[rainbowtrout]

Originally Posted by CTYIgirl

Hi, I've read through the thread, but I was wondering a few things. Would you be able to pick up ag in 6th year and do decently in it? I do 8, but I'm dropping History and I need 560 points for my first choice course, with two pass subjects. My school offers it, and the teacher said he wouldn't have a problem with me joining, but I'm worried I wouldn't be able to do the course well enough?

OK. Well the hard part is over, you have access to a class and a teacher. You've read the thread so you know what is involved.

Next thing to do: Go to examinations.ie and have a look at some of the exam papers and get a feel for the subject. If you are doing Biology or Geography there will be some overlap.

After that if you decide to do the project let your school know you are changing over. Ask the ag science teacher what project work he has already assigned and get on top of it over the summer. Get a book. Ask him what sections of the course he has done and start doing some work on them so you are up to speed as much as possible when you come back in September.

A lot of people do ag science in one year. It's a favourite in grind schools (although I'm not a big fan of the grind school system). Even if you got the biology side of things out of the way and revised over the summer you would have a good bit done (plant physiology, animal physiology, genetics, microbiology, ecology, soil science).

If you are not from a farming background, sort out where you are going to go to get the experience and information needed for your practical project.

Buy a grow bag and some seed potatoes this week and plant them. Take photos and continue to do so over the summer.

[Westsa]

Originally Posted by Bubbleope

Just to the ag science students:
I got that Breaking Ground leaving cert book last week! I'm really impressed by it. I haven't read through it all (just read the soil and plant sections mainly).. but I'd say it has basically everything that's needed to know, plus it has all the experiments explained in simple details. It's all so easy to comprehend and understand so I'd definitely recommend it!
Oh also; I bought it from this here: https://www.schoolbookstore.ie/schoo...nd?year=5-year
It's a really good website! I got the book one/two days after I ordered it. So yeah, I thought I'd mention it.
G'luck! (:

Thanks for that. Myself and Rainbowtrout are very happy with it. All feedback good or bad is welcome as we hope to continue to update it where ever possible.

[rainbowtrout]

Originally Posted by Dearbhaile

Hey everyone,Was just wondering,do we have to do a farm visit as part of the project?? I've beef enterprise done on my own farm but my teacher insists on us writing up on our farm visit to Ballyhaise aswell,is there any need? I haven't started it and I also lost all my pictures when I lost my iPod!

If you have done your project on your own farm then a farm visit is not absolutely necessary. The idea is that you get some experience of farming and you have that from your home.

[rainbowtrout]

Originally Posted by daithioc

Hey guys, doing ag science atm

Just seeing if anybody knows, when the question has something like 'outline the management of...', what are they actually looking for?

And then sometimes the question is like 'describe under the following headings : management, feeding, housing'

Its just the word 'management' really that throws me, cause its so broad like.

Cheers

Well if it specifically says feeding and housing that's pretty straightforward.

If it says all three you should probably mention things like vaccinations and dosing, for young animals (as the questions often are) you could mention things like dipping the navel in iodine (for calves) or tail docking and tooth clipping, iron injections in pigs.

[rainbowtrout]

Originally Posted by conorr

hi,
im in fifth year and am really enjoying ag science , i am hoping to get an A1 in the subject and i feel that i am very prepared . I have my 2 crop and animal projects , my farm layout , 3 months of a farm diary and most of the experiments from the farmers journal experiment book written done in class and written into an experiment copy. I am just wondering if i should have anything else done and should i include interesting articles from the farmers journal in my project as i have kept all of them for the last year.

(also fair play to rainbowtrout and westsa , the book is great and is laid out very well)

Thanks for the positive feedback, always appreciated.

Anything you can add into your project is always a bonus, I would always stress to my students that the project should show their practical experience, so photos are always a good idea.

I assume when you say fifth year that you mean Leaving Cert???

You seem to have everything covered there, so if you are in Leaving Cert maybe the next thing to concentrate on is the plant and animal identification. Make sure you know the common plants and their families, and the animals and be able to tell something about them.

[rainbowtrout]

Originally Posted by fewtinsoffroth

My oral is this Friday and i'll definitely be up for the invigilation.

I'm wondering how exactly the exam is marked? Are all the marks in the 20/30 mins allocated to the identification, and the rest of the questions on the experiments/project more of a check that the students are actually writing them?

No, if you are called for interview you will be asked questions on all sections and you will be given a mark for all sections, in the same manner that your teacher has given you a mark.

20 marks are given for plant and animal identification and that is all you can be given in the interview as well. The rest of the marks (80) are for the other sections of the project.

[Westsa]

Hi everyone just have a few questions about the actual ag science course and I couldn't find the answers in the thread. How many entries do you need for the diary? I have done my potato project and just wondering apart from the diary, potato project and experiment copy is there anything left to do? Any help would be great, thanks so much!!

There are no set number of entries for the diary but most students do a weekly entry of things that have happened on their farm. I take it that your farm diary is your animal production project? Or are you doing an animal production project seperately (beef, dairy, sheep or pigs). Yes you do need a second crop project. Grassland, barley (or any cereal crop) will do. Don't do a second root crop. Try and make it original rather than copying it directly from the textbook as you must have some practical experience in the crop i.e. go visit a farm that grows barley or wheat and take pictures, ask the farmers questions, maybe get a sample of seed and include that in your project. The examiner when they come will look to see if you have gained experience in it and remember the examiners no doubt will be familiar with the content in the textbooks.

[randylonghorn]

Thread tidied, a number of posts deleted where there was repetition or they were simply out of date at this stage.

Please SCAN THE THREAD before asking your question: you will find that all the more common ones have already been answered in detail!

[shinesun]

Prob a shot in the dark, but does anyone on here or know of anyone who supervises Ag Science for mature students either in a school or externally?
I'm based in Wicklow but would travel to Dublin or Wexford.

Thanks

[rainbowtrout]

Originally Posted by shinesun

Prob a shot in the dark, but does anyone on here or know of anyone who supervises Ag Science for mature students either in a school or externally?
I'm based in Wicklow but would travel to Dublin or Wexford.

Thanks

Your best bet is to ring around the schools in your locality (and Dublin/Wexford) and see if they offer Ag Science and talk to the teacher there.

[TheStook]

Hello everybody

I'm starting a one year evening course on Ag.Science in a couple of weeks and I'm just wondering if its realistic for me to be aiming toward an A1?
I already do Biolagy but Im not too great if I'm being honest but that should help I hear.

[123 LC]

Originally Posted by TheStook

Hello everybody

I'm starting a one year evening course on Ag.Science in a couple of weeks and I'm just wondering if its realistic for me to be aiming toward an A1?
I already do Biolagy but Im not too great if I'm being honest but that should help I hear.

its definitely possible, i got an A2 in ag science and i hardly did anything over the 2 years, a fair bit of cramming for the mocks and the leaving cert was what probably helped me the most :L

[TheStook]

Originally Posted by 123 LC

its definitely possible, i got an A2 in ag science and i hardly did anything over the 2 years, a fair bit of cramming for the mocks and the leaving cert was what probably helped me the most :L

Thats reassuring

What was your project like? It must have been good

[123 LC]

Originally Posted by TheStook

Thats reassuring

What was your project like? It must have been good

ya my project was quite big :L a friend got an A the year before and she gave me a good idea of what her project was like to get the A

[randylonghorn]

Originally Posted by TheStook

Hello everybody

I'm starting a one year evening course on Ag.Science in a couple of weeks and I'm just wondering if its realistic for me to be aiming toward an A1?
I already do Biolagy but Im not too great if I'm being honest but that should help I hear.

I think it boils down to one question: how hard are you prepared to work?