Why do people think Mathematics Extension 2 is so hard? (3 Viewers)

[khfreakau]

Do Q8b of the 2003 hsc exam.

ah yes. how about 8b of the 1989 hsc exam? they're both some of those infamous "wtf how to do" questions. no kidding, if someone (except stacey law) can look me in the eye and tell me that q8 is easy, i'd think they're crazy.

 

[4025808]

ah yes. how about 8b of the 1989 hsc exam? they're both some of those infamous "wtf how to do" questions. no kidding, if someone (except stacey law) can look me in the eye and tell me that q8 is easy, i'd think they're crazy.

LOL omg stacey law, she's such a genius...
then there's others at ruse like her, able to do those questions, e.g. my tutor's son who went to ruse

 

[cutemouse]

ah yes. how about 8b of the 1989 hsc exam? they're both some of those infamous "wtf how to do" questions. no kidding, if someone (except stacey law) can look me in the eye and tell me that q8 is easy, i'd think they're crazy.

I think that was a terrible question. Because some students who were doing extracurricular maths in maths clubs etc had seen that question before and knew how to do it and therefore it was unfair on other students who had not seen that question before. Apparently it was written by someone at USyd.

Also, apparently the 1989 paper had quite a few errors.

 

[Omnipotence]

I think most 4U questions are written by Uni professors.

 

[The Derivative]

guise I start 4u tomorrow

i'm scared.
Should I get a separate book or combine it with my 2/3u work?
triple maths...

 

[Omnipotence]

False. You do 2U Maths.

 

[Alkanes]

Obviously she trollin.

 

[The Derivative]

haha, silly me


nosrs. separate book or what?

 

[Alkanes]

Yes separate book should do you good for complex numbers

 

[Omnipotence]

Seperate Books.
I use a different one for 2/3/4U, the disadvantage is that my bag is heavy.

 

[ZombieApocalypse]

Do you need year 11 maffs for year 12?

I'm 6 chapters behind and I don't know if I should bother catching up with my 2/3u prelim work

 

[jnney]

I am going to be entirely honest, 4u is a little intimidating for me. I started complex 2 weeks ago, which is okay. Hopefully I'll get to settle into it soon.

 

[AAEldar]

Do you need year 11 maffs for year 12?

I'm 6 chapters behind and I don't know if I should bother catching up with my 2/3u prelim work

Have a look at the topics in 4U and you'll see what's needed. You should definitely catch up though.

Also, separate book for 2/3U and 4U.

 

[mirakon]

1. Yes, it is. Anyone who is sitting in a 4U classroom for a whole year will eventually be able to do it with practice and understanding. Stop putting the course on a pedestal. Why wouldn't any remotely good at maths not want to do it? I'm going to tell you a little background of myself; a few years ago when I was in Year 9 I was failing absolutely everything in Maths and rather badly too, and I only had like 2 good tests for the whole year, not because I found it "hard" but because I was barely listening in class, not doing any revision, didn't make any effort to ask questions for things I found difficult, or else I am sure I would have done much better. I was so bad, in Year 10 I was reccomended no maths, but then it suddenly clicked to me. I had to stop being lazy! If I wanted to get better, I needed to find that fire and that motivation and that hunger to do well. I started setting up myself a study timetable and I told my parents to block facebook, youtube, or any other non-educational websites, and I even started seeing a tutor, and with those small steps, I started getting better; my results were improving, and as I started making studying my biggest habit, and my results skyrocketed by so much, that at the end of the year, I ended up with an A on my report. That exact time a year ago, I was getting an D. And then obviously for Yr 11 I picked 3 units of Maths, and then 4 units in Year 12. Now if someone had told me 3 years ago I would be doing 4 units of Maths in Year 12 and finding it simple, I would have told them that they're living on some other planet. So ANYONE can do it;doesn't matter how clever you are; saying it is hard and all of that crap, that's just being lazy, like it or not.

2. No, but that's pretty much what you need to start off with.

1. There's a difference between saying anybody can do it and saying that it is easy. There's a reason why not that many people take extension 2 mathematics, its because its difficult. Yes its difficulty is overrated, but by no means is it 'easy'. If it was so easy, people would be getting 100% all the time, but that just doesn't happen.
2. Yes that's what you start off with, but there's much more too it. Hell, most people start off with curve sketching which barely has algebra.

 

[Hermes1]

i agree with mirakon. ppl who say it is overrated r usually those who r doing really well in it. now if someone who was average was asked they would say it is freakin difficult.

wat would be better to say is that volumes, complex numbers and polynomials are overrated but topics like harder 3unit and circular motion (im guessing havent done it yet) are definitely worth their reputation

 

[PhysicsGirl]

That's news to me. I've had students who find even Gen Maths a challenge.

You are obviously very talented in maths. Would be interesting to see what you get for your 4U for your HSC - maybe 98?

Hoping for 99+

 

[Drongoski]

Hoping for 99+

Wow!

 

[PhysicsGirl]

i agree with mirakon. ppl who say it is overrated r usually those who r doing really well in it. now if someone who was average was asked they would say it is freakin difficult.

wat would be better to say is that volumes, complex numbers and polynomials are overrated but topics like harder 3unit and circular motion (im guessing havent done it yet) are definitely worth their reputation

When I said I was "average", I didn't mean it in that way. Perhaps I shouldn't have said that. True, if you're an "okay-ish" at Maths, 2U would be far more suitable to you or 3U. But there's no reason an average person in Maths can't learn the course. I mean, common, you are sitting there for a whole year; how can you not learn anything? That's why I suggest anyone remotely good at Maths should go for the course. It is very rewarding and the scaling is enormous, and no I am not in favour of people trying out 4U just for the scaling, it will be a complete waste of your time. You would much rather spend your time studying for something that you like.

 

[Hermes1]

Hoping for 99+

wow holy crap u must be heaps good bcuz 99 wuld be a state rank.

 

[Hermes1]

When I said I was "average", I didn't mean it in that way. Perhaps I shouldn't have said that. True, if you're an "okay-ish" at Maths, 2U would be far more suitable to you or 3U. But there's no reason an average person in Maths can't learn the course. I mean, common, you are sitting there for a whole year; how can you not learn anything? That's why I suggest anyone remotely good at Maths should go for the course. It is very rewarding and the scaling is enormous, and no I am not in favour of people trying out 4U just for the scaling, it will be a complete waste of your time. You would much rather spend your time studying for something that you like.

yes anyone who is not completely retarded with numbers should definitely try 4U. but they shuld realise most selective skools cap the number of students doing it. so out of the 3500 doing MX2 each year not many of them are going to be stupid.