Exam results

[eadeater]

How unlucky you are. I breezed through the GCSEs (8A* 2A) and thought I could do the same with the A levels. How wrong I was. Whatever you do, DON'T do maths A level. Even if you think you are amazing at maths (I thought I was). ONE module is as long as the whole GCSE course, and you have to do 3 for your AS in one year! Take physics - it's by far the easiest subject I did this year.

[Somebody Else]

One maths A-level is hard work? Try three... Three full maths A levels. That's 18 modules. Including the hardest paper on the entire A-level syllabus (assuming an equivilent amount of preparation etc. etc.)

Bloody nightmare!

I think I got about 30/40 % on that paper.

Fortunately the others acted as a crutch.

[eadeater]

One maths A-level is hard work? Try three... Three full maths A levels. That's 18 modules. Including the hardest paper on the entire A-level syllabus (assuming an equivilent amount of preparation etc. etc.)

Bloody nightmare!

I think I got about 30/40 % on that paper.

Fortunately the others acted as a crutch.

ALL 18 MODULES!! You are mad. Did you do any other subjects? and how long to do all 18? And how DID you bring yourself to learn all the differentiation and integration rules in P2/P3/P4?

[Somebody Else]

P2, P3 and P4 were easy stuff...

P5 and P6 on the other hand... were not.

Then came M3, M4, M5 and... horror of horrors... M6

[Somebody Else]

*For some reason, the previous post cut itself off...*

The stats papers were pretty easy comparitively - just boring learning of formulas etc.

That said, learning formulas is pretty much half of what you need to do in maths, the rest is being able to work out which one to use.

I reckon, from hardest to easiest, the papers are M6, M5, M4, P6, P5, M3, P4, P3, S5, S4... then the others, which are much easier.

In case you were wondering, maths isn't all I did. Chemistry and biology too.

You wanted to know how long this all took? At my school, we take AS modules at the same time as A2 modules... we who did triple maths were an exception, in that we took eight modules at the end of lower sixth. (Of course, I did have to retake two modules - didn't get above 95%... A friend of mine had to retake all but one... meaning he had 17 maths exams, as well as 12/13 others in physics and chemistry)

[eadeater]

So you did 18 modules of maths, full physics and chemistry a levels, all in two years?
Mate, you are INHUMAN. I did 4 maths modules, as well as the AS modules in chemistry and physics and history and russian, and thought I was hardcore. People did like 6 modules in maths in one year, and I though they were amazing. Rah, so now you are oxford uni I take it?

[Somebody Else]

First - I didn't do physics - biology instead - much easier, not as boring.

Inhuman? Maybe, but I had a friend who did the chem/phys/3 maths thing and an AS in French as well. It's just a case of applying oneself. Being a space alien does help...

And yes, as a matter of fact I am at Oxford.

*And not too rah, I hope...*