Words from an outgoing LC

nobodythere

I just want to save ye a lot of hassle and say some things:

1. Listen in class from the start of the year and make sure you understand it - it will save you a lot of studying - because while you'll have to do loads of remembering. I wasted a lot of time just spacing in class which I now regret - because like it or not you're spending a total of 6 hours in there every day (which I totally disagree with).

2. Try to use creative memory - think of the stupidest ways you can to remember things. Use mnemonics if it works for you.

3. It's not that difficult in terms of points. A C1 on average in the leaving cert is 420 points total.

4. Do NOT give up the things you love doing. You will go insane. You cannot revolve your life around the leaving cert, that is no way to live and it is not worth giving up a year of your life just because the MedHeads are going mental for their 590 points. If you need some advice on getting through it (because I went insane and am willing to help in whatever way I can) PM me.

5. It's not a race - you're not against your fellow pupil, you're against the fúckers who set the exams - share notes, help each other out and you can cut your workload in half.

6. If you don't think the homework a teacher gives you is beneficial, don't do it.

Some things on certain subjects...
French: Buy Le Monde, the paper. Get the Cian Hogan book that covers the whole course in ten weeks and go through it slowly at the start of the year. Don't learn off phrases, that book is just brilliant for those like me who were absolutely stumped by the grammar.

Orals: Learn off topics, practice talking to yourself out loud in the language and connect topics, learn to lead the examiner. It's not that difficult. Be original with your Document, I brought in a picture of a bottle of buckfast thrown on the grass and covered topics like drinking, drugs, littering and what I did for Paddy's day.

Maths: Do not try to learn this by reading the book. The best way to learn formulae etc is to keep doing questions.





Remember - it's not a big deal and consistency means you won't get stressed out. I got 435 if you're wondering.

Farls

Long time since I done the leaving but thats excellent advice there and not only for the leaving but for the rest of your educational career.

Spot on grasshopa

killermonkey

Outgoing Leaving Cert here too... i did well so take it from me...
Mnemonics are a BRILLIANT idea, especially if u make them up yourself. They're so stupid/funny that you'll never forget them (eg Royal Paul Never Knew Dame Laura Fed Buffaloes was one of my chemistry ones!)
If you're doing the sciences, then write out all your definitions on small pieces of paper, and keep them together. When you're studying them, just pick them out randomly. It's slightly more interesting than just from the book. I presume that goes for other subjects too eg Business
DO NOT BE AFRAID TO USE DIAGRAMS - while studying and in the exams. I did it in my Leaving Cert, for all 3 sciences and Irish too!! (don't ask!) If they contain information you most certainly get the same marks.
For maths it's all about practice, you'd be surprised how it becomes easy enough after a while. Get cracking on past papers in the run up to Christmas exams, then keep on going at them
For your own good, don't start studying too early - concentrate on homework up until Christmas time as your courses won't be finished. Those tests are merely a formality and even the teachers don't expect you to shine in them, as it's not a particularly good sign if you do. Work well for the mocks but please save your best energy for the summer term and peak in JUNE!
Please don't learn off material for your orals, unless you are really really stuck. If you have spent time abroad you should find this test a doddle and won't need to learn things off, believe me - I did Irish, French and German so between the three i know what I'm talking about. Your best move is to start talking early on in the year. If you are a consciencious student (and I think most people reading this would be) , then find like-minded friends and practice with them. Otherwise just practice yourself, it's easy to do.
Get the marking schemes off www.examinations.ie they are invaluable for subjects such as Physics and Chemistry. They show exactly what is required to get marks and minimise the waffle that needs to be written down on paper.
Take it easy, and concentrate more this term on your course work and figuring out a career. It's far more important to get that right early on. It's a long year but I promise you those tips will help you - the biggest mistake is to knuckle down fully in September. Hope you all get through on the other side smiling, it's not even fully over for the class of 2005 with viewing of scripts coming up etc, but we all survived and I'm glad to say I'm smiling

dr.barbie

Some genuinely good advice there, cheers!

My biggest fear for the upcoming year would be burning out, I really have to find a balance early on, otherwise Ill be suffering nervous exhaustion by December!

Congrats to you guys though, sounds like ye did really well.

Ravage1616

Listen to them there right!! Wish i had done that, i totally messed up my leaving this year mainly from being a complete waster!
Follow that advice and you'll do grand!

Dave!

I actually made a thread to give advice in, so you could post this in there too! Or not, it doesn't matter I suppose(just for the sake of neatness!:p)

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=292640

segadreamcast

Spot on with the advice on Cian Hogan. If you can get his book, good! If you can attend his classes, even better! The guy almost single handedly dragged me up from a D/E in fifth year to a B1 at the Leaving Cert - great stuff altogether.

Furthermore, Le Monde is also a great idea - and, if you can, listen to RFI whenever you get the chance. There's also a french speaking night in the Ilac Centre Library on a Wednesday night, mightn't be a bad idea during September/October!#

For my french special topic, I bought a french magazine in eason's and took a fairly narrow article about drugs out - so it was easy to predict the questions. I wouldn't personally go in with something that can inspire a broad range of questions, it can be a dangerous road to go down (take the example of my friend who brought in a picture of being on holiday and got questions such as "what can be done to improve the tourist industry outside of paris". Indeed.). Definitely, like the OP said, learn to lead the examiner through topics - don't be afraid to continue talking beyond two sentences, it won't hurt you at all.

Best of luck all

abercrombie

thanks for some great advice guys

irish-kisses

here's some advice from some1 who has done it twice!! no matter what anyone says, you will have to study from day one or else you will fall behind. listen to what is being said in class until your ears bleed (not really naturally ) and if you dont understand what is being said, ASK, even if you think it's the most idiotic question because you will get lost and find it hard to catch up!! the only stupid thing you'll do is not ask!! as for burning out, i became anemic and really tired, vitamins, supplements etc! if you have total lack of energy and loss of concentration consult you GP. other than that just REVISE, and dont worry you will do great, best of luck

d4gurl

Thanks for all the advie!! I think ill need plenty of ginseng!! Just to tell u ginseng is great it gives you a boost of energy and keeps you going!! I'd say we will all need it this year!! Lets just get it over and done with!!

killermonkey

irish-kisses wrote:

no matter what anyone says, you will have to study from day one

i became anemic and really tired, vitamins, supplements etc!

That's what happens when you study from day one...
Believe me it is not a good idea, work on your homework until Christmas, keep on top of classwork and study enough to get you through your Christmas tests. They are meaningless, and some of your teachers will be wise enough to admit this to you. If you hit the books hard at the beginning you will suffer the consequences come May/June - wait for January before getting properly stuck in. We're only human and you can kid yourself all you like but you're no different - for your own sake work intelligently. It will all pay off, I promise you. Oh and while I'm at it, for Higher Level Biology, beacuse it's such a new course it will still be relatively easy to predict what will come up. This year the entire paper was totally predictable just because it was the second year and most major topics that weren't on in 2004 appeared in 2005. NEVER rely on predictions, but in Biology I still think they're just finding their feet, so it won't be too hard to pick out a few bankers for 2006 methinks. Enjoy school! Mwahahaha!

Dave!

I agree, you do not need to be studying from day one. The year is hard enough with all the pressure, don't make it worse -- you'll be studying sooo much after your mocks, and you'll probably feel like crap, so there's no need to unnecessarily stretch out your suffering(god it sounds like torture, lol).

andrew163

Sounds like?!? :P

CerebralCortex

I get stressed and depressed when I think of the leaving cert now

Jenna

Hey I just did my Leaving too and that's all really good advice. Just don't do what I did, don't get so caught up in thinking about the leaving cert that it dominates your thoughts. The leaving cert can completely take over you if you let it. I was always searching for advice and talking about it and thinking about it that I wasted a lot of time. I made it out to be this big massive incoming problem. It became a burden. Thing is, you can think and worry so much about the exams but then they just come and they're over so fast you're wondering what the hell was all the fuss about? I think some lessons can only be learned by experiencing them for yourself but try and get this into your head, the leaving cert is not that bad. Listen in class, study, do your homework, revise, take notes, learn them.... but also; enjoy your last year of secondary, laugh with your friends, take walks, sleep well, take breaks and have confidence in yourself. I know it's hard to believe, but there actually is life after the leaving cert. Work hard but don't let it take over you. It's a system, work it to your advantage. And remember when you have a bad day, talk about it. It really helps. Believe in yourself, best of luck.

JackKelly

grasshopa wrote:

I just want to save ye a lot of hassle and say some things:

1. Listen in class from the start of the year and make sure you understand it - it will save you a lot of studying - because while you'll have to do loads of remembering. I wasted a lot of time just spacing in class which I now regret - because like it or not you're spending a total of 6 hours in there every day (which I totally disagree with).

2. Try to use creative memory - think of the stupidest ways you can to remember things. Use mnemonics if it works for you.

3. It's not that difficult in terms of points. A C1 on average in the leaving cert is 420 points total.

4. Do NOT give up the things you love doing. You will go insane. You cannot revolve your life around the leaving cert, that is no way to live and it is not worth giving up a year of your life just because the MedHeads are going mental for their 590 points. If you need some advice on getting through it (because I went insane and am willing to help in whatever way I can) PM me.

5. It's not a race - you're not against your fellow pupil, you're against the fúckers who set the exams - share notes, help each other out and you can cut your workload in half.

6. If you don't think the homework a teacher gives you is beneficial, don't do it.

Some things on certain subjects...
French: Buy Le Monde, the paper. Get the Cian Hogan book that covers the whole course in ten weeks and go through it slowly at the start of the year. Don't learn off phrases, that book is just brilliant for those like me who were absolutely stumped by the grammar.

Orals: Learn off topics, practice talking to yourself out loud in the language and connect topics, learn to lead the examiner. It's not that difficult. Be original with your Document, I brought in a picture of a bottle of buckfast thrown on the grass and covered topics like drinking, drugs, littering and what I did for Paddy's day.

Maths: Do not try to learn this by reading the book. The best way to learn formulae etc is to keep doing questions.





Remember - it's not a big deal and consistency means you won't get stressed out. I got 435 if you're wondering.

wow. If you are doing the leaving, listen to this! That is basically perfect advice. Follow this and you will do well

nobodythere

grasshopa wrote:

You cannot revolve your life around the leaving cert, that is no way to live and it is not worth giving up a year of your life just because the MedHeads are going mental for their 590 points.

I just wanted to add that we had an expression for this: Let the dogs fight over the meat, you just sit down and eat your dinner!

randomfella

The higher points you have the more options you have.

nobodythere

If you know what you want to do don't go too mental...

But I suppose you have a point.

sixdraw

one thing, with sciences and maths subjects dont bother with b**l**** homework, do the papers, write in all the marking schemes of the papers into your books and keep doing them.If your doing honours subjects they also tend to look for very specific pieces of information that you only come accross in passing so do listen in class and look for some specific things you think are interesting when studying. Study with someone who does similar subjects and is interested in the subject content.ye can motivate each other by finding questions you find difficult.
There are also answers on the maths course that literally have to be learnt off.for example diff from first principles sin2x with respect to x.I know it could be figured out with time but not in your leaving cert exam, you wont have time so learn em

sixdraw

killermonkey wrote:

That's what happens when you study from day one...
Believe me it is not a good idea, work on your homework until Christmas, keep on top of classwork and study enough to get you through your Christmas tests. They are meaningless, and some of your teachers will be wise enough to admit this to you. If you hit the books hard at the beginning you will suffer the consequences come May/June - wait for January before getting properly stuck in. We're only human and you can kid yourself all you like but you're no different - for your own sake work intelligently. It will all pay off, I promise you. Oh and while I'm at it, for Higher Level Biology, beacuse it's such a new course it will still be relatively easy to predict what will come up. This year the entire paper was totally predictable just because it was the second year and most major topics that weren't on in 2004 appeared in 2005. NEVER rely on predictions, but in Biology I still think they're just finding their feet, so it won't be too hard to pick out a few bankers for 2006 methinks. Enjoy school! Mwahahaha!

Honest to god did nothin all of 5th year and until after christams on 6th yr. got 525 points. never ever did chemistry homework, got a C ( i think in the mocks) and got an A in the leaving. was out every single weekend, everyone in my year can vouch for that