Is it possible to teach myself Leaving Cert Biology???

NewHolland_53

Hello.
I am currently in TY and was wondering would it be possible to teach myself leaving cert biology,I understand that there is a lot of learning involved but I am good at learning definitions of by heart.I would also be willing to start the course this year to get a head start.
Provided I do this would it be possible to learn the subject myself?
Is their any experiments or project work that I would be unable to do without a teacher?
Please comment your advice,thanks in advance

Bazinga_N

I think Biology would be fine to do on your own, especially if you start now. My advice would be to run through a topic in the textbook, then maybe go through some revision notes (plenty online!) and then make out your own. Exam papers are important too!

In terms of experiments, you do need a teacher to sign off that you've done the experiments so maybe talk to your biology teacher in school first and see if she/he would be okay with that. Also the ecology field trip is a requirement too and you'd need to go on that so again talk to the teacher. Best of luck with it!

NewHolland_53

Bazinga_N wrote: »

I think Biology would be fine to do on your own, especially if you start now. My advice would be to run through a topic in the textbook, then maybe go through some revision notes (plenty online!) and then make out your own. Exam papers are important too!

In terms of experiments, you do need a teacher to sign off that you've done the experiments so maybe talk to your biology teacher in school first and see if she/he would be okay with that. Also the ecology field trip is a requirement too and you'd need to go on that so again talk to the teacher. Best of luck with it!

Thanks Bazinga_n for your advice I was unaware there were experiments to be signed off on and that the ecology field trip is required

NewHolland_53

As part of the ecology field trip do you have to write a report? Is this report sent of and marked as part of your leaving cert??Is it wrote into a special examinations booklet??

Bazinga_N

NewHolland_53 wrote: »

As part of the ecology field trip do you have to write a report? Is this report sent of and marked as part of your leaving cert??Is it wrote into a special examinations booklet??

No it's technically an experiment. In fact I think some schools don't even make a trip out of it and just head into a nearby field. You are required to write up all experiments on the course though, in a copybook or special experiment book you can buy. An examiner can come and look for these as proof of you carrying out coursework. If you don't show it you can be stopped for doing your exam afaik.

NewHolland_53

Bazinga_N wrote: »

No it's technically an experiment. In fact I think some schools don't even make a trip out of it and just head into a nearby field. You are required to write up all experiments on the course though, in a copybook or special experiment book you can buy. An examiner can come and look for these as proof of you carrying out coursework. If you don't show it you can be stopped for doing your exam afaik.

I was thinking that alright as I never remember the leaving cert class in our school ever going on a field trip,Just a walk in the school garden.Ya writing up the experiments would me no problem.
Thanks for that informationðŸ‘

TSMGUY

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret: IT'S TOTALLY DOABLE AND BIOLOGY IS EASY AS HELL. I self taught bio last year and got an A2/ It was actually a subject I enjoyed studying as well. As for the experiment malarkey, that's just a lot of bureaucratic waffle. They NEVER check your experiment copy and you don't have to do the field study. Good luck, man.

emersyn

Very doable but please write up the experiments...

NewHolland_53

TSMGUY wrote: »

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret: IT'S TOTALLY DOABLE AND BIOLOGY IS EASY AS HELL. I self taught bio last year and got an A2/ It was actually a subject I enjoyed studying as well. As for the experiment malarkey, that's just a lot of bureaucratic waffle. They NEVER check your experiment copy and you don't have to do the field study. Good luck, man.

Thanks for boosting my confidence in keeping on biology as an extra subject.I think now I will have a go of it since it is Morely a learning orientated subject

NewHolland_53

emersyn wrote: »

Very doable but please write up the experiments...

Ya I will,wouldn't take the chance

shluachra

I remember seeing a few years ago that the inspection rate by examiners for checking leaving cert biology experiments had been written up was 5%

Inspector Coptoor

NewHolland_53 wrote: »

Hello.
I am currently in TY and was wondering would it be possible to teach myself leaving cert biology,I understand that there is a lot of learning involved but I am good at learning definitions of by heart.I would also be willing to start the course this year to get a head start.
Provided I do this would it be possible to learn the subject myself?
Is their any experiments or project work that I would be unable to do without a teacher?
Please comment your advice,thanks in advance

Biology is a 3 hour exam worth 100% of the grade.

You get no marks for "writing up" the experiments and no one from the SEC checks that the experiments have been written up.
This ONLY applies to Junior Cert Science.

However, as a Biology teacher and SEC marker, I would advise that you write up the experiments and know them well.
There are 22 experiments and 3 of them will come up in Section B and you must answer 2 of the three questions.
Section B makes up 60 marks of the 400 in this subject so if you don't know your experiments it is almost impossible to get an A.

Biology is certainly easier to learn by yourself than chemistry or physics.
However, the way the SEC are now asking questions on the paper, students are being asked more and more to think outside the box and the rote leaning mentality that some students still think applies to biology is being slowly done away with, thankfully.

Inspector Coptoor

Bazinga_N wrote: »

In terms of experiments, you do need a teacher to sign off that you've done the experiments so maybe talk to your biology teacher in school first and see if she/he would be okay with that. Also the ecology field trip is a requirement too and you'd need to go on that so again talk to the teacher. Best of luck with it!

None of this is true.

NewHolland_53

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

Biology is a 3 hour exam worth 100% of the grade.

You get no marks for "writing up" the experiments and no one from the SEC checks that the experiments have been written up.
This ONLY applies to Junior Cert Science.

However, as a Biology teacher and SEC marker, I would advise that you write up the experiments and know them well.
There are 22 experiments and 3 of them will come up in Section B and you must answer 2 of the three questions.
Section B makes up 60 marks of the 400 in this subject so if you don't know your experiments it is almost impossible to get an A.

Biology is certainly easier to learn by yourself than chemistry or physics.
However, the way the SEC are now asking questions on the paper, students are being asked more and more to think outside the box and the rote leaning mentality that some students still think applies to biology is being slowly done away with, thankfully.

Thanks Inspector Coptoor,Thanks for that information on the exam found it very helpfulðŸ‘