Irish Junior Science Olympiad

chatterboxxx95 · 18-10-2011 7:59pm #1

Okay, this Isn't the best forum to put this in, but it you have to be in Ty or 5th yr to do IJSO as it is based on jc results so here's the best place i can think to put it!
Has anyone else been invited to participate in this?! I was told by my principal today that she wanted to get me and a lad in my year to do it, you have to have a minimum of 6a's, two of which must be maths and science. She wanted me to do it as she said I'd have a chance of getting it with 12 A's. It sounds like an amazing opportunity, the irish finalists get to go to South Africa, but here's the kicker, there's an age limit and I'm two months over age. I'm fuming about this as the age limit is be born on or after 1st of Jan 96, which a majority of people in my year would be over that anyway!>:(
Just wondering is anyone else encountering the same problem or is anyone else going for it?

devilbevin · 25-10-2011 7:45pm

I sent in the registration form but I only got 5 A's, below the minimum of 6. Given the amount of people who are goingto be over the age though, I'm hopeful of getting in. Anybody know how many people go to the DCU thing.

Glowworm4 · 25-10-2011 8:11pm

I sent mine too but was the only one in my school as no one who got over 6 As was under the age limit which I was just under. There don't seem to be many going to it from here either so maybe they'll waive the 6 A but it's an international competition so I don't know if they'd waive the age limit!

LawwRaaa · 27-10-2011 6:03pm

yeah i got asked to participate in it too

got 10As but born 6 weeks to early, it's ridiculous :mad:

Indiego · 30-10-2011 12:07pm

Ive never heard of this :O
I got 10As in the JC and Im only 15,
Could someone explain what is?

Glowworm4 · 30-10-2011 6:58pm

It's basically a science olympiad, the test is multiple choice on physics, biology and chemistry. It's for people who have done their junior cert and gotten more than six As with two in maths and science and are under 16 on the first of January of the next year.

The test is on the 5th November in DCU this year and the top six get to go to South Africa to participate in the international competition. They go through training in DCU before they go though. This is the official website. Hope this helped

chatterboxxx95 · 30-10-2011 11:49pm

My principal ended up emailing them, the age limit is an international thing, so nothing can be done

Indiego, your principal should have told you, this is cat, it seems so badly organised, you'd have a very good chance with your results! Best of luck to all of you who enter, I'm still raging though, 12 's and two months over age!>:( I'm kinda glad I'm not the only one though!!

Silivrenniel · 02-12-2011 7:24pm

I'm too old as well, and I got 11 As. Ugh.

MegGustaa · 02-12-2011 9:52pm

Silivrenniel wrote: »

I'm too old as well, and I got 11 As. Ugh.

I got 11 As, but I was born in 1994 (I'm now in 5th Year). There's another competition for the older ones, the IrEUSO (for which you have to choose one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics) - that should be for 1995s this year. If you've qualified, your school should be sent a letter with the application forms.

The thing is, you don't just have to get a lot of As - you have to be a top scorer in Science and Maths (the SEC notify the school actually, with your number, based on the score, not just the grade). In my year, 6 got 9 As, 4 got 10 As and I got 11 - nearly all of those included an A in Science and Maths - but I was the only one asked to compete. I'm pretty sure you do have to be asked!

Ended up getting Gold in Biology

shadowninty · 03-12-2011 5:26pm

Have any of ye thought about trying for the Maths Olympiad?

Indiego · 04-12-2011 3:32pm

shadowninty wrote: »

Have any of ye thought about trying for the Maths Olympiad?

Why is my school so **** and never tells me about any of these thing -__-

Care to elaborate? Never heard of it :L

Jackobyte · 08-12-2011 11:51pm

Indiego wrote: »

Why is my school so **** and never tells me about any of these thing -__-

Care to elaborate? Never heard of it :L

It is similar to the Science Olympiad, but without the stupid age limit. You just have to be still be in the senior cycle of second level education (4th Year and up).

The Irish Math Olympiad used run enrichment classes in various colleges around Ireland(UCC, UCD, UL, NUIG, NUIM) from January onwards preparing students for Olympiad level maths. These were open for anyone to attend and then there was a test in May to decide the top 6 in the country to go onto the International Math Olympiad(2010 was Kazakhstan, 2011 was Amsterdam, 2012 will be Argentina AFAIK).

This year they have introduced a system where students must achieve suitable results in a testing stage before attending the enrichment classes. Your school should have been noted about this at some stage as Round1 testing was meant to have taken place 14th to 18th November.

Link to IrMO website where you can find out more.

It mightn't be too late yet as the enrichment classes don't start in Limerick until Jan 19th anyway. I presume other colleges are the same so you may still be allowed in. I was just talking to a friend, a girl who'll be going to the Limerick one, and she said she wasn't even asked to take a Round#1 test, that her teacher put her through based on her JC experience and results so you might be okay.

If you can, I'd advise doing it. I did it in TY and while it is a lot of work at times, and you will probably find yourself out of your depth for large chucks of it, it will stop your brain from completely seizing up during the year. And you tend to make friends with like minded people there as well as you will find others who genuinely have an interest in Mathematics and Academics.

If you have any other questions, shoot!

shadowninty · 08-12-2011 11:59pm

Indiego wrote: »

Why is my school so **** and never tells me about any of these thing -__-

Care to elaborate? Never heard of it :L

Its sounds like the science one, but my friend is in it and outside the science Olympiad limits, they go to enrichment classes in UCC

robman60 · 22-01-2012 1:45am

Big bump, but anyway...

I was also asked, and shortly after disappointed.

I emailed the guy because I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that so many people were ruled out immediately because of age (in my school it ruled out three of the four otherwise eligible students).

He replied promptly, telling me that these age restrictions were on an international level, and it's just unfortunate that we don't do a similar exam to the Junior Cert. earlier.

I couldn't really do any more than that, still very disappointing though.

dean1997 · 25-10-2012 7:10pm

I bet you didn't

MegGustaa · 25-10-2012 7:27pm

robman60 wrote: »

Big bump, but anyway...

I was also asked, and shortly after disappointed.

I emailed the guy because I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that so many people were ruled out immediately because of age (in my school it ruled out three of the four otherwise eligible students).

He replied promptly, telling me that these age restrictions were on an international level, and it's just unfortunate that we don't do a similar exam to the Junior Cert. earlier.

I couldn't really do any more than that, still very disappointing though.

Surely if you're too old for the IJSO you can still do the IrEUSO? When I did it I was invited for both competitions in the same letter, they're both organised by the same people in DCU. This year it should be 1997 or later for IJSO and 1996 or later for IrEUSO.

Irish Junior Science Olympiad

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