Maths In Focus vs Fitzpatrick Vs Terry Lee Vs Cambridge (1 Viewer)

[Purplelollie]

I've just started yr 12 (2015) at the moment and in the process of buying textbooks from the (2014) students. I slacked off pretty bad in yr 11 because...well yeah...I'm one of those idiots and I do 3 unit maths (double stupidity), nevertheless I didn't completely fail the subject (to the surprise of my teacher) did pretty well for 2u and passed 3u (also I don't go tutor). But the pressure has (FINALLY) got on to me and I realise...how fucked I am...now here's the important part I need help on.

2unit is kinda a joke to me while 3unit I find it hard to keep up, mainly because my prelims foundation is not strong so I realised I need a prelim book to revise on, one with good theories to help me build a foundation, I don't want a 'challenging' textbook that goes straight into kilin me when I don't even know the reason for my death (laziness I tell you) with that I ask you guys WHICH TEXTBOOK SHOULD I GET? FIRST I've been lurking around and everyone seems to hate maths in focus (cause it's too easy) but maybe that's what I need to begin with second question is after I build my understanding and foundation what textbook should I use next?

TO SAVE YOU ALL FROM READING MY BORING LIFE STORY HERE'S STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

1. What textbook should I get to revise on PRELIM 3u maths topics (as I slacked on in yr 11) I need a textbook to help me build a foundation, to help me understand the basics?

2. AFTER I understand the basics which textbook is more suitable to help me achieve high marks?


THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR GUIDANCE

 

[seventhroot]

inb4engima

 

[seventhroot]

imo Terry Lee is the one I'd go for and Cambridge is alright. Fitzpatrick has some good questions but nothing beats past papers. there are some 3U notes in my sig

good luck

 

[astroman]

damn wasn't inb4enigma but everything apart from MIF is good

 

[enigma_1]

Ahahahah OP my sig explains it all

I would recommend cambridge as the questions are structured from easy to getting progressively difficult. You should aim to do at least the foundation and some of the development sections (I think that's what they're called). The extension ones aren't really necessary.

The only problem is you don't have worked solutions, whilst Terry Lee has worked solutions, but what I found was his textbook and Fitzpatrick don't always go from easy to hard. Sometimes there are hard questions in the first few questions which is really offputting for people like me ahah.

Under no circumstances should you use Maths in Focus. It's completely terrible and simple and will probably lower your IQ or something lol.

 

[BLIT2014]

Ahahahah OP my sig explains it all

I would recommend cambridge as the questions are structured from easy to getting progressively difficult. You should aim to do at least the foundation and some of the development sections (I think that's what they're called). The extension ones aren't really necessary.

The only problem is you don't have worked solutions, whilst Terry Lee has worked solutions, but what I found was his textbook and Fitzpatrick don't always go from easy to hard. Sometimes there are hard questions in the first few questions which is really offputting for people like me ahah.

Under no circumstances should you use Maths in Focus. It's completely terrible and simple and will probably lower your IQ or something lol.

Can confirm.Opened Maths in Focus. Lost 30 IQ points...

 

[Fiction]

I have the same problem as OP tbh ;-; My teacher gave me some maths in focus textbooks and told me to just look over them + relearn some of the stuff since they were easier to understand than the cambridge (the textbook which my school typically uses). However upon bringing it home, my sister was like really against the MIF. Her argument was somewhat like enigma's except she also made thepoint that MIF has some incorrect theory components? Would like to confirm whether that's true or not since it's been putting me off since.

 

[enigma_1]

I have the same problem as OP tbh ;-; My teacher gave me some maths in focus textbooks and told me to just look over them + relearn some of the stuff since they were easier to understand than the cambridge (the textbook which my school typically uses). However upon bringing it home, my sister was like really against the MIF. Her argument was somewhat like enigma's except she also made thepoint that MIF has some incorrect theory components? Would like to confirm whether that's true or not since it's been putting me off since.

Maths in focus competely neglects some concepts altogether and sometimes it gives formulae for things you need to derive so yeah it's a very useless textbook.

 

[nerdasdasd]

Maths in focus competely neglects some concepts altogether and sometimes it gives formulae for things you need to derive so yeah it's a very useless textbook.

Maths in focus is legitimately a helpful book and I won't start a argument with you.

 

[theodore0307]

If you are pretty average get it because it is pretty simple and clear in explaining concepts, but also get the Cambridge for more "proper" questions.

 

[Drongoski]

Isn't Maths in Focus the most commonly prescribed school textbook for Maths?

 

[enigma_1]

Isn't Maths in Focus the most commonly prescribed school textbook for Maths?

Yeah it is, sadly. There are only some schools that use cambridge or something including selective schools and stuff. Maths in focus is really easy to teach from and some maths teachers aren't great at teaching maths (unfortunately). Eg at my school, teachers usually read out the t/b (MIF) word for word and usually don't have a depth of knowledge about the topics. It's really ineffective in teaching maths :/

For people who don't understand my argument, I suggest having a skim through MIF and you will instantly realise why it's so bad. The queations are easy and don't reflect the difficulty of hsc maths questions.

 

[enigma_1]

If you are pretty average get it because it is pretty simple and clear in explaining concepts, but also get the Cambridge for more "proper" questions.

Yes. Lyk me. I admit I used MIF to help with the more difficult parts of 3 unit because Cambridge was too hard for me lol. And yeah in a way it helped for the starting point but definitely don't rely on it. If you need it for this reason, please don't waste money buying it btw. There are other ways ~

 

[Purplelollie]

After researching and reading through everyone's replies (btw I rep everyone here who bothered to help me , thanks heaps btw ), I came up with a plan, I manage to get a copy of maths in focus hsc and I got the prelim version for $7 YEAH!!!

My plan is to use maths in focus just to build a foundation, basically I'm doing the easier questions to get the hang of it before I challange myself with Cambridge/fitz/terry Lee (I bought them too, for very cheap and in good condition)

THANKS A LOT PEEPS!!!

 

[astroman]

After researching and reading through everyone's replies (btw I rep everyone here who bothered to help me , thanks heaps btw ), I came up with a plan, I manage to get Maths in Focus Hsc soft copy ver for FREEEEEEE and I got the prelim version for $7 YEAH!!!

My plan is to use maths in focus just to build a foundation, basically I'm doing the easier questions to get the hang of it before I challange myself with Cambridge/fitz/terry Lee (I bought them too, for very cheap and in good condition)

THANKS A LOT PEEPS!!!

thats good, but remember, maths is all about practice, the more u do, the better u will get, don't just do textbook questions, start doing past papers for exams asap

 

[RenegadeMx]

screw the haters maffs in focus is the best,

 

[iStudent]

I'll be completely honest. I ONLY used maths in focus for prelims + hsc 2/3u (although I did SOME of the class exercises and a few past papers - very few for 2u/3u). It is an easy textbook I'll admit (comparatively). But if you really truly understand the proofs and the theory then you don't really need harder questions to extend your understanding. (obviously you need a degree of mathematical creativity too).

Basically, true understanding + mathematical creativity > harder questions > MiF. However, for the typical student I highly recommend NOT using MiF. It is an easy textbook and it's not all the time that concepts just "click" after you do them. (I started MiF back in year 9 and when I did it again during school everything clicked for me - I was quite lucky in that sense).

Btw I am expecting high e4 for 3u.

 

[studyfreak]

our school gave us fitzpatrick and to be honest i found that it was very similar to hsc questions. if u want a bit of a challenge i recommend that you work with cambridge. but if you also want to excel use success one and like 1-2 past papers every day and mark them as this helped me heaps during the hsc. good luck

 

[Carrotsticks]

Cambridge is the best one because it runs you through everything in great detail, and most questions asked in the HSC are covered in there as it's got pretty much everything you can ask on topics in it.

But then again, it does depend on your ability. A slower student struggling with the basics may find it less useful than Maths in Focus.

 

[Immortality]

Maths in Focus is cancerous, end of story.

You are far better off doing Cambridge and Terry Lee