595 student open to questions

bren2001

linguist wrote: »

Laura, I realise that I may not win your friendship or that of other people here but if you can see beyond your initial reading of this, you might understand that I mean to be constructive and in no way aim to undermine your own superb achievement.

Over recent years, we have witnessed the development of this phenomenon whereby learners who have achieved top points are interviewed in the press, auction their notes online or generally put themselves up as the ultimate authority on academic achievement.

What this trend ignores is that your success to date is that of a learner. You have successfully managed to achieve a superb outcome in your own studies. What this does not make you is a teacher. Why, for example, is every native speaker of French not automatically the best person to teach it? Simply because one's own mastery of a subject does not make one qualified or indeed able to transfer that knowledge to others. Skilled teachers spend a lifetime perfecting how to do this, most of them acknowledge that they never fully do (to use your starting point, if they did nobody should leave their class with less than an A!) and many of them have achieved a grade that is just as high as yours in their own subjects.

These days - as a result of my advancing years - my facebook timeline is increasingly made up of people telling me how fast they ran around the park this morning. Wonderful. However, if I tried to emulate that achievement right now, with my level of fitness, I'd have a heart attack! One size does not fit all.

So I genuinely wish you well, you have achieved a wonderful LC and people are free to take your advice should they wish. However, I think they should do so - and you should proceed - mindful of what you have actually achieved and what you still have to and students, in general, would be well advised to look to their qualified and experienced teachers for the best professional guidance in the months ahead.

I'd agree with the sentiment of this post. Each person has a different learning style. What works for one person does not necessarily work for another. I'd warn any student reading this thread to not take Laura's word as gospel because she achieved good results. Figure out your own learning style, approach your guidance counsellor and create a study plan and technique that suits you.

However, I know the perils of secondary school life. Most teachers (I have found) are not the most approachable and are not up to date with the different styles of studying. Reading threads like this can give students a different viewpoint. For students who are struggling or just trying to improve, it can give them new ideas and approaches to improve their technique.

None the less, well done for taking the time out to answer this thread. I know I wouldn't have when I was 18.

Macavity.

What colour is your toothbrush?

Uncle Steady

How long should the German letter be?

LauraaWhelann

linguist wrote: »

Laura, I realise that I may not win your friendship or that of other people here but if you can see beyond your initial reading of this, you might understand that I mean to be constructive and in no way aim to undermine your own superb achievement.

Over recent years, we have witnessed the development of this phenomenon whereby learners who have achieved top points are interviewed in the press, auction their notes online or generally put themselves up as the ultimate authority on academic achievement.

What this trend ignores is that your success to date is that of a learner. You have successfully managed to achieve a superb outcome in your own studies. What this does not make you is a teacher. Why, for example, is every native speaker of French not automatically the best person to teach it? Simply because one's own mastery of a subject does not make one qualified or indeed able to transfer that knowledge to others. Skilled teachers spend a lifetime perfecting how to do this, most of them acknowledge that they never fully do (to use your starting point, if they did nobody should leave their class with less than an A!) and many of them have achieved a grade that is just as high as yours in their own subjects.

These days - as a result of my advancing years - my facebook timeline is increasingly made up of people telling me how fast they ran around the park this morning. Wonderful. However, if I tried to emulate that achievement right now, with my level of fitness, I'd have a heart attack! One size does not fit all.

So I genuinely wish you well, you have achieved a wonderful LC and people are free to take your advice should they wish. However, I think they should do so - and you should proceed - mindful of what you have actually achieved and what you still have to and students, in general, would be well advised to look to their qualified and experienced teachers for the best professional guidance in the months ahead.

I never intended on promoting myself as a teacher. I used this site during my leaving cert year and got a lot of helpful tips from people who did what I'm trying to do now. I always try to tell people that their learning is individual to them and my advice is what worked for ME. Sorry if that wasn't clear in my previous posts. I don't by any means believe that I can educate a student better than a teacher can. What I'm offering isn't "professional guidance" it's simply coming from one student to another. I am not a teacher nor will I ever be, but I'm sure if you had a goal and was able to seek advice from someone who had achieved that goal, you would. (So disclaimer: Students, listen to your teachers and study your books. That's probably the best advice I could give.) I was a bit saddened that you would perceive me in such a way because all I really wanted to do was lend a helping hand at a stressful time.

LauraaWhelann

Macavity. wrote: »

What colour is your toothbrush?

pink

LauraaWhelann

Uncle Steady wrote: »

How long should the German letter be?

Pretty sure it says it on the exam papers! I think it's 150 words but can't be positive! If you don't have exam papers look them up on examinations.ie and check on there

Magnate

How many pages was your Irish ceapadóireacht?

LauraaWhelann

Magnate wrote: »

How many pages was your Irish ceapadóireacht?

Hey only ever wrote two haha in the pre and in the real thing.. But mine were about 3-4 A4 pages long! I have very large handwriting though

LauraaWhelann

bren2001 wrote: »

I'd agree with the sentiment of this post. Each person has a different learning style. What works for one person does not necessarily work for another. I'd warn any student reading this thread to not take Laura's word as gospel because she achieved good results. Figure out your own learning style, approach your guidance counsellor and create a study plan and technique that suits you.

However, I know the perils of secondary school life. Most teachers (I have found) are not the most approachable and are not up to date with the different styles of studying. Reading threads like this can give students a different viewpoint. For students who are struggling or just trying to improve, it can give them new ideas and approaches to improve their technique.

None the less, well done for taking the time out to answer this thread. I know I wouldn't have when I was 18.

Thanks for having an open mind in regards what I'm trying to here

Magnate

LauraaWhelann wrote: »

Hey only ever wrote two haha in the pre and in the real thing.. But mine were about 3-4 A4 pages long! I have very large handwriting though

Ah right, I see, so you really have to be hitting that 600 word mark then

Thanks,

IanOBo

Any tips for business?

dazzadazza

What subjects did you do? For the science subjects did you learn the non mandatory experiments? Thanks

LauraaWhelann

dazzadazza wrote: »

What subjects did you do? For the science subjects did you learn the non mandatory experiments? Thanks

I did English Irish Maths Business Biology Chemistry German and Music all at higher level

For chemistry and Biology we did read over the non mandatory experiments in class and carried out most of them, just learn a bit of the theory behind them in case they do want you to apply it somewhere.. was the iodine snake one of those? We definitely did that one and it did come up somewhere in the past paper I think!

LauraaWhelann

IanOBo wrote: »

Any tips for business?

hey il get back to you on this later