Hi everyone my name is Sany and welcome to My Maths Adventure.
In this video I'll be talking about how many years you will need
to complete your A Level Maths and Further Maths qualification.
Maths and Further Maths is a natural A Level combination to actually take
if you enjoy and excel in Mathematics however the study options available are
sometimes confusing due to there being no set way to teach
both A Levels at school or college traditionally students will do
three to four A Levels over two years however some A Levels can be condensed
into one year which enables students to gain
the full qualification in one year rather than two. For some
students studying A Levels in one year is the only option available
this could be because they didn't get the
grade they wanted and therefore actually had to retake their exams
the following year. So studying A Level Maths and Further Maths again
in a condensed one year period makes sense. Not only because
of exams occurring only once a year but also because they studied A Levels
before and they've built a strong foundation in
those subjects beforehand. However for students who don't have the
experience with A Level Maths and Further Maths the one
year option isn't the only way nor the best way.
That's because doing both A Levels - the full A Level, in one
year is nearly impossible because of the
amount of work time and dedication you will need to
succeed but that doesn't mean it can't be done
it's just going to be a huge challenge. That's
two full A Levels - A Level Maths and A Level Further Maths
in one year. There are alternatives I've done some research into some schools and
colleges I've found that there are generally
three standard ways to study A Level Maths and Further Maths together
over two years in addition to one or two other A Levels
as well. One of the options is to do the whole
A level Maths qualification in the first year
and then do the whole A Level Further Maths qualification
in the second year. Now this is an intense
and super hardcore option I've rarely seen this
teaching format being offered however there are some Further Education
establishments that do teach this way.
Do take note though, if you do select this option
you will require lots of determination commitment
and mathematical aptitude to succeed.
The second option is more geared towards
students who studied A Level Maths in the first year
and then discovered that they really enjoyed it and they want to take their
studies further by taking up Further Maths. Therefore the
second option is doing the whole A Level Further Maths
qualification in the second year alongside the second
year of their normal A Level Maths qualification. Now this is a
challenging option also because not only do you have to complete your normal
A Level Maths in the second year but you have to do
the whole A Level Further Maths qualification
in the second year as well. Now this is an intense
option, this is also a hardcore option but I know that there are some schools
and colleges that normally offer this option.
The third option is to do both
A Levels over the standard two years. You'll do the first year Maths and
Further Maths in the first year and then you do the
second year Maths and Further Maths in the second year.
This sounds like an easier option because there's no pressure to complete
one A Level in one year which usually takes
two years. However what you need to be aware of is how
your school or college will structure the course.
For example the first chapter in any Further Maths textbook is generally
Complex Numbers. Before you can really appreciate Complex Numbers
you need to understand subjects like Quadratics,
Roots of Polynomials, The Factor Theorem, rationalising Surds, the conjugate of an
expression, and be able to use core skills like
Completing The Square. If you haven't studied these topics in your normal
A Level Maths before you start, then you will find complex numbers
a little bit challenging. It's best to talk to your school or
college beforehand to see if they offer this option
and perhaps ask to see their study plan that way you can see if there's a clear
approach that links the two A Levels together
into like one comprehensive study plan.
Now for some students, especially mature students, there is a
third way. That is studying A Level Maths and Further Maths over
three years rather than the standard two or even one.
This will of course be dependent on things like if you have time to study
over three years, what your study goals are, if you plan to
get into higher education at the end of your studies.
For me, I was in rush because I was impatient about starting my
Mathematics Degree, however after a while I realised that
I just didn't want to be good at Maths, I wanted to understand what I was doing.
This element of understanding and applying what you
learn in Mathematics can't be rushed and does take experience
and time. So that's why I've decided to do A Level
Maths and Further Maths over three years rather than the
standard two years. So if you're a student who
doesn't have any concrete plans just yet or you're just enjoying both courses and
in no rush, then the three year option is
an excellent choice. So is it possible to do A Level Maths and
Further Maths in two years or even one year?
Yes it is, however life isn't an acceleration, it's a revelation.
So let the beauty of Mathematics reveal itself to you
rather having to force yourself into some sort of arbitrary time frame
to finish the two subjects
Enjoy the journey, not the destination.