subject choice HELP!!

joe....

Hey guys,

I am in 3rd year at the moment and am thinking of moving straight into 5th year. I am wondering if this is a good idea as most say they regret doing 4th year!!??

I also have to have my subject choice in for 5th year next week but i'm not sure on my choices. I will probably do a course in science after the leaving cert. These are the subjects I am thinking of doing :

Irish, English, Maths (H)
French
Biology
Physics/chemistry (can only do 1 due to timetable thing in school)
Music (not doing in school for JC but I have been playing all my life!)
Acconting/economics/business/DCG

Please give me some advice on what to do and what to avoid soon as got to make my mind up fast!

Thanks a mill!!

Peregrine

My best advice would be to do 4th year. The people who say they regret it, yeah I know those people, they're the people who didn't do anything for a whole year. The idea of TY is simple, you get what you put into it and if you do nothing you get nothing.

If you still insist on doing 5th year and you're really interested in Science..I'd recommend you do Accounting for the last option and as for Physics/Chemistry it depends on what aspect of Science you like. I personally like the maths part and chose Physics and Applied Maths with Biology and I love it, if you like the whole Bio/Chemistry thing you can chose that. Despite what you might think, Physics isn't hard and the maths involved is basic algebra for most of it. But having an interest in maths would help more than being a genius at it.

matTNT

Because you're interested in pursuing a science course after the LC I would do Chemistry over physics as chemistry is usually more of a foundation in science courses.

I would choose Business over the others as it gives you options and isn't the most stressful of subjects (from my perspective at least)

Prodigious

Chemistry and Economics are the best IMO.

Accounting is one of the most depressing subjects in existence, and physics is a heap oh sh1te. Economics would matter more than business if you ever decided to pursue a degree in Business.

AnnaM123

I did TY and I thought it was a brilliant year! If you're motivated and willing to get involved in as much as you can you will really benefit from doing it!

In relation to your subject choices, when I was in 3rd year I was thinking of doing a general science after the leaving so I picked chemistry and biology because it is supposedly easier (according to my teachers) to catch up on the physics aspects of general science courses than it would be to catch up on the chemistry and biology.
I originally picked accounting but swiftly swapped it for history because it was awful! I originally wanted to do history but I didn't choose it because I didn't think it would be useful for the future, even though it was probably my favorite subject! For your last subject pick something that you're good at and enjoy!

Hope this helps, good luck!

maughantourig

Biology - Easiest info to learn out of the 3 sciences, but there is a lot of it. Required for some genetics courses.

Chemistry - Harder info to learn than biology. In my opinion, it requires the most work out of the 3 sciences. You need this if you are considering medicine.

Physics - My favourite out of the 3, it has by far the most calculations. You don't need to be very good at maths to succeed here, but it helps if you like maths. A fairly vital subject if you want to do engineering at 3rd level.

DCG - The project, (worth 40%), is a PAIN in the arse. You don't exactly have to study for this subject, but you do need to practice drawings regularly. This is a nice subject to do, (no need to cram info). Considered an easy subject to pass, but it has very low A-rates.

Music - I never did this one, but it has a reputation as being an easy one to pass.

I don't do any of the business ones, but business studies has relatively high A-rates. From listening to my brother and friends at school, accounting does seem to be a lot of work.

From experience I can say: avoid doing 3 sciences.

joe....

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

My best advice would be to do 4th year. The people who say they regret it, yeah I know those people, they're the people who didn't do anything for a whole year. The idea of TY is simple, you get what you put into it and if you do nothing you get nothing.

If you still insist on doing 5th year and you're really interested in Science..I'd recommend you do Accounting for the last option and as for Physics/Chemistry it depends on what aspect of Science you like. I personally like the maths part and chose Physics and Applied Maths with Biology and I love it, if you like the whole Bio/Chemistry thing you can chose that. Despite what you might think, Physics isn't hard and the maths involved is basic algebra for most of it. But having an interest in maths would help more than being a genius at it.

Thanks,, I'm just wondering if accounting is very different to junior cert accounting or is it similar enough? Thanks, really appreciate your help!

matTNT wrote: »

Because you're interested in pursuing a science course after the LC I would do Chemistry over physics as chemistry is usually more of a foundation in science courses.

I would choose Business over the others as it gives you options and isn't the most stressful of subjects (from my perspective at least)

I have heard from people that the business course has a huge amount of learning compared to others. Is this true and do you think it's worth the effort and time if I want to pursue a career in science (although not 100% sure)
Do you think the final exam is hard or is it an easy enough opportunity for high points? Thanks a million for your advice

Prodigious wrote: »

Chemistry and Economics are the best IMO.

Accounting is one of the most depressing subjects in existence, and physics is a heap oh sh1te. Economics would matter more than business if you ever decided to pursue a degree in Business.

Haha,, do you think it is depressing because of its difficulty or is it just really boring? Is it totally different to JC accounting? why economics over business if I was doing a business course?? is it easier or something?? Sound for your help

AnnaM123 wrote: »

I did TY and I thought it was a brilliant year! If you're motivated and willing to get involved in as much as you can you will really benefit from doing it!

In relation to your subject choices, when I was in 3rd year I was thinking of doing a general science after the leaving so I picked chemistry and biology because it is supposedly easier (according to my teachers) to catch up on the physics aspects of general science courses than it would be to catch up on the chemistry and biology.
I originally picked accounting but swiftly swapped it for history because it was awful! I originally wanted to do history but I didn't choose it because I didn't think it would be useful for the future, even though it was probably my favorite subject! For your last subject pick something that you're good at and enjoy!

Hope this helps, good luck!

Thanks a mill,, why was accounting so awful in 5th year?? And how do you find history now that you've moved??

maughantourig wrote: »

Biology - Easiest info to learn out of the 3 sciences, but there is a lot of it. Required for some genetics courses.

Chemistry - Harder info to learn than biology. In my opinion, it requires the most work out of the 3 sciences. You need this if you are considering medicine.

Physics - My favourite out of the 3, it has by far the most calculations. You don't need to be very good at maths to succeed here, but it helps if you like maths. A fairly vital subject if you want to do engineering at 3rd level.

DCG - The project, (worth 40%), is a PAIN in the arse. You don't exactly have to study for this subject, but you do need to practice drawings regularly. This is a nice subject to do, (no need to cram info). Considered an easy subject to pass, but it has very low A-rates.



Music - I never did this one, but it has a reputation as being an easy one to pass.

I don't do any of the business ones, but business studies has relatively high A-rates. From listening to my brother and friends at school, accounting does seem to be a lot of work.

From experience I can say: avoid doing 3 sciences.

Both medicine and engineering are in my top 3 post-leaving cert courses but my school only let's me do biology and either chemistry or physics so that's why I'm kind of stuck between the 2!! :P I am doing tech. Graph. for JC and do enjoy the break from looking at books,, is DCG similar to TG?? I will also be aiming for an A as need v. High points if considering physio/medicine so do you think it's too much time for something I won't use in the future?? Thanks for your advice, ts a gr8 help!!

Just Like Heaven

@Joe I've merged your replies in this thread, please try and use the Multiquote function when replying to posts on boards. No biggy just 5 posts in a row becomes a little difficult to read.

Welcome to boards by the way

TheGilch13

Hey, I do both Physics and Accounting and IMO, Physics is an okay subject to do well in. A lot of learning but no more than biology or chemistry but there is a big part of the exam in which calculations etc. are needed. So if you've no problem with maths then go for physics.

As regards Accounting I'm shocked at all the negative comments about it I find Accounting is the easiest to of the three business subjects and it very similar to JC accounting. It is mostly just learnig how to actually layout the accounts as the questions rarely differ. Much more theory involved in Business and Economics.

joe....

TheGilch13 wrote: »

Hey, I do both Physics and Accounting and IMO, Physics is an okay subject to do well in. A lot of learning but no more than biology or chemistry but there is a big part of the exam in which calculations etc. are needed. So if you've no problem with maths then go for physics.

As regards Accounting I'm shocked at all the negative comments about it I find Accounting is the easiest to of the three business subjects and it very similar to JC accounting. It is mostly just learnig how to actually layout the accounts as the questions rarely differ. Much more theory involved in Business and Economics.

Thanks for the advice! Physics seems like the least amount of work for points from replies so far!! yeah, I find JC accounting really easy as it is all the same just repetition and repetition. It's eventually gets to where you don't need your head but I doubt it's this way for LC?? :P

olazbabes

Accounting all they way> The success rate of accounting is better than business. I do economics got a B1 in mocks. Business is easier to learn but very very few get the A. Accounting figures dont lie. It is a very fair exam. If you are right you are right. Subjects like Biology the adjust marking scheme to lay off some A's . very unfair. Also it is a break off massive heaps of theory.

joe....

olazbabes wrote: »

Accounting all they way> The success rate of accounting is better than business. I do economics got a B1 in mocks. Business is easier to learn but very very few get the A. Accounting figures dont lie. It is a very fair exam. If you are right you are right. Subjects like Biology the adjust marking scheme to lay off some A's . very unfair. Also it is a break off massive heaps of theory.

Thanks a million,, I'm edging closer and closer to accounting now well done in economics but I'm not as interested in it ( I think,, don't really know much about it ). I did hear that about biology but I need that as my second science subject. I loved human anatomy but plant biology puts me to sleep!! Do you know ho much of each there is on the course,??

ChemHickey

If you go for Biology/chem/accounting/french/music you'd have done the same subjects as me and trust me, theyre great!

With regards Bio, if you want to see if the material interests you and what the layout/chapter divisions are look here it has MCQ questions per chapter and it shows the different chapters etc.

Accounting is just repitition! It's easy enough to get a relatively high grade in and is, as someone else has said, great because of the little amount of theory!

joe....

ChemHickey wrote: »

If you go for Biology/chem/accounting/french/music you'd have done the same subjects as me and trust me, theyre great!

With regards Bio, if you want to see if the material interests you and what the layout/chapter divisions are look here it has MCQ questions per chapter and it shows the different chapters etc.

Accounting is just repitition! It's easy enough to get a relatively high grade in and is, as someone else has said, great because of the little amount of theory!

Haha thanks., which is your favourite/ least favourite out of the subjects? Thanks for the link yup, think I'll do accounting!

ChemHickey

joe.... wrote: »

Haha thanks., which is your favourite/ least favourite out of the subjects? Thanks for the link yup, think I'll do accounting!

My facourite was Chemistry by far! It just clicked and I found it so easy! Then biology and then maths/music :P

English was by far my least favourite! And then probably accounting because it was just so repetitive(I liked all my subjects except English!) but Accounting is really easy to do well in if you enjoy it especially!

joe....

ChemHickey wrote: »

My facourite was Chemistry by far! It just clicked and I found it so easy! Then biology and then maths/music :P

English was by far my least favourite! And then probably accounting because it was just so repetitive(I liked all my subjects except English!) but Accounting is really easy to do well in if you enjoy it especially!

Uh I hate english also although I'm quiet good at it but I hate the whole being creative under exam conditions as this seems impossible!! :P what are you planning on doing after the leaving cert??

ChemHickey

joe.... wrote: »

Uh I hate english also although I'm quiet good at it but I hate the whole being creative under exam conditions as this seems impossible!! :P what are you planning on doing after the leaving cert??

I was the exact same! I hated the concept of the English exam as I always thought a portfolio (even though itd be costly/would require effort from a corrections point of view) would be efficient.
Well I'm in first year in NUIG doing Mathematical Science! :P Still not sure of its what I want to do 100% (I want to do Biomaths at the moment) because I still like the looks of Medicine but I'd say ill stick with the maths! :P

TheGilch13

Definately stick with Accounting! It is as easy and repetitve as junior cert and if you find it the most interesting and easiest part of business studies now then its a no-brainer Got a B1 in HL for mocks and only 1 question balanced :O so that just shows you how well you can do even if the Exam doesn't go your way!!

Undeadfred

If you're good at maths you should definitely do Applied Maths. The exam is marked so easy and it has the highest A1 rate in the leaving cert! It would also help you out loads in 1st year of college if you end up doing engineering or anything physics-based.
If you're mathematical or interested in Maths or just good at it you should do a combination of Physics/Applied Maths/Accounting/DCG. I think Economics has a bit of maths too but not nearly as much as the others.

I'd advise against Chemistry unless you have a passion for it. I was really good at Science in Junior Cert and i got straight As in it but when i started off in Chemistry in 5th year i kept getting Cs even though i was really interested in it and worked at it. I dropped it and I'm glad i did because all i here from other people doing Chemistry is that its so much work and takes up so much of their time. They say most of it is learning loads of things off by heart and regurgitating it in the exam, And that's only after you've read and understand all of it. It's by far the hardest of the sciences and I'd say the most difficult to get an A in.

If you're ambitious enough I'd almost advise doing 8 subjects in school then doing Music outside of school. Its one of those subjects where you can do that and still get an A in, but this is up to you.

joe....

Undeadfred wrote: »

If you're good at maths you should definitely do Applied Maths. The exam is marked so easy and it has the highest A1 rate in the leaving cert! It would also help you out loads in 1st year of college if you end up doing engineering or anything physics-based.
If you're mathematical or interested in Maths or just good at it you should do a combination of Physics/Applied Maths/Accounting/DCG. I think Economics has a bit of maths too but not nearly as much as the others.

I'd advise against Chemistry unless you have a passion for it. I was really good at Science in Junior Cert and i got straight As in it but when i started off in Chemistry in 5th year i kept getting Cs even though i was really interested in it and worked at it. I dropped it and I'm glad i did because all i here from other people doing Chemistry is that its so much work and takes up so much of their time. They say most of it is learning loads of things off by heart and regurgitating it in the exam, And that's only after you've read and understand all of it. It's by far the hardest of the sciences and I'd say the most difficult to get an A in.

If you're ambitious enough I'd almost advise doing 8 subjects in school then doing Music outside of school. Its one of those subjects where you can do that and still get an A in, but this is up to you.

Thanks for your advice, there is no applied Maths in my school so it would mean doing that outside of school. I'm already doing music as an outside subject anyway. I know I would like applied Maths though so its a pity it's not in my school. Is it not good that chemistry is just regurgitating in the exam though? Thanks again!

CookieMonster.x

+1 for accounting, don't understand why more people don't do it! It's very repetitive and the same types of questions come up all the time. It looks daunting at first and it can be difficult at first but once you get your head around the debits and credits then it becomes very easy. It's all about practice really!

Undeadfred

joe.... wrote: »

Thanks for your advice, there is no applied Maths in my school so it would mean doing that outside of school. I'm already doing music as an outside subject anyway. I know I would like applied Maths though so its a pity it's not in my school. Is it not good that chemistry is just regurgitating in the exam though? Thanks again!

You should try do it outside of school if you think you'd like it. Its an easy A in my eyes and its actually my favourite subect.

You'd think this would be an advantage in Chemistry but there's so much of it the amount of time you'd need to learn all that off is the equivalent to two other subjects

AnnaM123

Accounting just bored me to death...I loved the accounting side of business at junior cert but hated it at leaving cert! It just wasn't for me!

History is a brilliant subject, I love it! There is a lot of essay writing, like in the leaving you have to write 3 fairly long essays and do a document question with a slightly shorter essay at the end... But if you enjoy it, it's really worth it

Glee_GG

If your thinking of doing anything like Medicine or Dentistry your going to have to do chemistry, you don't need it for NUIG/UCD if you do premed but still your going to want to have the basics in it! I do the three sciences, chemistry is by far by favourite, way more interesting than the other two, experiments are actually nice to do and aren't that difficult. Theory can be difficult but its all about understanding things in chemistry more than learning them off, you have to understand why your doing what your doing. Biology is grand, you literally just sit down and learn it, end of. Physics is my least favourite but I don't hate it or anything its just dreadfully boring at times I find, especially with electricity and magnets and so on is just the biggest bore of a thing ever.

joe....

Glee_GG wrote: »

If your thinking of doing anything like Medicine or Dentistry your going to have to do chemistry, you don't need it for NUIG/UCD if you do premed but still your going to want to have the basics in it! I do the three sciences, chemistry is by far by favourite, way more interesting than the other two, experiments are actually nice to do and aren't that difficult. Theory can be difficult but its all about understanding things in chemistry more than learning them off, you have to understand why your doing what your doing. Biology is grand, you literally just sit down and learn it, end of. Physics is my least favourite but I don't hate it or anything its just dreadfully boring at times I find, especially with electricity and magnets and so on is just the biggest bore of a thing ever.

Ye thanks, I think I'm going to stick with biology and physics!!

joe....

Hey, when putting my application in today, I found out that I could do all 3 sciences (biology, chemistry and physics) as I am 80% sure I want to do a course in science. Should I do all 3 or stick with a business subject instead of physics to keep my business options open for college? I also discovered that I could do economics so now its either economics/business/accounting or physics?!

user.name

joe.... wrote: »

Hey, when putting my application in today, I found out that I could do all 3 sciences (biology, chemistry and physics) as I am 80% sure I want to do a course in science. Should I do all 3 or stick with a business subject instead of physics to keep my business options open for college? I also discovered that I could do economics so now its either economics/business/accounting or physics?!

Well i can tell you that you don't need to do business in the lc to do in college its mainly science type courses that require you to take a certain subject

joe....

user.name wrote: »

Well i can tell you that you don't need to do business in the lc to do in college its mainly science type courses that require you to take a certain subject

Oh okayy thanks a mil!!