Using two textbooks

[odeaa]

Evening fellow meth-heads,
I have managed to acquire two textbooks for methods 3/4, maths quest and essentials. Obviously this has the benefit that I can read the examples from one text if the other is unclear and can find extra questions for sac revision if needed. However, I was wondering if anyone that has actually done the course with two texts has any tips or advice on how to effectively utilise having this extra resource.
Thanks, Alex

[odeaa]

sounds like a solid plan, thanks for the advice

[Zealous]

I personally don't think two textbooks is necessary. If you want extra questions to do, I think you're better off jumping straight into exam style questions after completing one of the textbooks. It'll prepare you better for the exams instead of getting the generic exercise style questions again.

Here's a link to textbook summaries: Generalised Textbook Summaries - so if I were you I'd just stick with Essentials the whole way and jump into practice exams/study guides if you want more to do.

[Zues]

Ultimately a goal of a textbook is to teach you the content, and that only, once you've done the textbook questions move to exam style questions

[Zues]

dont know why i got down voted for that ^ . I have one the worst textbook out of the 3 and am going fine using that strategy, its the truth

[grannysmith]

Which text does your school use? If essentials, then maths quest isn't needed imo. Essentials > maths quest.

[odeaa]

we use maths quest, but I bought essentials after hearing it is better. I don't really listen in class anyway and just self teach from the book, so I thought id go with the essentials over mq
thanks everyone for the advice

[ericn]

I, too, am in a similar situation as the OP. My school uses the Maths Quest textbook, however from what I have gathered, the Essentials textbook provides better and more difficult questions. Depending on which teacher I have next year, I will most likely have to do set questions from Maths Quest so I am unsure how I will be able to effectively utilize the two textbooks.

My plan is to just use the Maths Quest book as my primary source of 'textbook questions' next year, and do the chapter review in Essentials of the chapter that I just finished in Maths Quest. Thoughts?

[Random_Acts_of_Kindness]

You should do 1 textbook. Doesn't matter which one. Essentials is a tad better. You don't want to burn out. Afters, just do Practise Exam after Practise Exam. That is where the real learning takes place.

[ericn]

You should do 1 textbook. Doesn't matter which one. Essentials is a tad better. You don't want to burn out. Afters, just do Practise Exam after Practise Exam. That is where the real learning takes place.

True, practice exams are the best source of exam style questions. However to prepare for SACs and tests, would you recommend handpicking questions from practice exams instead of saving them for exam revision?

[keltingmeith]

True, practice exams are the best source of exam style questions. However to prepare for SACs and tests, would you recommend handpicking questions from practice exams instead of saving them for exam revision?

By the time you get to proper exam revision, you'll have completely forgotten about those particular questions unless they were particularly tricky or the same style comes up constantly.

[YellowTongue]

I don't really listen in class anyway and just self teach from the book

I s'pose if you learn best this way...

But your teacher is there for a reason. Why bother having a second textbook, when you have the best possible resource: a living, breathing human that understands how you learn‽ A teacher can explain things to you in a way that works for you.

I suggest that you don't just ignore this highly effective resource.

[Zues]

contrary to what i have said, our school uses the heinnamann one (the shittest one) , is it worth doing essentials?

seriously, the heinnamann ones are terrible, questions are like an extention of year 11 and they ask you heaps of unnecessary stuff over and over again without, how do i put it, getting the best "range" of that particular topic

??

[psyxwar]

i wouldnt even touch heinemann; just stick to essentials.

[Mieow]

contrary to what i have said, our school uses the heinnamann one (the shittest one) , is it worth doing essentials?

seriously, the heinnamann ones are terrible, questions are like an extention of year 11 and they ask you heaps of unnecessary stuff over and over again without, how do i put it, getting the best "range" of that particular topic

??

From personal experience, don't bother with Heinnemann unless you're really struggling with a topic. The questions are incredibly basic and repetitive.