The city’s annual Maths Conference had a brilliant turnout from both teachers & students.
The annual Maths Conference for Year 12 students – held this year at the University of Southampton – was a highlight of the summer term in the South. It was aimed at those who are considering taking their study of mathematics beyond A level, although all who take a keen interest in the subject were very welcome. This year’s conference was held on 5th and 13th July and welcomed students from local schools, as well as those who travelled from London, Bristol and the West Country. The day comprised four sessions, designed to provide a range of content across a variety of learning contexts.
The fun maths roadshow was one of the more active sessions, with prizes for the top two teams in each group! One session looked more in depth at university admissions examinations, including STEP (Sixth Term Examination Paper), AEA (Advanced Extension Award), MAT (Maths Admissions Test) and the relatively new TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission). This session was also a great opportunity to have a go at tackling some of the questions on these papers with support and guidance from an expert. Students practiced their presentation skills in a session called ‘Writing and Presenting Solutions’, a highly interactive way of exploring a range of interesting maths problems. Finally, students delved into mathematical proof, an area which permeates the study of maths at university level. This session opened up some key techniques and looked at many different ways of proving results, with students commenting on finding valuable methods and new ways of thinking.
An enjoyable and valuable day was had by all. Here are just a few comments from those in attendance:
- “I could see other ways of solving a problem that were new”
- “The proof session actually begins to introduce what university level maths is like”
Next year’s Maths Conference will be held at Portsmouth University in July 2019. You can find out more about Maths conferences here.