Physchem outside of school??

Patri

I just finished 5th year and was wondering would it be possible to take physchem up for leaving cert?? Anybody have any ideas or experience please help I just don't know if I could complete the syllabus and know it pretty well in one school year on top of 7 other subjects.

Maybe_Memories

Doing physchem in one year wrould take too much time away from all your other subjects.

However, Applied Maths would definitely be possible.
I did the whole thing by myself in 12 months, but it would definitely be possible to do it in less if you leave out some topics. You only have to do 6 out of 10 on the paper. It would also definitely comlement pure maths as well.

orlabobs

Patri wrote: »

I just finished 5th year and was wondering would it be possible to take physchem up for leaving cert?? Anybody have any ideas or experience please help I just don't know if I could complete the syllabus and know it pretty well in one school year on top of 7 other subjects.

Ok so I did physchem in school, but for 5th year my teacher was on maternity leave and we had the most pathetic teacher who made everything seem so hard and I learn't......nothing. So basically I did the entire course in one year. It is defo short enough to do the physchem course in a year......especially as you can leave out light and organic chem (theyre hard and they only come up in one q).
However, I had the most amazing teacher who knew just about everything.....

So, my advice is, if you could get a grind once a week or go to a revision course in like mid term given by a teacher who really knew their stuff....then totally go for it. If your handy with the sciences, and can find out how to work the course, study the papers like it is a bible (every year since its start (bar this year......which was really, really weird) has been the same, so if you can do every q in the papers......u can do the q's.) and learn the def's.....too a tee...
It's defo doable in a year, just depends on whether u have a person to help you. If you work hard, you can get a smashing grade.

Good luck!

Healium

I wouldn't do it. It's an awful lot to take in when you've only a year. It's actually a pretty easy subject, if you have 2 years. However, that's the last thing you'll need. You really only have until Christmas. After that, you'd be amazed at how little time you have, between mocks, orals etc.

As for leaving out topics, you can't really do that. Every topic comes up in the short questions, and possibly the last question (4 separate questions, pick 2/3)

I really wouldn't recommend it

Patri

orlabobs wrote: »

Ok so I did physchem in school, but for 5th year my teacher was on maternity leave and we had the most pathetic teacher who made everything seem so hard and I learn't......nothing. So basically I did the entire course in one year. It is defo short enough to do the physchem course in a year......especially as you can leave out light and organic chem (theyre hard and they only come up in one q).
However, I had the most amazing teacher who knew just about everything.....

So, my advice is, if you could get a grind once a week or go to a revision course in like mid term given by a teacher who really knew their stuff....then totally go for it. If your handy with the sciences, and can find out how to work the course, study the papers like it is a bible (every year since its start (bar this year......which was really, really weird) has been the same, so if you can do every q in the papers......u can do the q's.) and learn the def's.....too a tee...
It's defo doable in a year, just depends on whether u have a person to help you. If you work hard, you can get a smashing grade.

Good luck!

Thanks Sounds like a plan

jomama

AFAIK you cannot sit Chem and Phys/Chem, nor Phys and Phys/Chem. Usually, the Phys/Chem is on at same time as Phys exam.
So, strictly you CAN sit chem and phys/Chem but cannot count the points from both exams.

Patri

jomama wrote: »

AFAIK you cannot sit Chem and Phys/Chem, nor Phys and Phys/Chem. Usually, the Phys/Chem is on at same time as Phys exam.
So, strictly you CAN sit chem and phys/Chem but cannot count the points from both exams.

Ya thats no problem I don't do physics or chemistry I do biology.

spurious

If you intend to sit Phys/Chem, make sure you tell your school's Examinations Secretary before they send in the subject returns to the SEC.

orlabobs

Healium wrote: »

I wouldn't do it. It's an awful lot to take in when you've only a year. It's actually a pretty easy subject, if you have 2 years. However, that's the last thing you'll need. You really only have until Christmas. After that, you'd be amazed at how little time you have, between mocks, orals etc.

As for leaving out topics, you can't really do that. Every topic comes up in the short questions, and possibly the last question (4 separate questions, pick 2/3)

I really wouldn't recommend it

You can leave out light and organic and still get 100% in the paper. There are a number of q's on the optional short q question that you can leave out, and even if you leave out those topics in their respective section, you will still be fine. Sure you could learn heat, electricity and mechanics and the short q's and have even choices in the exam.....

rainbowtrout

orlabobs wrote: »

You can leave out light and organic and still get 100% in the paper. There are a number of q's on the optional short q question that you can leave out, and even if you leave out those topics in their respective section, you will still be fine. Sure you could learn heat, electricity and mechanics and the short q's and have even choices in the exam.....

I wouldn't be advising a student to leave out chunks of the course until they have seen the course. I've taught the course and did it myself for Leaving Cert. Light is one of the easiest topics on the course, and I think Organic Chemistry is very logical and straightforward.

jumpguy

I do physics and chemistry (seperately). I really dunno why people are advising leaving out light and organic chemistry. Light is one of the easiest parts of the LC physics course, and organic chemistry really isn't too bad at all once you get your head around it, and a very nice question.

Why do you want to take up at 8th subject, out of curiousity?

Patri

jumpguy wrote: »

Why do you want to take up at 8th subject, out of curiousity?

I was thinking of taking up science or biomedical science in college and Im doing biology so i reckon physchem would help out on the physics and chemistry sides of the course even just a bit

rainbowtrout

Patri wrote: »

I was thinking of taking up science or biomedical science in college and Im doing biology so i reckon physchem would help out on the physics and chemistry sides of the course even just a bit

It would. I did a science degree and had biology and phy/chem from leaving cert. While I didn't have as indepth a knowledge of physics and chemistry as someone who did them separately, I did have a grounding in a lot of topics and found it helped me enormously starting off in first year in college. If you are not doing it for points and you can handle an eighth subject I don't see why you wouldn't pick this one. It's very doable. You could always sit the ordinary level paper in the end if it's the knowledge you are after rather than the points and take the pressure off yourself.

Patri

rainbowtrout wrote: »

It would. I did a science degree and had biology and phy/chem from leaving cert. While I didn't have as indepth a knowledge of physics and chemistry as someone who did them separately, I did have a grounding in a lot of topics and found it helped me enormously starting off in first year in college. If you are not doing it for points and you can handle an eighth subject I don't see why you wouldn't pick this one. It's very doable. You could always sit the ordinary level paper in the end if it's the knowledge you are after rather than the points and take the pressure off yourself.

Ya thanks very much!

jumpguy

Patri wrote: »

I was thinking of taking up science or biomedical science in college and Im doing biology so i reckon physchem would help out on the physics and chemistry sides of the course even just a bit

Unless you need phys/chem for points or matriculation purposes, I don't think it'd be worth the effort. The time for getting subject choices right for Leaving Cert is gone now. You can still get on grand without physics or chemistry (for biomed science, I'd imagine doing chemistry alone would be more beneficial than phys/chem, but that's open to correction), it'll just require a bit of extra work in first year. Most courses start with the basics anyway (like, the LC stuff relevant to your course), you're not thrown into the deep end at the start or anything.

Taking up another subject alone outside school is easier said than done, and doing it in 6th year, an already difficult enough year, is even harder. The main thing at the end of the day is you get the points and fill matriculation requirements for your course.

That's my take on it anyway.

rainbowtrout

jumpguy wrote: »

Unless you need phys/chem for points or matriculation purposes, I don't think it'd be worth the effort. The time for getting subject choices right for Leaving Cert is gone now. You can still get on grand without physics or chemistry (for biomed science, I'd imagine doing chemistry alone would be more beneficial than phys/chem, but that's open to correction), it'll just require a bit of extra work in first year. Most courses start with the basics anyway (like, the LC stuff relevant to your course), you're not thrown into the deep end at the start or anything.

Taking up another subject alone outside school is easier said than done, and doing it in 6th year, an already difficult enough year, is even harder. The main thing at the end of the day is you get the points and fill matriculation requirements for your course.

That's my take on it anyway.

I would agree with this, I would suggest that if you are taking up an extra subject that it's probably easier in a structured situation, e.g. going to a grind once a week or a class on saturdays or something similar. That way you don't get bogged down in the subject and start to neglect your main 7. And you will have the advantage of having someone on hand to help you with the aspects of the course you don't understand while setting you targets each week with study/homework/ exam questions etc.

dambarude

I did Chemistry as an eighth subject outside school. Granted I started in fifth year, but I had most of the course done in a year. I don't know anything about Phys/Chem, but Chemistry would be fairly manageable if you have an interest in it and a desire to learn it. As rainbowtrout said you should get some sort of grind so that you have a reference point and something stable to keep you ticking over. And as spurious said, be sure to let your school know so that there are no difficulties in sitting the exam when it comes to that time.

I really liked Chemistry, so that helped immensely, but if you're finding you don't like phys/chem there's a good chance that the work you have to put in will impenge on your other subjects.

Healium

rainbowtrout wrote: »

I wouldn't be advising a student to leave out chunks of the course until they have seen the course. I've taught the course and did it myself for Leaving Cert. Light is one of the easiest topics on the course, and I think Organic Chemistry is very logical and straightforward.

What don't you teach, Trout Of Knowledge?

Patri, do you just want a pass in the subject, or is it for points? Drop me a PM. If you're really insistent on doing it, you can have my notes. I had a great teacher, so they're good notes and cover almost everything. I also have the 2009 exam papers if you want

Anyway, drop me a PM. I'll tell you about it

Patri

Healium wrote: »

What don't you teach, Trout Of Knowledge?

Patri, do you just want a pass in the subject, or is it for points? Drop me a PM. If you're really insistent on doing it, you can have my notes. I had a great teacher, so they're good notes and cover almost everything. I also have the 2009 exam papers if you want

Anyway, drop me a PM. I'll tell you about it

Points if possible but that seems unlikely now so it would have to be for experience. But I'm caught in two minds between a commerce course in college or a science course so I don't know if Physchem would be worth doing. And thanks very much for the offer but i wouldn't waste your time in case someone needs them more thanks though!