Have either of you studied maths at an undergraduate/postgraduate level?
In short, I'm hoping to learn a) enough calculus to understand undergraduate microeconomics and b) enough probability and statistics to understand the kind of data analysis used in randomised controlled trials.
I was looking for what kind of thing I might need to learn first and give myself some sort of structure. I came across images like the one attached.
Right now I am very good with algebra, and would place myself at a 'precalculus' level. Is it fair to say I'd need to follow the branches presented in this tree?
You can skip nearly everything on that chart. Most working scientists have a remarkably meagre grasp of mathematics.
I'd suggest working through the precalculus and calculus modules on Khan Academy and having a crack at the book Discovering Statistics using R by Andy Field. The latter is a complete course in statistics that takes you from "I vaguely remember my GCSE maths" to "I know enough stats to blag a social science paper through peer review".
If you're particularly interested in economics, you may want a textbook written specifically for that purpose; I'm told that Maths for Economics by Geoff Renshaw is a good option. It's all relatively straightforward algebra and calculus that's covered on Khan Academy, but you might find it helpful to see relevant examples.
Some ISPs block LibGen, so try a proxy if the links don't work.
I studied maths at A-level then went on to do an Engineering degree.
At A-level, you had a choice of core maths + mechanics, or core + statistics. (You could do both but it counted as 2 A-levels and only a few complete freaks did that.)
Everyone was told, people going on to study science and engineering should take mechanics and statistics was for politicians and economists.
My lack of knowledge of statistics ended up being a bit of a demon ever since.
I'm 24, I didn't finish secondary school, but distinctly remember enjoying Maths and I've messed around with code a little. I was in higher tier for Maths in high school and did quite well practicing, unfortunately I never sat my exams.
I'm getting sick of working in a shit warehouse, I'd like to pursue something that I respect that will allow me to earn more money. Programming perhaps? I also really want to dedicate my life to something meaningful, and whenever I read about Mathmaticians I envy the position. I'd be proud to call myself one.
Would it be worth it at my age to take GCSE's and A Levels on Open University? I really think I'd enjoy learning Maths again. After seeing some ads, I like the look of it. I'd love to be able to see myself at a university one day.
Would it still be possible to learn to the point where I could practice serious complex problem solving or am I too old already? How long would it take to get to that point, just out of curiosity?
I've carved out a shift pattern with work that I can survive on that leaves me with 50 spare hours a week. It's tight, but learning has to be better than wasting the time.
I appreciate any advice chaps, outside of a handful of guys at work, I really don't have anybody else to speak to.
Sounds like an awesome and highly feasible path, lad. I'm sure we had someone around these boards that experienced difficulties early on in life but pursued maths by some unconventional means to a very high level (PhD, postdoc, something like that). I'm hoping he's around to chip in, but if not, I'm certain it can be done.
The most I can offer is that universities do have access courses especially for people like you. If I remember right, they run over A-level type material to get you up to the speed of an undergraduate.
>experienced difficulties early on in life but pursued maths by some unconventional means to a very high level
That would be me. My path was homeless alcoholic -> dole scum -> shelf stacker -> OU maths degree -> MSc/PhD at Manchester University -> consultant in the software industry. I can't remember most of my early twenties, just vague fragments of A&E, police custody suites and piss-soaked sleeping bags. I'm still a total degenerate, but I'm a sober degenerate who gets paid silly money for mucking about with data.
There was no big turning point in my life, I just started saying yes to things. I suppose the Alcoholics Anonymous lot would call it reaching rock bottom - I felt like I had nothing to lose, so I just took any opportunity I was offered and ran with it. I said yes when an outreach worker offered me a place in rehab, I said yes when a rehab counsellor referred me to a housing advisor, I said yes when the JobCentre offered me a work placement, I said yes when a colleague suggested that I try the OU.
The Open University don't require any prior qualifications, so you can skip GCSEs and A levels. I'd suggest starting with the science, technology and maths access module. This course will give you a taster of a wide range of possible degree courses and sharpen up your study skills. You'll be able to take the access module for free.
To receive an honours degree from the OU, you'll need to earn 360 credits. Most part-time students take 60 credits worth of courses per year, which works out to about 18 hours of study per week. You can be awarded a Certificate of Higher Education after 120 credits or a Diploma of Higher Education after 240 credits. It's possible to use these intermediate qualifications as an entry route into a traditional university.
Studying at the OU does require quite a lot of organisation and self-discipline, so it's not the right choice for everyone. You do get fairly good support from your personal tutor, but you need the motivation to be an independent learner.
There is another option which you might want to consider - the Access to HE Diploma. This is a college course for adult learners that's offered by most Further Education colleges. You generally don't need any qualifications to start an Access to HE course. Some colleges ask for GCSEs, but it's often possible to take a key skills assessment instead. The course lasts for one year full-time or two years part-time and most universities regard it as being equivalent to three A levels.
No colleges are currently offering an Access to HE diploma in maths, but you could do a diploma in computing, engineering or science. The fee is typically between £1,000 and £2,000, but you can fund it with a student loan, so you don't have to pay anything up front.
If you're determined to turn your life around, it's a really good option. You could be starting at university in September 2019. You'll get regular face-to-face teaching, which a lot of people find easier to manage than distance learning. There's a full list of colleges and courses on the Access to HE website.
If you're worried about the cost of study, don't be. Student loans sound scary, but they're dead straightforward and completely affordable. You don't have to pay anything up front. If you're studying full-time, you can get a loan for your living expenses. You don't have to repay a penny until you're earning at least £25,000 a year. If you're earning more than that, your repayments are automatically deducted from your wages along with your tax and national insurance. No matter how much you've repaid, your loans are wiped out after 30 years. There's a really good guide at the link below.
Whatever you decide, go for it. If you enrol now, you can start in September or October of this year. If you're unsure about your options, pick up the phone and give the OU or your local FE college a ring. If I can do it, you can do it.
>>6356 Is there a time limit on the Access to HE scheme? Not OP but I've also been doing some serious thinking about the career I'd like to go into after being a fuckup in early life, but I won't be in a position to return to education for the next 2 years because of contracts and other life obligations. Politically I worry whether this country will still be running these schemes in 2020. Thank you for the excellent post, too, it's helpful to more than one of us.
>>6356 Absolutely inspiring! This is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you for the guidance, I really appreciate the help mate! I'll be giving this a go for sure.
I wouldn't worry about it too much. The Access to HE diploma has been available in some form since 1989. Some universities had been running their own access programmes since the early 70s. Many universities offer alternative entry routes for mature students based on their work experience or professional qualifications. There are also several vocational qualifications that can lead to a degree.
I strongly doubt that any government would try to limit the routes into higher education. For Corbyn, it's a matter of principle - the proletariat deserve a good education. For the Tories and the Blairites, it's simple economics - an educated workforce is good for the economy. It's possible that some mickey mouse degrees might see funding cuts under the Tories, but higher education is rightly seen as a vital part of a successful economy.
The pleasure is mine, truly. Returning to education changed my life and I hope that it will change yours too. If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to help.
On a somewhat similar note to some of the posts in this thread, is there anything out there that one can gain qualifications in within a couple of years and get a decent-ish job or career path at the end?
>>6362 Financial advice. To get the Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning you need to pass five multiple choice tests and one two hour written test which you can bullet point. The bar isn't set overly high and you can qualify in about a year or two.
Demand exceeds supply in the industry so, with a bit of report writing experience, you're pretty much guaranteed to be able to never earn less than around £25,000 -
£28,000 ever again but you can walk into a job paying up to £40,000 if you're any good at it; the highest I've heard of a Paraplanner being hired for is £55,000 and that's in Yorkshire. If you go on to be an adviser then I believe the average salary is about £90,000 but earning six figures is feasible.
>>6360 Speak of an open question, mate, and it really depends on your target income and luck.
A friend of mine got his CSCS, put in the graft for a bit and build some connections then financed his forklift license. The connections were necessary to get the required hours on a forklift to get a decent job doing that. It's a "once you have it, you're fine" kind of deal. It's a very relaxed kind of job for ~£35k.
Through a previous job (warehouse monkey in an electrical wholsalers) I met a few electricians. If you're good and get the qualification out of the way, you can do alright at £30-£40k. If you find an SMB and you are the site electrcian, expect £40-£50k while having a bunch of possibly interesting responsibiilities. Others more well versed in these industries can advise you better, I defected to IT.
Just following up on the links you posted. These textbooks are fantastic, thank you, genuinely. If this thread is still around by the time I finish my course, I'll stick in another update then.
