The Dreaded Maths And Physics. Help?

[selfin]

Originally Posted by lesgonard

It is cretinous to start a sentence with 'and,' especially twice in one post.

Neither H.W. Fowler nor F.G. Fowler held this opinion in authoring The King's English (1906).

[TheBeak]

Lesgonard knows better, she/ he is one of 'those' that wont be told I feel. Speak then think hey Les!

[charliegolf]

Is this not a numeracy thread?

CG

[Luke SkyToddler]

Here's a better plan - stop stressing about school grades, sure as sh!t dont go back to school to get them, go and get a job and save some money for flying training. School maths and physics have about 1% relationship to the stuff you'll pass the ATPL writtens, and absolutely NO relationship whatsover to what's actually required to fly an airplane. When the time comes to actually sit the writtens, a good school will teach you all you need to know regardless of your educational background. If you have actually worked for an extra year or two, saved some money and you can spend it on something constructive like hour building or even *shudder* a type rating then that is time that's better spent than more years at school doing stuff that's marginally relevant.

This "top marks in maths and physics" thing is a bit of a 1960s hang-up that was certainly asked about in the old-school days of fully sponsored BA cadet schemes ... but now they don't give a brass monkey's, since 99% of entry level jobs these days actually require YOU to pay THEM

- (Luke ST, classical studies and history major at school, now airline captain)
- (Mrs Luke ST, trained as a fashion designer, now airline FO)

[12Watt Tim]

Luke

Please don't. He will really annoy his ground instructors if he goes into class unable to do basic GCSE maths. It is not their job to teach him that, and it delays the class if they have to (distance learning he would be lost, so it also cuts that option off). If he can't do one GCSE at night school while working full-time then he won't pass his ATPLs. I agree his grade need not be great, but he should have the knowledge.

[IrishJetdriver]

Admittedly this was 11yrs ago but I asked my training provider (PPSC) to give me all the mathematics subjects that are required and are often weak. Having received this I then found a private maths tutor who got these items up to speed. I was able to do this over the school summer holiday period when the maths teachers were looking for extra beer money and it also meant I only studied what I knew I would need.

It was a great help and although the maths in the ATPL subjects was for me never easy, it was at least a recognisable foe and one I knew how to deal with. I did find the maths required was repetitive and competency increased quickly.

In this day and age I agree that a formal qualification can only be of benefit when an employer faces a pile of identical CVs (experience level) and has to have some method of selection.

[Scott Duch]

Only being 18 I may not have all that much experience but I would agree with people in improving your maths skills. By going to college to upgrade your GCSEs or via a private tutor. I had my maths up to Higher level in Scotland which is just below the equivalent A-Level. Now i'm at university doing Aeronautical Engineering and the first year maths is a third of our coursework and a fair bit is repition of what I have already been taught yet some material is new. However, the material that I have already seen is merely being enforced and as a result I gain a better understanding. I would suggest going down the route of upgrading your current qualifications.

[Luke SkyToddler]

... and yet all you teenage maths einsteins, still seem to take leave of your senses as soon as some pack of crooks present you with the option to borrow house size sums of money and work for free or worse at the end of it

A polar stereographic chart messes with everyone's head when you first try and teach it them, and I really didn't see a difference between the flash public school kids with grade 'A' maths passes, and the farm boys doing helicopter CPLs when I taught it to be honest. Either you get it or you don't.

Go and get a job and save some money dude while there's no jobs to be had - we'll see who's the maths guru at the end of the day, when this lot are earning 1000 quid a month on a "flexi crew" contract and their loan repayments are 1200.

[olster]

It would be beneficial to gain some enhanced academic qualifications particularly in the maths area(GCSE adequate) and during this downturn.As LST amusingly points out basic economic theory can be useful too.

good luck

[Crescentpirate]

Oh, by the way relating to the above topic of correct grammer, there actually is no criticism. Why must i say this? Sure the text is gramatically incorrect in standard english but we are on a forum in which does not require standard english and so we can openly use functions of slang and influency features as an affordance. Writing in fully standard english holds the contraints of time and effort. I am not knocking the need for standard english, it is important for formal occasions and speaking to people of relative importance but it is not entirly important on these types of networks.

If an employer were to look at this post it is not as if they are going to know I am Crescentpirate in the interview room. It is not entirely something you would declare or be asked in such a situation.

Txt spek removed at no xtra charge!

Lolage!

(Yeah but thanks for the tip, i will be...I mean I will be sure to address the problem when the times comes for formal writing. Thank you.)

[Genghis the Engineer]

I'm afraid that I think you're wrong there CrescentPirate. Correct spelling and grammar needs to be a matter of continuously re-inforced habit; you can't suddenly adopt good habits when required any more than you can suddenly start flying well for a skills test or line check: it needs to always be there.

G

Oh, by the way, relating to the above topic of correct grammer, there actually is no criticism. Why must i say this? Sure the text is gramatically incorrect in standard english but we are on a forum in which does not require standard english and so we can openly use functions of slang and influency features as an affordance. Writing in fully standard english holds the contraints of time and effort. I am not knocking the need for standard english, it is important for formal occasions and speaking to people of relative importance but it is not entirly important on these types of networks.

Oh, by the way: relating to the above topic of correct grammar, there actually is no criticism. Why must I say this? Of course my text is gramatically incorrect in standard English; but, we are on a forum which does not require standard English and so we can openly use slang. Writing in fully standard English wastes time and effort. I am not knocking the need for standard English; it is important for formal occasions and when speaking to people of any importance; but, it is not entirely important on these types of forums.

[kenparry]

Well said, Genghis! The problem is one of the differences between generations. The young ones who can't be bothered to spell think we oldies who can are old f*rts. They don't realise that it's still the old (relatively) f*rts who dish out the jobs, in the times that such are available.

[DeeJayEss]

Genghis for PM! Well said chap, great post - though personally I think it's hilarious that this numeracy thread turned into a grammatical argument. Does anyone wish to discuss gravitational time dilation with me?

(I did check my grammar first, but it's probably still wrong...)

[Whirlygig]

it is important for formal occasions and speaking to people of relative importance but it is not entirly important on these types of networks.

Nice. So we're not important enough for you eh? You come on a forum, ask for help, send PMs to people asking advice and receiving it free, gratis and for nothing with nary a word of thanks? Agreed. We're obviously not important to you.

Cheers

Whirls