Applied maths is easier - and far more interesting - than you might think

There's a perception that applied maths is a subject for students who love a challenge. As if honours maths weren't enough for them, they insist on taking a subject even more taxing on the brain.

Of the 1,612 students who took applied maths for Leaving Certificate last year, most took it as an extra subject, studying it in their own time with a tutor or in a private tuition group. To the uninitiated it looks like penance.

Christy Maginn, who teaches applied maths at St Declan's College in Cabra, in north Dublin, is keen to dismantle this myth. Applied maths is a lot easier than honours maths, he believes, and well within the grasp of any student who doesn't live in terror of figures.

"Obviously, if you really fear maths then applied maths is not the subject for you, but if you enjoy it on any level it's worth considering," he says. "The subject has become very accessible and student friendly in recent years. The exam has been cleared of jargon, and the questions are a reflection of the very practical ways that we use maths in our everyday lives."

We all know that applied maths is a useful tool for the engineer, but it's also a bonus for the golfer, the driver, the extreme-sports enthusiast and anyone who is curious about the world around them.

"Some of the puzzles we solve in applied maths are really practical," says Maginn. "Why does a motorcyclist lean into a corner? Why does a thrown ball follow a curved path? How do you measure a mountain using only a stopwatch? These are curious questions that engage a thinking person and use only a small amount of maths, most of which is not nearly as complicated as the calculation you need to answer questions on the honours maths paper."

The syllabus and the exam follow predictable structures, according

to Maginn, making it easy for students to do well if they do even

a modest amount of work. "As an extra subject it requires maybe 60 per cent of the effort required to take an extra language. Many students with a decent aptitude for maths take it as a way to score extra points if they're not so strong in other subjects."

Few schools offer applied maths as a subject, so if you're interested you'll probably have to make an arrangement outside school. If you can gather three or four other interested students from your class, however, it's worth approaching the principal and asking if he or she can arrange a class for you or put you in touch with a local teacher.

Decision time is archived in the transition-year part of www.skoool.ie