Best/Most Useful Textbook (3 Viewers)

[Riviet]

so even if you buy a brand new copy of the Coroneos, it still has that really ancient font and the really cramped lay-out?

Yes.

 

[pLuvia]

Fitzpatrick and/or cambridge. And get the free Terry Lee 3u exercises from his website

 

[~shinigami~]

And get the free Terry Lee 3u exercises from his website

Whoa, I never knew that. I'm so there!

EDIT: I only see MX2 stuff.

 

[redom]

Our skool uses focus...and it SUX!!...well i guess its catering for the 2 or 3 ppl that fail in the class.....i personally recommend terry lee's books for both 3 n 4 unit. Cambridge is good, but i only started using it recently, found it hard to get into it for some reason. Pheonix is also a must have, although the answers are often wrong, they still provide essential hsc type practice with worked answers.

Ummz, personally, I own and have used quite alot. And they includes Margaret Grove's Maths in Focus, Pender's Cambridge, Fitzpatrick, the Phoenix ones, Terry Lee's Essentials, Couchman's 'orange stripey' book, Coroneos.
I find MiFocus is shit and useless, but good for those who like to learn the basics, but useless after that, since questions in that book doesnt test your understanding.
Cambridge is good for topics that requires 'partings' in the exam. What I mean as partings, are those questions which will be asked in parts of i, ii, iii, iv, v ,... . THats because other text books usually just type up the whole question and requires you to know what to do first and what todo last. BUT, thats not what happens in HSC. Topics include: Binomal, PROB'Y, SHM, PrJtile, Parametrics.
Fitzpatrick... TRUE.. they have mistakes in the back. However, the text has question that TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING. Fitz is good for Induction, geometry, Calculus, Applications of Calc.
Phoenix is A MUST-HAVE. It has full solutions, so that explains it all !!! Good to read and observe the method and technique.
Terry Lee's ... not many pplz have that book...Bcos its only available at the Dymocks at George Street, Sydney City, or online. His book's level is between that of Fitz and Cambridge. I highly recommend that book. Overall, the questions are set really appropriate. However, it doesnt have solutions, not in BOB (back of book) nor has anyone written them yet (unlike Cambridge, and Fitz of which Sam El Hosri has written and I have access to).
Couchman's... Ummmz... His book is one of the oldest so it doesnt really follow the trend , but as a reference for explaination, its alright..
Coroneos... His text is really good in both the explanation and questions. But some of the questions are impossible..not because they are hard, but they dont have partings.

Summing up, you SHOULD buy the PHEONIX, FITZ and TERRY LEE.

In addition, those who are getting past papers. DO NOT BUY SUCCESS ONE. Their solutions are poor. They are full, but it doesnt provide well-explanation, nor does it provide alternatives + notes. CORONEOS' HSC Exam Papers are the BEST BY FAR in Australia. It costs a little expensive than Success One, but you learn MUCH MORE from CORONEOS.

Thats all.. Hopes there hasnt been too much to read.. Pyrodude1031

ps. i think terry lee's gonna release like a second(or third whatever) edition of his 3unit book, with worked solutions and in colour (hehe i like this lol), im using photocopies of it at the moment and its really good!

 

[the leader]

Why is it that all the schools seem to use Maths in Focus when it is so bad? My school uses it so I went and got myself Cambridge today just to save myself from failure.

Surely the teachers realise that there are better textbooks out there? Can someone offer some enlightenment here?

 

[dr baby beanie]

Yeah my school only uses maths in focus (but I think they're phasing in the Jacs for the younger years...so shiny!)

Maybe they're reluctant to buy more coz there might be syllabus changes. That or they think if they use hard text books, they won't have a maths class anymore .

 

[Slidey]

Maths in Focus is easy. That's also why it is bad. Teachers like easy because it makes teaching easier. It also makes the teaching low-quality.

 

[Riviet]

Maths in focus is useful for when you are first introduced to a topic. But as you progress and develop your skills, you will need to move to other textbooks for more standard and challenging questions.

 

[-pari-]

which is when ----> coronoeos becomes good

after doing coroneos i dont really feel a need for any other book coz of all the variety of questions and their difficulty

 

[dr baby beanie]

ps. i think terry lee's gonna release like a second(or third whatever) edition of his 3unit book, with worked solutions and in colour (hehe i like this lol), im using photocopies of it at the moment and its really good!

Yeah, but it comes out in 2008 from what I know. Guess 07's will be using the second edition.

 

[ianc]

Maths in focus isn't even worth using as firewood, let alone as a textbook.

I used Maths in Focus for Extension 1 and i can't complain about my mark.

So if you do Extension 2, it really doesnt matter what extension 1 book you use

 

[dr baby beanie]

I think we've established that the best text books are: Phoenix, Cambridge, Terry Lee, Fitpatrick, Coroneos...?

However what are the strong points in each book?
Like are some books better for certain topics than other's?

I only have a Fitz for ext 2, but for graphing it doesn't have all the graph solutions. Or rarely any solutions for any other topic.

 

[SoulSearcher]

I believe there's a thread like that in the 2 unit forum, and I think it covers the math courses, although not many of the books.

Here it is:
http://community.boredofstudies.org/12/mathematics/91726/comparison-textbooks.html

 

[dr baby beanie]

Thanks

 

[SoulSearcher]

No problem, although it's lacking a few texts. Stuff can be added to it as always though

 

[pLuvia]

No problem, although it's lacking a few texts. Stuff can be added to it as always though

Exactly if you have any recommendations or anything you want to add please post in that textbook thread and I will update it as soon as I can

 

[xclusv2bhung]

hahaz.
hey whats the website for that Terry Lee thing ? havnt heard of it before .. ^^"
someone link me up hahahs.

 

[dr baby beanie]

hahaz.
hey whats the website for that Terry Lee thing ? havnt heard of it before .. ^^"
someone link me up hahahs.

Only coz I'm nice...and bored

Terry Lee

 

[xclusv2bhung]

ohh thanks BUNCHES !
=DD
nah im sure you`re always this nice ahahah.

 

[SoulSearcher]

ohh thanks BUNCHES !
=DD
nah im sure you`re always this nice ahahah.

She isn't always nice