Study hours?

Badwulf

Havn't started studying yet, but I have kept up with homework and projects but I'm starting studying for real tonight and was wondering how many hours a night should I do? I was thinking around 3 up untill easter then I'll increase it to 4, I only need around 250-300 points. How much do you guys do a night? anyone here not started yet?

spurious

It depends what you call studying. Seriously. People can spend three hours a night 'looking' at textbooks and retain nothing. Others can spend ten focussed minutes and have a topic sorted.

Find a method that works to help you remember things - for some people it's flashcards, for others mindmaps, for others creating their own notes from the textbook. Some people record themselves reading summaries and listen to them on their mp3. Everyone is different.

Once you start a topic, break it into small manageable chunks. For example, in Geography, don't say 'tonight I will cover rivers', instead say 'tonight I will do features of the older section of a river'. Sometimes if you're faced with a big body of work it is very difficult to get going.

Make sure to take many short breaks during your study. Getting out into the air for ten minutes would be better than a half hour break playing computer games.

Badwulf

Since I havn't started study yet is it safe to say im screwed? haha

spurious

Not at all. You said you'd kept up with your homework and projects. Make sure not to miss days at school.
What subjects are you doing? Some subjects lend themselves more easily to certain ways of studying.
Exam papers are key. Make sure you know the layout and combinations of questions that you have to do in each subject.

sawdoubters

2-3 to start,i would not go to 4
take a break at weekends

Badwulf

Pass subjects are:
Maths
Irish
MAYBE Biology

Higher
Ag
Construction
Engineering
English
MAYBE Biology

And LCVP

spurious

Badwulf wrote: »

Pass subjects are:
Maths
Irish
MAYBE Biology

Higher
Ag
Construction
Engineering
English
MAYBE Biology

And LCVP

OK, LCVP make sure your portfolio is as good as you can make it.
Construction Studies and Engineering - many people carry these on the practical exam, but make sure you put in a decent enough paper too - it doesn't have to be perfect.
Ag Science - again, put a lot of work into the project.
English - don't learn off essays. Know your works and write your own essays.
Maths - know which questions you will do. Where possible try to answer all the parts in a question.
Biology is a lot of learning, but again, break it into manageable chunks.

How are your mocks going or have you started them?

Badwulf

We had our mocks fairly early this year (A week ago) so most people were unprepared for them. Maths went horrible, contruction and english were fine and the rest I am yet to do

spurious

From the combination of subjects you are doing, I would say 250-300 is very doable. Make sure you get course requirements as well though, such as required grades in Maths or Irish.

Badwulf

so in a nutshell if 3 hours a night a lot?

spurious

Badwulf wrote: »

so in a nutshell if 3 hours a night a lot?

I can't answer that. It depends what the 3 hours are spent doing.
If you are listening properly in class and making sure you understand what the teacher is saying then 3 hours a night would be fine, if you are using the time productively.

Say, for example, you did the eye* last October in Biology - at this stage you should know your 'eye stuff' and be able for any question which came up on the eye (or whatever topic you have finished) by now. You should be just double checking things.

For new topics, or topics you are only doing now, you are still learning them, rather than studying them, so you need to work more on them.
I'm not sure if I made myself clear there.

*random Biology topic.

robman60

Badwulf wrote: »

so in a nutshell if 3 hours a night a lot?

Yes, it's a good amount, but you need to take Spurious' advice which is the most important. It's about the quality of your study

I do study after school each evening and the amount of dossing is just incredible. People looking around, books open and no engagement, others simply sitting there not actually doing anything.

Everyone's methods are different, but I find I have to write in order to retain info. If I'm at home I actually write and say it at the same time. I use flashcards for business too, but that's the only subject I do that is all learning.

So must importantly, don't be counting the hours you spend, count the quality of the work you do.

jd1594

Badwulf wrote: »

Havn't started studying yet, but I have kept up with homework and projects but I'm starting studying for real tonight and was wondering how many hours a night should I do? I was thinking around 3 up untill easter then I'll increase it to 4, I only need around 250-300 points. How much do you guys do a night? anyone here not started yet?

I got 335 when I needed 300 so I can give you fantastic advice .

Don't study in a big huge block. This is not only mentally tiring but it becomes to difficult to maintain information. When I had free time I'd usually just say to myself "Ok I'll do an hour of Geography or Irish now" and spread these out throughout the day whilst giving myself nice breaks inbetween. I found myself retaining info a lot better this way! Don't calculate it in hours, do enough so that you feel confident on a subject. I used to hate Irish politics in History for example, so I'd give that more hours than say American history which I loved .

rainbowtrout

For the ag science exam:

There is a full question (Q4) on experiments every year. Maybe start with that. Work your way through the experiments. Write them out in bullet points. After 4 or 5 years of papers you'll see they start to repeat. You need to answer 2 out of the 4 experiments listed in the question, so you have an excellent choice.

Q2 is always on soil, Q7 always on genetics, so if you like either of these topics tackle these next.

In terms of genetics I would break it down into three parts. Part (a) in the question is usually a few definitions, part (b) usually the genetic cross, part (c) applied genetics (AI, embryo tranplantation etc). Work your way through all the part A's until you know your definitions, then do all the genetic crosses until you are comfortable with them, then do the applied stuff.


Continue working your way through the paper on different topics doing all the questions on a topic and you should be ok.

Badwulf

Cheers lads )