Subject Choice Problem

Ali J

Hello,

I'm currently in 3rd Year now in St. Mary's CBS. As you know we were made chose are subjects for 5th Year. So I chose and I didn't get everything I wanted. I had Biology, Chemistry, History and Technology down. And I had Physics down as my 5th choice. I had heard, somehow, and somewhere, that it was only possible to keep on two Science subjects at once. So I thought if I didn't get one of the Science subjects I wanted I would get Physics instead. But I didn't get History and I got Physics. So I went about a week ago to change this choice, and I had a few choices. But eventually I just chose to keep on all three. I am interested in Science quite a lot, so even if it will be hard, I don't mind. But now I saw a brochure for UCD stating that you need a third language for studies in Medicine. I'm not really thinking of going into Medicine but I might. This just puts this option out of the way completely. I did German for three years, but I didn't like it, and I didn't do well in it. So now I didn't pick it instead of a Science subject, and probably would have done badly in it if I did.

Now to the point : I know Arabic as a language and was wondering how I could do it as a subject for 5th Year. My school doesn't have Arabic classes so I would need to do it outside of school. I need to hurry up to get back to my school and inform them I wish to do it as a Leaving Certificate subject before it's too late. So, please, if you know, could you guide me to how this is possible?

Thank you,

Ali J.

Chuchoter

MOST third level courses require a third language. You need to fix that asap, one way or the other. If you speak Arabic as a first language, go for it. Thats the easier option but be aware its still an 8th subject and you need to make sure you have the books and have time to study it. I know for Japanese its not enough to just have the language, theres all these cultural facts you need to know and put in an essay. To be honest, I'd nearly keep at the German, I hear its easier at LC because its so hard at JC. Its a good language to have.

Ali J

Thanks for the reply. I'm sure I could pass Arabic easily. It's like having an average German boy or girl who lived in Germany do the Leaving Certificate German test we have here. It's a almost a joke to him. My real problem is I'm not sure where to go. Should I tell the Principal of my school and can he sort it out for me? Or do I need to go and look for somewhere I can study it outside of school on my own and then tell the school?

Chuchoter

I'd tell your principal just to be sure and he'll probably know the logistics of it. I think the main thing is to be sure that you're down for it to get the exam in 6th year. You don't need a teacher unless you want one I don't think.

Ali J

I heard you need to have studied it. Like even if you know it, you have to have down on paper that you have studied this subject for two years before you sat exam. I was told that by my guidance counsellor in our school. I don't know. I suppose I'll ask my Principal as soon as I can. Thanks for your help man.

robman60

I know people who do a small bit of the subject outside school just aiming for a pass at ordinary level which is the requirtement for most courses. This is what you could do.

AlanBr

Japanease is a really really easy language and I hugely regret not doing it. I know 4 people that did it and 3 got As. The A percentage is unbelievable at 43% too.

Ali J

Japanese? Are you sure it's as easy as you say? That seems unlikely. But I'd have to learn the alphabet. I already know the Arabic alphabet, so that's not a problem. And I have to start learning it from now. It's not like I started learning from first year as it would be with French or German.

AlanBr

Ok then do Arabic....and give it your best shot to get your A1....less common subjects are generally easier to achieve high marks in anyways.

ride-the-spiral

The hight A rate in japanese is more to do with the fact that people only do it as an 8th subject, and only people who are good at languages tend to take it.

I only told my school a few months ago that I was gonna sit the OL french exam as an extra subject to have a 3rd language. Theres no real rush involved

Crow92

ride-the-spiral wrote: »

The hight A rate in japanese is more to do with the fact that people only do it as an 8th subject, and only people who are good at languages tend to take it.

Or the Japanese

Patriciamc93

I don't do Arabic but I was talking to a fellow 6th year who moved from Sudan at the start of 5th year. And was going to do arabic but she said she wouldn't cause it was really hard. She said it was harder than the Arabic equivalent exam back home. There was alot of literature in it and extracts from the qu'ran. To be honest I am not 100% but maybe take a look at the exam papers and marking schemes might give you an idea.
That's just what she told me.

AlanBr

ride-the-spiral wrote: »

The hight A rate in japanese is more to do with the fact that people only do it as an 8th subject, and only people who are good at languages tend to take it.

Firstly how is the A percentage in japanease higher because it's an 8th subject ....you could say that people that are only good at maths choose physics yet the A percentage in that is less than half of japanease.
Btw my two of my friends dropped to OL french and another to OL irish so you don't necessarily have to be a genius at languages to do well in it..

leaveiton

Do you do Irish as well? I was looking at the exam timetable last night, and Arabic is on at the same time as Irish paper 2. This was the first I'd ever seen of it, so no idea how/if you could get around that, but it's something to bear in mind!