Magnate's Study Log

Magnate · 20-08-2014 4:39pm #1

Hi all,

Heading into 6th year next week.

So basically I had my heart set on a course for the past 2 years, I would've only needed 400 points and I was scoring well above that on my 5th year end of term exams. Then about a month ago I looked into the course modules and decided it wasn't for me at all. Last week I stumbled across another course and instantly fell in love!

One slight problem, I need 595 points! :O

It's definitely doable but I need to prepare from day one, hence this log.

Here's my subjects (All HL) and my end of 5th year results:

English - B3
- Probably won't be counting this subject for points. Too much depends on how you do on the day, and I could get anything from an A1 - C3. Generally speaking I like English and find class itself enjoyable but I'm too much of a perfectionist and struggle with creativity to rely on this for points.

Irish - A1
- Really improved my Irish a lot in the last year, honestly I think it's down to my brilliant teacher, so I'm really lucky in that regard.

Maths - B3 (+25)
- That B3 was very close to a C1, my weakest subject by far but the one with the most potential. I'm putting a huge focus on it this year.

Business - A2
- Essentially self taught, hopeless teacher so I need to put a lot of work into it this year too.

Biology - A1
- Favourite subject, I find it the easiest overall. I love the way that it's just learning short concise facts, gaining a general understanding and then giving brief, right or wrong answers.

Spanish - B1
- Need to work on my oral & listening skills to bring it up to an A1. I love the language and do well it class so I think it's just exam technique that I need to perfect.

Construction Studies - A2
- Hate the subject but find it easy enough.

So I'm off to a good start with 565 points, but there's a lot of room for improvement. Without sounding cocky, I didn't really put any extra work into 5th year. I mainly just did my homework and paid attention in class. For the exams I just crammed the night before. So I'm excited to see what a whole year of study can do!

To be honest I wasn't really anticipating any of this, if anything I was looking forward to an easy 6th year with a 165 point margin, so much for that!

With a 595 target there's very little room for error. I need to aim for an A1 in everything and then see where I fall short. Do you think it'd be advisable to not put any extra work into English and focus on my top 6 or try and bring that up to an A grade too?

I'm more worried about subjects with a practical/oral element.. I'd be confident that I can do well in the theory subjects because I know how to prepare for them, and my nerves have less of an impact on how well I do. That's why I'm hoping I can make a big improvement in maths, I don't understand it now but I know that if I put the effort in eventually it should click and I should see a big difference. Same thing with business, it's theory only so I know that with enough study I can secure an A1.

If I put the work in, I think I could get:

Biology - A1
Business - A1
Maths - A1

That leaves:

Irish - Which I'm already good at but could mess up the oral/listening on the day - A2
Construction - Find the theory easy but practical exam could go wrong - A2
Italian - May mess up the oral/listening - A2
English - Impossible to tell (B1? Maybe A2?)

That would give me exactly 595 points, but it's going to be a huge challenge.

If anyone has any advice, particularly about studying for maths/business it would be much appreciated. I'm already stressed and I haven't even started!

Magnate · 21-08-2014 11:32am

Starting back next week so I'm currently in the process of organising all my books, notes and downloading the subject syllabi so that I can make study timetables & include all topics.

is mise spartacus · 21-08-2014 9:42pm

Sorry to barge in but where do you download the subject syllabi?

Magnate · 22-08-2014 7:05am

is mise spartacus wrote: »

Sorry to barge in but where do you download the subject syllabi?

No worries, I use education .ie,

Try here -> www. education. ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/Curriculum-and-Syllabus/Senior-Cycle-/Syllabuses-and-Guidelines/
(I can't post links so take out the spaces

)

Magnate · 23-08-2014 1:09pm

Study timetable complete!

Planning on doing an hour & 15 minutes each morning before school. That's 3 25 minute sessions on 3 subjects with a 5 minute break between each. I'm a very early bird so this shouldn't be a problem for me. After school I'll just be doing homework and preparing for any class tests, I like to get it out of the way as soon as possible so I can relax in the evenings.

Studying at night is a bad idea, well except for next-day tests. I could go to bed late remembering about 70% of what I need to and then wake up in the morning remembering all of it... our brains work in mysterious ways!

Also hoping to get a good bit done each weekend, maybe focusing on my weaker subjects.

It's really important to build up your study gradually though, try and do all this on the first week and you'll burn out by the end of the month, the leaving cert's a marathon not a sprint!

Consonata · 25-08-2014 4:26pm

Sorry to bother, How did you structure your study timetable? Going into fifth year and I have alot of ground to make up as I need roughly 570 points.

Magnate · 25-08-2014 5:36pm

Consonata wrote: »

Sorry to bother, How did you structure your study timetable? Going into fifth year and I have alot of ground to make up as I need roughly 570 points.

Sure,

So I've 3 25 minute sessions every day, that's 21 a week. I do 7 subjects so I cover each subject 3 times a week.

Here's my current timetable:

www .i.imgur. com/gTW6NR1.png (Remove the spaces)

Going to ease into it gently, starting with 1 extra study session a day and building up to 3 a day by the end of September. Then I'll start spending extra time on maths at the weekend on top of the study sessions as that's my weakest subject.

Early morning study won't suit a lot of people so maybe try and schedule it around your free time or just focus on weaker subjects.

Magnate · 25-08-2014 9:29pm

I've been exploring all my different options and focusing on maths just seems to be the way to go. The bonus points are enough to make up for an A2 and a B1 and turn them both into A1s.

(100 x 5) + 90 = 590
(A1 x 5)+ C2/A2

(100 x 4) + 110 + 80 = 590
(A1 x 4) + B1 + B2

(100 x 4) + 100 + 90 = 590
(A1 x 4) + B3 + A2

(100 x 3) + 110 + (90 x 2) = 590
(A1 x 3) + B1 + (A2 x 2)

(100 x 2) + 125 + (90 x 2) + 85 = 590
(A1 x 2) + A1+ (A2 x 2) + B1

Magnate · 27-08-2014 4:22pm

I forgot how mentally draining the normal school day is without any homework or study. The joys of being an introvert eh?

Early morning study really suits me, I seem to full of beans at 6am but wrecked now. Did one study session this morning and revised Irish, easing myself back into it gently. I'm so happy I don't have to do study on top of homework now

Magnate · 01-09-2014 5:24pm

Joined Studyclix Plus and ordered Less Stress More Success for project maths paper 1 & 2. That's all I'll be using in terms of paid additional resources.

To be honest I'm usually against the idea of buying notes/getting grinds/paying for what you can get for free. However, I'm making an exception for project maths as I find it difficult to study and I've heard great things about that revision book. Studyclix saved my so much time during my Junior Cert so I plan on using it again too. Basically it organises each subject by topic and shows you all the questions that ever came up for that topic as well as the marking scheme. I'm not trying to sell it but it really is an invaluable tool! (They also have a free version so you don't have to pay but I'd strongly recommend it)

Magnate · 04-09-2014 7:58am

I'm using OneNote to organise all my notes & getting huge amounts done!

Also I'm trying to get as familiar as possible with the marking schemes and already I'm noticing trends in exam questions, like what topics come up on what question and what type of questions are asked about that topic. I think familiarity with the marking schemes is key, because you start to pick up on the language the examiners are looking for and any keywords that you should include.

Magnate · 04-09-2014 10:16pm

I must admit it feels very satisfying to actually study. In this week alone I've done more extra revision & made more notes than I have all last year. Active study is great because you know that you're actually learning stuff and making progress as opposed to just staring at a blank page.

I'm definitely going to change my study plan though, instead of doing a few subjects every day and sticking to a very rigid schedule I'll pick 1 or 2 topics from each subject and give myself a week to do them. That way I can do more on days when I have less homework & vice versa. It also means that I can swap out a morning revision session for a morning cramming session for a class test if needs be.

Overall I'm looking forward to the year to be honest!

Magnate · 05-09-2014 9:41pm

Tearing into that project maths book (sure what else would ya be doing on a Friday night? :P ) it's just what I've been needing. It has the notes at the start of each chapter explaining what you're actually doing and why you're doing it as opposed just working through the motions, along with common mistakes students make, highly recommended!

Magnate · 09-09-2014 5:13pm

Should probably update this :P

Almost finished adding all my notes for Construction Studies and Biology. Slowly rewriting all the rest for Irish, English and maths.

Getting there

Magnate · 11-09-2014 9:38pm

Practised a few English Paper 1 Text Question Bs and made mindmaps for every Irish Díospóireacht question that came up in the past 8 years.

The class tests are starting to pile up so I'm focusing on making and filing notes for them this weekend.

Magnate · 13-09-2014 11:29am

I manage to survive 2 weeks and then get sick on a weekend. Typical.

I'm just gonna prepare for class tests next week until I'm feeling better.

Magnate · 15-09-2014 6:34pm

Right getting back into a routine, that was one crappy weekend

Plans for this week:

Green is actual revision, blue is class test preparation.

Magnate · 18-09-2014 5:32pm

Definitely a much better strategy to pick certain topics every week and slot them in when I can. I'll post a weekly update with completed topics & plan for the following week from now on.

Magnate · 02-10-2014 7:04pm

God this has definitely been neglected.

Honestly I'm just trying to stay away from boards and procrastination. The last week of 2 have been fairly productive, knocking of bits here and there but mainly focusing on class test revision.

I'll post my study topics at some stage tomorrow and get this up to date.

Magnate · 28-10-2014 12:35pm

I think I might as well abandon this, doing an endless amount of study is bad enough without having to write about it :P

I might update this on a monthly basis or so as I really don't have the time to spend on boards.

Basically this month I've revised

English: The Comparative
Irish: Hurlamaboc, An Gnáthrud, Mo Ghrá-sa
Maths: Pretty much everything on functions, differentiation, integration
Business: Skimmed through the whole book up as far as unit 5, and learned all the ratios in detail
Biology: Everything from 5th year
Construction: Prepared for Q3/5/6/10
Spanish: Grammar in depth, practised a few exam question

I'm not really worried about the leaving cert anymore, once you put in the effort there's nothing too difficult about it. I've got into a good routine and I think I'll just keep it up. I think languages are the only ones that you really need to put continuous effort into. Everything else is either just understanding or rote learning I'm afraid, although I seem to be good at both.

dazzadazza · 31-10-2014 5:08pm

What course do you want to do that requires 595 points?

Magnate · 08-11-2014 9:46pm

dazzadazza wrote: »

What course do you want to do that requires 595 points?

Let's call it Nanoscience Physics & Chemistry of Advanced Materials

Magnate · 24-11-2014 4:59pm

I've decided to return to this, I seem to have slacked off/burned out just a little bit and my premocks weren't as great as I had hoped. Complacency's a b*tch.

Gonna use this week to plan out my revision from December until the mocks, I really want to be hitting the 590+ mark by then if for no other reason than to calm my nerves for the actual leaving cert.

The idea of having literally no room for error in any of my exams 190 days from now is not the most reassuring. :O

I'm going to be focusing on maths and languages as my priority as they require a lot more understanding as opposed to rote learning.

Hope to post a daily update from now on, it should keep me on track.

Magnate · 24-11-2014 11:27pm

Okay the plan is to have a quick 30 minute morning study routine that I do every day regardless of the amount of homework I get/what tests I have coming up. Then I'll also have weekly study goals that I can do on any day when I find the time.

For the 30 minute morning session I'm considering

1. 5 mins sraith pictiúr practise
2. 15 mins quick revision on a maths topic.
3. 10 mins flashcard revision on spanish vocab/biology/business/construction depending on the day.

I realise that's not the greatest amount of study but it's an extra 3.5 hours a week and it should help to move information into my long term memory. I won't be making any notes during this time so it will be very efficient and focused study.

I'm just going to get organised this week and plan all my study so that I'll know exactly what to do starting next week.

Consonata · 24-11-2014 11:58pm

Do you go to bed early enough for the morning sessions? I work quite late and I find myself dragging myself out of bed alot of the time and wouldn't comprehend studying at that hour. How do you get in the habit?

Magnate · 25-11-2014 8:22am

Consonata wrote: »

Do you go to bed early enough for the morning sessions? I work quite late and I find myself dragging myself out of bed alot of the time and wouldn't comprehend studying at that hour. How do you get in the habit?

Yep I'm an early bird!

I started getting up 5 minutes earlier every week since the start of this year and now I'm able to get up at 6 no problem. What's more, I don't spend an hour trying to fall asleep, I'm able to do so within a few minutes. I usually go to bed at half 10 ish.

An important thing to note as that your sleep cycles last 1 hour 30 mins each. So sleep for 8 hours or more and you're going to be trying to wake up during deep sleep (stages 3/4) which is not only hard, but will leave you feeling tired and fatigued. I think the ideal amount of time would be 7 hours 30 mins, or 5 sleep cycles.

I also find that I'm a lot more productive in the morning. In the evenings after a long day of school and a few hours of homework, it can be hard to find the energy for studying, let alone the time!

Beca19 · 26-11-2014 9:55pm

I'm quite interested in Nanoscience too.. Hope you get it! I find it mental though that it went from points in the 300s to 595 in less than 10 years.. Wish they'd add more places to the course

Magnate · 27-11-2014 5:18pm

Beca19 wrote: »

I'm quite interested in Nanoscience too.. Hope you get it! I find it mental though that it went from points in the 300s to 595 in less than 10 years.. Wish they'd add more places to the course

Good news then, you have one less person to compete with for that place!

I used nanoscience as an example for all intensive purposes, if I told you my true chosen course I'd have to kill you! :pac:

Beca19 · 28-11-2014 1:21am

Magnate wrote: »

Good news then, you have one less person to compete with for that place!

I used nanoscience as an example for all intensive purposes, if I told you my true chosen course I'd have to kill you! :pac:

Oh how sneaky :P dentistry perhaps? Or what else was exactly 595 this year? I'm going to apply just so it's harder for you mwahaha :pac:
(Anyways apology for the hijack, you may return to logging your study)

Magnate · 28-11-2014 8:59am

Beca19 wrote: »

Oh how sneaky :P dentistry perhaps? Or what else was exactly 595 this year? I'm going to apply just so it's harder for you mwahaha :pac:
(Anyways apology for the hijack, you may return to logging your study)

Maybe it is nanoscience after all and I'm lulling you into a false sense of security? Or perhaps it's not 595 at all - maybe 590, maybe 600? :P

Magnate · 01-12-2014 8:09pm

Okay plan for this week:

English: Yeah.. Won't be studying English much, it's too subjective to depend on for points, I'll just do the bare minimum coming up to exams and scrape a low B/C.
Irish: Géibheann & Cáca Milis, start preparing oral answers and revise fadhbanna daoine óga & an córas oideachais for the essay.
Maths: Algebra Revision.
Business: Chapter 20.
Biology: Everything on DNA.
Construction:Planning.
Spanish:Prepare oral answers.

Busy week ahead!

Magnate's Study Log

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