Leaving Cert 2012-13 OFF-TOPIC (hideaway) thread

mixery · 31-05-2013 4:27pm

Maths is realy weird for me because I always fail/barely pass P1, and then get an A in P2. Whatsmore P1 is on the same day as Geography which means I won't study for it whatsoever because I need to put in the work for Geo. Ah well.

BrownBear11 · 31-05-2013 4:44pm

CookieMonster.x wrote: »

Is the central limit theorem in the supplement book? If so that's not on our course.
The factor theorem is that a polynomial f(x) has a factor of (x-a) if f(a)=0. Something like that. It's in the algebra chapters I think.
On the subject of maths, has anyone done binomial theorem? I saw it in the complex numbers chapter as part of a question but I have never done it.. Anyone know what chapter it is even? The question was to prove the identity of sin 3theta.

Also finding it extremely difficult to study today, have done nothing!

AFAIK the binomial theorem's off the course for this yea or so my teacher tells us anyway. It hasn't come up in any of the sample papers either, I don't think soI'll be giving it a miss myself.

I've gone over the factor theorem God knows how many times and it just doesn't click with me. I can prove it cos' I just learned the proof off but if I'm asked to apply it like that one in the samples I'll be lost

Colm! · 31-05-2013 4:59pm

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

Has anyone else done the central limit theorem for maths or are we the only school mad enough

Yep. But I'm not even ****ing sure if it's on the course

Eurovisionmad · 31-05-2013 5:07pm

CookieMonster.x wrote: »

Is the central limit theorem in the supplement book? If so that's not on our course.
The factor theorem is that a polynomial f(x) has a factor of (x-a) if f(a)=0. Something like that. It's in the algebra chapters I think.
On the subject of maths, has anyone done binomial theorem? I saw it in the complex numbers chapter as part of a question but I have never done it.. Anyone know what chapter it is even? The question was to prove the identity of sin 3theta.

Also finding it extremely difficult to study today, have done nothing!

We didn't do the binomial theorem, our teacher says that's off the course, but she said she wasn't sure about the central limit theorem, and in fairness she's an excellent she'd really have her finger on the the pulse when it comes to math! She told us she went to a project maths in service and asked and the people running it said said they might give (what they phrase) "scaffolding" and that students may have to answer it, but she says they really weren't giving a straight answer, we just did in the very last few days of school.

On the wider topic itself its a total joke that we are exactly a week away from Maths paper 1 and we're not sure what is/isn't on the course, project maths in general has been a total joke, like there is something to be said for making the exam less predictable and improve students problem solving skills, but the manner it has been introduced has been a total disaster, late books, late exam papers, confusion about the syllabus, it was totally rushed, it should've been brought in in its totality for a group of 1st years, the idea of these transition syllabi is ridiculous!</rant>

bluejay14 · 31-05-2013 5:13pm

The last thing project maths has taught me is problem solving skills. If there's one thing it has taught me it is I now hate maths. It has become my biggest enemy over the past 2 years. And I used to love maths but my JC A means diddly-squat to me now.

Slow Show · 31-05-2013 5:23pm

You can use binomial expansions to use De Moivre's to solve trigonometric identities which is probably where you saw it in complex numbers (@CookieMonster I'm pretty sure I did that question last week if you're uncertain), it makes it a lot easier than working out the brackets but you can do that too I think. Fairly certain we don't have to know anything about the binomial theorem though.

And ermm...what in the world is the central limits theorem?

Slow Show · 31-05-2013 5:33pm

Do we have to prove the factor theorem??? Is that not just like f(2)=0, then a factor is x-2?

suitcasepink · 31-05-2013 5:36pm

andrew369 wrote: »

Sums up the entire course for me

Oh god, yes, yes, yes.
Amen to that.

Infact its so bad sometimes, I think its an achievement that I can actually remember covering a topic but still no idea in the world of how to go about it

BrownBear11 · 31-05-2013 5:51pm

Slow Show wrote: »

Do we have to prove the factor theorem??? Is that not just like f(2)=0, then a factor is x-2?

That's pretty much it but I learned it as a formal proof with an unknown variable. "If f(x) is a cubic expression and f(k)=0 then x - k is a factor of f(x)". Something along those lines. I don't think it ever has been asked ask as a proof in its own right (the application of it's more common) but I just learned it off anyway when I came across because it was about all I could manage to do with the factor theorem :L

I have the proof right here in front of me actually so if anybody wants to have a look at it I can post it up?:) I'm after digging out all my algebra notes cos' I'm terrified now :pac:

peekachoo · 31-05-2013 5:57pm

Can you post it there? I have no idea what you're on about

Also is binomial expansion like Bernoulli trials? I'm lost with all these proofs and stuff!

Slow Show · 31-05-2013 6:10pm

peekachoo wrote: »

Can you post it there? I have no idea what you're on about

Also is binomial expansion like Bernoulli trials? I'm lost with all these proofs and stuff!

Yep you do! Although I think you do it for Bernoulli like the reverse of how it is in the tables. Or something utterly bizarre like that.

bluejay14 · 31-05-2013 6:12pm

I think the worst thing about maths is having paper 2 on the same day as Irish paper 1. If it goes awfully, which I presume it will, I only have 2 hours to put myself back together to focus on Irish. Nothing puts me in a worse mood than maths when I can't do it.

BrownBear11 · 31-05-2013 6:14pm

peekachoo wrote: »

Can you post it there? I have no idea what you're on about

Also is binomial expansion like Bernoulli trials? I'm lost with all these proofs and stuff!

To prove:
If f(x) is a cubic expression and f(k)=0 then x - k is a factor of f(x).

Proof:
Let f(x)=ax^3 + bx^2 +cx +d.

Then f(k)=ak^3 + bk^2 + ck + d

f(x) - f(k)=ax^3 + bx^2 + cx +d -ak^3 - bk^2 - ck -d
= a(x^3 - k^3) + b(x^2 -k^2) + c(x - k)
= a(x - k)(x^2 + kx + k^2) + b(x - k)(x +k) + c(x - k)
=(x - k)(ax^2 +akx +ak^2 + bx + bk) + c

==> (x-k) is a factor of f(x) - f(k)
But f(k)=0
Therefore x-k is a factor of f(x)

Like I said, it probably isn't of any use in itself because I doubt they'll just ask you to prove it but I learnt it anyway one evening

peekachoo · 31-05-2013 6:17pm

I have never seen that before :eek:

Leaving Cert Student · 31-05-2013 6:18pm

Do we actually need to know that yolk? sheeet

Glee_GG · 31-05-2013 6:31pm

^ I've never in my life seen that, its definatly not in the book!

0mega · 31-05-2013 6:40pm

I'm not sure that's a proof that we have to know?

ChromosomeT · 31-05-2013 6:54pm

lads i'm confused our teacher told us to just know the geometry constructions does that mean i don't need to know the proofs or what?

BrownBear11 · 31-05-2013 6:57pm

0mega wrote: »

I'm not sure that's a proof that we have to know?

Maybe not

I have overdone the proofs tbf so it's probably not 100% needed

Monsieur Folie · 31-05-2013 7:00pm

Maths is literally the only subject I do where every time I come across something I don't already know, I don't say "Right, better learn that" but I say "What, is that on the course?" and judging by this the rest of you are the same. That just shows you how uncoordinated this whole thing has been. :P

Prodigious · 31-05-2013 7:05pm

Monsieur Folie wrote: »

Maths is literally the only subject I do where every time I come across something I don't already know, I don't say "Right, better learn that" but I say "What, is that on the course?" and judging by this the rest of you are the same. That just shows you how uncoordinated this whole thing has been. :P

That's the one problem I have with project maths. The course and format of the exam is extremely ambiguous. The NCCA have been very inconsiderate of students and teachers alike.

Monsieur Folie · 31-05-2013 7:10pm

Prodigious wrote: »

That's the one problem I have with project maths. The course and format of the exam is extremely ambiguous. The NCCA have been very inconsiderate of students and teachers alike.

Exactly. It's almost like the textbooks and sample papers and a clear, unambiguous syllabus were all afterthoughts for them, as long as they got their fancy new course rolled out as quickly as possible!

peekachoo · 31-05-2013 7:14pm

ChromosomeT wrote: »

lads i'm confused our teacher told us to just know the geometry constructions does that mean i don't need to know the proofs or what?

there's around 20ish proofs that can pop up at any stage of the exam, not just question 6, yeno the usual proof by contradiction, prove root 3, then there's theorems 11-13 that can be examined, I'm pretty sure you have to be able to apply the rest of the theorems
And first principles of like 10 things,
Prove sum, product, quotient and chain rules...
Prove sin rule cos rule tan rule, cos2a = blah blah blah...
Yeah there's a lot actually :pac:

Eurovisionmad · 31-05-2013 7:33pm

peekachoo wrote: »

there's around 20ish proofs that can pop up at any stage of the exam, not just question 6, yeno the usual proof by contradiction, prove root 3, then there's theorems 11-13 that can be examined, I'm pretty sure you have to be able to apply the rest of the theorems
And first principles of like 10 things,
Prove sum, product, quotient and chain rules...
Prove sin rule cos rule tan rule, cos2a = blah blah blah...
Yeah there's a lot actually :pac:

Tan rule wha?

ChromosomeT · 31-05-2013 7:38pm

peekachoo wrote: »

there's around 20ish proofs that can pop up at any stage of the exam, not just question 6, yeno the usual proof by contradiction, prove root 3, then there's theorems 11-13 that can be examined, I'm pretty sure you have to be able to apply the rest of the theorems
And first principles of like 10 things,
Prove sum, product, quotient and chain rules...
Prove sin rule cos rule tan rule, cos2a = blah blah blah...
Yeah there's a lot actually :pac:

what !!!! I thought it was just the geometry constructions and first principle i never knew about the rest ! where are they!! AHHH

peekachoo · 31-05-2013 7:40pm

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

Tan rule wha?

I don't think its actually called tan rule but it's on one of the sample papers! Something to prove with tan anyway I just assumed tan rule? :pac:

ray2012 · 31-05-2013 7:52pm

OL maths ftw

barry194 · 31-05-2013 8:33pm

ray2012 wrote: »

OL maths ftw

Was just going to ask who is doing honours here haha

11Charlie11 · 31-05-2013 8:56pm

Went out for dinner with the family and apparently all the teachers have an end of year party dinner thing so I met ALL of the teachers! Awkward!!

Vito Corleone · 31-05-2013 10:21pm

Anyone have any methods of getting up early? I got up past 12 today.

11Charlie11 · 31-05-2013 10:23pm

Vito Corleone wrote: »

Anyone have any methods of getting up early? I got up past 12 today.

Get someone to come in and pour a bucket of ice cold water on you! I'm sure it'll wake you up!

Monsieur Folie · 31-05-2013 10:27pm

Vito Corleone wrote: »

Anyone have any methods of getting up early? I got up past 12 today.

I started getting up early as of yesterday. I set the alarm on the phone and leave it at the other side of the room and it won't stop until I get up and shake it for ten seconds which is annoying as hell but it wakes me up (it's a cool app, you can set maths on it either). It's so tempting to go back to bed when I get up to turn it off though so I leave out my stuff for the shower, so that it requires minimal effort to have one, and that wakes me up. :P

Tomorrow is the real test though, the rest of the house will be lying in..

Vito Corleone · 31-05-2013 10:29pm

11Charlie11 wrote: »

Get someone to come in and pour a bucket of ice cold water on you! I'm sure it'll wake you up!

I actually asked my parents to do that yesterday but they refused to.

Monsieur Folie wrote: »

I started getting up early as of yesterday. I set the alarm on the phone and leave it at the other side of the room and it won't stop until I get up and shake it for ten seconds which is annoying as hell but it wakes me up (it's a cool app, you can set maths on it either). It's so tempting to go back to bed when I get up to turn it off though so I leave out my stuff for the shower, so that it requires minimal effort to have one, and that wakes me up. :P

Sounds like a good app but knowing me I'd probably just go to bed after I stopped it going off. The shower idea is good, I might try that!

Monsieur Folie · 31-05-2013 10:55pm

Vito Corleone wrote: »

Sounds like a good app but knowing me I'd probably just go to bed after I stopped it going off. The shower idea is good, I might try that!

Yeah I reckon if it wasn't for the shower I'd fall straight back to sleep. :P

Jade. · 31-05-2013 11:02pm

Someone asked me today was going out for the long weekend... I was contemplating going out if she said she was :O I just can't take study seriously :pac:

Monsieur Folie · 31-05-2013 11:12pm

Yeah, I was actually thinking of going to cinema tomorrow evening since I'm scheduled to finish study at six (if I get up on time), and I want to shake this cabin fever. People just told me I was mad. :P

bluejay14 · 31-05-2013 11:21pm

I just can't seem to study at all these days

No study will be done tomorrow either, heading to Croker for the match so we'll be leaving at half 2ish.

Vito Corleone · 31-05-2013 11:22pm

What are you guys studying now? I'm sort of just concentrating on Maths P1, English P2 and Geography. I'm planning on leaving the rest until next weekend.

Jade. · 31-05-2013 11:24pm

I didn't do a thing today because I didn't go to the library!

I'm doing English, home Ec and biology at the moment! I have so much biology to do to even pass :pac:

Monsieur Folie · 31-05-2013 11:24pm

I will have only covered Maths, Geog and English by wednesday, biology that weekend, then physics/chem/applied maths in the 5 days break I get in the middle of the madness. Don't know where I'll squash music in tbh, but my teacher is doing a crash course with us on the monday before for a few hours so that'll help..

Copper_pipe · 31-05-2013 11:25pm

Maths P1, English P2 and Engineering for the rest of the weekend

Leaving Cert Student · 31-05-2013 11:25pm

Theres a festival in the local park this weekend, its the biggest piss up of the year every year, every teenager will be out... genuinely considering hitting the bottle one last time before the 2 weeks that lie ahead... could it be ridiculous?

Legion. · 31-05-2013 11:26pm

Had our grad mass today, was some emotional stuff haha! Would love to be able to head out tonight with everyone but its a bit too close to the LC at this stage which is a shame. Gonna spend the next three days studying a combo of Irish/Geog/Business/History. I dropped to pass maths so don't need to study, and we had an English mock last weekend so the course is pretty fresh in my head. Not really worried to be honest, plenty of time to get most of the stuff covered although I am completely ignoring Spanish as I have four days to study it on its own.

ray2012 · 31-05-2013 11:28pm

I got English, French and a little bit of maths studied today. Planning on doing more English tomorrow, as well as Irish, chem, bio and economics. Economics will be my last exam, so I have like a 5 day break to study for it (and 2 other exams -__-), but I've a serious amount of study to do for it, I'm doing the subject by myself without grinds or anything, and I just started answering exam questions last week....

11Charlie11 · 31-05-2013 11:33pm

Really starting to get worried here!

I litteraly can't study and really need to! It hasn't hit me that the exams are so close!

Jade. · 31-05-2013 11:36pm

I've just already faced facts that I'm only going to get the points for my number 2 on the cao! But since its the same course just a different college I don't really mind :P

peekachoo · 31-05-2013 11:42pm

Irish for me will be cramming the night before, one poem one story and one an triail essay...
I'm not counting Irish anyway so

Eurovisionmad · 31-05-2013 11:43pm

11Charlie11 wrote: »

Really starting to get worried here! I litteraly can't study and really need to! It hasn't hit me that the exams are so close!

Don't worry, that's what cramming is for!

yournerd · 31-05-2013 11:47pm

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh DID ANYONE SEE THE WEATHER FORECAST?

Eurovisionmad · 31-05-2013 11:50pm

yournerd wrote: »

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh DID ANYONE SEE THE WEATHER FORECAST?

Every year without fail it's balmy during the leaving cert! It's an Irish rite of passage to have to stay inside and study for the leaving cert while everyone else enjoying the only bit of nice weather all summer!

(Also pfttt asking a group of Irish people did they see the weather forecast?! OF course we did! What would we complain about otherwise?!)

Leaving Cert 2012-13 *OFF-TOPIC* (hideaway) thread

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Leaving Cert 2012-13 OFF-TOPIC (hideaway) thread