A2 Further Mathematics Modules- which ones amongst these?

Question

OK now i am doing A2 further maths on my own (as i did with my AS). My question is which ones from the oprtions below should i take? My teacher told me i could pick any three from them - so if you are also doing A2 FM which ones would you go for? or if you have done it which ones did you take and your opinion about each module you did would be bery helpful..thanks btw my board is AQA

My options are:

Mechanics 3 or 4

Further Pure 2,3 or 4

D2

(forget S2, 3 or 4)

Answer 1

Hey! Well done on choosing f. maths, a good choice!

It really depends on what subject you are looking to take at uni..

The first thing i'd say is definitely choose FP1 and FP2 in fact you have to do them, at least you do for edexcel, and i think the same rule applies.. (6 pure modules and 6 applied for maths and f.maths).

If you're looking at studying maths, physics or engineering, then 100% mechanics, as it's the most useful, and considered the "hardest". D2 is the biggest doss (sorry to say) in maths you can get; more so than stats. It's really not difficult. If you think you may struggle in M3, or in some of the pure modules, perhaps consider taking it, as it will boost your overall grade. It'd be useful if you decided to do a business or economics degree. It is easier though, so the choice is yours.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

It depends what you intend to do with it.

Pure maths has relevance if you intend to take maths or stats at university level, and has some use in computing courses.

Mechanics is relevant to engineering, the earlier you come to grips with circular motion the better.

D2 shouldn't be writen off.  If you are interested in occupational reseach and management, then it is useful.  Simple techniques can come in extremely useful in the real world.

Answer 3

I did D1 and I thought it was absolutely useless and dull therefore I didn't opt to do D2.

I did M1,2 and 3 and found M3 by far the best - quite challenging if you're not doing physics A2 as well but well worth it.

Further Pure 1,2,3 and 4 are all great. You'll probably need FP3/FP4 to do M4 because the harder the applied modules, the more they depend on your knowledge from the pure side.

So if I were in your position, I'd pick M3, FP2 and FP3. The mechanics will be a nice change from the gritty pure and as you're teaching yourself, the harder the modules get, the more of your time they'll require.

Are you planning on applying for maths by any chance? (If so, I can give you some tips)