MATH1141 or MATH1131 (2 Viewers)

[hectic18]

Hey!

I'll be starting off a BE/BSc (com sci) and I'm wandering if I should go for MATH 1141 or MATH 1131.

http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/courses/2006/MATH1141.html states that for 1141, Assumed knowledge: HSC Mathematics Extension 1 and Extension 2. Students will be expected to have achieved a combined mark of at least 186 in Mathematics Extension 1 and Extension 2.

I presume the combined mark refers to the sum of your MX1 and MX2 HSC marks? I've got 92 for MX1 and 91 for MX2, giving me 183, so I don't know if I should go for the 1141 or 1131.

Advice greatly appreciated

 

[chucknthem]

Go for math1141 if you enjoy doing math and want some nice scaling I didn't get anywhere near the recommended marks and still got (80+) distinction for 1141 and 1241, so you'll be fine, in fact, I know a few people who got similar mx1 and mx2 marks as you who have above 90 math marks

 

[hectic18]

Thanks chucknthem, I'll probably go for the 1141 then

 

[ianc]

hi there!

don't do it for the scaling, because the bottom line is that if you don't do any work you won't go that well.

the math1141 paper has some significantly harder questions than the math1131 paper (many of which are just untouchable), so the scaling simply makes it fair. i don't think it really boosts your mark in any way - i probably would have received very similar marks had i done math1131.

however it is a bit more challenging and if you're unfortunate enough (like me) to have to suffer through maths again in 2nd year, it puts you in a slightly better position.

 

[STx]

MATH1141 is for electrical based majors

dont bother if ur not doing it

mm I don't think so, it's for people who enjoy maths. The algebra lecturer for 1141 last year Peter Brown was awesome, he always liked to mention lots of interesting math history as well.

 

[drynxz]

Im in the same position as you. I got 185 for my combined 3u and 4u mark.
I did the online cola test however. and it said i shouldnt do MATH1141, but im doing it anyways.

Is it possible to drop back down to MATH1131 if we find it too difficult?

 

[STx]

Im in the same position as you. I got 185 for my combined 3u and 4u mark.
I did the online cola test however. and it said i shouldnt do MATH1141, but im doing it anyways.

Is it possible to drop back down to MATH1131 if we find it too difficult?

yep you can drop down up until a week or two i think, or probably the census date make sure with the lecturers. Btw what engo major are you doing?

 

[loser101]

do 1141.

the final exam is 90% the same as the 1131 exam, just the last q'n is harder.

you will get heaps better scaling aswell as the words advance on your transcript.

also maths is required later in your Sci (maths degree)

i was doing Com/Sci (finance/maths) aswell, however after 1st year i figured i wanted out of Uni asap. and didnt want to do a thesis aswell.

 

[chucknthem]

do 1141.

the final exam is 90% the same as the 1131 exam, just the last q'n is harder.

60%

you will get heaps better scaling aswell as the words advance on your transcript.

I wouldn't call it heaps, it only scales depending on how the 1141 class performs against the 1131 section in the 60% of the test that is common to both courses, so it only balances the marks

also maths is required later in your Sci (maths degree)

you mean B Engineering? he said he was doing comp sci for science

Im in the same position as you. I got 185 for my combined 3u and 4u mark.
I did the online cola test however. and it said i shouldnt do MATH1141, but im doing it anyways.

Is it possible to drop back down to MATH1131 if we find it too difficult?

yes, you can drop down to 1131 in the first 30 days without penalty, but with a score like that in the extension maths, I doubt you'll find 1141 and 1241 difficult at all

 

[drynxz]

yes, you can drop down to 1131 in the first 30 days without penalty, but with a score like that in the extension maths, I doubt you'll find 1141 and 1241 difficult at all

Thing is, is that i did the COLA test and did miserably (67/120) because I forgot most of my maths work. Im doing flexible first year in my commerce/engineering degree, but I am leaning towards civil. I dont think Math1141 is necessary but I am ambitious. What benefits would a higher maths class give you?

 

[chucknthem]

A more challenging course to prepare you for more math courses in later years(you'll probably have a few more math course in second year for engineering)

They generally give you better tutors for tutorials.

A better chance of getting Distinction+ (although this pretty much depends on you , but I think something like 50% of the higher class get at least a distinction)

Other than that, it's perfectly fine to take 1131 if you don't want the extra workload or don't like doing math. You won't be disadvantaged much if any at all. (although I think you have to do exceptionally well if you want to take higher second year math courses (something like 90+) whereas you only need a distinction(?) in higher for that. But I don't think that's enforced just like how the 186 combined mark thing is not enforced.

 

[mmmk]

Where can you access the COLA test?

 

[almost done now]

Last year I thought that I would want the challenge of MATH1141/1241, but I think first year would have been more enjoyable if I had just done the easier courses.

As musk says, there is no advantage in doing Higher Maths - except perhaps if you are doing a maths major. For engineers, maths is just a tool and to be honest I couldn't care less about the various derivations of pi - which we spent at least 5 entire lectures on (yes I sat through Hirschorn's MATH1241 lectures too....thank god he's retired now )

That way you will do better in your other subjects which actually interest you!!

Good luck for first year everyone!!!!!

Here are my 3 tips:
1. don't buy ANY text books.
2. drink lots of beer. fund this using the money you saved from text books.
3. go to as many free barbeques as possible. engineering barbeques normally have free beer. the hillsong barbeques have thick sausages (what a luxury!) but no free beer, so it's worth the effort of putting on a big christian smile for just a few minutes.

 

[Vylen]

ignore the idiotic troll...

in any case i agree about the whole benefits thing - which is pretty much nothing unless you do subjects who really need them.... if you want a higher chance in getting a D or HD then feel free to do the higher maths courses....

otherwise, just stick with the normal ones... in my first year i did 1131 and 1231... a couple of my friends did 1141 and one did 1241 and they felt it was an utter waste given our computer based degrees... they might prove useful later for random things, it'll just be figured out as we go along.... the only maths courses that were truly useful for us were 1031 (discreet) and 2400 (finite) and you dont need a higher knowledge of math for them...

oh yea, and more people would be doing the normal courses i think, greater chance of making more friends if you care about that stuff, heheh

 

[Li0n]

you uneducated sack of shit

The benefits of a person to do MATH1141 would be a person who is an electrical based major where it will assist them to do electrical subjects such as

MATH2069
MATH2099
ELEC2141
ELEC2134

EDIT: Waiting for a reply!

You are, an absolute idiot, I don't even know where to start.

 

[acmilan]

1141 is a harder version of 1131, simple as that. The content you learn is almost the same, and for the main part the end exam you do will be almost the same. There are not many things that require you to do the harder version, most people in there you'll find do it because they're good at maths and enjoy it. If you have the ability to, I encourage you to try it out, you can always drop down to 1131 if you dont like it.

1141 does scale better, but you still need to do well in it to get the good scaling. If you barely pass it you're better off just doing 1131. And dont worry about the requirements, they're probably a bit misleading, they dont really enforce it all that strictly and you can certainly do well in the subject without meeting those requirements.