Subjects for Leaving Cert

coolerboy

I am going into 5 th year...
I need help picking subjects for the L.C.
I have already pick the following Physics Chemistry Ag Science French.
I am thinking of dropping ag science for ggeography and doing applied maths outside school.My parents are advising me to do medicine in college but im thinking of pharmacy.I am stuck on which career choice I should make.
Here are the results for my dats test hope it
helps
Verbal Reasoning-5/9
Numerical Reasoning-6/9
Abstract Reasoning-4/9
Perceptual Speed And Accuracy-7/9
Mechanical Reasoning-4/9(thought I did well)
Space Relations-4/9
Spelling-5/9
Language Usage-4/9
Educational Aptitude-6/9

In the mocks I got
Edit
Maths-70
English -71
Irish-53
Geo-85
His-74
Sci-75
Re-85
Tech-89
T.g-80
Fre-69
Cspe-91

coolerboy

Any HELP at all pleased any piece of advice would do im desperate

Raspberry Fileds

Lolling at your having expressed JC mock results using the LC scale!

I would sooner take Biology or Geography than Ag Science. Bio, despite being the most popular non-core subject has a very high A-rate of around 16%. Geography, IMO, is one of the LC subjects that is most similar to its JC equivalent.

coolerboy

#BUMP

NipNip

The only thing that jumps out at me is that you are not linguistically minded. English, Irish and French are your poorest scores.
You're more inclined to law I think rather than medicine, based on your aptitude tests...

Says I.

For that reason, switch a couple of the techie/mechie ones for Geog/History/Home Economics/CSPE (cos you'll need the points!)

NipNip

Actually - maybe not - you're more techie/mechie minded - go for engineering.

NipNip

Engineers earn a heck of a lot more and faster than doctors or solicitors. Tell your Mammy that!

NipNip

Plus, you won't need to achieve 7,000 points in order to get into engineering......

NipNip

What are those DATS scores scored out of?

Raspberry Fileds

NipNip wrote: »

The only thing that jumps out at me is that you are not linguistically minded. English, Irish and French are your poorest scores.
You're more inclined to law I think rather than medicine, based on your aptitude tests...

Says I.

For that reason, switch a couple of the techie/mechie ones for Geog/History/Home Economics/CSPE (cos you'll need the points!)

Erm...I disagree with everything! First, lawyers tend to be good linguistically. Second, I don't know what about those results that would specifically indicate Law. Third, performance in languages is surely not a good indicator of aptitude for Medicine?!

NipNip

Raspberry Fileds wrote: »

Erm...I disagree with everything! First, lawyers tend to be good linguistically. Second, I don't know what about those results that would specifically indicate Law. Third, performance in languages is surely not a good indicator of aptitude for Medicine?!

Which is why I concluded Engineering.....

NipNip

Perceptual Speed and Accuracy was high compared to the other scores though - which lead me to law initially. In looking at all of the other results, it has to be engineering that he goes for.

Raspberry Fileds

NipNip wrote: »

Perceptual Speed and Accuracy was high compared to the other scores though - which lead me to law initially. In looking at all of the other results, it has to be engineering that he goes for.

I am amazed that you think you can conclude, based on a set of exams taken at 14/15, what a student's future career should be.

@coolerboy Performance at LC is overwhelmingly based on application rather than aptitude.

NipNip

I apologise. You're right of course.

Raspberry Fileds

NipNip wrote: »

I apologise. You're right of course.

Now go tidy your room.

coolerboy

NipNip wrote: »

What are those DATS scores scored out of?

There out of 9 Thanks!

coolerboy

NipNip wrote: »

Actually - maybe not - you're more techie/mechie minded - go for engineering.

I was thinking that myself maybe ill go for petrochemical or aeronautical engineering

NipNip

Mechanical engineering is always in demand.

coolerboy

NipNip wrote: »

Mechanical engineering is always in demand.

How many points does that go for.How about chemical

NipNip

Don't worry about the points. Worry about the jobs at the end of the degree.......

coolerboy

NipNip wrote: »

Don't worry about the points. Worry about the jobs at the end of the degree.......

Is their salary much

rainbowtrout

Your aptitude scores are all by and large fairly similar. Nothing stands out consistently as being particularly weak or strong.

While money is a factor in a career don't make it the main one. Don't end up stuck in a job that you hate just because it seems like a good idea financially.

Do you like sciences/techie subjects?


You suggested pharmacy initially. Is that because you are interested in it or is it an alternative to medicine suggested by your parents?

Engineering was suggested here, are you actually interested in engineering?

You don't have to make a career choice yet, you have 1.5 -2 years before you have to make a decision on a college course. Pick subjects you like, subjects you're good at and that will give you a range of options.

You've already chosen physics and chemistry and have suggested taking applied maths outside school. All of those will cover you for pretty much any science or engineering degree. you don't have to narrow it down any further now.

coolerboy

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Your aptitude scores are all by and large fairly similar. Nothing stands out consistently as being particularly weak or strong.

While money is a factor in a career don't make it the main one. Don't end up stuck in a job that you hate just because it seems like a good idea financially.

Do you like sciences/techie subjects?


You suggested pharmacy initially. Is that because you are interested in it or is it an alternative to medicine suggested by your parents?

Engineering was suggested here, are you actually interested in engineering?

You don't have to make a career choice yet, you have 1.5 -2 years before you have to make a decision on a college course. Pick subjects you like, subjects you're good at and that will give you a range of options.

You've already chosen physics and chemistry and have suggested taking applied maths outside school. All of those will cover you for pretty much any science or engineering degree. you don't have to narrow it down any further now.

Thanks alot for the reply It has given me a greater understanding of career choices.
Yes I am indeed very interested in science subjects and techie.to be honest I was going to pick either pharmacy or engineering as my career but preferably a science career that involves chemistry or biology as I love both of the as subjects.

rainbowtrout

Well you are well set up for careers in those areas with your current subject choices.

Ag Science does overlap considerably with Biology (about half the course) so would be a good fit there, but it would be a bonus to come from a farming background or have an interest in agricultural as it is the other half of the course.

You could put off making a specific decision on career for now, and do a bit of research in fifth year - college prospectuses, careers days, even a week of work experience during one of your midterms, easter etc to get a better idea of what is involved in specific sectors.

It doesn't have to be school related work experience. Go and organise it yourself. Contact some relevant companies and see if they can help you out or if you can meet an engineer or scientist or get a tour to see what is involved in potential careers. There's no reason why you have to wait for a careers teacher to do this.

coolerboy

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Well you are well set up for careers in those areas with your current subject choices.

Ag Science does overlap considerably with Biology (about half the course) so would be a good fit there, but it would be a bonus to come from a farming background or have an interest in agricultural as it is the other half of the course.

You could put off making a specific decision on career for now, and do a bit of research in fifth year - college prospectuses, careers days, even a week of work experience during one of your midterms, easter etc to get a better idea of what is involved in specific sectors.

It doesn't have to be school related work experience. Go and organise it yourself. Contact some relevant companies and see if they can help you out or if you can meet an engineer or scientist or get a tour to see what is involved in potential careers. There's no reason why you have to wait for a careers teacher to do this.

Tbh I am not at all interested in ag science thats why I am changing it to geo.my dad picked my subjects for me so I practically got forced to do it.

NipNip

Focus on your subjects that you are good at.

rainbowtrout

coolerboy wrote: »

Tbh I am not at all interested in ag science thats why I am changing it to geo.my dad picked my subjects for me so I practically got forced to do it.

ya, you need to pick subjects you are good at and have an interest in. You won't put in the same effort into a subject you don't like, and at the end of the day, the points awarded to geography are the same as ag science. You can always point out to your dad, that you got 85 in geography in your mocks and that if you intend to apply for high points courses you will need to maximise points by picking subjects that play to your strengths, which is the way you should pick them anyway.

Mr Rhode Island Red

Although this is just a rehash of what has already being said:
Pick subjects you like, and are good at.

Don't pick subjects on the fallacy that they are easy, or have a high A rate (LC Russian has an incredibly high A-rate, but that's because it is generally taken by people who are fluent; statistics aren't always foolproof, and have limited applications to decision-making).

Also should point out the timely "Don't do subjects because your friends are doing them" and also try to avoid choosing/eliminating a certain subject because you like/dislike the teacher that teaches it (although it's hard to like a subject if a teacher has given you a negative experience of it)

And to be honest I think you should take others' (relatives/teachers/friends) subject recommendations under advisement but ultimately make the decision yourself, rather than being "forced" into doing a subject that you don't particularly like.