Leaving Cert Sciences?!!

KianHRTE

Am I'm about to start the process of sitting the junior cert in two days time and the one subject I'm really looking forward to is science. Its by far my best subject!

I was thinking of keeping on all three sciences next year?.. Just wondering if I'm a little bit in over my head with the idea because I wouldn't count myself as the smartest person ever, I just a great interest in science haha

Desire.

You would be better off asking this in the Leaving Cert forum as we really won't know what we're talking about.

outnumbered

KianHRTE wrote: »

Am I'm about to start the process of sitting the junior cert in two days time and the one subject I'm really looking forward to is science. Its by far my best subject!

I was thinking of keeping on all three sciences next year?.. Just wondering if I'm a little bit in over my head with the idea because I wouldn't count myself as the smartest person ever, I just a great interest in science haha

firstly...most schools only offer 2 sciences as the timetable wouldnt cater for a 3rd(usually) i picked chemistry and biology. now i wasnt allowed physics unless i dropped chemistry....understand??
anyway its good to have another subject to open all doors..if your confident you can do well in all 3 maybe do a 3rd science outside of school if school doesnt do it..
good luck in your exams ......sobre todo ciencias

robman60

If it's a field you think you may like a career in, then go for it! Even if you don't study science at college, you'll still be able to get into most courses provided you do a language.

My brother did Chemistry, physics and agricultural science for LC and now he's training to be a primary teacher, so it won't be a hindrance by any means.

KianHRTE

Haha thanks, I am fairly confident in my sciences. By doing all 3 I'm hoping to cover the whole field and still be able to have a wide range of courses to choose from!

Glee_GG

im going into 5th year next year but i did TY last year and im doing the 3 science for my LC because I love the subject! Most schools cant cater for all 3 but mine was able to fit it in because only 6 people wanted to do physics as a subject!

KianHRTE

Thats cool! My school was always able to do 3 for some reason haha.
Looking forward to it even though it'll be a challenge!

kilo1

Yeah three sciences is ok i wanted to do all three but my school wouldnt allow me anywya if you think you can handle the three sciences then definitely go for it. physics can be a little tricky sometimes but if u get three good teachers you'll fly through it

bridgetown1

Remember, statistically (%age of A, B and C grades at Higher Level compared with %age failure rate) Chemistry is the easiest of the 3 LC sciences. Biology is the hardest!!!! Year on year Biology has a lower rate of A, B and C grades and a higher failure than the other two.

schtroumpf94

bridgetown1 wrote: »

Remember, statistically (%age of A, B and C grades at Higher Level compared with %age failure rate) Chemistry is the easiest of the 3 LC sciences. Biology is the hardest!!!! Year on year Biology has a lower rate of A, B and C grades and a higher failure than the other two.

That might be because it has a perception of being easy, then people take it on lightly and fail because they're not up for it! Chemistry isn't seen as easy in the first place so you're more likely to have people taking it that are prepared to work :P

DarkDusk

schtroumpf94 wrote: »

That might be because it has a perception of being easy, then people take it on lightly and fail because they're not up for it! Chemistry isn't seen as easy in the first place so you're more likely to have people taking it that are prepared to work :P

I agree 100 per cent. Think about it, people who like/love maths are the ones who usually do physics and everyone knows chemistry is not a walk in the park. Biology is mostly learning off by heart and that's why most people pick it, including the dossers (no lie, I know a guy in fifth year who picked Biology and wouldn't work if he was paid! - also got a NG in christmas test).

bridgetown1

DarkDusk wrote: »

I agree 100 per cent. Think about it, people who like/love maths are the ones who usually do physics and everyone knows chemistry is not a walk in the park. Biology is mostly learning off by heart and that's why most people pick it, including the dossers (no lie, I know a guy in fifth year who picked Biology and wouldn't work if he was paid! - also got a NG in christmas test).

And because it is picked by 'dossers' it has a higher failure rate and fewer A/B/C grades.

The dossers fail!!!!!

Biology is NOT the easy option most people seem to think it is.

Lucan Bohs

I picked biology next year, hate chemistry and physics

Lucan Bohs

Did anyone pick any of the sciences?

Desire.

Lucan Bohs wrote: »

Did anyone pick any of the sciences?

Physics.

Lucan Bohs

You must be good at math so??

Desire.

Lucan Bohs wrote: »

You must be good at math so??

I guess but that didn't factor into my decision at all.

Is there even a lot of Maths in Physics?

River Song

Desire. wrote: »

I guess but that didn't factor into my decision at all.

Is there even a lot of Maths in Physics?

There is, but the most of it is very straight-forward, and is doable from just knowing where the formulae required are in the Maths Tables. Some can be tricky, but I've always found that the majority of it is straight-forward. If you're doing Applied Maths, apparently it makes it even easier.

A lot of it is just relating the theory you learn from the course into mathematics.

brian93

I do 2 sciences, Chemistry and Biology. I'm doing all 3 sciences next year in university so having 2 already done to Leaving Cert level is a great help.

There are a few in my year who do 3 - and they would say that if you know you'll do something science-related after school then go for it. I have to do Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics next year in Science Education, so I'll be at a disadvantage with physics, although they do teach it from scratch.

If there's another subject you know you can get high marks in though - for me it was geography - then choose that instead. At the end of the day the points are the most important part.

Bottleopener

A Leaving Cert Physics student here , just saw this thread and thought I'd give a bit of info about the subject.

There is very very little formula learning to be done in physics due to the presence of the new maths tables - almost all the formulas are in there, so don't be worrying about that! As for the maths - you don't need to be an A student in Higher Level to be able to do it by any stretch of the imagination to do it! Most of it is very straight forward

Good luck with your subject choices.

shadowninty

I'm doing Chemistry and Physics.
God help me

P H A 7V T O M

I'm doing Chemisry and Biology, both of which I *think* I'm good at.

Go to examinations and look at a physics LC HL paper.... You can tell there are many, many, many formulae involved!

Mr. Rager

Anyone in leaving cert doing phys/chem - the subject with some physics and chemistry?

Indiego

Im doing Biology and Physics, my school doesn't offer chemistry I'd do all 3 if I could...Planning on doing science in college ^^

shadowninty

Indiego wrote: »

Im doing Biology and Physics, my school doesn't offer chemistry I'd do all 3 if I could...Planning on doing science in college ^^

Really that's odd, seeing as its needed for so many courses

yournerd

So what are yes saying is the easiest Science subject as I consider myself crap at Science. By far I think I do better in Biology but thats because I don't think I totally get Chemistry but Physics is okay I suppose. I want to do Medecine in College but I dont want 2 Science Subjects

Slow Show

yournerd wrote: »

So what are yes saying is the easiest Science subject as I consider myself crap at Science. By far I think I do better in Biology but thats because I don't think I totally get Chemistry but Physics is okay I suppose. I want to do Medecine in College but I dont want 2 Science Subjects

From what I've heard (and from what I can tell from my new schoolbooks), Biology seems to be the one that requires learning more than understanding. I really like the look of it too, it looks fairly interesting. If you really liked Biology for JC go for it, it just looks like a much more detailed and in-depth version of JC Biology (with plenty of added bits, mind).

Errr if you want to do medicine in college you should seriously be considering Chemistry tbh. You can get away with just doing one if you do the 6-year course including premed in NUIG and UCD but if you want to go anywhere else two sciences are a must, and from what I've heard Chemistry is the one most essential for Medicine. Don't worry if you don't like it, I've been told that for LC Chemistry to just discount what I learned in JC Science for it (although I quite liked the Chemistry part so ehhh. :pac:).

Tl;dr - One science can get you by if you're prepared to limit your options, but Chemistry is fairly important. S'up to you!

ETA: Medicine is considered a health *science* by the way and as a course and profession it will involve a lot of science, just a heads up.

yournerd

If I want to work in the hospital as a Doctor Is medecine the course for me?

Slow Show

yournerd wrote: »

If I want to work in the hospital as a Doctor Is medecine the course for me?

Yes. :pac: you might want to look into it more, it's a serious decision like, I used to be dead set on it but it's a job that requires big sacrifices and dedication. I'll link you a thread focusing on the harsher realities of it when I get on the computer. I almost posted a smiley face but it might not be appropriate here.

Slow Show

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=64008577

You need to read this tbh.

yournerd

Thanks!

Joe95

I'm going into 4th year in September and I chose to do physics, I didn't think of the maths involved in the subject when I put down my subject choices. I always enjoyed physics the most when doing science, and it came easy to me as there wasn't much math involved, and when there was it was common sense math. I did lower maths for my junior cert and I just looked at the Real World Physics book for 4th year and it seems to be very mathematical, page 19 for example. I'm pretty good at lower maths, but honours maths is confusing. It seems easy enough, but I'm just wondering do you think I might get stuck during the 3 years with the math questions? I don't want to do lower physics as I enjoy it a lot and the course seems to be very interesting. I want to do honours, but I feel the math will bring me down a lot.
So my question is to anyone that is doing or did honours physics and did lower maths for their junior cert, did you find the maths involved hard during the 3 years? Thanks.

prettygurrly

nearly all of the physics class when i was in LC (10 years ago) were in lower maths. I didn't do physics myself but I know the class passed. There's alway ordinary Physics if you get really stuck I suppose. I think you should stay positive, physics is great as it's so applicable and as you said, common sense. also other people have said that you just need to use formulae and not learn them off by heart which after sitting exams for the last 10 years where all i had to do is use formalae is really easy...

Slow Show

I seriously considered Physics for a while in 3rd Year and I was told that the maths, for the most part, was fairly basic and you're given most of the formulas in the log tables I think, it's mostly a matter of subbing in values (I think, don't quote me on this).

I don't exactly have experience but I agonised over my subject choices far too much so I know a lot about every subject. :pac:

Joe95

prettygurrly wrote: »

nearly all of the physics class when i was in LC (10 years ago) were in lower maths. I didn't do physics myself but I know the class passed. There's alway ordinary Physics if you get really stuck I suppose. I think you should stay positive, physics is great as it's so applicable and as you said, common sense. also other people have said that you just need to use formulae and not learn them off by heart which after sitting exams for the last 10 years where all i had to do is use formalae is really easy...

Alright, thanks. The thing is I don't want to do lower physics as I'll be doing 4 lower subjects then and I'd rather just stick with 3 lower subjects. I made a horrible mistake of dropping down to lower English at the start of September. But yeah, it does all seem to be formula and easy enough stuff like subbing in.

Slow Show wrote: »

I seriously considered Physics for a while in 3rd Year and I was told that the maths, for the most part, was fairly basic and you're given most of the formulas in the log tables I think, it's mostly a matter of subbing in values (I think, don't quote me on this).

I don't exactly have experience but I agonised over my subject choices far too much so I know a lot about every subject. :pac:

I've only flicked through a few pages of the physics book and it does see to be all subbing in and formula.

niallharty

I don't know if you still want help seeing as you haven't replied since June but my sister did all 3 sciences: A1 physics, A2 Biology and a B1 in Chemistry she now going to start her PHD in Trinity. By doing all 3 sciences she had a wide range of jobs that are well paid and well respected to choose from, so if you love science it's well worth doing all 3!

yournerd

Does that mean physics is tthe easier or she was just good at maths?

spurious

niallharty wrote: »

I don't know if you still want help seeing as you haven't replied since June but my sister did all 3 sciences: A1 physics, A2 Biology and a B1 in Chemistry she now going to start her PHD in Trinity. By doing all 3 sciences she had a wide range of jobs that are well paid and well respected to choose from, so if you love science it's well worth doing all 3!

Following all the staffing cuts very few schools are in a position nowadays to offer all three at LC level.

Fad

niallharty wrote: »

I don't know if you still want help seeing as you haven't replied since June but my sister did all 3 sciences: A1 physics, A2 Biology and a B1 in Chemistry she now going to start her PHD in Trinity. By doing all 3 sciences she had a wide range of jobs that are well paid and well respected to choose from, so if you love science it's well worth doing all 3!

Very few jobs would even care about your LC results unless it's like part time work in a shop like...

spurious

Fad wrote: »

Very few jobs would even care about your LC results unless it's like part time work in a shop like...

Even then, they're more likely to want to know will you show up every day and keep your mitts out of the till.