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Business or chemistry without teacher

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  • 24-01-2015 7:07pm
    #1
    multimate
    Registered Users Posts: 417 ✭✭


    People who have done or are doing the subjects which would you say would be better for learning by yourself and getting a B1 or maybe A2 (lc 2016).

    I know chemistry would be a shorter syllabus and there are some difficult part with it but would I be ok getting a grind every 2 weeks or so.

    Business is a bigger course afaik and there's not much to understand,must learning.

    I'd have more interest in business and it overlaps with economics and accounting which I hope to get an a1 in. I got an a in it in the junior. I'm not too interested in science but I don't mind it either and I got an a in it in the junior. I do biology aswel and hope to get an a1 in that. Also chemistry has a higher a rate afaik.

    Does anyone know what physchem would be like - no experiments and doesn't look too in depth? Reason I'm hesitant to go for business is examiners apparently mark hard and exam technique is important, which would be hard to perfect without a teacher


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    #2
    Gryffindor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 133 ✭✭Gryffindor


    I can't offer any advice about business at all as I don't do the subject, but as for chemistry I would be really surprised if you could pull off an A2. Yes, it does have a higher A1 rate but take into account that normally only students with an actual interest or aptitude choose to take it on, in comparison to business of biology.
    It's not a wrote learning subject and can some concepts can be difficult to wrap your head around, especially stoichiometry and such.

    If you're not too interested in science I don't see the point. It is one of the subjects you really do need a teacher for.


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    #3
    emersyn
    Registered Users Posts: 430 ✭✭emersyn


    I do chemistry and I would definitely not recommend it if you don't have a teacher, some parts of it are extremely difficult to get your head around and me and most of the others in my class are struggling even with the teacher. Mandatory experiments are also a huge part of the course and I presume you wouldn't be able to carry those out by yourself. If I were in your position I would definitely do business, especially if you have a much larger interest in it than chemistry.


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    #4
    Greenmachine
    Registered Users Posts: 5,063 ✭✭✭Greenmachine


    emersyn wrote: »
    I do chemistry and I would definitely not recommend it if you don't have a teacher, some parts of it are extremely difficult to get your head around and me and most of the others in my class are struggling even with the teacher. Mandatory experiments are also a huge part of the course and I presume you wouldn't be able to carry those out by yourself. If I were in your position I would definitely do business, especially if you have a much larger interest in it than chemistry.

    Agreed on all that. Took both in 1999 in the leaving cert. The chemistry course now has compulsary experiment and I believe a lab log book to be filled in. Business on the other hand has a fair bit of rote learning. Economics in particular is supposed to be particularly rote, with regards learning.
    If you have the aptitude I would say physics would be easier to learn by yourself than chemistry.


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    #5
    multimate
    Registered Users Posts: 417 ✭✭multimate


    Thanks for the advise. Would grinds and learning of experiment outcomes etc not do the job or would you definitely need a teacher. Also I'd have more of an interest in business but once it gets points I'd learn chemistry anyway, for me interest in the subject doesn't really change the resultt


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    #6
    Greenmachine
    Registered Users Posts: 5,063 ✭✭✭Greenmachine


    multimate wrote: »
    Thanks for the advise. Would grinds and learning of experiment outcomes etc not do the job or would you definitely need a teacher. Also I'd have more of an interest in business but once it gets points I'd learn chemistry anyway, for me interest in the subject doesn't really change the resultt

    Am you planning on going to college afterwards? Are you going in a STEM course(Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths).
    Have a look at the specific entry requirement to enter your chosen area.
    Remember that PLC course might also be an option if you want to continue your education after the leaving cert. Remember the individual college course will have their own requirement into the acceptability of a PLC as an alternative entry requirement. Good luck with your studies.


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    #7
    multimate
    Registered Users Posts: 417 ✭✭multimate


    Greenmachine wrote: »
    Am you planning on going to college afterwards? Are you going in a STEM course(Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths).
    Have a look at the specific entry requirement to enter your chosen area.
    Remember that PLC course might also be an option if you want to continue your education after the leaving cert. Remember the individual college course will have their own requirement into the acceptability of a PLC as an alternative entry requirement. Good luck with your studies.
    No I would prefer to go straight into college, looking at the level 8 courses I think.


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    #8
    Katie97123
    Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭Katie97123


    I get A's in chemistry , but it literally requires all my time and takes from all my other subjects! I know if I was doing it outside of school I would definitely fail. Wouldn't reccommend it at all!


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    #9
    multimate
    Registered Users Posts: 417 ✭✭multimate


    Katie97123 wrote: »
    I get A's in chemistry , but it literally requires all my time and takes from all my other subjects! I know if I was doing it outside of school I would definitely fail. Wouldn't reccommend it at all!

    Thanks for the advice it looks like chemistrys out of the equation!


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    #10
    multimate
    Registered Users Posts: 417 ✭✭multimate


    Does anyone know what physchem would be like - no experiments and doesn't look too in depth? Reason I'm hesitant to go for business is examiners apparently mark hard and exam technique is important, which would be hard to perfect without a teacher


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    #11
    Raspberry Fileds
    Closed Accounts Posts: 294 ✭✭Raspberry Fileds


    multimate wrote: »
    Does anyone know what physchem would be like - no experiments and doesn't look too in depth? Reason I'm hesitant to go for business is examiners apparently mark hard and exam technique is important, which would be hard to perfect without a teacher

    "exam technique is important" - glad you're conscious of that. However, if you're getting a fortnightly grind, or whatever, and whoever gives it is good in that regard, that wouldn't be a problem. Although the business course is long, nothing in it is in any way challenging. Just get really good at filtering the filler in your textbook from the relevant material when writing up notes!


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    #12
    multimate
    Registered Users Posts: 417 ✭✭multimate


    Raspberry Fileds wrote: »
    "exam technique is important" - glad you're conscious of that. However, if you're getting a fortnightly grind, or whatever, and whoever gives it is good in that regard, that wouldn't be a problem. Although the business course is long, nothing in it is in any way challenging. Just get really good at filtering the filler in your textbook from the relevant material when writing up notes!

    Thanks for the advice. I'll have units 345 if I do it, can I drop any units. According to this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056569570&page=2 you were able to get an a by just studying 4, 5, 6 that year.


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    #13
    Raspberry Fileds
    Closed Accounts Posts: 294 ✭✭Raspberry Fileds


    multimate wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice. I'll have units 345 if I do it, can I drop any units. According to this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056569570&page=2 you were able to get an a by just studying 4, 5, 6 that year.

    Sorry, I'm not the right person to ask. Dropped it for economics. (I found it so tedious (strikingly similar to junior cert) and hated my teacher!)


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    #14
    Magnate
    Closed Accounts Posts: 877 ✭✭✭Magnate


    I'd highly recommend business, especially if you're going to teach it to yourself. An A1 is definitely achievable. There's a knack to it alright, but once you get it down it's pretty much all waffle and common sense.

    Basically depending on the question the examiner is looking for "Name, Explain, Example" for every point. You might have to give your opinion on something or advantages/disadvantages depending on how it's phrased. People lose marks when they waffle on with one point for pages.

    Now if you look at a textbook, you're gonna see about 400 pages of pure waffle. It may help you to understand concepts whatnot by giving you more detailed information, but it's unlikely you'd need help in the first place. Get yourself a revision book and print off the syllabus. They're your bible for business.

    What I find is that it's very easy to explain something but hard to come up with it in the first place. So when you're making notes just take down bullet points for each "name" part. There's no need to memorise the "explain" and "example" parts unless you really don't understand something. It's very easy to come up with explanations and examples on the day. That way you're avoiding information overload and the course becomes a lot more manageable. Also for the advantages/disadvantages they're very similar across the board. They almost always revolve around time/money/efficiency/productivity/morale/industrial relations.

    If you really wanted to cut corners you could just study the units for your abq inside out and maybe one additional one but then you might be stuck for a short question or two. I'd recommend that you have a read of past exam papers for business to get more of a feel for it, likewise for chemistry. You'll get a better idea of the subjects.


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    #15
    MaryHannah
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭MaryHannah


    I would definitely recommend doing business, I don't know anything about chemistry but if you just learn 21st Century Business from cover to cover look at the marking scheme to give you a feel for answering questions and do some exam papers you'll be sorted! I have just done a business pre and if I learned anything it was just to rattle off, common sense is also key and for business especially it's great to know what's go on around you to use as examples for your answers, even watching the news and knowing appreviations for things etc is handy. Also, you will be doing it in 2016, your units for your ABQ will be 3,4 and 5 I would learn these particularly well. Also, the examiner setting the paper will be looking for new ways to exam the units for the ABQ I wouldn't rule out ratios either for the ABQ. Best of luck!


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