Pass maths paper.Can someone answer something for me?

Enemy Of Fate

Ok I'm doing pass maths, but I don't really care about it and only need a C3 in it for my course (I'm not using it for points).Now I got 53% in the mocks by doing **** all, so it shouldn't be too hard to bring it up a little bit more, but what I want to know is can I afford to leave out differentiation on paper 1?I'm planning on doing the first 5 questions on the paper and then one of the last 3, but I really, REALLY don't want to do any questions with differentiation as I can't understand it, and don't want to waste my time studying it if I can avoid it.

Anyways my maths book says differentiation comes up in all 3 questions (ie 6,7 and 8) and yet skoool.ie says it only comes up in 2 questions.Also I've checked the papers from the past 3 years, and they all seem to devote a full question to functions (ie no differentiation in them at all).Now did my book just make a mistake, or is there a chance that something could go horribly wrong and they give me 3 full differentiation questions with no questions on functions (which, while it wouldn't be the end of the world, would stilll be quite annoying and worrying)?

E92

Well I do honours maths but I think its very unwise to consider leaving out anything in Maths. You just never know what they are like when it comes to the exam. Like I think last year they threw in Induction into the honours paper on a question that should have been about differentiation(admittedly it was a differentiation proof by induction). If you hadn't studied Induction you were down 2 questions. Functions are fairly similar to differentiation. In fact differentiation is a harder version of Functions.
Never say never with the Maths exam. They are very closely related. Just because they didnt ask 3 questions on differentiation for the past 3 years doesnt mean they wont this year. They could very well ask 3 differentiation questions this year. Go over it. Most of the stuff for differentiation is in the log book anyway, and First Principles you just simply have to learn off the steps.

Actually they DID ask 3 questions with differentiation in the 2003 Ordinary paper, see here http://www.examinations.ie/archive/exampapers/2003/LC003GLP100EV.pdf

yurmothrintites

Diffrentiation can come up anywhere so even if you are leaving it out I would learn how to answer the Qa and the Qb on the exam questions just to be safe:)

Naikon

Knowing these SEC people, I wouldn't leave out anything(cept Trig, I hate Trig:D) you could leave it out and do Q6 and Q8 but there is nothing stopping them putting Calculus questions in 8.

madgal

I'm doing pass maths, and don't even need it to get into my course.

I'm just gonna run over paper 2 the night before as Paper 1 is simple enough. I got 73% in Paper 1, without looking at anything.
Differentiation doesn't come up as 3 FULL questions, but comes up as probably 2 parts in 2 questions, and 1 full question. If your really stuck for it, I have an excellent teacher who has great notes. I can photocopy and send it to ya.

Enemy Of Fate

madgal wrote:

I'm just gonna run over paper 2 the night before as Paper 1 is simple enough. I got 73% in Paper 1, without looking at anything.
Differentiation doesn't come up as 3 FULL questions, but comes up as probably 2 parts in 2 questions, and 1 full question. If your really stuck for it, I have an excellent teacher who has great notes. I can photocopy and send it to ya.

That'd be great thanks.I have notes, but they're crap, and the Less Stress More Success book covers differentiation HORRIBLY (good for everything else though).Also I plan on doing more or less the same as you in regards to paper 2, which is exactly what I did in the mock.

Funny thing though in the mock I was studying for paper 2 for the very first time the night before the exam, and I had just started the linear programming chapter, when The Dresden Files came on.So naturally I left study and went to watch it, and then completely forgot about study for the rest of the night.So finally when I sit down to the paper the next morning, it hits me.I completely forgot to study linear programming AT ALL, and so I wasn't able to do the question at all (I actually missed it when it was being covered in school as well).So I still managed to get a D1 without an entire question, so i'm sure i'll be fine anyways, but I guess I should cover differentiation just in case.

JC 2K3

Notes? For maths? I've never heard of such a thing.....

Marshy

Just to clarify, calculus is involed in Qs 6,7 and 8 on Paper 1 of the ordinary paper.

Naikon

Gotta agree with ya on that point.
Notes in maths???
This isnt History:p
Exam papers FTW.

Naikon

Also do the 2002 paper.
Its a pain in the ass compared to every other year excluding 95 but it will serve you well if they decide to put a few surprises on the paper like last year.

Enemy Of Fate

Naikon wrote:

Also do the 2002 paper.
Its a pain in the ass compared to every other year excluding 95 but it will serve you well if they decide to put a few surprises on the paper like last year.

Ok.Will have a look at that when I get time.Also why is everyone so shocked at the notion of math notes?Do you seriously not get notes that explain the thing, and then show you the solution to the questions?I don't know how i'd function without them.......

JC 2K3

Well maths books are generally straightforward and not long winded, which kinda eliminates the need for extra notes.

As for solutions, well any question I can't do I either use the marking scheme from examinations.ie or ask a friend.

Naikon

I use this site for solutions as its really handy:

http://homepage.eircom.net/~horstpunzet/

It contains most solutions for Ordinary level maths and a paper or two for higher and foundation maths, and it breaks stuff down more sometimes whereas examinations.ie is more of a guide but still adequate.
I think the TCD website has a few pages for Higher maths no?

madgal

Yeah. Breaks down the questions such as for

Area and volume - formula's but also questions and solutions to trick questions that could come up.

It really dumbs down the maths, so it appears simple. We don't use math's books, just notes.