Leaving Cert 2016/17 Off-Topic Thread

teafanatic · 17-08-2015 10:36pm

Significant399 wrote: »

How does everyone feel about the new grading system for us?

Wary at best, I don't understand why they think it will reduce random selection. Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't it mean more people with the same points, therefore increasing random selection?

In a provisional scale for the new system presented today, the maximum points awarded in a subject would be 120 for a H1, down 14, to 106, for the H2, then reducing to 13, for 93 for a H3, at 93, and reducing by 12 to 91 for a H3.

The points awarded are so random? The whole thing just seems convoluted and unnecessary imo.

Also, does anyone know what's happening about the extra 25 points for honours maths with the new system? Will it stay the same or change too?

NOS3 · 17-08-2015 10:55pm

Significant399 wrote: »

How does everyone feel about the new grading system for us?

Eh, it has it's advantages and disadvantages. :P It's still being worked on, so hopefully they will iron out the kinks.

The part I'm looking forward to is seeing how colleges reduce the amount of courses. It could work out very well, and make it easier for us to pick one.

Mr Rhode Island Red · 18-08-2015 10:21am

Significant399 wrote: »

How does everyone feel about the new grading system for us?

I don't think it's going to make much difference. Only thing that I wonder about is this new craic about getting points for getting 30% in HL. This could have the effect of loads of students who aren't really capable of HL staying in HL classes, because they know they can get that 30% with ease.

There might be more dossers in hanging around in HL classes, which may affect students who are serious about working in class.

But then again people might still think they're better off moving to OL and getting a high grade there...I don't know.

Not that weaker students drag down the quality of a HL class. Shure I was chronic at HL Irish. The class was mostly made up of Gaeltacht natives who also had spent several summers at various Gaeltachts, and there was I watching TG4 in the evenings to try and catch up

. I just don't think that having every Tom, Dick, and Harry doing HL will benefit anyone

Xgracie · 18-08-2015 2:49pm

Feels so weird to be in the leaving cert forum! I am not looking forward to going back, have had such a fun summer and I know fifth year will be so much work

Significant399 · 18-08-2015 10:05pm

Yeah I also have mixed feelings about it. Especially don't like the way someone at 80 and 89 receive the same points. Dossers being in higher level classes also doesn't seem fair. I'm interested to find out more about how it'll work though, so I guess time will tell

Xgracie wrote: »

Feels so weird to be in the leaving cert forum! I am not looking forward to going back, have had such a fun summer and I know fifth year will be so much work

I know what you mean

this has been such an amazing year and summer and just the thoughts of all that work again kills me.

padraigmck · 18-08-2015 11:00pm

We all just have to wait for more information from the department in September
Who's getting Junior Cert results in 21 days?

masterofchess1 · 20-08-2015 5:25pm

me.

Liordi · 20-08-2015 8:29pm

@padraig @masterofchess
Why did you two decide to skip TY and head straight into 5th year?

padraigmck · 20-08-2015 9:20pm

Because my school doesn't offer TY

masterofchess1 · 21-08-2015 4:46pm

because I see it as a waste of time. I have much better things to do than laze around for a whole year doing barely anything and I don't feel that I actually need a break, because the jc wasn't really a challenge.That's my reason.

Consonata · 21-08-2015 5:33pm

masterofchess1 wrote: »

because I see it as a waste of time. I have much better things to do than laze around for a whole year doing barely anything and I don't feel that I actually need a break, because the jc wasn't really a challenge.That's my reason.

Speaking as a LC, I think it really depends on the quality of your schools TY whether or not you should do it. If it is in any way decent I think its advisable you should do it. I have a lot of friends who skipped TY for various reasons e.g They felt they were too old, They wanted to get out of school etc. but a fair amount of them regretted because you do alot of social growth when you go through TY.

I don't think I would've been able to have the same attitude towards the Leaving Cert had I not done TY and I certainly wouldn't have had as many friends or developed socially had I not done TY, but I can see it may not be for everyone. I get very angry when I hear there are schools who incorporate TY into the LC cycle. That isn't nor should it be what the Leaving Cert is about. The amount of Hype and stress that revolves around the Leaving Cert is absurd, and is certainly not helped by the sheer amount of media attention that is devoted to it year on year around exam time. No other country does this. TY if anything should help take emphasis off of it not exacerbate the issue.

Anyway, Rant over /rant :pac: :rolleyes:

masterofchess1 · 21-08-2015 9:13pm

are you going into lc or have you just finished?. If you got results how did you do?. And if you look back has ty actually benefited you? Think about some kids who are not very outgoing, surely this will have a heavy weight on a decision to do ty.They would probably find it a nuisance.

Consonata · 21-08-2015 10:06pm

masterofchess1 wrote: »

are you going into lc or have you just finished?. If you got results how did you do?. And if you look back has ty actually benefited you? Think about some kids who are not very outgoing, surely this will have a heavy weight on a decision to do ty.They would probably find it a nuisance.

Going into LC. I would argue that a good TY programme would take that into consideration and help you expand your horizons that needn't be social yet contribute to social development. In my year there were alot of guys who would've been big into messing around with computers, so they were given the job of updating parts of the school blog and doing courses relating to computer development, whilst also doing some medium group activites that were not too socially challenging.

This, I would argue would ideally be what TY should do for you yet this might not be true for all schools. Looking back on TY, I think it had helped me build alot more self confidence and awareness of other people. I was a very shy person pre-TY. Yet people might already be comfortable with the way they are and they can continue on if they wish. I just feel that for a large majority of students, TY can be a very formative experience. We are one of a few countries that operates a programme like TY. I think we should take advantage and be proud of that fact.

teafanatic · 22-08-2015 12:24am

Consonata wrote: »

I get very angry when I hear there are schools who incorporate TY into the LC cycle.

My school is one of these, it drove me mad sometimes. We did half the course in some subjects.

Certain teachers wouldn't let us out of class to do the school show, volunteering etc. because they claimed that we would fall behind. One of them actually used to say "no you can't leave class, this is your leaving cert" to people who had permission to be out of class doing projects and the like.

aibreann_ · 22-08-2015 12:35am

I'm coming straight from 3rd year. Skipped ty because I've already stayed back in primary and I wanted to go straight to 5th year. Kinda looking forward to doing work after the summer haha

Gallagher1 · 22-08-2015 12:38am

masterofchess1 wrote: »

are you going into lc or have you just finished?. If you got results how did you do?. And if you look back has ty actually benefited you? Think about some kids who are not very outgoing, surely this will have a heavy weight on a decision to do ty.They would probably find it a nuisance.

One benefit of TY is that you are a year older doing the LC. It's only when you actually do the LC and come out the other side that you realise that people who did TY were at an advantage. I skipped and got a very good LC but I know right well I would have done better if I was that year older. I was also one of these 'JC was piss, gimme the LC now' kids as well. Going from JC straight into 5th year can be a bigger jump than most expect.

Xgracie · 22-08-2015 2:22am

masterofchess1 wrote: »

And if you look back has ty actually benefited you? Think about some kids who are not very outgoing, surely this will have a heavy weight on a decision to do ty.They would probably find it a nuisance.

Butting in with my experience here lol, my school didn't do some incredible TY but it seriously benefitted me a lot looking back at it now, I think it's a really good opportunity to grow as a person. I wasn't super outgoing before but I made so many new friends in TY and now I'm doing stuff all the time! I think it's especially good for that sort of person you know? I guess it's different for everyone though!

Sideshow Mel · 22-08-2015 9:00pm

I'm going into fifth year from TY. I thought it was alright, I'm not as quite as I was and we had some right good days out. Looking forward to having something to do other than work (although I do enjoy having all this money I've never had before ðŸ˜‚)
I'm doing engineering, business, geography and biology and the compulsory trio. Higher everything except Irish. Think I'd like to do business in UL but its that could change in a few weeks time. Roll on the study ðŸ˜¥

Significant399 · 24-08-2015 6:53pm

Getting the uniform and books make it all so official

schoolsucksLC · 24-08-2015 7:16pm

Hi

I decided to skip TY and go straight into 5th year.

I will be doing English, Irish, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Home Ec and Geography. Hoping to do all higher level if they let me. I didn't really study for my Junior Cert so my results probably aren't that great.

I plan to study as I go along and make my own notes for everything but I'm not sure how realistic that is. I'm extremely lazy and always end up studying at the last minute or not at all. Hoping to turn that around since I'm going to need a lot of points. *sighs*

How are you guys feeling about going back to school? I struggle with some mental health issues and don't have any friends so I'm freaking out. Especially since I will have new people in my class this year.

smiles_1998 · 24-08-2015 11:04pm

I feel like I'm ready to conquer Higher Level Maths now that I have a brand new (pink) calculator!

Less than 48 hours until I become a fifth year...:(

What subjects are people most nervous about? I think the one I'm most worried about is Maths...

frans123 · 24-08-2015 11:25pm

Definetely most nervous about english

Significant399 · 24-08-2015 11:32pm

smiles_1998 wrote: »

I feel like I'm ready to conquer Higher Level Maths now that I have a brand new (pink) calculator!

Less than 48 hours until I become a fifth year...:(

What subjects are people most nervous about? I think the one I'm most worried about is Maths...

Has to be maths as well. Just because of all the horror stories I've heard about how difficult and how much time it takes. I'm not even too bad at maths, just my teacher has scared my class to death already telling us how much work is involved if we want to stay in the class. So I'm dreading balancing all that with 6 or possibly 7 other subjects.

I'm actually looking forward to most of my other subjects tho

I suppose it'll be interesting learning again. Biology in particular should be interesting.

Peregrine · 24-08-2015 11:50pm

smiles_1998 wrote: »

I feel like I'm ready to conquer Higher Level Maths now that I have a brand new (pink) calculator!

Casio or gtfo :cool:

Liordi · 24-08-2015 11:51pm

5th year begins on Wednesday. Nervous is not the word.

Our school offers applied maths classes but they're scheduled on your own time [lunch times / after school] so I'm not sure if I want to do it.

I'm most nervous about Irish and English. I feel like they'll take up most of my time.

Sideshow Mel · 25-08-2015 12:00am

smiles_1998 wrote: »

What subjects are people most nervous about? I think the one I'm most worried about is Maths...

Definitely maths as well but I think I can manage it if I keep on top of it from the word go. I'm also very nervous about engineering, my metalwork project in junior cert was far from amazing and I hope that I can improve an awful lot for next year, which is certainly possible if I just concentrate a bit more at what I'm doing in class.

Is engineering an unusual subject that isn't offered by most school? I don't think I've seen anyone else say they were doing it in this thread.

Liordi · 25-08-2015 12:01am

Sideshow Mel wrote: »

Is engineering an unusual subject that isn't offered by most school? I don't think I've seen anyone else say they were doing it in this thread.

I know that our school doesn't offer engineering but we don't have Metal Work at JC either.

teafanatic · 25-08-2015 12:20am

smiles_1998 wrote: »

Less than 48 hours until I become a fifth year...:(

And here I was feeling sorry for myself going back in 7 days!

smiles_1998 wrote: »

What subjects are people most nervous about? I think the one I'm most worried about is Maths...

Maths definitely, dropping to pass isn't an option but I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up... anyone else planning on getting grinds this year?

padraigmck · 25-08-2015 6:44am

Reading this tread in University Hospital Galway now lol, I'm terrified for maths because I won't be able to write for the next 6 weeks because I cut off the top quarter of my middle finger with a hedge cutters.......

S_Hick12 · 25-08-2015 8:36am

Back tomorrow

Struggled with maths in 3rd year and ty, so I think I'm gonna have to work like crazy, drop to ol, or fail. On the other hand, I'm really looking forward to starting my option subjects, especially art. Overall, I'm kinda looking forward to going back and getting into a routine. I just hope I'll be able to stick to my plans to study

spurious · 25-08-2015 9:23am

padraigmck wrote: »

Reading this tread in University Hospital Galway now lol, I'm terrified for maths because I won't be able to write for the next 6 weeks because I cut off the top quarter of my middle finger with a hedge cutters.......

Oh...I feel ill...:eek:

Hope you get better soon.

Liordi · 25-08-2015 9:22pm

First day back tomorrow.
At least it's a half day. :rolleyes:
Waking up might be an issue.

VG31 · 25-08-2015 9:50pm

Tomorrow seems quite early to be back!

Liordi · 25-08-2015 9:52pm

I think so too.
Our first years started on Monday. :rolleyes:

Sideshow Mel · 26-08-2015 12:34am

I'm not back until next Wednesday! Our first years start this Friday. This weather makes going back to school all the more real......

Liordi · 26-08-2015 4:54pm

Had my first day back today. No school tomorrow and then first full day is Friday. :rolleyes:

Our school is having 0 pass English classes until after Christmas to give everyone a chance at Higher Level. I honestly dunno how that's a good thing as if people are swapping from HL to OL they'll need to get new books and whatnot.
I guess it's because our school never runs OL classes even at JC level which honestly I fail to comprehend. :rolleyes:

spurious · 26-08-2015 4:57pm

Liordi wrote: »

I guess it's because our school never runs OL classes even at JC level

Should be standard in all schools. Too many people opt for OL at JC and then regret it.

I used to tell my classes there was no OL in my subject.

Liordi · 26-08-2015 5:03pm

spurious wrote: »

Should be standard in all schools. Too many people opt for OL at JC and then regret it.

I used to tell my classes there was no OL in my subject.

Yeah. I get that but I think it's more of a hindrance to grades than a benefit.
Out of a year of 96 people:
0 people got an A
1 person got a B
23 got a C

Which means that 3/4 of people who sat the paper didn't even get an honour. I just feel like it's a bad decision the school makes.

spurious · 26-08-2015 6:18pm

Liordi wrote: »

Which means that 3/4 of people who sat the paper didn't even get an honour. I just feel like it's a bad decision the school makes.

But it means that all of them were exposed to the style of question and answer needed for the HL Leaving Cert.. The bottom 30% do OL at JC - I don't know why anyone who wants to give themselves a chance would opt to go there at JC when it makes no difference if they fail HL - at least they would be answering higher order questions.

Troxck · 26-08-2015 6:57pm

spurious wrote: »

Should be standard in all schools. Too many people opt for OL at JC and then regret it.

I used to tell my classes there was no OL in my subject.

This was very true for my school too, lots of people opted for OL Irish and Maths at JC and ended up getting easy As in them, they would have easily gotten the honours if they sat the HL paper.

I did something similar for the LC, opted for OL Irish at the start of 5th Year and it was my biggest regret. Ended up with an A2 in OL with no work, I probably would have secured the honours if I bothered to stay at HL.

Mr Rhode Island Red · 27-08-2015 2:25pm

spurious wrote: »

Should be standard in all schools. Too many people opt for OL at JC and then regret it.

I used to tell my classes there was no OL in my subject.

When I started 3rd year they were running 3 HL Irish classes and 1 OL class.

By Christmas the OL class was packed to the rafters due to heaps dropping down, so they changed one of the HL classes to an OL class.

And then by Easter there was so few doing HL they combined us into 1 class and changed the remaining class to OL as well.

So by the time the JC came around, there was only 15 students (me included :pac:) out of a year of 110 doing HL Irish, the remaining 95 had all opted for OL at one point or another.

Once a few started jumping off the HMS Higher Level the majority followed when they started hearing these stories of magic and wonder and handiness coming from the pass classes. Teachers tried to stop them dropping down but then students started rolling out the cavalry (Mammy) and that quickly changed their tone. Pathetic enough now that I think about it, students just deciding "Arra...I'm dropping down to pass" just out of laziness, not because they weren't actually fit for HL.

And now many of them are stuck in a dilemma because it is not physically possible for them to achieve their desired points come LC because they're doing too many OL subjects, and as spurious said, they regret their decision(s).

Liordi · 27-08-2015 2:36pm

Parents have to come into the office in our school if people want to opt to OL for any subject.
I know for Irish in our school 42/43 of 96 did HL. [2 HL / 2 OL classes]
It's starting off with 2 HL / 2 OL this year too but I'll be surprised if it stays that way until the LC comes. :rolleyes:

NOS3 · 27-08-2015 3:45pm

In my year there was no HL or OL classes for any subject except maths, probably due to timetable restrictions. We remained in our base classes and the room was divided into the HL side and the OL corner.

Most of the HL students were seriously tempted to drop levels after seeing how some of the pass students in the classroom were more relaxed and having more fun. By the end of the year our class, and most of the other classes were roughly split 50:50 between higher and ordinary, with a couple of students taking the foundation paper.

If it was possible to have separate classes for each level I imagine not as many people would have dropped.

smiles_1998 · 27-08-2015 3:55pm

For JC, we had separate classes for HL and OL in English, Maths and Irish, with there being one OL class and 3 HL classes for English and 2 big HL classes and 2 smaller OL classes for Irish and Maths. Very few people did any of their other subjects at OL, only about 5 people per subject and the teachers only let us decide our levels for our non-core subjects after Christmas of JC.

For LC, we are looking at a roughly half and half split between OL and HL in Irish and slightly more doing HL than OL in English, while we will have 3 OL and 2 HL Maths classes.

spurious · 27-08-2015 4:03pm

smiles_1998 wrote: »

the teachers only let us decide our levels for our non-core subjects after Christmas of JC.

Did they explain the repercussions of dropping down?
I had colleagues tormented by students saying 'I got an A in the Junior' while failing to mention it was at OL and thinking they could just waltz into the HL class.

smiles_1998 · 27-08-2015 4:24pm

spurious wrote: »

Did they explain the repercussions of dropping down?
I had colleagues tormented by students saying 'I got an A in the Junior' while failing to mention it was at OL and thinking they could just waltz into the HL class.

Well they all basically said "The majority of the class is capable of doing this subject at HL" and argued very strongly against anyone taking the OL paper unless they were failing, which was fair enough I think.

I think there's a policy in our school though that you can't do the HL LC paper unless you got at least a D (and in some cases a C) at JC HL. I don't think anyone is allowed into a LC HL class if they did the subject at OL for JC.

NOS3 · 27-08-2015 5:30pm

smiles_1998 wrote: »

I think there's a policy in our school though that you can't do the HL LC paper unless you got at least a D (and in some cases a C) at JC HL. I don't think anyone is allowed into a LC HL class if they did the subject at OL for JC.

This reminds me of an Irish teacher in my school. If she gets a HL senior cycle class, she only allows people who got an A or B in higher level in the junior cert into her class.

The people who get these grades might not have a good standard of irish, but could have gotten lucky and wrote-learned a suitable essay to match the theme given in the exam and got a lot of marks.

Someone with an interest and aptitude for Irish may have ran out of time, or the pressure got to them and they did poorly in the exam.

To be fair I mostly agree with what she's doing. She is an excellent teacher. Most students want to get into her class.It is unfair that some people who messed up on 1 day miss out, but It is a lot easier than loads students begging "oh miss, I got a C, but I ran out of time", etc. There is no easier way for her to to filter students for her class.

smiles_1998 · 27-08-2015 5:41pm

NOS3 wrote: »

This reminds me of an Irish teacher in my school. If she gets a HL senior cycle class, she only allows people who got an A or B in higher level in the junior cert into her class.

The people who get these grades might not have a good standard of irish, but could have gotten lucky and wrote-learned a suitable essay to match the theme given in the exam and got a lot of marks.

Someone with an interest and aptitude for Irish may have ran out of time, or the pressure got to them and they did poorly in the exam.

To be fair I mostly agree with what she's doing. She is an excellent teacher. Most students want to get into her class.It is unfair that some people who messed up on 1 day miss out, but It is a lot easier than loads students begging "oh miss, I got a C, but I ran out of time", etc. There is no easier way to filter students who are suitable for her class.

They seem to have streamed our classes so that, if there's two HL classes, one has all those who are A/B standard and the other is for those who are C/D. They did the same for HL Irish at JC and it worked really well as the class can move at a pace that suits everyone.

NOS3 · 27-08-2015 5:55pm

smiles_1998 wrote: »

They seem to have streamed our classes so that, if there's two HL classes, one has all those who are A/B standard and the other is for those who are C/D. They did the same for HL Irish at JC and it worked really well as the class can move at a pace that suits everyone.

In my school there is roughly a system like this, but I think it's pretty lenient. People who got As and people who got Cs or even Ds were in the same class. This Irish teacher is very particular about it though. She's really the only teacher who is strict about it. Maybe it's just a case where my school is different to most others. :rolleyes:

Liordi · 30-08-2015 1:28am

Opted for Applied Maths instead of LCVP or Study.
Hopefully an 8th subject won't kill me.

Leaving Cert 2016/17 Off-Topic Thread

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