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Doing An All Science Leaving Cert
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25-05-2010 9:32pm#1
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Cheers for all the feedback! Im planning on doing science, in Trinity or England so all i need is irish since it is know recognised as a european language! Iv a very keen interest in science as i read quite alot of dawkins and hawkins and get new scientist weekly so interest is not an issue
! Also went to an irish school and read alot so i say il prob be able to keep up with english and irish honours! How many hours a night am i looking at with these subjects? 0 -
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Cheers for all the feedback! Im planning on doing science, in Trinity or England so all i need is irish since it is know recognised as a european language! Iv a very keen interest in science as i read quite alot of dawkins and hawkins and get new scientist weekly so interest is not an issue ! Also went to an irish school and read alot so i say il prob be able to keep up with english and irish honours! How many hours a night am i looking at with these subjects?
I wouldn't worry about too much study like. Took up chemistry at the beginning of 6th year and have by no means killed myself over it. Just staying on top of your work in 5th year is enough and then doing a sensible amount of work in 6th year will be grand!0 -
I'm in 5th year (nearly finished now), doing physics, chemistry and biology. Tbh, if you like science, they'll be your favourite subjects. Although I find physics can be abit dull, as it takes a goooood while before the course gets exciting. It really provides the foundations for the *real* physics, the exciting stuff! That said, it's actually easy enough, and if you're good at maths, there really isn't much a challenge in it besides learning off the bit of theory. Also, it'd be complementary to your Applied Maths (and some sections of the course are common to chemistry).
Chemistry is one of my favourite subjects tbh. Many people are scared off from it by it's rather theoretical concepts. With chemistry, you really must endeavour to understand the material. You CANNOT just learn it off, I really dunno how somebody could, it'd be a load of gibberish if you didn't understand it. I'll warn you now, pay attention in all your chemistry classes! Missing a class in a daydream haze has worse consequences than the other sciences. It's enjoyable though, and interesting. Grasping the concepts is quite rewarding. The exam is very, very fair, with a decent amount of choice. They're some sections you'll find challenging, but it all comes together, believe me!
Biology is probably the most popular science subject with students. It is definetly my favourite. It is true, a lot of it is just learning the stuff. Photosynthesis, DNA and respiration are the only things that come to mind that require a decent grasp of concepts (but note, although there are few things on the course that are difficult to understand, things such as DNA, photosynthesis and respiration are VERY popular on the exam papers). If you liked JC biology, and are interested the function of the human systems, disease, and health, then I'd definetly recommend it. A decent chunk is focussed on human/animal life, but there's a healthy dose of plant life in there too.
Hmm, now to answer your question. :P If you like the subject, the work will almost do itself tbh, between paying attention in class and whatnot. It's hard to give you an exact amount of time of how long it takes for each subject, since everyone studies differently. However, if you understand everything, particularly physics and chemistry, studying is actually a breeze (that might make it sound a little too easy, but in comparison to other subjects, it is). That's why understanding is important.
Hope that helps, best of luck! 0 -
Cheers for all the feedback! Im planning on doing science, in Trinity or England so all i need is irish since it is know recognised as a european language! Iv a very keen interest in science as i read quite alot of dawkins and hawkins and get new scientist weekly so interest is not an issue ! Also went to an irish school and read alot so i say il prob be able to keep up with english and irish honours! How many hours a night am i looking at with these subjects?
I would really, really advise you to think long and hard before limiting yourself by not taking a language. From personal experience, I had my heart set on doing science/medicine in TCD. I was absolutely certain of what I wanted all through secondary school; no doubts in my mind whatsoever. I ended up getting my first choice - Radiation Therapy in Trinity - but it didn't work out for me, and I'm now an accountant! The thing is though, if I hadn't done French for the LC, I could not have gotten into the business course I wanted, nor would I have been offered the job that I have now.
Even after you graduate after college, you may find it difficult to get a job outside of Ireland unless you have a European language (Irish may count as one for matriculation purposes, but it probably won't count as one for many prospective employers!) Even within Ireland, employers will notice the lack of languages on your CV - competition is so high in the jobs market, and variety is key. If you're applying for any job at all, and 95% of candidates have European languages, it doesn't look good for you to be in that other 5%.
You could even consider doing a language at ordinary level in addition to the rest of your subjects, rather than instead of one of them. It shouldn't take too much additional work if you've done French or German or whatever up to Junior Cert level.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I did Physics and Chemistry for the Leaving, they are very good ones for picking up marks in if you have an aptitude for them and if you're willing to put in the work, which (by the sounds of it) you are! 0 -
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rainbowtrout wrote: »Is this not just perpetuating the myth that science and maths are hard? Science and maths are hard for those who find those subjects difficult. Intelligence is not simply about being good at science and maths, to say that would suggest those that have an aptitude for languages, music, art etc are not intelligent. I was good at maths at school and got an honour in Higher Level maths with minimum effort. Another student would have found that difficult. Irish on the other hand I hated.... it doesn't make me any more or less intelligent.
To the OP, if you are interested in science/maths go for it. It's easier to study a subject you enjoy that a subject you don't. You will find a good crossover between maths/physics/applied maths and also between physics and chemistry. Like everyone else here I'd suggest keeping on a language other than Irish because while you have plans for Trinity/UK now, they may change for one reason or another and you may find yourself out in the cold when the college offers come out simply because you didn't keep on French/German etc.
I meant ''quite intelligent'' not in terms of the science/maths myth you're talking about, but because taking on four science subjects is an uncommon choice BECAUSE it is difficult. I'm very good at languages and am doing honours Irish, French and Spanish for the LC, but I'm not doing German and Italian also, I'm doing two other subjects that aren't languages because that would just be way too difficult unless I was highly highly committed, even if you find languages interesting and are good at them... that's the closest example I can find to relate to what I was trying to say about taking on maths, applied maths, physics, chemistry and biology. I was just trying to stress to OP that it is a difficult combination that perhaps not the average joe would be able to take on, ability definitely comes into it alongside interest, they do seem like they're capable of it though!
Also, maths IS one of the most difficult subject for most people, I won't say everyone, and when you're in TY you definitely don't have a grasp of the jump from JC to LC which is just what I was trying to stress to OP. I know plenty of people who are good at maths and good at languages, and aiming for an A1 in maths for them requires a hell of a lot more work than their A1 in French. A C3 or whatever isn't THAT difficult to get for most people who are interested in a subject and do a bit of work (as you said you experienced with maths yourself) , but if you want an A (and OP specifically stated they were aiming for the high five hundreds!) in maths that will require dedication and time no matter how good they are, and doing applied maths and three sciences on top of that would be a huge commitment 0 -
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I meant ''quite intelligent'' not in terms of the science/maths myth you're talking about, but because taking on four science subjects is an uncommon choice BECAUSE it is difficult. I'm very good at languages and am doing honours Irish, French and Spanish for the LC, but I'm not doing German and Italian also, I'm doing two other subjects that aren't languages because that would just be way too difficult unless I was highly highly committed, even if you find languages interesting and are good at them... that's the closest example I can find to relate to what I was trying to say about taking on maths, applied maths, physics, chemistry and biology. I was just trying to stress to OP that it is a difficult combination that perhaps not the average joe would be able to take on, ability definitely comes into it alongside interest, they do seem like they're capable of it though!
Also, maths IS one of the most difficult subject for most people, I won't say everyone, and when you're in TY you definitely don't have a grasp of the jump from JC to LC which is just what I was trying to stress to OP. I know plenty of people who are good at maths and good at languages, and aiming for an A1 in maths for them requires a hell of a lot more work than their A1 in French. A C3 or whatever isn't THAT difficult to get for most people who are interested in a subject and do a bit of work (as you said you experienced with maths yourself) , but if you want an A (and OP specifically stated they were aiming for the high five hundreds!) in maths that will require dedication and time no matter how good they are, and doing applied maths and three sciences on top of that would be a huge commitment
No, four sciences is an uncommon choice because most schools don't offer all four or make a language compulsory or subjects clash and a student can't take all of them at the same time. Or a student takes a language to keep their options open, so that leaves them with only three choices, unless they decide to take 8 subjects. My subjects when I did the LC fitted neatly into two categories. I did English, Irish, French and German and then Maths, Biology and Physics with Chemistry (all higher level). My school didn't offer Phys and Chem separately, Applied Maths or Ag Science.
Doing sciences is no bigger a commitment than doing three business subjects or arts subjects if you are interested, that's really what it comes down to. I always did my homework in roughly the following order: Biology, PhysChem, French, German, English, Irish. My maths teacher never gave homework, but that's a whole other story. It was down to my level of interest. Maths would have come first in the homework stakes.
It's a common enough combination for students to take three sciences with a foreign language (for college entry) for medicine, dentistry, veterinary0 -
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well i see people talking about needing a third lanuage for college.... but the thing is your obviously going to be doing a science or engineering course or something similar in college aren't you...
and most colleges don't require a third language for these courses
Don't all the NUI's require at least a pass in OL in a European language for general matriculation requirements to enter into any of the courses in their college, unless obviously you have an exemption because of dyslexia, having lived abroad etc?i also see some people here saying it's easier to get an a1 in french than in maths...
I was simply using an example of several people I know who would have great interest and ability in both French and Maths equally, and in all cases Maths always is the bigger workload for them. But other people on this thread never seem to have had this experience, so it is all relative I suppose at the end of the day! There aren't always equalities amongst subject difficulty (and this is something the SEC have stated themselves in regards to students strategically picking subjects with smaller workloads in order to maximise their points)... for example Irish has a much bigger and longer course than French, the fact that you have to sit two papers in the three core subjects really is an indicator that you're going to often have to do more for these subects to get your A1 in them... so not ALL of it comes down to interest or ability. Each to their own though I suppose! 0 -
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gud luck wit that...i only did chemsitry and hl maths but did get in the 500's yday. my experience (and my brothers who did biology) is that d sciences arent much harder than any othr lc subject. Howevr wat makes dem seem dat bit more tricky is dat u hav 2 learn dem thoroughly and in gr8 detail in order to do well. Dey also seem, superficially of course, quite more distant frm evryday life (eg. learning about irish regions in geog is more familiar to us as a form of general knowledge than the IUPAC name for Glycerol in Chemistry lol) so that makes them that bit more demanding. Dont cram eithr wit dem...u need to keep up with dem daily to engrain all those random facts in your head lol.
U cant just learn them off eithr....u need to UNDERSTAND the stuff aswell...unless u hav a high aptitute for maths and science u shudnt try doin this!!! 0 -
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Don't all the NUI's require at least a pass in OL in a European language for general matriculation requirements to enter into any of the courses in their college, unless obviously you have an exemption because of dyslexia, having lived abroad etc?
I was simply using an example of several people I know who would have great interest and ability in both French and Maths equally, and in all cases Maths always is the bigger workload for them. But other people on this thread never seem to have had this experience, so it is all relative I suppose at the end of the day! There aren't always equalities amongst subject difficulty (and this is something the SEC have stated themselves in regards to students strategically picking subjects with smaller workloads in order to maximise their points)... for example Irish has a much bigger and longer course than French, the fact that you have to sit two papers in the three core subjects really is an indicator that you're going to often have to do more for these subects to get your A1 in them... so not ALL of it comes down to interest or ability. Each to their own though I suppose!
AFAIK colleges don't require the extra lanuage for science courses because well you don't... but don't quote me on that and check it out yourself before deciding not to do it - and if your course does need it just do pass as an extra subject and do a wee bit right before the oral and a bit before the exam and you should get a D in pass which is enough...
as for a lot of people who find maths difficult - these people wouldn't ever consider an all science leaving - that's the difference - the OP's strength and interests lie within science so their obviously strong in this regard...
From my own experience I found higher maths to be grand - nothing too hard - I ended up with a C2 which wasn't great by any means but I could have got a lot better if I'd had a bit more luck on the day... just had a bad day at the blocks but that's going off topic... Got a B1 in physics with minimum effort because I loved the subject and it was dead easy for me...
as for French I got a D2 - not great was it - my mind couldn't get round it at all and I just had no interest in it whatsoever so I did miserably bad
Maths is hard for people who aren't suited to it - just like French or any other subject would be hard for some students - science is just percieved to be that bit harder because a lot of people like being able to go on a bullsh!ting streak if they see a quesiton their not sure of
-sciences also aren't subjective so your right your right and I love this about them.. there's none of this relying on getting a corrector who likes your style
you just have to remember that anyone who'd even consider an all science leaving is someone who's mind and apptitude is obviously leaning that way...
just like if someone chose Classics, History and "insert other similar subject" they'd obviously not be the sort of person who'd be likely to enjoy doing science subjects...
or someone who did 2 lanuages and something else
Doing an all Science leaving cert would have been my dream but it wans't on offer to me - because the OP is expressing an interest in it I think it's a great oppurtunity because to have this notion science is the OP's strength..
Intelligence is just associated with the sciences because the average joe tends not to have the same interest in them so not being able to BS through them is a disadvantage to these students so the label of intelligence is stuck onto these subjects... and that's how I view them too - if you like them you'll excel - if you don't you'll fail miserably because you didn't listen in class and didn't understand anything - science doens't let you learn something by heart and ream it off without any understanding so it's labelled "difficult":rolleyes: it isn't really though if you have any interest is all0 -
randylonghorn wrote: »kmhenry, please note that textspeak is unwelcome on this site, thanks.
yeah I wrote that comment before the first comment you gave me about not using textspeak...thanks for telling me 0
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