5th year subjects dilemma

Eoin MurMur

Hello there. Just started 5th year and already the trouble has begun! My options subjects are Spanish, Biology, history and music. Because of the way the classes are laid out i've been forced into a biology class with foundation level students and a dim teacher who is known for being rather poor.

I have a number of options as far as I can see.

1. Keep up biology with the class that won't work and the teacher that will spend most of her time giving out meaning studying and learning will be much more difficult than necessary

2. Switch to Chemistry

3. Switch to Geography

The fact is I actually don't have an interest in doing ANYTHING related to science in college nor do I think I'd ever want a science based career. I would prefer to do Geography and it's more probable that I'd seek a career in that but even that isn't all that likely.

Just thought I'd ask because everyone i've asked seems very narrow minded when it comes to doing a science. I'd really appreciate some insight into this.

Thanks a million

pathway33

Do Geography.

It's ridiculous that 5th year students are ridiculed for not choosing 1 foreign language, 1 science and 1 business subject.

Do what you love. Ok so you don't love geography but the corollary is don't do what you hate. If you do Biology you will hate the next 2 years.

Only people who are genuinely interested in chemistry should do it because it is difficult otherwise.

Do Geography

Lawliet

Chemistry can be tough enough if you've got no interest in it, it's more technical than biology. Lots of formulas, equations and big sciencey words! Which is delicious if you're into that sort of thing. But if you're not, then go for geography.

rainbowtrout

If you have no interest in studying a science subject in college and have no great interest in studing one for the LC, but have picked biology as you've been told to 'keep your options open' then switch to geography if you think you'll like it more than biology.

I'm a science teacher and I had that same problem in 5th year except it was 'you're not doing any business subject - you're cutting yourself off from a lot of options in college'. I had no interest in looking at a business book ever again after my junior cert, and I chose French, German, Biology and PhysChem combined. It was seen as limiting only have science and languages, but I wasn't interested in anything else and it's all I had on my CAO. It's not a choice I have regretted.

Look at all the subjects not on offer in your school that you never had a chance to study and therefore won't be able to study in college. What makes science more special that Home Economics, Woodwork, Technical Graphics, Metalwork, Art (some of the subjects I never had the opportunity to study)? Study what you like/what you're interested in and generally you'll get on better. No point in being miserable struggling at a subject for the next two years just to 'keep your options open'

It's 13 years since I did my Leaving Cert and I still haven't looked at a business book

DC09

Eoin MurMur wrote: »

Hello there. Just started 5th year and already the trouble has begun! My options subjects are Spanish, Biology, history and music. Because of the way the classes are laid out i've been forced into a biology class with foundation level students and a dim teacher who is known for being rather poor.

I have a number of options as far as I can see.

1. Keep up biology with the class that won't work and the teacher that will spend most of her time giving out meaning studying and learning will be much more difficult than necessary

2. Switch to Chemistry

3. Switch to Geography

The fact is I actually don't have an interest in doing ANYTHING related to science in college nor do I think I'd ever want a science based career. I would prefer to do Geography and it's more probable that I'd seek a career in that but even that isn't all that likely.

Just thought I'd ask because everyone i've asked seems very narrow minded when it comes to doing a science. I'd really appreciate some insight into this.

Thanks a million

Probably best to get one science subject though, some colleges make you have one for some stupid **** of reason:rolleyes:

If i was you, i would do biology outside school, or switch to chemisty.
Dont put physics as your science subject unless your doing honours maths and/or a genius... it will only end in tears;)

If worst comes to worst, you can still get into certain universities for certain courses without any science if it really bothers ya

pathway33

DC09 wrote: »

If worst comes to worst, you can still get into certain universities for certain courses without any science if it really bothers ya

you can surely get into all universities (probably not the royal college of surgeons) without a science subject. It's more the type of course (i.e science) you are excluding yourself from than a particular college.

Check out www.qualifax.ie and it will tell you through the 'useful tools' and 'minimun subject requirements' that there are over 900 courses in ireland that you can get into without a science subject

Daragh101

Eoin MurMur wrote: »

Hello there. Just started 5th year and already the trouble has begun! My options subjects are Spanish, Biology, history and music. Because of the way the classes are laid out i've been forced into a biology class with foundation level students and a dim teacher who is known for being rather poor.

I have a number of options as far as I can see.

1. Keep up biology with the class that won't work and the teacher that will spend most of her time giving out meaning studying and learning will be much more difficult than necessary

2. Switch to Chemistry

3. Switch to Geography

The fact is I actually don't have an interest in doing ANYTHING related to science in college nor do I think I'd ever want a science based career. I would prefer to do Geography and it's more probable that I'd seek a career in that but even that isn't all that likely.

Just thought I'd ask because everyone i've asked seems very narrow minded when it comes to doing a science. I'd really appreciate some insight into this.

Thanks a million

you have to make up your own mind tbh

randylonghorn

pathway33 wrote: »

It's ridiculous that 5th year students are ridiculed for not choosing 1 foreign language, 1 science and 1 business subject.

I didn't do either a business subject or a science, and it never caused me a problem.

Not having a foreign language is a bit more problematic, in terms of matriculation within the NUI system certainly.

The advice to "keep your options open" is generally sound enough if you have no real clue what you want to do. However, some people are very sure (as I was) what they don't want to do, and that deserves to be respected too.

pathway33

randylonghorn wrote: »

Not having a foreign language is a bit more problematic, in terms of matriculation within the NUI system certainly.

Yes I often thought that the foreign language was a blanket requirement for the NUI until I saw these

http://admissions.nuim.ie/subjects/index.shtml

https://myucd.ucd.ie/admission/entry_ug.ezc
It seems to be the same policy for NUI Galway and UCC where some science and engineering courses do not require a foreign language. (Does not apply to you OP)
So if you’re going to be miserable for the next 2 years doing a subject you hate when there’s one you love going on next door, make sure you have a very good CAO reason for suffering that subject

pathway33

god that writing came out crap. Sorry my cop and paste didn't quite work

randylonghorn

pathway33 wrote: »

Yes I often thought that the foreign language was a blanket requirement for the NUI until I saw these:

It was a requirement for all NUI courses until pretty recently.

Even now, if you took the actual number of students on the courses which don't require it, and compared them with the overall student intake, it's still a requirement for the large majority.

Certainly, one could say that not taking a foreign language limits your options severely within the NUI system ... I guess that would be more accurate all right.

pathway33

randylonghorn wrote: »

if you took the actual number of students on the courses which don't require it, and compared them with the overall student intake, it's still a requirement for the large majority.

Certainly, one could say that not taking a foreign language limits your options severely within the NUI system ... I guess that would be more accurate all right.

if you took the actual number of students on the courses in all third level colleges which don't require it, and compared them with the overall student intake in all third level colleges, it's still a requirement for the minority

Certainly, one could say that not taking a foreign language does not limit your options severely within the CAO system ... I guess that would be more accurate all right

So my point is why should 5th year students who aren't even doing 2 honours subjects and can't fulfil the minimum NUI requirements anyway be pschologically blackmailed into taking a foreign language if their talents clearly lie elsewhere.

Actually my main beef is with the misplaced importance people place on mathematics saying that 'you can't get into university without maths'.

But I'm probably wandering dangerously close to the edge of the off topic cliff so ...

randylonghorn

pathway33 wrote: »

if you took the actual number of students on the courses in all third level colleges which don't require it, and compared them with the overall student intake in all third level colleges, it's still a requirement for the minority

Very true, pathway, but there are lots of students out there who have their hearts set on UCC or NUIG or UCD, which is the only reason I'm drawing attention to it.

pathway33 wrote: »

So my point is why should 5th year students who aren't even doing 2 honours subjects and can't fulfil the minimum NUI requirements anyway be pschologically blackmailed into taking a foreign language if their talents clearly lie elsewhere.

They shouldn't ideally, though it can be difficult to timetable things in some schools where the vast majority want to do a language.

And lots do, apart from the NUI thing at all.

pathway33 wrote: »

But I'm probably wandering dangerously close to the edge of the off topic cliff so ...

Well, you can hide behind me!

Eoin MurMur

Thanks a bunch everyone. I've been given until Tuesday to make my mind up so I'll keep stewing over it over the weekend. Fairly sure i'm gonna go to Geography though.

Lawliet

randylonghorn wrote: »

Not having a foreign language is a bit more problematic, in terms of matriculation within the NUI system certainly.

I use to worry that dropping French after Junior cert would cost me, since I'd been hearing for a while that most places won't take you without a third language. Thankfully though, its not a requirement for anything I want.

Maglight

Do the subjects that interest you. If you have no interest in biology, do geography instead. I focused on languages and science subjects for my leaving and did no business subjects. My CAO options were heavily biased towards healthcare courses. I didn't do any of them and now I run a media business. So much for the biology, chemistry and physics I sweated over for two years!