Does anyone know which one is easier? I've done intense A level math for 2 years and I can do math but I just want an easy course so that I can concentrate on my other courses as I'm taking a few 2nd year courses this semester too.

Originally Posted by IqzFendi

Does anyone know which one is easier? I've done intense A level math for 2 years and I can do math but I just want an easy course so that I can concentrate on my other courses as I'm taking a few 2nd year courses this semester too.

1LS3 is easier than 1A03.

Thank you so much!

1A03 isn't too bad if you're already comfortable with math. I wouldn't say it would take too much more effort

i used to be very comfortable with math but i was used to British math...not North American Math..it's weird cause you would think they're the same thing but I took Calc in my previous uni and dropped it cause I was just passing which isn't really good enough for the GPA i'm aiming for so i'm looking for the easier one!

Originally Posted by IqzFendi

i used to be very comfortable with math but i was used to British math...not North American Math..

are you kidding me?

math is universal, same everywhere

nah, there's some different things, slight differences but I gave up too early! If i didn't drop it, I probably would have been able to cope

Originally Posted by IqzFendi

nah, there's some different things, slight differences but I gave up too early! If i didn't drop it, I probably would have been able to cope

Now I'm curious about these differences. I'm going to guess maybe symbols were changed around or something.

I think it's some things that British math doesn't go into but N.A math does and vice versa, and the way some things are defined, formulas etc. Mind you, I have no idea what it's like in UK universities but I do know that the high school math was different from the high school math here in various things even if they both were "calc" or "functions" etc.

it wasn't different then, they probably just covered different material

I did A2 maths too! Yay for finding someone else who's done it. Let me tell you, though, 1A03 covers like 85% of the same thing as A2 Pure maths. All the integrations (just a couple new ones), volume under a curve and stuff, and the exams are really easy, too, But good luck with LS3 anyhow...it is the easier one.

1LS3 is apparently 1A03 minus one unit of integration as far as I can tell. I think there's just some stigma around it that it's impossible compared to 1LS3 because that's what it's made out to be. In my opinion, unless you want to go to some SERIOUS med/law school, first year doesn't really matter all that much. If you're more interested in math and pretty competent overall, 1A03 might be better for you, albeit probably more difficult.

I took 1LS3 and it was unbearably awful. It was essentially grade 12 intro to calculus until the last month when my incomprehensibly bad "professor" from the Far East decided to rush through the last few units. I'd rather be challenged in class and get a lower mark than be bored out of my mind, pissed off and feel like I have wasted my money.

Also, there are many courses with 1A03 as a prerequisite that I would LOVE to take, but I can't :(

Oh, one more thing I'd better add: People are always saying 1A03 is so darn hard, but I've found the exams to be pretty straightforward (and if you're clear with the concepts, I mean REALLY straightforward). For LS3, my friends took it last winter term and the exams were really, really hard, to the point that apparently everyone was rebelling on the dicussion boards.

So just keep that in mind. It might be possible that the material you're learning is easier, but the exams tackle trickier questions. In A03, the material might be slightly more tricky, but the exams were generally easy.

Originally Posted by Willmountain

Also, there are many courses with 1A03 as a prerequisite that I would LOVE to take, but I can't :(

But 1A03 and 1LS3 are anti-requisites so you should be able to take these courses, no? What courses are they?

Originally Posted by Willmountain

1LS3 is apparently 1A03 minus one unit of integration as far as I can tell. I think there's just some stigma around it that it's impossible compared to 1LS3 because that's what it's made out to be. In my opinion, unless you want to go to some SERIOUS med/law school, first year doesn't really matter all that much. If you're more interested in math and pretty competent overall, 1A03 might be better for you, albeit probably more difficult.

I took 1LS3 and it was unbearably awful. It was essentially grade 12 intro to calculus until the last month when my incomprehensibly bad "professor" from the Far East decided to rush through the last few units. I'd rather be challenged in class and get a lower mark than be bored out of my mind, pissed off and feel like I have wasted my money.

Also, there are many courses with 1A03 as a prerequisite that I would LOVE to take, but I can't :(

Guess it's too late now, but they introduced 1LT3 last year which allows students to take upper year math courses if they haven't gotten a B- or higher in 1LS3 and were therefore unable to take 1AA3.