Academic Thread

[gemma]

of course you can be taught how to do mathsyou need to be taught the method firstlythen you practice over timeits impossible to just teach yourself maths, and its difficult teaching maths tooi've taught maths to children and its the most frustrating feeling in the world

[Jo Dark]

I had my graduation ceremony yesterday! I was finally allowed to attend (very long story). I got to shake hands with this manAll in all, it was a nice day.

john simpson?that man is the devil in human form

Really? I always thought he would have bad breath (but he didn't).

[tuppatopbrer]

I'm talking about university maths.I am making the almost trivial assumption that to study maths at uni you have attained an A at A Level (which isn't saying that much anyway). Knowing that maths should be able to lead you on to uni maths.A possible reason as to why maths is 'so hard to teach' is due to the fact that maths is a logic based subject.Analogy: You can't teach logic (or common sense) to someone (of age) that doesn't possess any.That is not to say that you can't go to university to study maths. Of course if you go to a respected university then you have access to the greatest minds etc. And in addition, being spoonfed the materials is always beneficial than to sought it out yourself.

[Dubby]

Sometimes you need 'Further Maths'.

[A Bit Better]

Tuppatopbrer, until you have studied Maths at degree level, I honestly believe you cannot comment on how it is learnt or taught. A-Level maths became redunadant in my second year for all but one module and was useless in my third. There are many different aspects of mathematics, not just algebra and calcus. I know you're not an idiot, but this is a time when you need to acknowledge that you're not in an informed position and are making statements based on assumption and guesswork.And no, of course you shouldn't decide which uni to go on based solely on their research score but that should be obvious to anyone applying to uni to do maths.

[tuppatopbrer]

I may not have as close exposure to the mathematics department but I feel I am still in a strong position (relatively) to comment about this situation.Firstly I do go to a university which has a mathematics department.Furthermore I have taken courses taught by the mathematics department as part of my degree.In addition, I have friends who study mathematics at my university.All the above cases of anecdotal evidence reinforce my view that maths can be (largely, nb. Not exclusively) self taught. In the cases where I took the mathematical based courses of my degree, all I had to do was copy the notes then look at them later. Yes, it took longer as the proofs and explanations were longer. To further reinforce my view, the parts of my notes where I didn't understand, was due to the lecturer note explaining the concept as fully as possible. So, buying a book which explains proofs comprehensively would have sufficed for me to learn this course.However, as I pointed out in one of my previous posts, I would have rather had this information spoon fed to me.To your last point, personally I would not go to a uni which had a medium/low research score, no matter how high their teaching score was.

[A Bit Better]

You do Physics. Any maths you do is going to be applied maths. For some reason you do not seem to be grasping the fact that there are many different types of maths. You would not be taught pure maths as part of another subject because it has no use beyond itself. And by pure maths I don't mean what they tell you is pure maths when you do A Level, I mean what is actually pure maths. Is this discussion going to go anywhere or are you just never going to concede that I know more about this than you, and therefore you may be wrong? Considering I've just finished a maths degree and you do a physics degree I would've thought that would be an easy admission to make.

[Trilliam]

august 14th draws closer.

[JGGB]

august 14th draws closer.

AHHHHHHHH! Anyone know any decent, cheap after results parties?

[tuppatopbrer]

You do Physics. Any maths you do is going to be applied maths. For some reason you do not seem to be grasping the fact that there are many different types of maths. You would not be taught pure maths as part of another subject because it has no use beyond itself. And by pure maths I don't mean what they tell you is pure maths when you do A Level, I mean what is actually pure maths. Is this discussion going to go anywhere or are you just never going to concede that I know more about this than you, and therefore you may be wrong? Considering I've just finished a maths degree and you do a physics degree I would've thought that would be an easy admission to make.

I do theoretical physics. Take note, I am not saying that we do loads of mathematics (compared to mathematicians, but we do loads more than any other subject), however a proportion of the "extra" maths we do is more pure based. No it's not as pure to the extent of what you did but it is not purely applied as you seem to think. Maybe they did that with the Brummie physicists...Secondly, I am not arguing with you for the sake of it. You're now a graduate, which possibly means that you have had some exposure to your tutors (if you have any) and other staff. I ask you to ask them if they honestly needed to be taught the maths they know or if they could have learned from a book what they learnt at degree level. If their answers are contrary to my beliefs I may have to rethink my approach towards to mathematics (unlikely). I say this because by your own admission, lectures from research intensive universities tend to be sh*t... That leads me to believe that the mathematics that they learned wasn't taught (to a large extent). Hence why they find it difficult, because they just 'know' (or understand) the stuff.Aside: Out of interest what class was your degree?Thirdly, the main flaw in my argument is the fact I have no exposure about how maths is taught at other unis except for again what friends have said. At unis comparable to Imperial, the opinion is largely the same as those held by myself. I don't know what the educational climate is like at Birmingham, but it being joint 65th in the world according to some sources hosts, more than likely a lesser calibre of students than the top 10-20 universities.I mean, I may be wrong, but I am yet to hear compelling evidence to prove such a fallacy.

[Kumasi]

august 14th draws closer.

aaaaaah, i remember that time last yr where me a my 3brdrins were online just waitin till it hit 12. Little did we no the results would not show until later on.Results turned out fine

[That's That Kid]

You do Physics. Any maths you do is going to be applied maths. For some reason you do not seem to be grasping the fact that there are many different types of maths. You would not be taught pure maths as part of another subject because it has no use beyond itself. And by pure maths I don't mean what they tell you is pure maths when you do A Level, I mean what is actually pure maths. Is this discussion going to go anywhere or are you just never going to concede that I know more about this than you, and therefore you may be wrong? Considering I've just finished a maths degree and you do a physics degree I would've thought that would be an easy admission to make.

I do theoretical physics. Take note, I am not saying that we do loads of mathematics (compared to mathematicians, but we do loads more than any other subject), however a proportion of the "extra" maths we do is more pure based. No it's not as pure to the extent of what you did but it is not purely applied as you seem to think. Maybe they did that with the Brummie physicists...Secondly, I am not arguing with you for the sake of it. You're now a graduate, which possibly means that you have had some exposure to your tutors (if you have any) and other staff. I ask you to ask them if they honestly needed to be taught the maths they know or if they could have learned from a book what they learnt at degree level. If their answers are contrary to my beliefs I may have to rethink my approach towards to mathematics (unlikely). I say this because by your own admission, lectures from research intensive universities tend to be sh*t... That leads me to believe that the mathematics that they learned wasn't taught (to a large extent). Hence why they find it difficult, because they just 'know' (or understand) the stuff.Aside: Out of interest what class was your degree?Thirdly, the main flaw in my argument is the fact I have no exposure about how maths is taught at other unis except for again what friends have said. At unis comparable to Imperial, the opinion is largely the same as those held by myself. I don't know what the educational climate is like at Birmingham, but it being joint 65th in the world according to some sources hosts, more than likely a lesser calibre of students than the top 10-20 universities.I mean, I may be wrong, but I am yet to hear compelling evidence to prove such a fallacy.

One of my friends read physics at Oxford and he said it was basically for brilliant mathematicians who weren't good enough to do maths there lol...make of that what you will.

[tuppatopbrer]

One of my friends read physics at Oxford and he said it was basically for brilliant mathematicians who weren't good enough to do maths there lol...make of that what you will.

Hah yeah, I'm not surprised. I heard their interviews for 6th formers were ridiculously maths (ie outside syllabus) based. Probably the reason why nothing good has come out of the department recently!

[A Bit Better]

The way you think all Maths can be learnt from books applies to almost all Sciences. Losing interest in this debate. Realistically I'm not gonna go around asking my tutors anything. I only speak to them when I am scheduled to or if I had a problem with something whilst I was undergrad. I'm done with uni now.I got a 2:2. Stings like a bitch. Irrelevant to the debate but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you were asking purely out of curiousity.

[Axiom]

do u have to apply for an accomodation with yr insurance?or do u only do that if yr firm declines after the 14th?

[A Bit Better]

do u have to apply for an accomodation with yr insurance?or do u only do that if yr firm declines after the 14th?

Only after. Your insurance will try boy it with accomodation if you end up going there so you have to get on them. Bug them. Otherwise they chat sh*t like "we forgot to send you...", "we forgot to process...."

[Axiom]

do u have to apply for an accomodation with yr insurance?or do u only do that if yr firm declines after the 14th?

Only after. Your insurance will try boy it with accomodation if you end up going there so you have to get on them. Bug them. Otherwise they chat sh*t like "we forgot to send you...", "we forgot to process...."

safe 4 tht.

[Alejandro Sosa]

august 14th draws closer.

AHHHHHHHH! Anyone know any decent, cheap methods to forge my results...

[the_one]

ang in der my retakers! o n f*ck HRM.

[imhim]

I really, really have to get this off my chest... how can you study maths? no seriously... i try to find a reasoning somewhere, but i really cant.what is it about maths, that makes people want to take it on for a bloody A Level... and then a Degree... o_O ???

[JGGB]

C/S.

[A Bit Better]

I really, really have to get this off my chest... how can you study maths? no seriously... i try to find a reasoning somewhere, but i really cant.what is it about maths, that makes people want to take it on for a bloody A Level... and then a Degree... o_O ???

One of the most respected degrees that you can do. Teaches logic and problem solving skills that employers find attractive.I didn't do Maths due to a love of maths (even though I like algebra).

[Dubby]

A Level Maths gets you into Computer Science, and I think Physics and Engineering aswell

[tuppatopbrer]

One of the most respected degrees that you can do. Teaches logic and problem solving skills that employers find attractive.I didn't do Maths due to a love of maths (even though I like algebra).

I agree.So did you do maths to enhance your career prospects?

[A Bit Better]

One of the most respected degrees that you can do. Teaches logic and problem solving skills that employers find attractive.I didn't do Maths due to a love of maths (even though I like algebra).

I agree.So did you do maths to enhance your career prospects?

Yeah. I initially wanted to do Economics & Econometrics but they didn't offer that at Brum so I applied for Mathematical Economics & Statistics. Missed the grade requirement for that which was lucky as I hadn't looked into it enough and from what I heard about it once I started at Birmingham, it's extremely difficult. Got a Mathematical Sciences place through clearing but was happy with it. I had wanted to do Maths at uni all the way up to GCSE, then certain teachers put me off it.