Pin this up on your wall

“There are many who find a good alibi far more attractive than an achievement. For an achievement does not settle anything permanently. We still have to prove our worth anew each day: we have to prove that we are as good today as we were yesterday. But when we have a valid alibi for not achieving anything we are fixed, so to speak, for life. Moreover, when we have an alibi for not writing a book, painting a picture, and so on, we have an alibi for not writing the greatest book and not painting the greatest picture. Small wonder that the effort expended and the punishment endured in obtaining a good alibi often exceed the effort and grief requisite for the attainment of a most marked achievement.” – Eric Hoffer 😀

and

“They who lack talent expect things to happen without effort. They ascribe failure to a lack of inspiration or ability, or to misfortune, rather than to insufficient application. At the core of every true talent there is an awareness of the difficulties inherent in any achievement, and the confidence that by persistence and patience something worthwhile will be realized. Thus talent is a species of vigor.” – Hoffer, again!

Good luck and keep us updated! Go and become an educational psychiatrist or something so you can work with children who have basket cases for parents.

Which

colleges are going to accept someone with no GCSE onto their A level maths course?

Plenty if you approach a tutor/teacher on an individual basis and show aptitude and interest. I studied Medical Science at a pretty good university without any Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Maths A-levels (because I’m **** awesome ). Are you saying that my university has lower entry standards than some shitty 6th form?[/quote]

Apparently they do, because the one I teach in wouldn’t; you need a B at GCSE, or equivalent.

I’m sure there are plenty that unofficially would take him on, if he could show via other means that he was capable.

I took Geography and Geology at A-levels having never studied Geography at GCSE level.

So the chemistry predicament. It is possible to do both the GCSE and A-Level in 2 yrs, if you are not having to study too much else. So start with the GCSE. The IGCSE from the NAtional Extension College (www.nec.ac.uk) is completely distance learning with no lab work required. I believe that they will allow you to do it over one year. Once you have got the GCSE then you should do the A-Level in Chemistry along with Biology and one other. That is, to do 3 A-Levels starting next year; universities like to see you doing 3 a-levels together!

http://www.newmediamedicine.com/forum/levels/58710-level-chemistry-biology-without-gcse-chemistry-biology-help.html

https://www.nec.ac.uk/course-categories/gcses-and-igcses

I’m sure there are plenty that unofficially would take him on, if he could show via other means that he was capable.

We’ll take people without GCSE maths, but they need the equivalent.

I took Geography and Geology at A-levels having never studied Geography at GCSE level.

I’m sure you did. They weren’t A-level maths though, and different subjects will have different entry requirements. Even at the NEC you linked to, they say “we advise that you have studied maths at GCSE or equivalent level.”

I would be very worried about anywhere accepting someone on an A-level maths course, if they didn’t already have the GCSE (or equivalent) at a decent level.

Why? Mathematical ability is a hell of a lot easier to quickly assess than subjects that are more focused around writing such as history or geography.

I’d forgotten basically everything from GCSES maths at University and jumped straight into calculus.

But yeah, if the OP isn’t capable of teaching himself a good level of maths perhaps he should take evening classes to GCSE level.

Why? Mathematical ability is a hell of a lot easier to quickly assess than subjects that are more focused around writing such as history or geography.

Because it’s a bloody hard subject.

No it isn’t. 😈 People only find maths hard because of statements like that, they panic and switch off.

I’m now looking forward to miketually’s 2nd order differential equation to prove that maths can in fact be a bit tricky 🙂

[quote]

Why? Mathematical ability is a hell of a lot easier to quickly assess than subjects that are more focused around writing such as history or geography.

Because it’s a bloody hard subject.[/quote]
No it isn’t. People only find maths hard because of statements like that, they panic and switch off.[/quote]
I’m now looking forward to miketually’s 2nd order differential equation to prove that maths can in fact be a bit tricky.[/quote]

At A-level, the STEM subjects are not just more difficult on average than the non-sciences, they are without exception among the hardest of all A-levels.

There’s a graph on page 6 which ranks the subjects by difficulty.

Well, I find maths and chemistry a lot easier than stringing together a coherent history essay. I’ll have a read of that paper tomorrow.

Maths difficult? This says all that needs to be said. 🙂

Foreword from Calculus Made Easy, by Silvanus Thompson

Considering how many fools can calculate, it is surprising that it should be thought either a difficult or a tedious task for any other fool to learn how to master the same tricks.

Some calculus-tricks are quite easy. Some are enormously difficult. The fools who write the textbooks of advanced mathematics—and they are mostly clever fools—seldom take the trouble to show you how easy the easy calculations are. On the contrary, they seem to desire to impress you with their tremendous cleverness by going about it in the most difficult way.

Being myself a remarkably stupid fellow, I have had to unteach myself the difficulties, and now beg to present to my fellow fools the parts that are not hard. Master these thoroughly, and the rest will follow. What one fool can do, another can.

Seeing as the OP has not been brainwashed into wage slavery, maybe he should consider seeking an education which will let him be his own boss. He may like to check out Bill Gates qualifications, or Steve Jobs.

Tom_W1987 – Member
Why? Mathematical ability is a hell of a lot easier to quickly assess than subjects that are more focused around writing such as history or geography.

I’d forgotten basically everything from GCSES maths at University and jumped straight into calculus.

Or you absorbed what you were taught at GCSE and considered it to be general knowledge. Subjects like maths and science build on what was taught previously. For instance in my 1st year in Chemistry half the year without A-Level maths had to be taught a chunk of the basic maths that was covered at A-level. the rest of us had some free time and then moved onto some of the more interesting concepts to help with the basics of quantum stuff. Rather than spend time teaching people GCSE maths in A-Level classes they would be better learning it in order.

It also may be poor memory from me but calculus was part of GCSE maths when I did it.

I can’t be arsed reading everything on here (which pretty much describes my school life), but I’m now 43 & left school at 16 with just a handful of CSE’s (like a crack-whore version of an O level).

I signed on the dole & worked on a battery hen farm before getting on a YTS scheme. I then moves into retail and by the age of 20 I was the manager of a shop but realised I wouldn’t get any further without getting some qualifications.

I went to college as a mature student (not that mature at 21) & got myself 2 A levels, an AS level and GCSE maths grade C (still numbers dyslexic).

Bizarrely I enjoyed college that much that I ended up going to University and getting a 2:1 in PE & Psychology. I then went on to do my Masters in research method.

I’m now a Copper and don’t use my academic qualifications at all; not sure what this offers to you, but just because you’re not bothered about education now, doesn’t mean that you won’t in future.

It also may be poor memory from me but calculus was part of GCSE maths when I did it.

It wasn’t when I did it (1993) and it isn’t now.

fair enough it was 95 when I did them 🙂 I did do a lot of maths at school so it does all blur a bit.

Another thing you need to do is build a bigger network. MBing is a good opportunity to do this through organised rides at your LBS. They won’t be the most exciting rides but you will come across a wide range of people who may know of some job opportunities you are not aware of.

There’s a graph on page 6 which ranks the subjects by difficulty.

Biology is harder than further Maths, I am better than you… oh hang on

Biology is harder than further Maths, I am better than you… oh hang on

I don’t teach A level maths, I teach A-level physics 🙂

education doesn’t get you a job – I’ve got a PhD and work in a supermarket lol 🙁 However, not having one will more than likely mean you won’t even get a job in a supermarket.

There’s some good advice on here and you seem level headed when you write.

I haven’t been in your situation but my three brothers left school with not many GCSE’s and didn’t complete college. They are all doing alright for themselves now. One used a YTS to work his way up in insurance, one started at the bottom in law and the other was doing minimum wage manual work until he joined the army and trained up as a technician where he has been getting jobs left right and centre since he left! Also, he’s not a bellend but don’t tell him I said that.

Another observation is that in the engineering industry a lot of my colleagues have used apprenticeships as a springboard to more senior roles from engineer to supervisor and even director. If you like practical things then aiming to get on an apprenticeship could be worthwhile.

Lastly, there were a few areas/modules on my engineering degree course where I seemed to totally get, others that were a right pain. I seemed to want to work in an area I found the pain where I might have been better of expanding my skills in the areas I was good at. As it is, I’m doing neither of those and feel like an excel monkey.

So in summary:
– You aren’t on the scrap heap at 16 – plenty of time ahead
– find things you like and pursue them – qualifications help

Best of luck

It also may be poor memory from me but calculus was part of GCSE maths when I did it.

It wasn’t for me. They put me on the intermediate paper, which I scored something ridiculous like 99% for.

I then did two modules at University level in my first year, that were supposedly equivilent to A-level mathematics…..subsequentlty I fell in love with Statistics and took as many modules in it as I could.

fair enough I did the advanced stuff.

But in the end of it, people know what GCSE’s are and at a push O’levels. There may be great reasons for not having them, or how much or capable you are without them or why the bit of paper you have is better or as good as is you have to find someone willing to listen to explain it to them. The accepted bit of paper gets you into the room, unfortunately that is the way of most of the world.