Difference between high school maths and university engineering maths (1 Viewer)

[AllTogether]

Hi,
As in the title is there much of a jump between high school maths and university maths? I only completed extension 1 and am yet to know my results. Does anyone have any personal experiences or suggestions?

 

[BlugyBlug]

Yes. In my opinion, the final 1131/1231 exams had a difficulty somewhere between 3U and 4U HSC exams. (About a 3.5/10, where 0 is 3U difficulty and 10 is 4U difficulty). The 'type' of difficulty is a bit different though. In your HSC you had an entire year to study, so the difficulty of math comes from complex/difficult questions. In university, most of the difficulty is because there is just so much to learn.

That said, ext 2 gives you a MASSIVE advantage - but 3U knowledge is definitely sufficient. I guess it depends on your aim. If you're looking for credit or pass, 3U is fine. Distinction will be a reasonable aim if you did well in 3U. Personally, I think it's quite difficult to get HD without Ext2.

If you're REALLY worried, I'd recommend learning a bit of complex numbers and maybe linear algebra if you want (Khan Academy is good). Complex numbers was basically pure revision for every ext2 student in first semester. Linear algebra/Matrices will be completely new for everyone there.

 

[trapizi]

There is no number in engo maths

 

[anomalousdecay]

Its moreso that the type of maths you do is quite different. The workload does slightly increase as you have a shorter amount of time to get through the syllabus compared to high school, but personally I find the work more interesting in uni.

As for the difference, in uni the definitions and rules are a lot more rigourous and there can be quite a large degree of abstraction in the work you do.

 

[D94]

Even 'university engineering maths' has a wide ranging spectrum. What one might do in mechanical engineering would be quite different to what one might do in electrical engineering.

As for a 'jump', I don't think it's a jump. It's just new stuff. Just like the new topics covered in MX1 compared to 2U. You build onto the stuff you already know. If you are a capable and motivated MX1 student, then you shouldn't have too much trouble with engineering.

 

[RenegadeMx]

uni maths is more fun

 

[obliviousninja]

In uni, maths its a sausage fest

/thread

 

[kalstar]

In uni, maths its a sausage fest

/thread

what if he was in an all boys school, so no difference then?

 

[anomalousdecay]

Even 'university engineering maths' has a wide ranging spectrum. What one might do in mechanical engineering would be quite different to what one might do in electrical engineering.

This too. There are different courses for maths which different engineers have do. Electrical Engineers will do quite different maths in second year compared to most other Engineers.

 

[turntaker]

I cant wait for uni maths

 

[Amundies]

In uni, maths its a sausage fest

/thread

Maths? Are you sure? At usyd there's quite a lot of females doing maths subjects.