Higher/A-level/IB maths some notes and observations

Once you get to Higher/A-level/IB HL maths you have chosen to study it. Congratulations!

Why congratulations? Well, you have chosen to study the subject that, for good or bad, has changed the face of the world like no other.

However, you have also chosen a subject that, as is well known, offers challenge aplenty, but also opportunity aplenty, both to learn and to show how capable you are of learning. Congratulatuions!

A presentation with a pic of Seymour Papert on the screen
The one really competitive skill is the skill of being able to learn. Seymour Papert

More post-16 maths propaganda can be found at the links below.

One of the most important topics in post-16 maths is Optimisation — a bread and butter technique for maths since calculus was invented in the 18th C. Tutees are always interested in getting the most out of this question (at least in terms of the available marks). It presents challenge, and opportunity. Accept the challenge and grasp the opportunity, you are well capable of doing so.

So here is my take on how to tackle it.

Remember the only competitive skill is the skill of being able to learn!