Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Doing leaving cert physics in one year and outside school
Options
-
27-07-2015 9:00pm#1I am going into sixth year, and I want to do physics at home outside school, I was wondering if this is possible?. Is it a very hard course to complete?.
Also, can I do the experiments at home? and do I need a teacher to sign off on the experiments or sign off on me doing physics? . I currently do applied maths, hons maths and chemistry, and have a strong interest in physics,( subject choices prevented me from doing physics in the first place
).
Any advice would be appreciated thanksTagged:0
Comments
-
chris241111 wrote: »I am going into sixth year, and I want to do physics at home outside school, I was wondering if this is possible?. Is it a very hard course to complete?.
Also, can I do the experiments at home? and do I need a teacher to sign off on the experiments or sign off on me doing physics? . I currently do applied maths, hons maths and chemistry, and have a strong interest in physics,( subject choices prevented me from doing physics in the first place ).
Any advice would be appreciated thanks
Just my opinion after completing the 5th year course, I would say its doable but would be difficult and could put you under a lot of unnecessary stress, the course is really designed for 2 years and you would have to cram a lot in not to mention the issues that might arise with experiments. Doing applied maths will be a help, but there are still a lot of definitions and experiments to be learned. Without a teacher you would struggle with certain areas of the course that aren't that well explained in the book, you would also have to get to grips with the exam structure and do practice papers all while learning new material. The material is not that hard really in fact it starts off quite easy but gets quite tricky at some points, nothing incredibly difficult but there a few concepts that are difficult to get your head around. So basically you could do it but if I were you I wouldn't it would put unnecessary stress on you for no real good reason because all college courses even Physics will take you with chemistry and applied maths.0 -
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
As far as I know you'd need to find a way of doing the experiments either in school or at a grinds school if you're determined to take physics for the leaving. You definitely won't be able to do them at home, except for maybe a handful of simple ones.
What we were told is that you have to do all the mandatory experiments and write them up in a lab notebook. The write ups don't contribute at all towards your final grade, but if an inspector comes to your school check them (pretty unlikely but it does happen) and you haven't done yours/done it properly you can be given a NG on your whole LC physics, which is pretty bad obviously.
I'm unsure if you actually have to do the experiments or if you just have to write them up, and I'd assume you need a teacher to sign off but again I'm not 100% how this part works.
As for the actual course content, since you're taking app maths you'll find the numerical questions an absolute doddle, especially the mechanics ones (they're all like really really easy ULM). The rest is just learning, but a lot of it, and you'll probably find some concepts difficult to get your head around. Learning the experiments should be ok but it will be a lot easier if you actually get to do them yourself.
The course isn't that big in comparison to other subjects but covering it in one year will be a push. It is manageable, but you will have had a full year less than most others of going over the topics repeatedly and getting high marks in physics is difficult enough already.
Finally think about why you want to take physics. If it's because you need a second science for the course you want or you desperately need to take another subject to get enough points, then I'd say go for it. If it's just because you like physics or you want to take another subject for the sake of it or as a backup just in case, I probably wouldn't. You'd be better off focusing your time and effort on your other subjects to maximise your points than spreading yourself too thin and putting yourself under unnecessary pressure by trying to cover the physics course by yourself in one year unless you really feel you need to.
Anyway sorry this is so longwinded but hope it helps! Good luck with physics if you decide to go ahead with it and if you have any more questions feel free to ask
0 -
Advertisement