Enter The Dragon

Timans

So, I'm going into LC year on Monday.

How much study a night guys?

I was thinking about starting at 30mins a night and upping it 30mins every month.

Would that be enough do think?

Any tips are welcome. This is for me, a man that did NO work last year, is completely out of the habit of doing ANY study.

Thanks,

Naikon

Make sure to practice the exam papers regularly.
Do not study too much until after the mocks when the real grind will begin(an hour or 2 a day)
And last of all, consume PLENTY of caffeine;)

JC 2K3

Do enough to maintain a consistant grade in class tests across the board for most of the year and have some vague study goals. Cram for 2 weeks before the mocks and then cram for the last 4 weeks or so.

Worked for me.

Caffeine is good too.

spurious

Pay attention in class. Do ALL your homework to the best of your ability (and keep it).
Cover past papers inside out.

PurpleFistMixer

I'm also going into 6th year.. well started on Thursday, but it doesn't really begin until Monday. I was considering 30 minutes a day also, I think it'll depend though. If I get a ridiculous amount of homework I'm not going to be doing study on top of that, and I think weekends are probably out as well.

My school is putting on a 3 hour study slot on Saturday mornings as well as 2 hours after school Monday to Thursday, but I like my afternoons and my Saturday mornings too much for that.

Nehpets

Depends on what you are aiming for. If you're not aiming for 500+ there is really no need to start studying yet

JC 2K3

Supervised study(3 hours after every schoolday) was the best thing I did in 6th year.

It's too boring to sit around doing nothing for so long, so you actually start to do your homework and take an interest in school subjects, there're no distractions(presuming it's supervised well, which ours was) and you're free for the rest of the night at like 7pm.

carlowboy

TBH, I did more studying at the weekends than during the week. Didn't affect my social life though as I still got to go out so don't rule it out.

PurpleFistMixer

I wont rule it out completely but I think there should be at least one day a week where I don't have to think about the Leaving Cert at all. Whether that's Saturday or Sunday I don't know yet, but I don't think I should have to study on the weekends for a while yet.

JC 2K3

If you can manage it, which I did about twice, Saturday morning from 8-1 is great - you don't have to think about study until the next Monday.

Course, this won't be necessary until the latter stages of 6th year.

Timans

I am aiming for 545 atm. Will defo be aiming for over 500 regardless but the course I'm looking at is 545.

So, yeah, study is pretty essential early on when I haven't done homework 80% of them time since early 3rd year. :eek:

Thanks for the replies. Will be doing after-school study definitely.

Coco88

Ok NO to 30 mins a night . My school Principal told us each leaving cert student must be studying for 3 hours a night . I would approve with that . Because after all we don’t want to be replicate leaving cert year once more . And he has a PhD . and if you have a job you must discontinue it now even its part time !! . And the leaving cert is going to be really really problematical . So make the best of now . Make life easier by studying longer a night . how may higher level subjects are you doing and what subject ??? I hope this helps you with your question

Timans

I am doing ALL honours subjects.

Maths/English/Irish (MAY drop to OL in Irish after mocks)
Spanish
Geography
Economics
History

PurpleFistMixer

3 hours a night? Jaysus. On top of homework?

Steez

Don't do what i did and leave it all til March to do anything. I know everyone says that, and you might think "ah sure it's ages away". It's fuppin well not! I'm repeating this year and i'm going from 9-9 study and classes. Oh it'll be fun, terrible terrible fun.

Anyway, my best advice, don't start with too much too early or you'll just burn out (my current fear at the moment), but don't do nothing either. Start off doing just some basic revision or looking over easy stuff. As the year progresses, you'll have more to look over and learn.

Timans

PurpleFistMixer wrote:

3 hours a night? Jaysus. On top of homework?

That's what I was thinking.

On TOP of homework? Right from the off?

That's CRAAAZEY talk. Like, h/w would probably take 2-3 hrs on it's own, plus another 3 hrs study? Before Christmas? :eek:

JC 2K3

I only ever did homework if I felt it would benefit me.

I don't know if this is good advice or not.

Also, depending on the strictness of your teachers, you mightn't get away with an attitude like that.

Coco88

It not idiotic talk . Its correct if you want to get A1 - B2 in all subjects then do it this way . And yes before Christmas . I have my pre-exam in the end of January

JC 2K3

^I got all A1-B2s, and I certainly didn't do that much study before Xmas.

Coco88

JC 2K3 wrote:

^I got all A1-B2s, and I certainly didn't do that much study before Xmas.

Really , But still you have to demonstrate that to your self in the pre exams and to the educators

And history is no uncomplicated subject and at higher level

JC 2K3

Not really....

I went up 90 points from my pre, and I couldn't care less what a teacher thinks of me.

Selphie

PurpleFistMixer wrote:

My school is putting on a 3 hour study slot on Saturday mornings as well as 2 hours after school Monday to Thursday, but I like my afternoons and my Saturday mornings too much for that.

My school offered 2 hours supervised study on Mondays and Wednesdays, best thing I ever did. It gets you into study mode straight away. I used to get my homework done in supervised study and then do actual studying at home.

Lol, JC2k3 and me are sooo different. I also got 570, but I put way more work into it. I used to do at least three hours after school from Christmas onwards. After the Pres, I did as much as I physically could, usually working (homework and study) from 4 - 11 (with breaks for dinner and half an hour for internet checking) if I had loads to do. I took Fridays and Saturdays off and worked from 11-8 on Sunday. I put so much work into my exams because I felt I owed it to myself, and I didn't want to be disappointed with my results and feel that with a little more study, I could have done better. Of course its tiring...but I did no work throughout Christmas and Easter holidays and got loads of sleep every night. (wow, looking back it seems so weird. God, I was a hardass on myself, but then again I went up 100 points from my Pres.)
The most important thing I think is to maintain regular study. Like, if you start from day one and do even half an hour every day, it'll really help. If you want high points, and don't want to take risks, you need to work hard. There's no other way about it. You can still have a social life but, being realistic, there are some things that you have to sacrifice.

Carolus Magnus

Coco88 wrote:

It not idiotic talk . Its correct if you want to get A1 - B2 in all subjects then do it this way . And yes before Christmas . I have my pre-exam in the end of January

It depends on the person. Some people might need to study that much. Others may possess enough natural intelligence to wing it, or to decide for themselves what it is that is beneficial to them. Personally, I never even approached 3 hours of study a night. I was lying when I told my principal that I was doing 2 hours of study a night (he gave me a disapproving look nonetheless and suggested it should be a minimum of 4), as I grew confident in my ability I was doing an hour a night, if not even that. Most of that taken up with the homework that I knew had to be done just to save myself some grief.

People know themselves what they're comfortable with. My Lord, the worst thing that a person could be told is that they're studying 'the wrong way'. We enjoyed a seminar from some teachers on the payroll of a grinds school, encouraging us to use mnemonics and study plans. I'm quite sure it benefits some people, but I never felt the need to resort to such crap. Having an open mind about these things, I decided to deviate from my usual laissez faire approach in the run up to an English class test, and to take some of the 'advice' we were given on board. Did considerably worse than how I usually faired (I usually was in the B3 to B1 bracket, got a C3 in the test). That was the signal to jettison what we had been told, and to follow my own senses. No one knows better how to study, than one's self. I ended up doing fairly well in the end too with 505 points.

I guess I was also a big fan of cramming when I needed to. The week before the pre-exams was spent from around midday to six in the evening just doing exam papers. That was the most strenuous I ever permitted it to get.

Doffaldinho

The correct term is "Chasing The Dragon".

About 1-2 hours a day of studying should do it, But if you regularly take drugs then you may need about 4-5 hours a day due to your brain being mush.

JC 2K3

What if the drugs in question are Nootropics?

carlowboy

Do at least two hours a week on maths. It is essential.

PurpleFistMixer

What if you're good at maths and terrible at English? Is 2 hours a week still essential? : p
I think the amount of study per subject really depends on the person in question...

spurious

The amount and style of study will vary from person to person, but at a minimum, do homework and old papers.

carlowboy

PurpleFistMixer wrote:

What if you're good at maths and terrible at English? Is 2 hours a week still essential? : p
I think the amount of study per subject really depends on the person in question...

We're both ctyiers. I got 89% (raging) in maths based on studying it for 2 hours a week.

JackKelly

How long is a piece of string. Some people need to study more than others to take in the same volume of information.

You're the only person who can judge how many hours you need to do. Once you know a chapter, than that's enough study

JC 2K3

carlowboy wrote:

We're both ctyiers. I got 89% (raging) in maths based on studying it for 2 hours a week.

Having been in CTYI is irrelevent. I got 89.83% in Maths(one damn mark....) and I didn't do anything like 2 hours of dedicated Maths study a week. I varied sleeping and working on my own in Maths class and towards the end I did loads of exam papers.

It varies from person to person and anyway, time is not an accurate measure of how much study is done.

Also, Maths is one of those things where some people seem to need to kill themselves to get a decent mark, and others get by doing very little.

blondie07

JC 2K3 wrote:

^I got all A1-B2s, and I certainly didn't do that much study before Xmas.

Same here. i just always did my homework in english and history and then seriously crammed from february/march on

carlowboy

Well two hours a week is hardly killing yourself. I enjoyed maths tbh.

Mars Bar

I did homework form 4-5.45 then went out on my drums and then to the internet, and NO study, didn't do a tap on Saturday either(and i gave up my saturday job from Christmas) and still didn't do a thing. For a month before the exams i did after school study from 4.15 to 6.45...went up 30 points by just doing that...

So now i'm back to school tomorrow bright and early to repeat and i'm starting study...and saturdays in the library...

Listen kids:don't do what i did!! Learn from my mistakes...

Limerick Dude

tbh i did fcuk all, all year. Crammed the week or two before most exams.

350 in pre, 405 in real thing.

I just did homework and crammed before exams and that what i got.

So if your aiming for 500+, do your homework, do a bit of study most nights (doesnt have to be alot) and cram like a bítch before exams and you'll probably get it.

Mars Bar

Ya, every little bit helps as the tesco guys would say!

ec18

did sweet F*&k all...was so bad i was learning english poets in between the english papers.....And i'm goin into third year in college soo it definatly varies from person to person

PurpleFistMixer

JC 2K3 wrote:

Having been in CTYI is irrelevent.

Yeah... I don't think it has any relevance to the LC tbh, and I'm no longer a CTYIer anyway, unless you believe "once a CTYIer always a CTYIer" or something...

I'd say I'd study maths for two hours a week simply as I'd rather study it than other subjects, but I'm going to try and study whatever needs to be studied primarily. Physics definitions. Bleh.

carlowboy

If you like Maths then Physics definitions aren't a problem at all. Most of the physics definitions can be explained using formulae. Apart from stuff like the Ampere of course.

MasterSun

my school principle said for an average student who did X hours of study everynight, he would have get around X00 pts for the lc.

Naikon

MasterSun wrote:

my school principle said for an average student who did X hours of study everynight, he would have get around X00 pts for the lc.

Your Principle is wrong.
I studied very little almost every night for the LC and got around 350 which is good enough for me considering how much "study" I put in.
Cramming ftw!!!

Doffaldinho

JC 2K3 wrote:

What if the drugs in question are Nootropics?

Well played

Enemy Of Fate

OK well I did LITERALLY no study at all throughout all of 6th year, save perhaps for a few days before the mocks, and then spent the entire month before the leaving cert doing 6-8 hours study a day.....now that worked great for me, but some people may just not be able to handle it, so i'd say you should really start to study after christmas and do maybe an hour serious study a night....that should be grand.

lemansky

At the end of it all I got all A1s A2s and a B1. Weekly class tests in two subjects helped to pace us and ensure that everyone got the stuff covered in time. It also cut down on the study as you had defininte goals, ie an hour or so per week for each subject felt better than sitting down with a book and studying for a few hours. That was in 2 subjects. The rest I just paid attention in class and did the homework, with no actual study for the leaving until we graduated, so about two and a half weeks before it

The point is I didn't kill myself studying and I certainly didn't start before Christmas. I always did my homework though and studied for any tests from day one. That was the key tbh.

sd123

Pay attention in class, make sure to go home and research anything you don't understand, or ask your teacher to explain it again.

Homework is extremely unimportant for ALL subjects except Maths and Applied Maths. Studying is time better spent.

If you are planning/considering applying to the UK to study, make sure you find out all about the UCAS system as early as possible in the year because you may very well have to apply for UKCAT or other tests, especially if hoping to go into the health science sector. Talk to your career guidance councellor. Although they're not great in most schools, they are still an invaluable source of information.

Prepare all projects/portfolios/practical work early in the year. Every year, there are people trying desperately to finish theirs on the final day . Also, If you are doing LCVP, ask yourself do you really need to do it? Is 70 points useful to me and how sure am i that i will even get a distinction. Will the large amount of work involved compromise study for other subjects?

Cram for the Mocks and if that goes well, start cramming earlier for the L.C. If you're not great at cramming, you'll learn this from the mocks and it'll SCARE you into studying earlier for the real thing. Don't worry bout what your teachers think of you or what anyone in your classes think of you. If you feel that doing H.W is a waste of time, dont bother doing it, seriously.

Also, another thing worth noting is about higher preference subjects. If you decide that you will definitely not be counting a subject for points, by all means ignore it, unless of course you would like to acchieve a high grade out of pride.
Definitely don't spend an hour and a half, 5 weeks before the LC writing a comparative study essay when you know english isn't going to be one of your six best subjects. Might get you into a tiny bit of trouble at that late stage but doesn't really matter tbh. The most important thing you'll learn in 6th year is that time is of the essence.

Try to avoid caffine, although many people swear by it. It's a carcinogen!! Try to get a good night sleep before school. Try to avoid going out during the week or on sundays. If you do decide to go out, take a day off rather than going into school wrecked tired and dieing of a HO. This way, you can sleep until 1, get up and do a bit of studying/ written HW for the next day instead of going into school, yawning all day and taking in very little info.

Enjoy sixth year, it's there to be enjoyed. There was great craic the whole year, especially with the teachers. They finally treat you like an adult, and are much more leniant and understanding bout HW and things. Make sure you go out for all your friends' birthdays and your own, you only have ONE eighteenth birthday! Also, sixth year is one for pushing out the boundaries! If there was something you always wanted to do or say ( to a teacher for example ), make sure you do it in sixth year. By all means walk on the roof of the school, its your last year in school, ENJOY it! you'll miss it when you're finished.

Try not to forget why you're there though. Try to keep up with whats going on in class and with study! Help your friends if you understand something that they have difficulty with, and, with a bit of luck they can help you with some subject you're not that good at.

Try to be friendly to everyone in your year no matter how outrageously annoying they are with their stupid annoying questions in class or their pure ignorance and lack of intelligence. Remember, one day it could be she/he that could save your life!

Prepare well in advance for exams. By all means leave things out but don't assume you can do well using this method, although it DID work for me, but I was very VERY lucky. Celebrate your grad night. its the last time you'll see some people before the LC.

During exams, drink plenty of water, eat well and sleep properly, but if you have to cram, then it must be done. After the exams, celebrate. If you can, go on a holiday, and meet up with friends throughout the summer. Dont loose touch with them. Get results, be happy because you did the LC and did well just to say that you sat the LC, no matter how happy or unhappy you may feel. Remember that there are some people who aren't physically able to sit an exam.

Go to the debs, try to organise it earlier in the year, even before the mock if possible because it can take alot of valuable time that you just don't have in 6th year. Enjoy the debs, although the food is usually terrible and you get ripped off by the price of the drink. It'll still be the best night of your life if you make it that. Try to avoid confrontations and fights at the debs. It just ruins the night for everyone.

Anyway the point of this, my longest post by far, is that you can do very well in the leaving cert, enjoy sixth year ALOT, and still keep up with study. I know you hear it every year but there IS life after the leaving cert and tbh it has already been forgotton about. No one gives a flying fcuk what you got two days later. ENJOY sixth year, its your final year and, as all the older people say, school is the best days of your life!!!

lemansky

sd123 wrote:

it again.

Homework is extremely unimportant for ALL subjects except Maths and Applied Maths. Studying is time better spent.

But later on in the year when the classes are spent revising, the homework is revision and so=study that you're being forced to do rather than something that you need to motivate yourself to do.Kinda post mocks it gets important.

JC 2K3

But the classes are revising what the teacher thinks you should be revising, not what you know yourself that you should be revising.

I didn't pay the slightest bit of attention in Maths, Physics or Chemistry in the last 2/3 months. I used the time to either work on my own or daydream. Homework? pfft. I knew myself what had to be done and I did it.

Now I understand not everyone can work as independantly as I can, but I think it's a good idea to at least try and assert some sort of independence on your studies and not be blaming crap teachers/not knowing what to study/not having good enough notes etc.

Also, good post sd123. Though I'd disagree about caffeine. While you shouldn't overdo it, a cup of coffee is great for energy if you're tired in the evening.

And do many people have their debs in 6th year? Anyone I know and I have ours sometime in the Summer/Autumn...

lemansky

JC 2K3 wrote:

But the classes are revising what the teacher thinks you should be revising, not what you know yourself that you should be revising.

Fair point, but I was only pointing out that homework does have its uses, and is not pointless. Depends on who you are. I didn't need the homework, but if you were the type that did, then it would be the ideal way to make sure that you are reasonably prepared, as at least something will stick.

sd123

JC 2K3 wrote:

And do many people have their debs in 6th year? Anyone I know and I have ours sometime in the Summer/Autumn...

By grad night, i meant the mass at the end of sixth year, we all went out after it, and was a really good night.

JC 2K3

Oh wait, you meant to do the organising earlier in the year, not actually have it then.

sd123

^^ ye, like setting up debs committees etc, working out where you're going and who you're gonna bring etc. try to get it sorted out early in the year cos when it comes to april/may, no one has much time for organising things.