Just a thought

CrimE

I was just thinking to myself about the leaving cert. being known as "the hardest exam you'll ever do". Now i worked a hell of a lot harder for the junior cert and, thinking about this, im starting to see the reality of the leaving cert.

I believe the reason the lc is so hard is that theres so much better stuff to be doing. I mean, when we do the junior cert. we are 14/15 and there isnt an incredible amount to be getting up to instead of studying. When we are 18, legal to drink and drive (not at the same time though ), studying becomes a much more difficult task than before, we are always being tempted away.

Personally i don't think the courses themselves are ridiculously hard i just believe that if you want to achieve 600 points, you ultimately have to give up your life for a year. The prime example would be that girl Ruth Borland, she got her 600 points and fair play to her. But she said she still "had a life" because after her 10 hours every weekend day, she went to the gym...

In my opinion the leaving cert. is just a test of will power, testing whether or not you have the self control to put life on hold for a while...to study. This year for the first time, i chose to take advantage of some of the "good stuff" and i don't regret it for a second.

Funkstard

That Ruth Borland one wrecks my head. Well done, you studied a ridiculous amount and got your 600 points from cramming stuff in rather than being that intelligent, I couldn't give a shít though. Has anyone seen the nipple slip photo of her doing the rounds? Hilarious

GrumPy

The leaving cert is a sham, it doesnt reflect hard workers as well as it could. If your a good crammer, you can get great points, and not actually learn anything, and still end up in college with people who have worked hard. College will be even harder for crammers, cause they dont reall know the stuff, they just learned it in order to pass.

I hope future generations on this board will have "continual assessment" and maybe three or four, less important exams in between each term or something. Cause going through school for 14-15 years, and doing two weeks of exams at the end isn't fair.

And wtf is with the marking scheme? "Oh the first 5% is better standard than usual, just go ahead and give less marks now for correct answers" that's BS.

Sorry for the little rant, But I just dont see how the Irish education system is the best in Europe? Third level has great rep. But the secondary school system is a joke.

Rockerette

who is she??

Particle-Boy

Well - look on the bright side guys!! In about one week - none of the people here will have to concern themselves with that EVER again!!! I'll be far more enthusiastic about that when I finish my history exam today...

shane0312

Funkstard wrote:

Has anyone seen the nipple slip photo of her doing the rounds? Hilarious

Any links?:D

Raphael

Probably a bad idea to post links to that

use pm


On a more on-topic note i'd say the Leaving Cert is hard because you have to study stuff you don't like, you have to study a wide range of stuff, the exams are packed into a short space of time and you need a decent result.

Sawa

Rockerette wrote:

who is she??

Just a girl who did her LC last year. She used to go the High School in Rathgar (my school btw) then she moved to the Institute, got 600 points, made headlines and now she thinks shes great even though she is in fact a big twat and i actually knew her. All that bull about not drinking or going out during 6th year, maybe she didnt but if she had stayed in "Rathgar High"(as she hilariously called it in an article! :eek: ) it would be slightly difficult not to have a good time every weekend.

smemon

tbh i feel sorry for people that get 600 points. it's obvious they've spent their teenage years studying instead of living life.

i could get 600 points if a studied for 4hours a day every day for 6 years - no doubt about it. in fact, i could probably get 600 points if i studied 4 hours a day for a year. a lot of people could.

however like many others - i dont. why? well, i've better things to be at like living. all work and no play makes jack a dull boy.

seriously, 600 pointers only want their face in a newspaper and recognition and praise from teachers. it's all about ego. few are motivated by course points imo. certainly the potential 600 pointers i know.

i know a guy that admitedly says he studying as a past-time - like WTF?? theres working hard and then there's the chinesese gymnastic type people who just live life purely for results.

Raphael

Not always, although it's mainly right. Some people want 600 points so they can get a place in medicine. Though they're the silent majority, I'd say.

CrimE

Funkstard wrote:

That Ruth Borland one wrecks my head. Well done, you studied a ridiculous amount and got your 600 points from cramming stuff in rather than being that intelligent, I couldn't give a shít though. Has anyone seen the nipple slip photo of her doing the rounds? Hilarious

Haha! Yeah i completetly agree with ya. I mean fair enough you got your 600 points but i cant stand her little articles about how to do "as well as she did". She repeats advice she rips off teachers like read the questions.

Her guide should really be:

• Go to a fee paying school
• Then go to a grind school
• Then have no life for a year

TommyGrav

smemon wrote:

tbh i feel sorry for people that get 600 points. it's obvious they've spent their teenage years studying instead of living life.

i could get 600 points if a studied for 4hours a day every day for 6 years - no doubt about it. in fact, i could probably get 600 points if i studied 4 hours a day for a year. a lot of people could.

however like many others - i dont. why? well, i've better things to be at like living. all work and no play makes jack a dull boy.

seriously, 600 pointers only want their face in a newspaper and recognition and praise from teachers. it's all about ego. few are motivated by course points imo. certainly the potential 600 pointers i know.

i know a guy that admitedly says he studying as a past-time - like WTF?? theres working hard and then there's the chinesese gymnastic type people who just live life purely for results.

Ridiculous. I've got a shot at 600 points, (got 575 in Mocks) and I've done feck all. The only lifestyle change I've made from last year is that I don't spend endless hours arsing about anymore. I still drink, go out, play FM and play footy and tennis as much as ever though. Just sacrificed lying on the couch doing feck-all. Hardly been that stressful!
In fact, my life has probably been more fun than last year, as I've really enjoyed learning classics, biology, english and French. But no way has it dominated my life.
The amount of respect people give the Lc here is insane. It's really not that bad an exam! And to suggest only study machines can get 600 is just mad. I'm thinking some people are trying to make themselves feel better by telling themselves that those who do well are miserable.

helles belles

TommyGrav wrote:

play FM

football manager=FM?
cuz if so, that thing is addictive and u could spend hours on the computer a day. i dont see how that isnt lazing around

CrimE

TommyGrav wrote:

Ridiculous. I've got a shot at 600 points, (got 575 in Mocks) and I've done feck all. The only lifestyle change I've made from last year is that I don't spend endless hours arsing about anymore. I still drink, go out, play FM and play footy and tennis as much as ever though. Just sacrificed lying on the couch doing feck-all. Hardly been that stressful!
In fact, my life has probably been more fun than last year, as I've really enjoyed learning classics, biology, english and French. But no way has it dominated my life.
The amount of respect people give the Lc here is insane. It's really not that bad an exam! And to suggest only study machines can get 600 is just mad. I'm thinking some people are trying to make themselves feel better by telling themselves that those who do well are miserable.

I dont think anyone is saying that only study machines get 600 points, but lets face it, the large majority of 600 pointers are study machines. If what you say is true, about being capable of 600, fair play but raw talent alone doesnt get anyone top points, it takes a lot of study and usually big lifestyle changes.

smemon

CrimE wrote:

the large majority of 600 pointers are study machines. If what you say is true, about being capable of 600, fair play but raw talent alone doesnt get anyone top points, it takes a lot of study and usually big lifestyle changes.

yip, just what i was going to say (in a more refined and polite manner i might add )

i know there are people that do well with little or no study, i'd regard myself as one of them. but the majority who get near 600 do some sort of study. in fact everyone does - it's impossible to get 600 with no study - cant be done.

most of the 600 pointers are study trojans who have nothing better to do. sure they might go out drinking or take it easy at the weekends but during the week it's study, study, study 24/7.

anyway, it's an irish thing. we irish are programmed to shoot down the top dogs call it jealousy, spite, ignorance... we love to hate the best (maybe that's why everyone hates me )

TommyGrav

I ain't got much raw talent though. i'm not particularly articulate and I haven't got a great memory. i just think it's so easy to do well by cutting just a tiny bit of fat off the oceans of sloth we all swim in.
Look at it this way: People who work don't sacrifice their lives. And the LC, over 8 months of study, takes a lot less time than even a parttime job. You're saying to get 600 you gotta stop going out and stuff, no way! Still do all the fun things in life, but when you're at a loose end, (too early to drink, sick of computer, whatever) don't just sit there, study!
Even just rattle through a bit of biology or summat 10 minutes before you kip. Over 8 months, even over 3 or 4, the amount of work you can get done just by quick little bursts of study is amazing.

caesar

smemon wrote:

.... (maybe that's why everyone hates me )

Not everyone hates you, i like reading your posts tbh.

JohnPH

Lol, yeah, his posts are legend. Maybe it's a Mayo thing:P

GrumPy

JohnPH wrote:

Lol, yeah, his posts are legend. Maybe it's a Mayo thing:P

Or maybe it's just multiple accounts

smemon

JohnPH wrote:

Maybe it's a Mayo thing:P

mayo?! ah common now don't insult me

JohnPH

F*** you:P
I meant the fact that I agreed with caesar

caesar

Irish GrumPy wrote:

Or maybe it's just multiple accounts

??

Smemon wrote:

mayo?! ah common now don't insult me

One of the few i didn't like

smemon

ah mayo people are grand havn't met too many though, you's are a dying breed.

my multiple accounts Irish grumpy???

you think im opening accounts just so i can praise myself? ah even i'm not that bad.

GrumPy

smemon wrote:

ah mayo people are grand havn't met too many though, you's are a dying breed.

my multiple accounts Irish grumpy???

you think im opening accounts just so i can praise myself? ah even i'm not that bad.

It's a joke smemon, and your are that bad, lol

caesar

smemon wrote:

ah mayo people are grand havn't met too many though,

You haven't lived until you've meet a few people from mayo

smemon wrote:

you's are a dying breed.

lol, not really smemon. Sure half of the people in galway are from mayo and during the summer there always loads of houses in Dublin with Mayo flags out the windows.

JohnPH wrote:

F*** you:P

I don't think he ment anything by it.

JohnPH

Lol, yea your reply was more suitable:rolleyes:
BBBBBuuuttt it's all good, finished last exams this morning:D