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 [i]Calculus Made Easy[/i], 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.
