Anybody else do the institute revision?

Chuchoter

And find it not particularly amazing? I did the chemistry ones and to be perfectly honest, they didn't finish the stuff they said they'd do and the notes were no better than the ones I've made myself or got off my teacher. Most of it was just stuff printed off examinations.ie. I'm just wondering if I was the only one to think that or if they really are just madly overhyped.

Wesc.

Well I did Irish, English, Maths and Physics..

I found Irish really good! Bit let down though we didnt do any oral work apart from 10 sraith pictuiri but overall was very good

English.. It was grand like nothing amazing though.. The notes were a bit excessive though, I mean like 85 pages on hamlet is too much!

Maths, eh it was good revision for me but since I'm quite good at it I didn't find it much help tbh, nevertheless saved me the bother of studying maths over christmas.

But what I was so so impressed with was Physics!! I found it really really good, Pat Doyle is a phenomenal teacher and his jokes are hilarious! I also got double the notes as he always left his notes for the other class in a box at the top desk and I just took them before class :P

Yea so all in all I personally was very happy with the course. Everyone was so nice to talk to there aswell

yeahhhbuddy

One of my friends did it and thought it was quite good!
How accurate do ye think their like predictions are?

PictureFrame

I did Economics and to be honest I found it amazing! We got loaddds of notes which are really all good, but it truly seemed to depend on the Subject you did up there..

Did anyone here do French or English?. Thinking of doing them at Easter?

ConTheCat

Anybody think French or Biology was good? Gonna do them at Easter. How much is each subject actually, can't find it online

K_1

I did French, Irish, English and Chemistry 1, thought it was very good overall, especially Irish, but a bit expensive.

PictureFrame

K_1 wrote: »

I did French, Irish, English and Chemistry 1, thought it was very good overall, especially Irish, but a bit expensive.

How did you find French?

K_1

PictureFrame wrote: »

How did you find French?

It was very focused on grammar, with almost nothing on vocab for the oral, but they do that because they try to sell you the oral revision course in February separately.
Also info about the written questions and comprehensions, and the way they are marked was very helpful.

silversky

How are these revision courses fair?

It gives the more well-off classes of society an unfair advantage again. Well I suppose you have to learn the notes off first, that's one thing you can't pay anybody to do for you.

Ah Here!

Well I did Applied Maths, Maths A and Chemistry B, and I was fairly happy with them. The Applied Maths was pretty good and they gave us the notes for all of the questions. I thought the Maths was good too although it wasn't particularly enlightening just good revision which I suppose is what its supposed to be . I actually found the Chemistry really good! I guess that's because the teaching standard I'm used to is fairly low:rolleyes: All of the teachers there seem to love making their little jokes anyway

silversky wrote: »

How are these revision courses fair?

It gives the more well-off classes of society an unfair advantage again. Well I suppose you have to learn the notes off first, that's one thing you can't pay anybody to do for you.

Well I mean they're not really supposed to be fair are they? It's not run by the department or anything. This school is a business and is looking to make profits like any other.

silversky

Ah Here! wrote: »

Well I mean they're not really supposed to be fair are they? It's not run by the department or anything. This school is a business and is looking to make profits like any other.

Stating the obvious there.

Wesc.

silversky wrote: »

Stating the obvious there.

And you were'nt?

Canard

At the end of the day we're all given the means to study the courses - teachers and books. If some subject isnt working for you, switch to a new one. There is no point complaining over "unfair" revision courses tbh. It's like saying grinds are unfair...

silversky

Yeah and I think grinds are unfair too. You should only get them if the teacher recommends them and if you're actually struggling with the subject. The only people I see getting grinds theses days are the lazy students in the class who didn't do a tap in fifth year. Others who need them, can't afford them.

But I suppose you get used to after awhile. Anyway they won't have grinds in college.

Luno

HEAR schemes are aimed to help people who might not have had these opportunities but obviously the system isn't perfect. It won't be changing anytime soon so it's best to deal with it.

Ah Here!

silversky wrote: »

Yeah and I think grinds are unfair too. You should only get them if the teacher recommends them and if you're actually struggling with the subject. The only people I see getting grinds theses days are the lazy students in the class who didn't do a tap in fifth year. Others who need them, can't afford them.

But I suppose you get used to after awhile. Anyway they won't have grinds in college.

Spoiler alert!

Life isn't fair

Even if students who do no work get grinds it doesn't mean they'll do well. At the end of the day whoever puts in the effort will reap the rewards.

silversky

Ah Here! wrote: »

Spoiler alert!

Life isn't fair

Even if students who do no work get grinds it doesn't mean they'll do well. At the end of the day whoever puts in the effort will reap the rewards.

Are you trying to patronise me? I know that too well.

I only brought up the issue because it's something I feel strongly about. It nearly seems everyone these days are doing revision courses. Even though I dunno how ye're affording it since we're in recession. A book and hard work can do very much the same work.

As the saying goes: Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.

checkcheek

silversky wrote: »

Are you trying to patronise me? I know that too well.

I only brought up the issue because it's something I feel strongly about. It nearly seems everyone these days are doing revision courses. Even though I dunno how ye're affording it since we're in recession. A book and hard work can do very much the same work.

As the saying goes: Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.

Now i could be wrong but i dont think were in a recession any more!! Actually i could be wrong but i think we came out of a recession awhile back!!

If people want to spend there money on grinds and revision couses let them! There still going to have to learn the stuff in the end! You could have the leaving cert 2012 papers in front of you now but if you didnt learn the stuff thats on them your not going to do well!

So at the end of it all, no matter how many resources you have you still have to learn the stuff!

silversky

checkcheek wrote: »

Now i could be wrong but i dont think were in a recession any more!! Actually i could be wrong but i think we came out of a recession awhile back!!

If people want to spend there money on grinds and revision couses let them! There still going to have to learn the stuff in the end! You could have the leaving cert 2012 papers in front of you now but if you didnt learn the stuff thats on them your not going to do well!

So at the end of it all, no matter how many resources you have you still have to learn the stuff!

If you check back at my first post you'll find I said that.

checkcheek

silversky wrote: »

If you check back at my first post you'll find I said that.

well then why are you even complaining?

if people wanna spend there money however they want (once its legal) then let them and if it gives them an advantage well thats life!! As others have said, lifes not always fair

silversky

checkcheek wrote: »

well then why are you even complaining?

if people wanna spend there money however they want (once its legal) then let them

I was stating an opinion, I think you'll find. Last time I checked it's legal to do that.

Canard

thats all anyone's been doing, there's need to be so snappy with people...

silversky

Patchy~ wrote: »

thats all anyone's been doing, there's need to be so snappy with people...

I agree

Canard

someone had a nice bowl of bitchflakes this morning :rolleyes:

I think I might do the history and geography courses, did anyone do those? The website doesnt have much about them and my geography teacher did the economic elective and we'll be doing the ocean-atmosphere option so I'd want to be sure that I wouldnt be wasting my time

If thats okay with everyone of course...

lainey108

silversky wrote: »

Yeah and I think grinds are unfair too. You should only get them if the teacher recommends them and if you're actually struggling with the subject. The only people I see getting grinds theses days are the lazy students in the class who didn't do a tap in fifth year. Others who need them, can't afford them.

But I suppose you get used to after awhile. Anyway they won't have grinds in college.

i completely agree!! you see people going doing these courses and getting a load of grinds when in actuall fact they do nothing in school, and your there struggling and trying to get by but just because you cant afford all the extras you dont get the same results, its a really unfair system. thank god they are changing it! shame its come a bit late though..

silversky

Patchy~ wrote: »

someone had a nice bowl of bitchflakes this morning :rolleyes:

I think I might do the history and geography courses, did anyone do those? The website doesnt have much about them and my geography teacher did the economic elective and we'll be doing the ocean-atmosphere option so I'd want to be sure that I wouldnt be wasting my time

If thats okay with everyone of course...

Hawhaw, very funny. Did you pay for someone to write that for you or are you just naturally gifted?

silversky

lainey108 wrote: »

i completely agree!! you see people going doing these courses and getting a load of grinds when in actuall fact they do nothing in school, and your there struggling and trying to get by but just because you cant afford all the extras you dont get the same results, its a really unfair system. thank god they are changing it! shame its come a bit late though..

Thank the lord above!!!! I'm not the only one!

Canard

I went to a little revision course on how to be hilarious, hope thats okay with you, being naturally unfunny and all that

Anyway, this is totally off topic so I'll stop now :pac:

silversky

Patchy~ wrote: »

I went to a little revision course on how to be hilarious, hope thats okay with you, being naturally unfunny and all that

Anyway, this is totally off topic so I'll stop now :pac:

Yeah someone could break their jaw from laughing:)

Ah Here!

lainey108 wrote: »

i completely agree!! you see people going doing these courses and getting a load of grinds when in actuall fact they do nothing in school, and your there struggling and trying to get by but just because you cant afford all the extras you dont get the same results, its a really unfair system. thank god they are changing it! shame its come a bit late though..

What's going to change in all fairness? There's still going to be tests and people are still going to get grinds and go to revision courses. There will never be a perfect system unfortunately but they could start by improving the standard of teaching. I get English and Irish grinds because I have awful teachers and we do nothing in school. I know I'm lucky to be able to afford it but I don't think what I'm doing is unfair it is the fact that unless I pay someone to actually teach me properly I won't do well in the LC is whats unfair.

silversky

Ah Here! wrote: »

What's going to change in all fairness? There's still going to be tests and people are still going to get grinds and go to revision courses. There will never be a perfect system unfortunately but they could start by improving the standard of teaching. I get English and Irish grinds because I have awful teachers and we do nothing in school. I know I'm lucky to be able to afford it but I don't think what I'm doing is unfair it is the fact that unless I pay someone to actually teach me properly I won't do well in the LC is whats unfair.

One thing they should do is hunt those teachers out of the system through some kind of process. For example not informing the school when inspectors are visiting.

PictureFrame

lainey108 wrote: »

i completely agree!! you see people going doing these courses and getting a load of grinds when in actuall fact they do nothing in school, and your there struggling and trying to get by but just because you cant afford all the extras you dont get the same results, its a really unfair system. thank god they are changing it! shame its come a bit late though..

Your doing nothing but grouping different types of people together and making prejudiced assumptions about peoples work ethics. I did go to the Institute Revision Course and I get grinds in French and I still "work" in school. I do a solid 4 hours study every night and work extremely hard both in and outside of class. Just because someone went to something you didn't doesn't mean it's an "unfair system". The money came out of our pockets, not yours.

Seriously, a bad attitude is the one thing that will hold people back, not if they didn't get the opportunity to attend Revision courses and Grinds.

PictureFrame

silversky wrote: »

One thing they should do is hunt those teachers out of the system through some kind of process. For example not informing the school when inspectors are visiting.

What kind of process do you suggest for this?. The education system in Secondary Schools isn't that good but seriously i'd actually like to know what type of methods you would suggest for solving the issues in circulation.

lainey108

Ah Here! wrote: »

What's going to change in all fairness? There's still going to be tests and people are still going to get grinds and go to revision courses. There will never be a perfect system unfortunately but they could start by improving the standard of teaching. I get English and Irish grinds because I have awful teachers and we do nothing in school. I know I'm lucky to be able to afford it but I don't think what I'm doing is unfair it is the fact that unless I pay someone to actually teach me properly I won't do well in the LC is whats unfair.

ya i know people will still get them, but at the moment as you say you need to get them because of teachers or whatever, but thats not an option for a lot of people so its unfair in the sense that because you can afford to get grinds (and theres nothing wrong with that) and others in the class that cant afford it wont do as good as you.
see where i'm coming from?

lainey108

PictureFrame wrote: »

Your doing nothing but grouping different types of people together and making prejudiced assumptions about peoples work ethics. I did go to the Institute Revision Course and I get grinds in French and I still "work" in school. I do a solid 4 hours study every night and work extremely hard both in and outside of class. Just because someone went to something you didn't doesn't mean it's an "unfair system". The money came out of our pockets, not yours.

Seriously, a bad attitude is the one thing that will hold people back, not if they didn't get the opportunity to attend Revision courses and Grinds.

ah excuse me! im not being "predujiced" and im not talking about you like fair play if you "work hard" good for you. but im talking about the ones that do nothing and yet manage to get good marks because daddy can afford it and others cant.

silversky

PictureFrame wrote: »

What kind of process do you suggest for this?. The education system in Secondary Schools isn't that good but seriously i'd actually like to know what type of methods you would suggest for solving the issues in circulation.

I'm not being bitchy in this comment, but can you read? Exactly what I said in the comment you quoted. Have the inspectors come to the school without the teachers knowing. It'll catch them off guard and you'll see the real teaching methods they use.

Inspectors visited my school last year, all the teacher's knew so they all started using power point, giving us typed notes which they never had used before etc.

As for grinds and revision courses, they wouldn't be in such high demand if we all had a teacher of a good standard.

PictureFrame

I am leaving this thread, it has turned into one of those Them VS. Us threads. You want to score high marks in your exams, go study. Don't come on here complaining about other people and their parents choices to spend their hard earned income on their children's education.

At the end of the day I don't really care.

silversky

PictureFrame wrote: »

I am leaving this thread, it has turned into one of those Them VS. Us threads. You want to score high marks in your exams, go study. Don't come on here complaining about other people and their parents choices to spend their hard earned income on their children's education.

At the end of the day I don't really care.

FOR THE LAST TIME IT'S CALLED AN OPINION!

Sorry I shall leave it down now too. I didn't expect so much upset.

bscm

silversky wrote: »

Anyway they won't have grinds in college.

... we do have grinds in college. You can get undergrad grinds, masters grinds...

Grinds/revision courses are good if you need them, but they do come with a hefty price tag. And not everyone needs to do them/can afford them (didn't do a single grind/revision course, because of the cost and I had my own semi-decent notes, and got my 1st choice )

silversky

bscm wrote: »

... we do have grinds in college. You can get undergrad grinds, masters grinds...

Grinds/revision courses are good if you need them, but they do come with a hefty price tag. And not everyone needs to do them/can afford them (didn't do a single grind/revision course, because of the cost and I had my own semi-decent notes, and got my 1st choice )

Oh I didn't know that, just assumed!

Well done on that, there's hope for everyone so:)

Chuchoter

Being able to afford grinds doesn't mean you're going to do better, you still have to learn things and thats the system we have. This whole arguments is ridiculous.

lainey108

Chuchoter wrote: »

Being able to afford grinds doesn't mean you're going to do better, you still have to learn things and thats the system we have. This whole arguments is ridiculous.[/QUOT

how has a discussion turned into an argument??
only by people that want to make it an argument, i for one would like to retain it as a discussion. we are all entitled to our oppinions, and not all of us have the same one. i feel that grinds give people a better chance to do well, and that my oppinion, which im entitled to, im clearly not arguing just airing my oppinion

silversky

Please read over the last few posts before commenting. I stated that in one of my previous posts

To be honest I'm sick of arguing at this point. Listen if you can afford them, go mad buy the whole package, all seven subjects or whatever ye're doing. It's your own money.

silversky

lainey108 wrote: »

[QUOTE

how has a discussion turned into an argument??
only by people that want to make it an argument, i for one would like to retain it as a discussion. we are all entitled to our oppinions, and not all of us have the same one. i feel that grinds give people a better chance to do well, and that my oppinion, which im entitled to, im clearly not arguing just airing my oppinion

Having all these grinds and revision courses under their belt they still don't seem to be able to grasp what we're discussing. Funny that.

spurious

Locking this train wreck.
If one of the mods wants to go through it and try and filter anything of worth, go ahead.