How to get A1 in these subjects?

epen2k9

I am working hard in 6th year but I want to know any tips on how I could get A1 in these subjects,especially Maths and English !
-English
-Maths
-Physics
-Geography
-German
-Biology
-Chemistry

I don't do Irish (exempt)

Prodigious

First step it to get off boards and start working :rolleyes:

Raminahobbin

With English, try to give your own opinion on the texts to show you really connected with it on some level. I got an A1, and am convinced it was because I didn't hold back. I disliked a poet so much that I stated my dislike in the essay and went on to back it up with valid points.

If you make your essays stand out by not just regurgitating the points your teacher tells you, you're on the right path.

user.name

Biology is just theory, once you learn everything off, thats the only way around getting an A1 in that

Glee_GG

Biology and chemistry you just have to keep going over exam papers, make sure you know your organic chemistry, at least the fuels/ thermochemistry and experiments because the questions just keep repeating for them. Have to know your genetics, ecology, respiration, photosynthesis and plants for bio, that'll get you a long way!

With the new maths course you just have to keep doing the sample papers, you should know your diff and integration inside out, no excuses for not doing well in those questions if your looking for the A1 because there still going to be based on the old course!

Lucan Bohs

For German I watch Tagesschau to help listening skills.

For writing I've written out a few a4 pages of nice vocab/verbs which can be used

11Charlie11

Biology is definately my favourite subject do I enjoy studying it. What works for me is studying a chapter then answering an exam question on it and go to the marking scheme and learn the correction and do it again. I keep doing this till I get full marks! Hope this helps!

Just Like Heaven

Moved from study logs.

Whatsernamex33

English Paper II
The Single Text (60 marks)
You'll have no time to read over the Shakespeare play, so go over summaries, character analysis, themes and images. Learn relevant quotes to each theme/character analysis. Underline important words from the question. Plan out the essay. Outline in the opening paragraph what you plan to write about, in a brief summary. The corrector doesn't want to read a summary of the whole play, they know what it's about already. I'd recommend four or five paragraphs about the question. Always refer back to the question asked, to show the corrector you understand the question and refer back to it. Closing paragraph, again summarize what the question was about and what you wrote about.

The Comparative Study (70 marks)
Novel/play/film etc. - Again, basic summary of each. Underline important words from the question. There's no need to learn the book/s line by line. Learn a few quotes. For example, Theme/Issue, be able to recognize your chosen theme. Be able to compare and contrast the 2 or 3 texts and to show examples of each comparison/contrast. Again, have opening, 4/5 paragraphs in between and closing paragraph summarizing your answer.
General Vision & Viewpoint/ Literacy Genre are pretty much the same as above, except it's GVV and LG. :pac:

I'd recommend focusing on two out of these, as two are guaranteed to come up. Whichever you feel more comfortable writing about. Also, remember that the question may be difficult, so it's always good to have a backup. :P

Prescribed Poetry - Please don't be one of these people who think this every year without fail "Oh, Sylvia Plath didn't come up last year, or in the last while, so she's bound to come up". Or It's (such and such's anniversary of his death) he's bound to come up!" They're not. No poet is guaranteed to come up, regardless of any special occasion/speculation. If you want to keep it short and sweet, learn 5 poets. That way, you'll be covered as one of those learned is guaranteed to come up on the paper.
About the poet - Learn his/her background, which era they were from (Romantic etc.), their influences. What I found about poetry, is that mind maps are good to learn these details.

About the poetry - Learn the theme/tone of the poem. The form of the poem (Shakespearean sonnet/Petrarchan sonnet/lament etc.). Be able to recognize similes, alliteration, internal alliteration, rhyming scheme, instress etc., all poetical terms relate to the poetry. Learn a few relevant or memorable lines from each poem.

The essay (50 marks) - Read the question carefully. Underline important words. Plan it out. Refer back to the question in the opening/closing paragraphs. Be able to link the poems into the question, show you know your stuff. Compare and contrast one or more poems to each other, while give a very, very brief summary of the chosen poem. Explain what the poet meant by whatever line. I myself would prepare a personal opinion of each poem, as this question sometimes comes up and is easy to prepare.

Unseen poem (20 marks) - This is an easy question to gain marks. As you learn how to form a personal opinion of the poems from the prescribed poetry, it'll be easy for you to prepare a quick personal opinion of this unseen poetry. Learn poetical terms. In the question, quote lines from the poem. This shound be at least two pages long.



Remember, quality over quantity. These are just my guidelines.

comeclosa

For Chemistry, know your experiments off by heart. Try to do all three experiment questions on the day, it'll definitely be easier marks than say Q5 where they're marked in 12s and 15s.
Definitely go for Q4, as you can pick up easy enough marks there since the answers are short.
It goes without saying that you should know Thermochemistry and Organic Chemistry by heart, the questions do tend to be repetitive, especially in Thermochemistry. Know your heat of formation/combustion calculation, as that's almost a definite and it's easy enough 12-15 marks!
Equilibrium is also another one of those handy enough sections, since questions repeat themselves SO much.
Last but not least, do try to do the Option, i.e. 11 (c). The chapters in the workbook are pretty good for that, and you only have to study 2/4 of those (Industrial and Atmospheric Chemistry is generally the easier option). Good luck!

Tweej

Physics - Spend an hour looking through the tables and see what they give you.

Those tables literally contain enough to get you a pass. If you are asked for a definition, it's allowed to just write the equation giving it, and look at the back of the tables to find the meaning of the symbols.

Example:

Define: Newton's Law of Gravitation.

F = Gm1m2/d^2

F = Force of attraction between the two bodies
G = gravitational constant
m = mass of body
d = distance between two bodies' centres of mass.

Leaving Cert Student

Tweej wrote: »

Physics - Spend an hour looking through the tables and see what they give you.

Those tables literally contain enough to get you a pass. If you are asked for a definition, it's allowed to just write the equation giving it, and look at the back of the tables to find the meaning of the symbols.

Example:

Define: Newton's Law of Gravitation.

F = Gm1m2/d^2

F = Force of attraction between the two bodies
G = gravitational constant
m = mass of body
d = distance between two bodies' centres of mass.

I amn't sure if they ask these type of q's anymore? The tables initially didn't have all the physics formula so they did ask them but since the tables updated I think they've definitely asked them less. But yeah the tables are crucial all the same. Any maths q's just involves knowing which formulae to apply

123SC

In physics if you know all your definitions (word for word very important cost me the 1% I needed for an A1) and experiments you have enough to get a B1, so start there! Don't forget your derivations too. Getting above that is just down to having every detail right and making no silly mistakes! Make sure you understand everything that's half the battle it's much easier to learn physics if you know whats going on. Don't worry too much about the maths side just know how to approach and reason out the questions. And ya, the tables are very important know exactly where everything you need is. Exam Edge is a really really good book. There's a chemistry one too.

dcam

For German, make sure in the letter to give a reaction statement to everything the person writing the letter has mentioned. e.g. if they say they won a match you should say that is great news or something along those lines. Reaction statements are needed to gain full marks. Learn off the opening and closing you are going to use also. Have a few handy phrases that you can throw in no matter what comes up for the letter and Ausserung zum Thema.
For the comprehensions, try to keep your German answers simple, don't have long rambling sentences, just get the points down that are required. Also in the long question at the end, where it asks you to give 3 or 4 points of information, you have to quote in German, then translate the quote into English and then give your own summary of the point for all 3/4 points.
Know all of your grammar inside out then as well