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Doing History as an extra leaving Cert Subject

  • 18-06-2015 2:04pm
    #1
    Gar105
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭


    Hi, I've just finished TY and am considering to do history as an extra leaving Cert Subject and I was hoping somebody would be able to help me
    1)How do I organise it, as in do I have to do it by myself, with a tutor or in a private schoo And how do I do the project?
    2)is it worth doing as an extra subject ?

    Thanks any help is appreciated :)


Comments

  • #2
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,107 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    If you are attending a normal school, there is probably already at least one history teacher. You can ask him/her would they mind supervising you for the project and filling out the forms for the SEC.

    As to the actual classes, you could do them with a grinds teacher, I suppose, or you could try teach yourself. You presumably have an interest in History if you want to take it up when you don't have to.

    For the exam, you just need to inform the school's Examinations Secretary when you are in 6th Year that you intend to sit the exam.


  • #3
    QuinDixie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 843 ✭✭✭QuinDixie


    History is a tough subject for the lc, hard to get a good grade and will involve a lot of extra work compared to other subjects.
    It differs greatly from JC history, but in a good way as it is more interesting and European history especially.

    If I were u I would read the books and if u enjoy it go for it.


  • #4
    BlueWolf16
    Registered Users Posts: 126 ✭✭BlueWolf16


    I mean History is a fantastic subject, maybe one of my favourites, but just realise that it's a lot of work. If you want to get a high grade (atleast a B3) in HL, then you will have to work really hard. I had 3 full hardback copies of A4 done in two years, and that's still a little bit light. Can you spare about 2-3 hours every other day writing a 4-5 page essay?

    History is one of the subjects that if you want to do well in, you have to really like it. It has a very interesting course, but it is quite large - if it is going to be your 8-9 subject, I don't think it's worth it. If you're just doing it because you like it but think that you won't use it for the points, don't go for it either - watching documentaries on BBC, reading books on your own time, etc. is still interesting, even more I'd say. But if you like it and you think you can get a high enough grade for it to count - go for it. Getting a B in higher level is very much possible if you put in the effort throughout the year.


  • #5
    PotmBottom
    Registered Users Posts: 21 ✭PotmBottom


    As someone who just did History as an extra subject outside school perhaps I could give you my experience of it.

    I only did because I was picking DCG,Physics and Applied Maths and German I wasn't sure if it would work out for me points wise, I did extremely well in the Junior Cert and I wanted that to continue. DCG was a passion subject, I love doing it but I am horrendous at it, so I took up History as an extra subject (also because it clashed on the timetable with German, which is a no no to leave out)

    BUT

    It worked because of the specific circumstances I found myself in, the teacher in school also happened to be the history teacher in town in a grinds school so it worked out. I knew he was an excellent teacher. His notes are incredibly concise and we don't even have books.(it's the same for the people taking it in school too). I knew exactly what I was getting into.

    I was also extremely lazy when it came to writing essays, I basically got B3's/B2's in all my tests soley because of time constraints, I wasn't fast enough writing down the information even though I had it in my head. If you are incredibly dilligent and can be prepared no matter who or what comes up on the exam then I'd do it. I took some chances (not many, but I certainly could've gotten caught in the exam) and it worked out for me, it may not for you. I was glad that I managed to finish all my essays in the leaving.

    Hope that helps in some way, I'm probably just waffling.


  • #6
    Cr4pSnip3r
    Registered Users Posts: 792 ✭✭✭Cr4pSnip3r


    BlueWolf16 wrote: »
    I had 3 full hardback copies of A4 done in two years, and that's still a little bit light.

    I'd disagree there, if you've done that much by the end of the two years, and you really do know what you've written (I could write a hundred full A4 hardbacks and not remember a thing) then you've done a very fair amount of work.


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  • #7
    Jijsaw
    Registered Users Posts: 1,339 ✭✭✭Jijsaw


    I took history as an extra subject and I lasted until November of 5th year before I gave it up, (keep in mind that I got an A in the JC and it was easily my favourite subject).
    The workload is massive and I was lucky in that I got to sit in on two 6th year classes during the week so that helped with my American history. However, doing the 5th year work at home was too much especially if you want to get a good grade in it.
    By November I realised that I knew next to nothing of the European Dictatorship and Democracy (I think it's called?) section and I just dropped it. I imagine if you were learning it at home, you'd have to watch a lot of documentaries to actually understand the material you're learning and I simply didn't have time to do that.
    Seven subjects is the best number to have for any student. I definitely do not recommend picking history as an eight subject and an outside one at that. It's not worth the extra stress that comes with learning such a broad course but then again that's just my 2 cents.
    If you want, try it out like I did until Christmas of 5th year and see how you're getting on and decide whether to keep it up or quit.


  • #8
    Stooped
    Registered Users Posts: 448 ✭✭Stooped


    I only filled up one A4 hardback in my time doing history because we only did questions in them. We mostly just underlined stuff from the book.

    If you want to do history as an extra subject you have to learn a lot of essays. My history binder is so full with notes etc. that I can't even open the spine yokes without pages just pulsating out. If you can't find a grinds teacher etc. then you can try watching documentaries on youtube or something to that effect. There's also a good few books on the curriculum as well, I think I had around 3 or 4 in the end.


  • #9
    teadrinker96
    Registered Users Posts: 59 ✭✭teadrinker96


    I didn't take it as an extra subject , but from my experience with the subject I'd say you should go for it! History was a really enjoyable subject over the past two years and it's the type of one that you can teach yourself. I had an absolute joke of a teacher and was in a class of about 25 with only 4 taking higher level including myself so I ended up using the internet for help the majority of the time as we didn't do anything in class. leavingcerthistory.net was a big help . If there's a good history teacher in your school you can get them to correct your essays and sit the exams . If you like English ,it's likely you'll do well in history!


  • #10
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,107 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Don't forget there are two History syllabi. The one the vast majority of schools do and the Early Modern one. Some people may have more of an interest in the earlier period.

    Here's this year's 'early' paper -
    http://examinations.ie/archive/exampapers/2015/LC096ALP000EV.pdf(.pdf)


  • #11
    A97
    Registered Users Posts: 390 ✭✭A97


    spurious wrote: »
    Don't forget there are two History syllabi. The one the vast majority of schools do and the Early Modern one. Some people may have more of an interest in the earlier period.

    Here's this year's 'early' paper -
    http://examinations.ie/archive/exampapers/2015/LC096ALP000EV.pdf(.pdf)
    Having just completed the LC, I won't be attempting this any time soon, but considering that the vast majority of schools/educational institutions teach the Late Modern course, how would one go about learning the Early Modern one? Would you just look at the syllabus and attempt to find books/resources on the internet to teach it to yourself? As much as I'd have liked to have learned more about that time period, doing the Early Modern course just seemed too difficult to access.

    Also, could someone do both syllabi in the same year or would they have to attempt them on different years? I'd imagine that you couldn't count them both for points, but is it possible to do them both purely from an interest point of view and sit the exam papers at the end?


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  • #12
    BoJack Horseman
    Registered Users Posts: 12,248 ✭✭✭✭BoJack Horseman


    I did it as an extra subject as it clashed with another subject I wanted to do more.

    Didn't really bother with much study, just had a keen interest..... more or less winged it.

    Got a HL B2, which was great as it was a better result than some of the results I got in my 7 'class subjects'.


  • #13
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,107 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    A97 wrote: »
    Having just completed the LC, I won't be attempting this any time soon, but considering that the vast majority of schools/educational institutions teach the Late Modern course, how would one go about learning the Early Modern one? Would you just look at the syllabus and attempt to find books/resources on the internet to teach it to yourself? As much as I'd have liked to have learned more about that time period, doing the Early Modern course just seemed too difficult to access.

    Also, could someone do both syllabi in the same year or would they have to attempt them on different years? I'd imagine that you couldn't count them both for points, but is it possible to do them both purely from an interest point of view and sit the exam papers at the end?

    Yes, you would just check the syllabus and get books that suited.

    In terms of sitting the exams, I think it's one of those combinations you can't do at the same time, but nothing to stop anyone doing them in separate years.


  • #14
    Gar105
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭Gar105


    Hi thanks for all the replies :) .I just have a question in relation to the research project. I was just wondering how one would go about doing it if they were to go about doing it outside of school.
    Any help is appreciated. Thank you! :):)


  • #15
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,107 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    You will have to get a teacher to supervise it for you. Your school would probably help.


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