A LEVEL MATHEMATICS A SURVIVAL GUIDE
An A level course is not just about ability, it is also about
maturity, self-motivation and ambition. It is about confronting your
difficulties and dealing with them. You need to be able to analyse your
performance on an ongoing basis and to look critically at your attitude to study
and to the subject. A good student is one who strives for perfection at all
times, who is aware when things are not going well and knows how to use the
resources available in order to put things right.
Maths
is a pyramidical subject in which current skills are
based on previously acquired skills. Because of this it is vital that you keep
up to date with all your work. There is no reading around the subject as
with other subjects, however you will be expected to do many more questions than
those which are set.
No matter how good you are at the subject, there may be times
when things dont go well and your marks are not as high as you would like. It
is VITAL that you realise that this is normal and even OK, so long as this
only happens occasionally and that you do something about it straight away.
If things do not go well you should not be scared or embarrassed. Instead you
MUST address the problem immediately and use all the resources available to you:
Speak to your teacher immediately
Do you know when his free periods are?
Do you know where to find your teacher?
Go to Maths Club or Maths Surgery (or whatever similar system your school has)
Use a Maths Revision CD ROM
Use the Internet
Although homework and test marks cannot be converted to an
ultimate A-Level grade, assuming that your work is marked out of 20, a very
rough guide would be:
FOR HOMEWORKS
FOR TESTS
19-20
excellent
16-20 A
17-18
very good
14-16
B
14-16
good
12-14
C
11-13
satisfactory
10-12
D
10-
urgent help needed
8-10
E
You should aim to be getting marks of 16 or more for every
piece of work. If this does not happen, you should ask yourself why it is not
happening and also what you intend doing about it. Some possible causes could
be:
Is your approach to the course mature, ambitious and self-motivated?
Is your attitude to study likely to help you fulfil your potential?
How much extra time are you spending on the subject each day?
How effectively are you using study periods at school and at home?
How many times have you arranged to see your teacher?
How many times have you been to Maths Club?
How well organised are your notes?
Do you know your notes off by heart?
Are you revising all the topics previously covered?
How time consuming is your social life?
In order to do justice to your abilities you must ensure the
following:
Be AMBITIOUS
No-one can do the work for you
Dont be embarrassed by your success
Be a good example to others
Do what you have to do and do it well and
encourage others
Dont take your lead from others who are setting a bad example
Organise all your notes in a systematic, easy to retrieve system
Folder? Exercise Book? Index Cards?
Maintain a summary sheet of all facts which need learning off by heart
Ensure your notes are stored in categories
Algebra, Trigonometry, Motion etc.
Annotate your text book using a clear and easy to follow system.
Ensure your notes are with you at every lesson
Amend them during lessons with tips and tricks
Refer to them whilst doing classwork
Keep your notes up to date
Write your notes in your own words assuming you will forget
If youre absent, copy up notes immediately
Memorise your notes as you go
Maths depends on recognition of facts
No memory = no recognition = can't do question!
Answer ALL classwork questions
Finish at home if necessary only practice gives confidence
Answer ALL homework questions
Plan your work ahead of deadlines
Ask your teacher if you are stuck BEFORE the deadline
Do extra questions
You should be doing many more questions than are set
In maths there is no reading around the subject
Practice questions are our equivalent
If you do only the questions set, you are NOT doing enough
Ongoing Revision
Each week go back over a past topic
Set aside a regular time slot each week for revision only
Ensure that each month you revise all the work done that term
Re-memorise your notes get someone to test you
Do practice questions
Ongoing Self Analysis
How well are you coping?
ASSESSMENTS
During your course you will frequently be assessed on your
performance. Each assessment tests not only your mathematical ability, but also
your knowledge, your ability to organise your revision time, your maturity, your
motivation and your desire for success. Each assessment should be used as a
diagnosis of your strengths and weaknesses. After each assessment you should ask
yourself what improvements can be made and you should decide how best to
implement them.
Homework
will be set regularly, possibly
several times a week. All homeworks must be fully completed to the best of your
abilities and handed in by the deadline set by your teacher.
You should aim to do your homework on the night that it is set AND
NOT the night before it is due. In the event that you are having difficulty
with your homework you should see your teacher at the next available opportunity.
Class tests will probably be set quite
frequently and will usually come at the end of a chapter or a topic. You should
expect these tests and as revision should be an ongoing part of your weekly
study time, you should not be surprised by them, even if they are unannounced.
They will show you and your teacher how well you are coping with the current
topic and are a vital way of observing your ongoing progress.
USEFUL WEB SITES
www.mathsdirect.co.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/asguru
www.samlearning.com
www.gazinotes.com