Positive stories about Maths and Further Maths A’levels please

[thiswayno]

DS is currently doing these and another 2 subjects at A’level. He got an 8 for GCSE. He finds Further Maths challenging but apparently gets it and is actually quite enjoying it. Yesterday he said it’s getting easier. So far at least 4 in his group have dropped Further Maths and a few of his friends in other groups are going to drop Maths. I also keep reading on MN about how hard maths is and DC who got a grade 7 at GCSE are only likely to get a C or D at A’level. I’m feeling worried that he’s taken on too much. I’d love to hear positive stories about these subjects for a change.

People make a lot of assumptions and ‘baggage’ around maths - he’s finding it fine, so don’t worry!

You’re being swayed by anecdotes and seeking more anecdotes.

Many, many DC do maths, and further maths, and do well! Look at the stats.

My son is doing maths, further maths, physics and DT....he's got very strong predicted grades, on the back of which he is just finishing his application for Cambridge....yes, some of his set have dropped FM, but more of them have stuck with it and enjoy the hours of maths they do each week.

Sounds like my idea of hell, but he's happy and it sounds as though your child is too, so I wouldn't stress about it!

Thanks for the encouragement. I am rubbish at maths myself so I am probably casting my own insecurities onto this and with hearing about his classmates dropping out along things I read I can’t quite believe he’s finding it ok. I probably need to have more faith in him.

If he's finding it OK so far, that's a good sign. My dd is also doing maths A-level. She has only just started but so far seems to be really enjoying it!

Some kids find the 'step up' to A levels hard in maths and other subjects too - others take it in their stride and rise to the challenges. Sounds like your DS is in the latter group. Lots do 4 A levels especially if they include maths and FM and thrive on it.

So long as he's enjoying it and evidently coping fine, don't worry!

It depends on your brain.
Mine is wired to like numbers, and hate essays. I did 3 sciences and maths (in the days ages ago when most people did 3). I got 3As and a B (in Biology - to much writing).
There are people who are bright enough to get decent GCSE marks through hard work and memory, but who dont have the natural gift that becomes more important as you get further on.
If he has made the jump to A level, and is starting to get it in these early days, it sounds like he has a maths brain and will be fine if he keeps working.

I’m a maths teacher and teach A-level maths. With an 8 at GCSE he should be fine. He will need to make sure he practices the new skills taught every week and not save everything to revision at the end of the course. It’s important to get a good understand as new topics build on previous ones.

I myself only got an A at GCSE but then also got an A at A-level because I enjoyed it and worked hard.

My DS did math and further maths with an 8 at GCSE. He found it harder (obviously) but got B in further maths in the end. Teacher did say be aware they are with the top % when doing further maths so top grades are more difficult to achieve, but if he’s enjoying it and doing ok that’s great.

The only thing I’d say is that at uni (engineering course), the offer was based on 3 A level grades (not points) so just an awareness of that is important too.

If you think about it logically:

• maths is a cumulative subject
• at most schools they say a 7 as minimum grade at GCSE to do A level maths (though there are some who take a 6 - if you get a 6 you've only managed about half the GCSE higher tier paper)
• A level grades go from E to A*
• So you would broadly expect 6/7 grade at GCSE to lead to E-C

OMG I loved doing these…and sometimes for people as you get further into Maths it gets easier and more fun. My DD found the further she got into Maths, the better she got…so wasn’t exceptional at GCSE but by university really was.

@WorkingItOutAsIGo that’s brilliant. DS does seem to be enjoying it more and more so I hope this is the case with him too.

Ds has been dropped off at university today for which he needed maths and further maths for his degree. At GCSE he got a good 9 and took maths and further maths A levels. He absolutely loves maths. He will completely agree with Tiger when they say

He will need to make sure he practices the new skills taught every week and not save everything to revision at the end of the course

It is about practise. Recognise how you approach the problem, solve it using whatever method it is and then do more of them so it becomes easy. The way Ds was taught was exactly that. Walk them through, then lots of practise of those skills.

Ds also did physics and computer science A level and there are elements of maths in both. He says that students found some stuff hard but just sacked it off. The difference is at GCSE you can probably still get a decent grade with that attitude but not with A level. He thinks half his fm class dropped fm to concentrate on their maths grade.

They did all of maths A level content in year 12 then further maths at the end of year 12 and year 13. He says this strengthened the maths skills and made fm easier. He achieved 4 x A*s for A levels.

@OnTheBenchOfDoom good luck to your son at university. He sounds amazing I’m sure he’ll have a brilliant time.

My DS2 got an 8 at GCSE maths and did maths A level (decided against FM in the end). He found it challenging but fine. He got a B this summer which was what he needed (with 2 x A) for his chosen uni course. He could maybe have got an A with more effort but it's not what he is doing at uni so he focused on that subject instead.

A few of the people doing FM did drop it tho (moving from 4 to 3 A levels). I think in the end 6 ppl did FM inc DS2's super bright mate who got 4 x A* inc maths and FM and is off to Cambridge. He is a proper maths nerd tho. Lovely boy too.

This is way years ago but maybe will help.

Does he know what he wants to do for a degree assume going to uni?

For some subjects it's a massive help eg physics. So that's one consideration.

IF it's similar to my day, maths was more applied and FM more pure. I enjoyed FM way way more than maths. If it's similar now then they almost feel like different disciplines, the problems you work on and the principles you use are different. So while both maths, what you're learning to do and what for is not really the same.

I know things are really tough these days. In my life though every time I've gone for a job interview the fact that I have a FM A level. Even though got a poor grade. Is generally taken as a sign that you are pretty clever. It's also usually brought up and that gives an easy thing to chat to interviewers about. Always good as then you have an opportunity to show how engaging and interesting you are! Ditto physics degree.

However most important to last.

He likes it. I imagine the school would tell you pretty fast if they thought he wasn't up to it? Given the huge focus on their stats these days.

Let him do his thing. It makes him happy. Enjoyment is so important in education. I'm a bit of a do what you love person. Rather than things you are less interested in because you might get a bit of a higher grade.

Further maths was when maths really came into its own for me. I was always good at sums and acceleration and angles and etc all that stuff.

But FM was when it got interesting.

Anyway that might well all be out of date but it's from the horses mouth iyswim!

Good luck to him :)

Or for some it's but about practice but fundamentally understanding. If you understand it then you know it.

And a general fyi that learning method will take you a long way. But if you want to get into it seriously in a topic with a subject that uses it heavily and deeply, then that won't be enough.

I mean obviously do examples think it through keep trying if you go wrong etc. But the reason for that is to kind of get it, really understand how it works. Why you're doing what you're doing. Rather than plug this in one end do the things out pops answer.

Again just my opinion fwiw.