) is statistics. Whether A-Level stats prepares you for a life of industrial statistics is probably a different debate, but I'd be keen to keep the breadth at A-Level.

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