Worried about the Leaving.

manyoung

Hey. The mocks are over and overall they were okay, I suppose, with the exception of potentialy failing maths. I am deeply worried about the Leaving now and have a couple of concerns I hope some of you can help me with...

1. Maths. I'm doing 8 HL subjects, including maths, and I'M can't really take it much longer. I know that I failed along with several past exams. I have gotten different ranges of grades from c to bs but now its just Es. Quite frankly, this is just an entry requiremnt for me but I think I m stuck with doing 8 subjects which probably means I should drop to Ordinary. Has anyone dropped and found it easier? Any advice?

2. Are there actually arts courses in Maynooth that don't require maths at all?

3. I'm worried about the Leaving and the prospect of failing maths. Granted, I just need to suck it up and study, but will I have enough time to cover the Ordinary maths course after dopping from Higher in order to get a minimum of a C2?

4. I don't really know for sure what I want to do after the LC, but I'm sure some of you are like that as well. My passion is music but I just don't think I could see myself in a secure job. I'm interested in other Arts subjects, but as usual, the strange people of the world deem arts as useless, which makes me wonder if there is anything for me. As if things weren't bad enough, I doubt myself and have no awareness of my full capabilities which has resulted in my CAO spanning from 300 to 500 point courses. I know that points don't and shouldn't define us, but when I'm with friends and see the intelligent people of boards, I kind of feel like I have to aim high. Any thoughts?

Sorry about it being so long winded but I needed to vent. Could really do with a bit of advice. Thanks.

whynothey

manyoung wrote: »

Hey. The mocks are over and overall they were okay, I suppose, with the exception of potentialy failing maths. I am deeply worried about the Leaving now and have a couple of concerns I hope some of you can help me with...

1. Maths. I'm doing 8 HL subjects, including maths, and I'M can't really take it much longer. I know that I failed along with several past exams. I have gotten different ranges of grades from c to bs but now its just Es. Quite frankly, this is just an entry requiremnt for me but I think I m stuck with doing 8 subjects which probably means I should drop to Ordinary. Has anyone dropped and found it easier? Any advice?

2. Are there actually arts courses in Maynooth that don't require maths at all?

3. I'm worried about the Leaving and the prospect of failing maths. Granted, I just need to suck it up and study, but will I have enough time to cover the Ordinary maths course after dopping from Higher in order to get a minimum of a C2?

4. I don't really know for sure what I want to do after the LC, but I'm sure some of you are like that as well. My passion is music but I just don't think I could see myself in a secure job. I'm interested in other Arts subjects, but as usual, the strange people of the world deem arts as useless, which makes me wonder if there is anything for me. As if things weren't bad enough, I doubt myself and have no awareness of my full capabilities which has resulted in my CAO spanning from 300 to 500 point courses. I know that points don't and shouldn't define us, but when I'm with friends and see the intelligent people of boards, I kind of feel like I have to aim high. Any thoughts?

Sorry about it being so long winded but I needed to vent. Could really do with a bit of advice. Thanks.

I dropped to ordinary in late 5th year after failing most of my higher level tests. Got like a B1 in the ordinary summer test despite not having covered about 5 or 6 chapters.
You find OL so easy and boring.

Nicole.

manyoung wrote: »

2. Are there actually arts courses in Maynooth that don't require maths at all?

3. I'm worried about the Leaving and the prospect of failing maths. Granted, I just need to suck it up and study, but will I have enough time to cover the Ordinary maths course after dropping from Higher in order to get a minimum of a C2?

4. I don't really know for sure what I want to do after the LC, but I'm sure some of you are like that as well. My passion is music but I just don't think I could see myself in a secure job. I'm interested in other Arts subjects, but as usual, the strange people of the world deem arts as useless, which makes me wonder if there is anything for me. As if things weren't bad enough, I doubt myself and have no awareness of my full capabilities which has resulted in my CAO spanning from 300 to 500 point courses. I know that points don't and shouldn't define us, but when I'm with friends and see the intelligent people of boards, I kind of feel like I have to aim high. Any thoughts?

Hey, you will need maths to get into any National University of Ireland. You can do pass maths though, I did. I'm in second year arts doing English and Geography in UCC at the moment.

I would say don't mind what people think about what course you're doing as long as you're happy with it. I do get a bit of hard time doing arts sometimes, people think I draw sometimes too (I know someone in second year arts who told me just today that his parents still think he's drawing!:pac:) but overall it's worth it. It is not a doss like everyone thinks, it is hard work but it is totally worth it if that's what you are interested in. You don't have to want to be a teacher to do arts, there are many that don't.

I would also say that you are being a little harsh on yourself and shouldn't compare yourself to others even though it is difficult sometimes. All you can do is your best and hopefully your mocks will give you some indication although most people do better in their Leaving Cert because you have everything covered by then etc. I didn't really even look at what points things were because it was really about what I was interested in, although it is good to have a few backups.

nailforhammer

I'm like you in a way my CAO is very varied with lots of different areas and subjects a lot of them arts. My heart says Arts something like languages and history, but everyone else sees it as a waste of time.

About Maths though, I do 8 subjects too and I wouldn't consider maths the hardest no matter if you don't have a mathematical mind, I certainly don't. Try to change your attitude to Maths. Don't worry about failing; tell yourself "I will pass Higher level Maths, I will exceed my expectations!" Be confident take deep breaths and practice it. There is no learning off just do as many questions as you can. Go topic by topic.

Focus on the same topic until you are confident in it. Look at it positively, everyone has a favourite topic, mine's Complex Numbers. Whatever yours is say to yourself "I will get an A in that section and that will help boost my confidence for the other questions."

Believe in yourself! The new course has narrowed the course down and made it more favourable for students in the marking scheme. Get the hang of induction (it's not difficult and it could mean 25m in the bag), work with coordinate geometry and statistics - they generally make up a big part of the exam and are easier to understand than other topics like Financial Maths. Algebra and Complex numbers are also a good place to start.

Envisage your pass, your B, or even your A! And you will achieve success. Trust yourself! You can do this have faith. Go for a walk, exercise, relieve your stress and get down to work. You can and will do what ever you set your mind to.

sopretty

Hmm. 8 subjects is tough going. Would you consider dropping one for a start?

You sound quite similar to me. Maths was always always always consistently my lagging behind subject.

For the LC, I was doing 7 HL subjects. Had a choice to make, drop to lower level maths, or lower level physics (one of them had to give). About 1 month before (last minute, whenever that is!), I dropped to ordinary level physics. My reasoning for that was because with the bonus points for HL Maths, I figured I stood a better chance with keeping maths on at HL. Parents paid for about 12 weeks of grinds (he made me cry, but that's another story!). In my mocks, I got 38%. In the actual LC in Maths, I got a C1. I ended up getting an A1 in ordinary level physics (having come out of the exam convinced I had failed it - hadn't factored in the lack of precise definitions required at Ordinary level!).

I think grinds would pay off. Don't underestimate point requirements, dependent on what course you're aiming for. Again, a pass at Ordinary Level is 100 times more valuable than a fail at HL. Talk to your teacher. They may be able to direct your thinking - i.e. whether higher or ordinary level maths would be the better option.

Canard

Nicole. wrote: »

Hey, you will need maths to get into any National University of Ireland. You can do pass maths though, I did. I'm in second year arts doing English and Geography in UCC at the moment.

Actually, a lot of arts courses don't require maths. UCD doesn't, and more specifically to the poster I know a few (if not the entire thing) in Maynooth don't require you to pass maths either. OP, check the course your interested in's individual requirements to be sure.

edelg

I was an absolute waster during my leaving cert. I literally didn't do a thing. I went from doing honours maths for the JC to being told by my teacher that I should do foundation because I was going to fail maths in the leaving. That's how bad I was and guess what, I got a D2 in ordinary! So if someone like me, you have no idea how bad I was at maths, can get by I'd say someone like you would get an A in ordinary level! You're doing 8 subjects so if you do ordinary level maths you still have 7 higher subjects so you will not have to use the ordinary subject for points, you just need to pass it! And by the way when you get to college nobody even mentions points anymore! its like a thing of the past! Honestly though the fact that your even in an honours maths class means you'll be fine in ordinary!

missguided

If you're in honours until now, even if you're failing, you'll be grand in ordinary. I dropped at the start of sixth year, after failing my summer test miserably.. seriously, I only got like 1/5 of it right. I'm in pass now and by just keeping up with homework I'm easily getting A/B in all tests. See how you do in the mock though before dropping!

plmko

Hey man you seem really down about maths! Here's some tips that help me:

1) Start making your own notes on how to do certain sums that always come up- eg.

heading: 'Difference of two cubes'
Method: ....
Tips: remember that the last digit in both plus and minus are always positive etc etc

Just start doing this for algebra stuff (the foundation of everything!!) and then do it for other topics that you find hard.

2) Practice paper q's

Before you even start doing them, look at them. You can get this awesome set of like 12 papers from edco. Check their website! And you can buy sample worked out answers too. So try get these or ask your teacher if they have any lying around! Ok so now you have them just read through it. You might get a shock. So do something easy first like one of the question 1's. Have your book open, and your new notes too! And just take your time. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

3) Practice an unusual sum each day

This only takes like ten minutes that you can do either before you start homework or afterwards. Have it planned what you'll do each day during the week so your getting a nice rounding of the course every week. For example, do a hypothesis test on Monday, a modulus equality on Tuesday, a trig theorem proof on Wednesday, changing from rectangular to polar from on Thursday and finding the angle between two lines on Friday! LOOK HOW MUCH YOUVE COVERED IN JUST FIFTY MINUTES OVER ALL THOSE DAYS!!

4) Do twice as much maths study as your other subjects

Think of those 25 points = worth the extra work!

- just remember that like all leaving cert subjects, maths is just as doable whether 'it's your thing' or not. A lot can be said for practice and hardcore learning. So believe in yourself and you will get there!

Best of luck

manyoung

Thanks very much for the replies and sorry for the delay. I dropped to ordinary French and am happy. I got 30 in maths and am probably dropping to pass on Monday.

I'm thinking of doing a science course, requiring a B in OL maths. Considering I'm dropping and I work my ass off, reading the books inside out, do you think this is managable?

Thanks.

thelad95

manyoung wrote: »

Thanks very much for the replies and sorry for the delay. I dropped to ordinary French and am happy. I got 30 in maths and am probably dropping to pass on Monday.

I'm thinking of doing a science course, requiring a B in OL maths. Considering I'm dropping and I work my ass off, reading the books inside out, do you think this is managable?

Thanks.

From my limited knowledge of the OL course, if you are competent at honours you could walk a B. Reading textbooks isn't how to study Maths though you need to practice over and over again.

shedu

Nicole. wrote: »

Hey, you will need maths to get into any National University of Ireland

Not all NUI courses require a pass in Leaving Cert maths

Nicole.

Sorry about that, yeah I had a look at the NUI site it seems that I was misinformed http://www.nui.ie/college/docs/matricRegs/matricRegs_2014_2015.pdf I agree with the other posters, you should check the entry requirements of the courses that you're interested in Good luck