Parents worries - junior cert

Hennesm

My son is doing his junior cert and I'm worried sick. I don't think he has studied enough and he left his history exam a hour early! I have never finished a history exam early!
He is really chilled about it all and everyone keeps telling me the JC is not important , but I think it is? Can someone tell me if it impacts his choices at LC ? Also is it really as unimportant as everyone is telling me ?
Don't think I will be sleeping between now and September

spurious

It depends on his school whether it will have any influence on his LC subjects and choices. Understandably, a teacher is not going to want someone with a D or C in OL JC Science in their HL LC Chemistry class.

It's also an exam designed to maximise success, which means most people do better in it than they think they will/did/deserve. This leads some people to be all 'I got an A in my Junior with no work' and continue somewhat deluded headlong into LC.

Take History for example, which I corrected many moons ago. Many times I would tot the marks of what in their answers would be a decidedly average candidate, with lots of spoofing and it would turn out they scraped into the A range. That student is going to struggle greatly in HL LC History, even with their 'A in the Junior'.

That said, it's also, for many people, the first thing in life they do on their own, which is of course frightening, so many people like to lessen its importance, in case it doesn't go well.

Hennesm

Thanks spurious. I'm being a little unfair, he has done some work, just not as much as I think he should have. Your argument about LC was mine with my son. I also think that if you can't do well at JC you are at a disadvantage at LC, but I appear to be in the minority with that opinion. I went to see his head teacher a few weeks ago about a bullying incident ( by a teacher ) and he seemed to think that he would do well? I just can't see it. Maybe he was referring to the design of the exam. I suppose all I can do now is wait...and try to stop sending myself mad !

spurious

A child who can listen properly in class, does his homework as well as he can and asks questions if he doesn't understand something will do fine in the JC, presuming normal levels of literacy etc..

Hennesm

Thanks again . He has been listening, does all his homework etc. I think he can ask questions in class, he certainly does at home! I will wait until September. You have done a lot to put my mind at ease.