LC Maths Paper 2
Ailbhe (Higher Level Maths)
WHERE WERE THE THEOREMS????????I'm sorry Mr. Chief Examiner but I happily divided my weekend amoung perpendicular distances, angles between lines and cos (A+B), I was not a happy bunny rabbit to see a grand total of zero theorems on the paper after I had so painstakingly learned them.Paper two was definitely harder but that was expected due to the lack of challenge posed by paper 1. In my wisdom I started off with question 3. "You like trig Ailbhe, get that sorted first off, we'll deal with circles, vectors and lines later".Part (a) not a problemPart (b) not bad eitherPart (c) sure I didn't know which way was up in that question In the end I resorted to using some dodgy "area of a trapezium" formula that I came across leafing through the tables for part (i). It's not on the course and I don't think I even did it for Junior Cert, but you know what they say - always trust strangers!I was very happy with Q8 which was my elective. The MacLaurin series and I have never had the best of relationships but we overcame our differences and worked it out in the end.What was most thorny about paper 2 was that it's harder to check your answers. I found that there were a lot more questions in paper 1 where you knew if you were right based on the answer you got. Paper two just left me all adrift!I have been waiting to say this sentence since day 1 of Fifth Year and I'm going to relish it for all it's worth.I NEVER HAVE TO DO MATHS AGAIN!!! EVERRRR!!!!
Owen (Ordinary Level Maths)
Back again after a weekend that could not have gone any slower!!My clock just seemed to taunt me for the whole weekend with its 'tik tok'-ing and believe me, I was not feeling like P Diddy with my head in the books! :(How and ever, the exams are now back in full swing!!Maths Paper 2... well to be honest, it was a lovely paper, couldn't have asked for a nicer more user-friendly paper! I really like the “does exactly what it says on the tin” attitude that goes with it and as for the whole simplicity of plugging numbers into formulas... LOVE IT!!No surprises on this paper I have to say and I, personally found all the questions grand... everything seemed to go well from area and volume to linear programming... however, it left me wondering what the probability was that Irish Paper 1 would be the same!??!
LC Maths Paper 1
Ailbhe (Higher Level Maths)
As soon as I got the paper, I searched for the theorem that would tie up my grey matter in knots. It wasn't to be found. Slowly the realisation dawned. No theorems on the paper. I was caught somewhere between utter contentment and drastic disappointment. I had sacrificed precious hours and hours to learn off those god forsaken theorems in the belief that they would earn me an easy 20 marks on the day, only to find that they had been omitted. Of course this would happen, when has maths ever been a walk in the park? Even when I know my stuff it still throws a bombshell down my alley!Moving on, I actually found the paper quite easy, it’s always the paper that you find the easiest that serves up the D however! This is coming from a girl who sailed into the exam centre confident in the knowledge that I would not have to lean on the strength of maths to support the weight of my CAO form. All I was interested in was passing it. As long as I got at least 114 marks on the paper, I was out of the woods as far as maths was concerned. I'm happy to say that the long hours during which I waded through the treacle of alpha, beta, iota, delta x, quadratics, binomials and the rest somewhat paid off!I'm slightly worried it will be two for the price of one on theorems in Paper Two due to the serious absence of them in Paper 1. Who cares? Its 4 down 6 to go and I'm off to the gym!
Owen (Ordinary Level Maths)
After making great use of another lie-in, I was well recuperated after my strenuous English exam yesterday. I found myself up early enough all the same and got the brain to a quick start practicing as many questions as possible, getting all formulas in my head and stationary ready!The paper itself wasn't too extreme and had the usual variety of questions that have been asked over the past several years however there were to me anyway some debuts featuring 'roots' taking to the stage for the first time in question 3 part C and question 8 (V).However everything else was very much approachable and overall, I’m quite content without how the exam went expect for the odd C part questions but nothing to keep me down!As for some of my other exam sitters, they found the paper to be extremely difficult and a real struggle and while they had their own solution to the questions, they were able to find the exam centre door much easier than solutions for X's and Y's, making a quick and early exit!Now with the weekend ahead of me, it’s going to be jam-packed full of revision, revision and more revision with some tough exams and full days next week, but all the same we’re getting closer to the end! :D