Holidays

[spectroscopy]

didnt stick have a huge post last year about how to 50 further? where did that go


EDIT:
BOOM How I got a 50 in Further Mathematics - By Stick

[SunnyB]

Had a read through that, thanks for linking me.

Next year I have a really strong class for further, with basically everyone, except 1-2, doing methods and thinking about Persuing spesh. Although I'm also doing methods and spesh, what tips could you give to maintain rank 1?

[MagicGecko]

Although I'm also doing methods and spesh, what tips could you give to maintain rank 1?

• Always stay on top of your game, don't just do a few questions of a particular section and then think 'ok I get this, next', do as many of them as you can, because chances are, when you do your SAC and a question from that area pops up, you might only know how to do part or most of the question. Just make sure when you cover a topic, you know how to tackle it from every angle, no matter how the question is phrased or what is added to it.
• Don't be that cocky guy, never ever be that guy, you should always double check your answers as well as read the question twice, most teachers will try to trick you in a question, don't fall for it.

Not sure what else to add, but just remember, if your cohort is really as strong as you say, then obtaining at least rank 4 will probably be enough (though i would say at least top 3 to be safe). I know someone who also had a really really strong cohort (everyone did meth+spesh) but he got 50 even though he was rank 4.

I guess just work twice as hard as everyone else, just 'working hard' would be an understatement, because further gets really competitive at the top. Goodluck!

[SunnyB]

• Always stay on top of your game, don't just do a few questions of a particular section and then think 'ok I get this, next', do as many of them as you can, because chances are, when you do your SAC and a question from that area pops up, you might only know how to do part or most of the question. Just make sure when you cover a topic, you know how to tackle it from every angle, no matter how the question is phrased or what is added to it.
• Don't be that cocky guy, never ever be that guy, you should always double check your answers as well as read the question twice, most teachers will try to trick you in a question, don't fall for it.

Not sure what else to add, but just remember, if your cohort is really as strong as you say, then obtaining at least rank for will probably be enough (though i would say at least top 3 to be safe). I know someone who also had a really really strong cohort (everyone did meth+spesh) but he got 50 even though he was rank 4.

I guess just work twice as hard as everyone else, just 'working hard' would be an understatement, because further gets really competitive at the top. Goodluck!

WOW, thanks heaps for that!! I geyss after all it's only one year of it do you have nothing to loose, if you really want that score you'll have to work for it.

Again, thanks a lot for that

[SunnyB]

• Always stay on top of your game, don't just do a few questions of a particular section and then think 'ok I get this, next', do as many of them as you can, because chances are, when you do your SAC and a question from that area pops up, you might only know how to do part or most of the question. Just make sure when you cover a topic, you know how to tackle it from every angle, no matter how the question is phrased or what is added to it.
• Don't be that cocky guy, never ever be that guy, you should always double check your answers as well as read the question twice, most teachers will try to trick you in a question, don't fall for it.

Not sure what else to add, but just remember, if your cohort is really as strong as you say, then obtaining at least rank 4 will probably be enough (though i would say at least top 3 to be safe). I know someone who also had a really really strong cohort (everyone did meth+spesh) but he got 50 even though he was rank 4.

I guess just work twice as hard as everyone else, just 'working hard' would be an understatement, because further gets really competitive at the top. Goodluck!

I forgot to add onto the other reply. Theres this one guy in my class who is always studying. What i mean by this is that, when i asked him how much he would do over the holiday break he said just the assigned Holiday HW, but when i asked him again he had said he was upto chapter 4. He's one of those people that will study and study but at the same time not tell others so he could stay on top.

This is the case with a few others as well, it just makes me feel like I'm not doing enough, even if I've finished CORE or the first 5 or so chapters, do you get me?

Sorry if i sound like a bit of an idiot here, but i hope you understand this scenario.

[MagicGecko]

I forgot to add onto the other reply. Theres this one guy in my class who is always studying. What i mean by this is that, when i asked him how much he would do over the holiday break he said just the assigned Holiday HW, but when i asked him again he had said he was upto chapter 4. He's one of those people that will study and study but at the same time not tell others so he could stay on top.

This is the case with a few others as well, it just makes me feel like I'm not doing enough, even if I've finished CORE or the first 5 or so chapters, do you get me?

Sorry if i sound like a bit of an idiot here, but i hope you understand this scenario.

Honestly, I would say that is a pretty good mindset to have since you are aiming to be rank #1. You don't need to ask others how much they are studying, instead you should always assume that everyone is studying harder than you. However don't use this knowledge as a means of demotivating or downgrading yourself, you should use it as motivation to study harder than them instead. Because once you feel inferior in terms of studying then the others in your class will get ahead of you and the gap between you and that rank#1 spot will only increase.
In a nutshell, work to the best of your ability. Don't work hard, work smart. Those others in your class you mentioned will probably straight away move onto the next module once they have completed the Core. I suggest you should finish the Core early and keep working on it (don't just do the textbook questions), don't move onto the next module until you have mastered the core, because if you do, chances are that you will forget some of the things you learnt in the Core.

[Only Cheating Yourself]

Honestly, I would say that is a pretty good mindset to have since you are aiming to be rank #1. You don't need to ask others how much they are studying, instead you should always assume that everyone is studying harder than you. However don't use this knowledge as a means of demotivating or downgrading yourself, you should use it as motivation to study harder than them instead. Because once you feel inferior in terms of studying then the others in your class will get ahead of you and the gap between you and that rank#1 spot will only increase.
In a nutshell, work to the best of your ability. Don't work hard, work smart. Those others in your class you mentioned will probably straight away move onto the next module once they have completed the Core. I suggest you should finish the Core early and keep working on it (don't just do the textbook questions), don't move onto the next module until you have mastered the core, because if you do, chances are that you will forget some of the things you learnt in the Core.

what do you mean by the core, and i hear some people finish the course over the holidays, so the read the entire book over the holidays?

[SunnyB]

what do you mean by the core, and i hear some people finish the course over the holidays, so the read the entire book over the holidays?

Honestly, I'm not even doing that. I don't really recommend doing the whole course, just try and do bits of the Core. What i mean by this is, just try and get the general gist of things in CORE, if you don't get certain areas, don't stress, you'll learn it in school. Just try and do upto chapter 5 or so, so you get an idea of it, and that you can slowly transition into next year.

[SunnyB]

Honestly, I would say that is a pretty good mindset to have since you are aiming to be rank #1. You don't need to ask others how much they are studying, instead you should always assume that everyone is studying harder than you. However don't use this knowledge as a means of demotivating or downgrading yourself, you should use it as motivation to study harder than them instead. Because once you feel inferior in terms of studying then the others in your class will get ahead of you and the gap between you and that rank#1 spot will only increase.
In a nutshell, work to the best of your ability. Don't work hard, work smart. Those others in your class you mentioned will probably straight away move onto the next module once they have completed the Core. I suggest you should finish the Core early and keep working on it (don't just do the textbook questions), don't move onto the next module until you have mastered the core, because if you do, chances are that you will forget some of the things you learnt in the Core.

Hey Sheo, theirs this one chick in our further class who was the only one to do methods in year 10. She is also doing further next year, she was placed top 1% in the AMC/UNSW can't recall. Does she have a big advantage over everyone else in the class because of her maths skill? i know furthers a different subject, but still in that regard, she has basically done one of the modules which is matrices in methods.

Cheers

[MagicGecko]

Hey Sheo, theirs this one chick in our further class who was the only one to do methods in year 10. She is also doing further next year, she was placed top 1% in the AMC/UNSW can't recall. Does she have a big advantage over everyone else in the class because of her maths skill? i know furthers a different subject, but still in that regard, she has basically done one of the modules which is matrices in methods.

Cheers

Just like that girl, I also did methods in year 10 and 3/4 in year 11. But that didn't mean I had a big advantage, I mean the matrices module is the last module you learn in further math (since its the last chapter if I recall) but one of the earlier topics you cover in methods 3/4, so by the time we started learning about matrices in Further, all the methods kids had already learnt it as well so I didn't really have that much of an advantage. Though, everyone is different, she may know more about math then me when I did further or she may not. But honestly she would most likely have an advantage but not a BIG advantage.

[SunnyB]

Just like that girl, I also did methods in year 10 and 3/4 in year 11. But that didn't mean I had a big advantage, I mean the matrices module is the last module you learn in further math (since its the last chapter if I recall) but one of the earlier topics you cover in methods 3/4, so by the time we started learning about matrices in Further, all the methods kids had already learnt it as well so I didn't really have that much of an advantage. Though, everyone is different, she may know more about math then me when I did further or she may not. But honestly she would most likely have an advantage but not a BIG advantage.

Mhm I'm just worried, everyone in our class including me as well did AGM (spesh 1/2) in year 10, so its going to be a really competitive environment next year, and i really mean really.

Did you go to any lectures/tutors yourself during your time doing further?

[MagicGecko]

Did you go to any lectures/tutors yourself during your time doing further?

I didn't go to any lectures or have any tutors for further (mainly cos I couldn't afford them at the time -.-) but I would recommend you going to them if you can. I just got together with my friends and had some group study sesh's. Didn't really help much there, sorry  .

[Zealous]

Hey Sheo, theirs this one chick in our further class who was the only one to do methods in year 10. She is also doing further next year, she was placed top 1% in the AMC/UNSW can't recall. Does she have a big advantage over everyone else in the class because of her maths skill? i know furthers a different subject, but still in that regard, she has basically done one of the modules which is matrices in methods.

Cheers

Here's my opinion having completed both Methods and Further this year.

You shouldn't have too much of an issue with that girl or worry about it in further. It is a fact that she has an advantage as she has already done matrices. She may also have an advantage when it comes to working with lots of lines of maths, as the working out in methods is usually a lot greater than that in further.

But here's the thing, further mathematics is the easier maths. Further is not methods. The maths and working out in further you do will only require a line or two of working out in most cases. There isn't much room given in further to show off your mathematics abilities. You usually write a line or two and an answer, which I'm sure you are capable of so you should be able to match her ability in this subject.

For the module she already knows, you can expect her to be very strong in it very fast, so you just need to notice that and work harder if you want to get that rank 1.

So basically what I'm saying is: it is true she may be a stronger student at maths, but further doesn't give much room for stronger students to show off their maths, very little working is needed and a correct answer is usually all that's necessary. This simplicity in further is what leads to the "one mark lost = one study score" nightmare, as everyone at the top can do the maths, its just the little things that make the difference.

Hopefully that helps in some way!

[Cort]

This is some advice I've been given and fully appreciated -- especially when I was worried about one of my other Yr 12 subjects as a Yr11 last year:
If you're worried about something:
1. Analyse the problem. Do some work relating to the problem. Find what's the problem you're struggling with.
2. Find solutions to it. Do some work relating to the problem
3. Do some more work. Work takes time, but you're investing time for understanding, confidence and knowledge (you reap what you sow).

Worried that you did not use time wisely? You did do some work, no? If no, do work.
Worried that you won't be #1 in mathematics? Do some maths.
Worried that other people are beating/going to beat you? Do some more maths. Ignore other people. One of the most important things I've learned whilst learning guitar is: ignore others and do your thing. You should see people trying out guitars in a music store -- one of the biggest ego clashes you'll ever see. (Eg: One lad plays some solo. Another lad comes in and plays another solo. The plays faster, the other plays really fast. I can only play twinkle twinkle little star.)
Think that the subject is rather easy? Two things: (like Sheo said) Don't get cocky. Secondly, if it looks easy then you're doing it wrong. You're only learning when you're struggling. Find ways to understand stuff differently.
Worried that you haven't done enough?  Do some more. But really, are you understanding what you're doing? Do it at your own pace. quality =/= quantity.

There is no need to stress about Further Maths, considering that it is one of the easiest of the three maths. But that does not mean you should be slacking off.  What modules are you doing? Find one of them and get a head start on it. More questions = more understanding. More understanding = more work. Work work work work. While most things circulate, time does not. Use time for work.