WHY STUDY MATHEMATICS?
Maths is part of our everyday life, when you buy a car, follow a recipe, or decorate your home, you’re using maths principles. People have been using these principles for thousands of years. Maths can help us make important decisions and perform everyday tasks. Maths can help us to shop wisely, buy the right mobile phone contract, budget, understand statistics or even bet on the horse with the best chance of winning the race when you are old enough to do so.
When am I ever going to use Maths in my life?
There are many and varied opportunities for students who go on to study Maths.
Did You Know?
I just want to earn money!
All the major banks and finance houses employ teams to develop models to predict the future behaviour of share prices on the Stock Exchange, interest rates and many other economic indicators. Major roles are played by the areas of probability and statistics.
Why does it always rain in Manchester?
The weather which is constantly changing is modelled by very complicated equations. Forecasts are based on measurements from satellites, weather stations, etc. However, whenever a measurement is made, small errors will arise. Often these have no effect but in some situations, as time goes by, they not only persist but get worse and calculations eventually become worthless. This is linked to a phenomenon called chaos. Mathematical advances could lead to long-range forecasts becoming more reliable.
I’m too busy watching TV!
Think of a plasma screen television. You will probably be aware that Physics, Chemistry and Engineering have been involved in its construction but Mathematics has also played a role. Attempts are constantly being made by mathematicians to improve picture quality, e.g. to cope with footballers moving quickly.
Don’t bother me now I’m shopping on the Internet!
Security issues dominate our lives in various shapes and forms. Consider internet shopping, where the buyer is required to type in a credit card number and other personal details. To avoid a hacker emptying out the buyer’s bank account, the details of the transaction have to be encrypted (scrambled) at the buyer’s end and decrypted (unscrambled) at the seller’s end so that the hacker can make no sense of them as they go down the wire. Number Theory provides the key. Thus one of the oldest and most beautiful branches of Mathematics has really come into its own, even if it has had to wait 2000 years to find an everyday use!
Careers in Mathematics
- The financial sector takes a large percentage of Maths graduates who become accountants, actuaries, traders on the Stock Exchange, fund managers, investment analysts, bankers, etc.
- Statisticians are employed by government departments, health boards and pharmaceutical companies.
- The IT sector employs Maths graduates as programmers and systems analysts.
- Employers are looking for people who can think logically, analyse a situation rigorously and then make a sensible decision on the basis of their conclusions. These so-called transferable skills are all part of a mathematician’s training and make pupils who are good at Maths highly sort after and employable.
- Mathematics degrees make the biggest difference to earnings over a graduate's lifetime, the extra lifetime earnings of a mathematics graduate compared with an A-level leaver average is over £225,000.
- Mathematics graduates have one of the lowest levels of unemployment in the UK.
All of this could be for you and starts with your Mathematics GCSE. Look at the following information to see where your journey starts. If you want to know any more information ask any of the Math’s Department.
Pupils who are sitting their GCSE Mathematics in June 2010 and June 2011
Pupils will be entered for the Edexcel 1380 linear syllabus or the Edexcel 2381 modular syllabus.
KNOWLEDGE UNDERSTANDING AND SKILLS |
ASSESSMENT |
TIERS OF ENTRY |
Using and applying mathematics (Weighting 20%) Number and algebra
(Weighting 50 - 55%) Shape, space and measures
(Weighting 25 - 30%) Handling data
(Weighting 18 - 22%) |
LINEAR There are two written papers, one non-calculator and one calculator: each paper is worth 50% of the final qualification. Foundation Tier has 2 written exams of 1½ hours. Higher Tier has 2 written exams of 1¾ hours. MODULAR Foundation Tier only Unit 1, Data Handling worth 20% of the final qualification has 2 written exams of 20 minutes each. Unit 2, Algebra, Number, Shape and Space worth 30% of the final qualification has 2 written exams of 30 minutes each. _ stage 1 non-calculator multiple choice test Unit 3, Algebra, Number, Shape and Space worth 50% of the final qualification has 2 written exams of 1 hour each. There are two written papers, one Non-calculator and one Calculator: each contributes 25% of the final grade. |
At the Foundation Tier grades C - G are available
At the Higher Tier grades A* - D available
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For more information, please see Mrs Beale in the maths department
