Maths Paper 1 – “pure gammy”

(Note: Ordinary level Maths being discussed here)

Yes, pure gammy. I have done every single exam paper from 2009 back over and over again, yet somehow they manage to pull the most obscure weird little summies out of nowhere. Let me see:

Q1: I have completely forgotton how to do scientific notation or whatever. I punched in the numbers and pressed the EXP button over and over again, yet each time got a different answer. I gave up. The part (c) had me thinking for a bit, but on reviewing the question I figured it out and I’m pretty sure I got it right. Yay! At this point in the exam I liked Maths.

Q2: Oh algebra. We’ve never been friends. At least I can rest happy in the knowledge that I will never have to do it again! Question (b) bothered me a bit as it said “Solve for x and for y” and to me that implies one answer, and I got two. Who knows. Part (c) of that question I completely ignored, as the method for alegbraic division has entirely left my mind. I started to dislike Maths.

Q3: I did the (a) part, then decided I would leave it out completely and only do the required 6 questions. Still disliking Maths.

Q4: Complex numbers = not complex! Except for the (c). I can normally do those sort of questions, but the reals and the imaginaries would not sort themselves out no matter how many times I tried. At this stage I reasoned with myself: Maths isn’t so bad, right?

Q6 (we don’t do Q5, for undisclosed reasons): Again, the part (c) got me. How the hell do you get f ‘(x) of that thing? No idea. The little table thing was a cute idea. Thanks SEC. Hate you.

Q7: The first principles and product rule were ridiculously easy, but they had to make up for it in that weird-ass part (c). I answered (ii), acceleration question, and left it at that. Well and truly despising Maths at this point.

Q8: Part (v)! What was that? Three real roots? Guh?

At half 4, I laboriously treasury-tagged my graph sheets to my exam booklet (how gammy were they? About as gammy as the paper, in my opinion) and handed it up. I just have to pass Maths, as I’m not counting it, but I was kinda hoping I’d be confident enough that I had passed it. Oh well.

Irish next (yes, I just deliberately ignored Maths Paper 2.) I’m slightly worried about the essay, because the only way I’ll be able to produce a good one is if I learn it off. I’ve got Polaitaiocht, An gCulu Eacnamaiochta, Drugai agus Difhostaiocht prepared, but who knows what’ll turn up on the day. Any tips? My teacher doesn’t “do” predictions, but she’s been going pretty heavy on Politics all year, so I’m going to focus on that. Though if we’ve learned anything from English Paper 2: Predictions mean absolutely NOTHING.

Good luck good luck good luck!

Valerie

10 thoughts on “Maths Paper 1 – “pure gammy””

  1. Am I a really horrible person that I prefer when people talk about how exams went badly for them rather than when they come rushing over like “omg that was so easy!!”? I think so….. :S

    Not that I’m not sorry maths didn’t go well for you! Really! It just kinda makes me feel not so bad about my own disaster of an exam…. (I’m sure you did fine anyway! :D)

  2. Hahaha! No you’re not, I think everyone is like that. I felt so bad yesterday when I found English alright, I felt like I was letting the side down or something… Stupid I know.

    And I’m sure you also did fine! Optimism! 🙂 🙂 🙂

  3. hey….im feeling nice so i think i will give u a few hints 4 irish paper 2….theyr not definits but a good gues..political essay, jack, nil aon ni, bimse buam, an chead drama, uircheal an chreagain, fiche blian ag fas……..hope it helps n if any1 has any other ideas plz let me know!!:)

  4. I was hoping for an A1 in maths, I think I can safely kiss that idea goodbye. They better make up for this with a nice straight forward paper two

  5. I have to agree with Claire, it’s rotten seeing people beaming afterwards especially when it feels like you’ve just had a disaster of an exam….I feel like the whole thing has gotten off to a terrible start…and now I have to learn the entire Irish course this weekend!!!! My fault, I know…. 😛

  6. I’m pretty sure I got the same as you for (b) part (ii). I got two points. Didn’t think it was right at first but other people seem to have got it too.

    The complex numbers part (c) was weird alright. I think I got it though when I just put in zeros where the real numbers didn’t match up to the imaginary. Like 0x and then made it =0.

    Anybody else do that?

  7. Hey thanks for the Irish tips! Hoping for the political essay because I’m sick to the back teeth of going over and over every single essay we ever did… Claire, I have about a bazillion poetry notes to go through, not looking forward to it at all.

    Yeah my god…Paper 2 better be nice. I really really just want to pass this nicely.

    Oh good, thanks Aaron! I didn’t do that with the complex though. I hate when they take things you’re familiar with and put a completely different spin on them 🙁

  8. I don’t know how people learn off whole essays… I just learn the bullet points and phrases to get me through as many essays as I can.

  9. Sounds like you handled the maths pretty well Valerie. Some of those part (c)’s were definitely tricky.
    For Paper 2, I would really advise everyone to just get stuck in to all parts of each question, even if they give you some of the more obscure stuff, or word it in an unusual way. Attempt marks can really add up and when you put them with the other parts that you can do comfortably, they can get you up to the higher grades.
    Best of luck with Paper 2!
    Eamonn
    http://www.TheMathsTutor.com

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