Doing the junior cert this year! :( Any advice???

Lollipop95

For any of last year's junior certs, I have a couple of questions, if you wouldn't mind answering them please

1. is it non-stop work for all of third year?

2. when should you start studying for the JC?

3. will the exams be exactly like the Summer ones, except they'll be the JC exams obvs?

Thanks in advance!

James_LWAU

What? :rolleyes:

You haven't started studying yet? Your well and truely ****ed

spurious

Listen in class.
Do all your homework to the best of your ability.
Ask questions if there is something you don't understand.

This will mean that not only will you do well in the JC, but you'll have a solid base to work on for LC too.

You will do much better than you think you will.

I'm not sure what you mean by the exam being 'like the summer ones'. The past JC exam papers are on http://www.examinations.ie
The actual exam will be run more strictly than school exams usually are and you will not know the person supervising you. There may also be people from outside your school sitting the exam in the same room as you.

Chuchoter

Start the 1st of september, 2 hours including homework, keep on top of class tests. Its easier than it sounds, working all though 3rd year is a lot easier than having to cram at the end of the year. Do exam questions more than textbook questions, and get your teacher to mark your best ones. Don't start at christmas or mock time. They're harder and more stressful than summer exams

Realise that it means absolutely **** all and to generally disregard anyone's opinion of otherwise.

Fluorescence

spurious wrote: »

Listen in class.
Do all your homework to the best of your ability.
Ask questions if there is something you don't understand.

This will mean that not only will you do well in the JC, but you'll have a solid base to work on for LC too.

You will do much better than you think you will.

I'm not sure what you mean by the exam being 'like the summer ones'. The past JC exam papers are on http://www.examinations.ie
The actual exam will be run more strictly than school exams usually are and you will not know the person supervising you. There may also be people from outside your school sitting the exam in the same room as you.

This is excellent advice and you should heed it. You'd be surprised how much information you actually remember from simply listening in class and keeping on top of homework. My school gave us an outline of "expected study hours" for each year of school which were totally ridiculous and over the top. It was saying something like 3 hours every day at JC and 6hrs at LC - Bullshit.

If you keep on top of work the teachers give you and start revising your topics around Christmas time (maybe half an hour - an hour each night) you'll be well set for the Junior Cert - honestly. Don't listen to the people who say you're doomed if you don't do x, y and z; they'll just make you nervous and jumpy for no reason.

As for the exams themselves, they're both similar and different to the summer ones you're used to. Usually teachers take questions from past exam papers to use in summer exams in 2nd year. However remember the JC exams are longer so there'll be more questions. Look at past papers to get a better idea.

Best of luck in the year ahead! And remember, don't stress out about the exams - they're not nearly as important as some teachers make them out to be.

HyperSkypeWiper

Study. Full. Stop.

For any of last year's junior certs, I have a couple of questions, if you wouldn't mind answering them please

1. is it non-stop work for all of third year?

2. when should you start studying for the JC?

3. will the exams be exactly like the Summer ones, except they'll be the JC exams obvs?

Thanks in advance!

1. Depends, do YOU need to work non-stop to do well?

2. Christmas

3. No, they'll be like the exam papers.

kevin12345

Lollipop95 wrote: »

For any of last year's junior certs, I have a couple of questions, if you wouldn't mind answering them please

1. is it non-stop work for all of third year?

2. when should you start studying for the JC?

3. will the exams be exactly like the Summer ones, except they'll be the JC exams obvs?

Thanks in advance!

1. I wouldn't say "non-stop", depends on your teacher i suppose. Our teachers had a lot of the courses done so it was revision mostly!
2. Do you have tests around Halloween/November? In my school they do so I was studying for them anyway so early enough! I wouldn't go studying 2 hours a day in the earlier months - that's just over the top! After Christmas I would suggest making out a study timetable which you should stick too!
3. No. Timing is different also. Check out the exam papers - your best option tbh!

soccymonster

Lollipop95 wrote: »

For any of last year's junior certs, I have a couple of questions, if you wouldn't mind answering them please

1. is it non-stop work for all of third year?

2. when should you start studying for the JC?

3. will the exams be exactly like the Summer ones, except they'll be the JC exams obvs?

Thanks in advance!

I did my JC in 2009 btw.

1. eh, well I didn't do anything differently from 1st or 2nd year. Did my homework every night and listened in class (it's amazing how you recollect things in an exam from just your teacher saying it in class).

2. I studied hard for my mocks which were in February of that year to relieve the stress when it came to the actual thing.
But by god, don't start doing 2 hours study every night from your first day in September or you'll be mentally drained by the time Christmas even comes around.
Maybe start drifting into the books after Christmas for the mocks. Then after Easter holidays drift slowly into the books for the actual JC exams. Everyone usually does some real hardcore study 2/3 weeks before the actual Junior Cert exams.

You may feel you need longer though.
Trust me, you'll know when the time is right seeing as you seem to want to do well and don't strike me as one of those "ah sure, I'll put it off another day" people like alot of us were and still are (myself included, at times:P).

3. No, check the exams papers from the links provided by other posters above. Your teachers set them different while in the real exams there's a set format for each exam.

Jackobyte

Lollipop95 wrote: »

For any of last year's junior certs, I have a couple of questions, if you wouldn't mind answering them please

1. is it non-stop work for all of third year?

2. when should you start studying for the JC?

3. will the exams be exactly like the Summer ones, except they'll be the JC exams obvs?

Thanks in advance!

1. There is a fair bit of learning alright but if you keep on top of it each night rather than pushing it off, the work is distributed the same as 2nd year. Listen is class and keep up to date with your homework and you shouldn't find it too burdening.

2. You will probably be getting exam questions for homework most nights. Completing these as part of your homework is probably the best way to study. Just make sure that if you don't know something or are unsure of it to check the textbook and find out. There is no point ignoring it or getting a wrong thought stuck in your mind.

3. Not quite like what my summer tests were like. (Summer tests will vary from school to school) When you get exam papers you will have a better idea of what is expected. Don't worry that when you first open them that you don't know how to answer the questions or aren't at the expected level. You aren't meant to be at that level for 10 more months so although they may seem daunting at first, you should be well able for them by June.

Most of all, don't kill yourself over them. School years are meant to be the best years of your life so enjoy them. Don't stress too much over the exams and continue to spend time with your friends and playing sports or whatever.

James_LWAU wrote: »

What? :rolleyes:

You haven't started studying yet? Your well and truely ****ed

I can't tell whether you are joking or not. That attitude isn't needed in this forum either way. If you are joking you shouldn't because although you might look at the exams lightheartedly, others may look at them more seriously or may wish to do well in them to set them out on a good life path. These exams aren't useless. They will decide your leaving cert streaming and if you end up in the bottom maths class or the bottom English class, it is going to be much harder to obtain points than someone in a middle class or higher class.

If you are serious, you are wrong. Realistically, no-one needs be textbook studying from before the Spring midterm anyway and from the Easter break in most cases(although some people will do way more anyway).

storm2811

Lollipop95 wrote: »

For any of last year's junior certs, I have a couple of questions, if you wouldn't mind answering them please

1. is it non-stop work for all of third year?

2. when should you start studying for the JC?

3. will the exams be exactly like the Summer ones, except they'll be the JC exams obvs?

Thanks in advance!

1.It's a doss,revision,revision,revision,no actual work,just looking over all the stuff from the 2 years before and stuff for helping you study.

2.Whenever,I started 2 months before as did most in my year.

3.They'll be exactly like the mocks,I don't know what your summer ones are like though so I can't say but ours are usually stuff from the year,while the JC is stuff from the 2 years.

Don't worry about it,seriously,it's meaningless.

CookieMonster.x

Having finished the junior, here's a few tips.

• Do your homework. Don't leave it off because really, if you don't say do questions on the topic, you won't learn it.
• Do all homework especially essays properly. You'll end up having to redo them closer to June when you will be more stressed or cut for time. I know it's hard to do, and I mostly didn't do this, but try do everything like an exam.
• Keep going over things. If you don't get something in maths, ask someone. Look at it and understand how to do it. Write it down. Then, try do it yourself with no help.
• With regards to study, I would say start the week you go back if not the day. I intended on starting really early and being ahead so when the mocks came I would be ready. Unfortunately I kept putting it off, saying 'I'll start Monday..' and Monday never really came. You don't even have to do much. Just go over maybe a chapter in Science, definitions, vocab in French. Don't go overboard with it, a little bit is good. Try to do a bit of study before homework to get it done and out of the way. Listening in class etc and staying on top of everything will really help.
• Get enough sleep. You will be much more tired in 3rd year. I know I could go to bed at 12 in 2nd year but when I went to bed before 11 I was wrecked, couldn't keep my eyes open.
• Get exercise. Drink plenty of water. Good diet.
• Don't go by Summer exams. IMO, they're quite different. Easier etc because they aren't proper exam q's.

They were just general tips. I know I probably sound quite annoying or whatever saying about study etc but if you just learn for class tests etc you shouldn't have a problem. Don't worry about it too much!

Coeurdepirate

1. is it non-stop work for all of third year?
Unless your homework takes all night! I'm a little hypocritical saying this, as I didn't do any homework all year, even towards the end, I just studied.
2. when should you start studying for the JC?
After Christmas you should start doing about half an hour per night + homework in preparation for the mocks, but take the weekends off.
After the mocks, keep the same routine; half an hour per night + homework, but do an hour at the weekend. You can do a half an hour on each day or an hour on one of them.
After easter maybe go up to 45mins-1 hour per night, and definately an hour per day at the weekends.
From the start of may, during the week; 1 hour study + homework. Weekends; An hour and a half per day.
And you'll get about 5 days off before the Junior Cert in which you should be doing 2-3 hours per day. Honestly, if you do all of this you're looking at all As and Bs!
3. will the exams be exactly like the Summer ones, except they'll be the JC exams obvs?
Quite similar, they're in classrooms like.


Remember; the JC isn't what it's hyped up to be! Trust me, by the Friday you'll see how enjoyable it actually is! Yes, I said it, the 2 weeks are enjoyable! And there is absolutely NO reason to devote your year to studying. If you do that, you'll get so sick of it. Honestly, homework homework homework.
Anyways, enjoy the year and best of luck!

I did the JC in 2009, going into 5th year now after TY. I started doing about an hour a night from the start of May, came out with 4 As, 5 Bs and 2 Cs in 7 honours and 4 pass subjects. Honestly, it's cake.


CRUCIAL PIECE OF ADVICE!
Under NO circumstances should you try and find out what's coming up in the mocks. I did this instead of studying, and it gives you a feeling of security for the real thing, cause obviously when you know what's coming up you're gonna do well.
Seriously, stay off this website for the 3 weeks before the mocks, or you'll be tempted.
By all means use the Junior Cert. predictions, but if you're not careful and you cheat and do well in the mocks, you could easily get the "arah sure it'll be grand" attitude, and your JC could be disastrous.

Again, good luck and enjoy the year!

Coeurdepirate

crayolastereo wrote: »

Start the 1st of september, 2 hours including homework, keep on top of class tests. Its easier than it sounds, working all though 3rd year is a lot easier than having to cram at the end of the year. Do exam questions more than textbook questions, and get your teacher to mark your best ones. Don't start at christmas or mock time. They're harder and more stressful than summer exams

2 hours from September? Would ya get away outta that!

AtomicDictator

Lollipop95 wrote: »

For any of last year's junior certs, I have a couple of questions, if you wouldn't mind answering them please

1. is it non-stop work for all of third year?

2. when should you start studying for the JC?

3. will the exams be exactly like the Summer ones, except they'll be the JC exams obvs?

Thanks in advance!

1 - Yeah, pretty much but every school is different. A friend of mine did the bulk of his work in second year and third year was just revision while we spent a lot longer doing more stuff in second year and getting it known.

2 - I barely studied at all myself but I felt really confident going into those exams. The best advice I can give you is just be confident, try to get the nerves out of your system. And if you sit next to a friend start a ritual where you ask how they feel about the exam and getting them to say "I'm going to fail" with a smile or vice versa. I got that going and my nerves evaporated.

3 - Not quite. Depending on your school, the layout may be different and there won't be the same amount of questions/type of questions because you would have covered only a part of the course in second year while third year will top it off. The pre's will show you what it's like so you shouldn't worry about it. You'll get plenty of time to see actual exams and get accustomed to them.

Namlub

Don't blindly go along with everything teachers tells you to do study-wise; obviously I'm not saying disregard everything they say but my Irish teacher decided that instead of explaining the novel to us, she would (badly) hand-write a 3 A4-page essay for us to learn off then manipulate to fit the quesion on the day. That kind of learning really does not work for me, and the few people who actually learned it off did no better than anyone else in Irish so just choose the way of studying that suits you best, She also told us to learn 12 poems but in reality, half of those have obscure themes that might never come up. The rest of them are more versatile so be smart about where you're putting your effort with things like that.

For English (I got an A. Just saying :pac:), ANSWER THE QUESTION. It might sound obvious but the sort of questions they ask make it really easy to go off on a tangent, so keep asking yourself if what you're writing is relevant, and KEEP referring back to the question in your answer. Write as much as you physically can, especially for personal writing (but keep to your time plan) - I was one of the last people to finish my paper and I felt like my hand was going to fall off but just make the effort to keep going. What you've written might be mind-blowingly good but if it's only half a page long you're not going to get the marks. So just make your writing both mind-blowing and really long Don't rigidly stick to the suggested time for each question either - you'll probably take longer to do the sections you're less comfortable with and vice versa, so be a bit flexible.

Whoah, essay. Just do your best and try not the stress out too much...

Morninglory

Deleted User wrote: »

Realise that it means absolutely **** all and to generally disregard anyone's opinion of otherwise.

Absolute waste of feckin time. Do your homework and leave it too the night or two before. That's all I did and I got c's and B's. And an 'A' in Cspe I may add

spurious

Namlub wrote: »

my Irish teacher decided that instead of explaining the novel to us, she would (badly) hand-write a 3 A4-page essay for us to learn off then manipulate to fit the quesion on the day.

That sort of 'teacher' is a disgrace.

Namlub

spurious wrote: »

That sort of 'teacher' is a disgrace.

...And I have her for Leaving Cert now