STUDIES OR STANDARD?

[allimac]

Hey guys,

I studied maths Standard for a year and now I have to decide whether or not to go down to studies.

I want to study business at uni. Some courses require Standard maths, others don't.

I got a 5 in my end of year exam and I put an average amount of effort in it.

I am confident that I could easily get a 7 in studies.

What do you guys think I should do? Is it better to have a 5 in standard or a 7 in studies?

Thank youuuu

[Black Bird Lockheed]

Right now you got 5 in standard and next time with a bit more effort you may get 6 or 7. Anyways don't lower the standard of maths because it is one of the important subjects and for univs will prefer 5 or 6 in math standard rather than 7 in studies.

[alefal]

Anyways don't lower the standard of maths because it is one of the important subjects and for univs will prefer 5 or 6 in math standard rather than 7 in studies.

That really depends on what programme and what university you're going to study at. I know the US universities tend to be sceptical towards Math Studies, but in the UK they couldn't care less as long as you study something non-scientific (that is, no medicine, physics, engineering or any of the like). Certain programmes will require a higher level of mathematics, but they will state so in the requirements of that very programme.

My tip to you, allimac, is to identify the universities you want to attend to, and check their criteria. If some of them do require maths SL, don't change to studies. Furthermore, I wouldn't say you're guaranteed a 7 in studies, even though it's regarded as an 'easy' subject. There are some mathematics they go through which standard level would never touch. You will also have to familiarise yourself with less abstract mathematics, though this could be a benefit depending on what kind of mathematics you prefer. I'm not sure whether or not you've touched upon the IAs yet, but another thing worth considering is the difference of these assessments. Whereas in SL you're given a problem you're supposed to solve, you'll be able to define your own project in Math Studies. For instance, I looked at the relationship between corruption and official development aid per capita. If you choose to stay with SL, do a lot of past papers. That will prepare you immensely for the next exams, and will most likely also help you remember the various mathematical processes. Anyway, if you end up changing, don't be too complacent, and end up struggling because you regarded Math Studies as a nonissue.

Good luck!