Extra subject for leaving cert/ leaving cert subject choics

0000879k · 03-03-2012 10:44AM #1

Hi all, I'm in third year and have to chose my subjects for my senior cycle. I have chosen - English, Irish, Maths(obviously) and Accounting, French, Geography and Physics.

In addition to these I wan't to do LCVP and Religous Education as extra subjects.
LCVP, I can do as an extra subject in my school, however, religion you cannot. I'v heard of people picking up religion at Christmas of 6th year and passing, I hope to start religion right away i.e 5th year and get the religion teacher in my school t go over some things with me/correct some essays.

Have any of you done this, any advice etc?

spurious · 03-03-2012 11:31AM

You need to be doing certain combinations of subjects to do LCVP, you can't just pick it like you can some other subjects.

Details here.

0000879k · 03-03-2012 12:22PM

spurious wrote: »

You need to be doing certain combinations of subjects to do LCVP, you can't just pick it like you can some other subjects.

Details here.

Well my business teacher recommended it and she knows the subjects I chose? FYI - she is the teacher who will be doing it.

Canard · 03-03-2012 12:33PM

Yeah but if you look at the site you dont actually fit the criteria, she must have mixed something up. You should double check with her and maybe take up something instead of religion to make yourself eligible for it.

0000879k · 03-03-2012 01:10PM

Patchy~ wrote: »

Yeah but if you look at the site you dont actually fit the criteria, she must have mixed something up. You should double check with her and maybe take up something instead of religion to make yourself eligible for it.

Yeah I may change from physics. I really want to do religion, physics I just wanted to do because everybody say you have to do a science, even though I have no plan on following up something to do with science, so may change that to business.

TheStook · 03-03-2012 01:11PM

Im in 5th year now and I currently do Religion outside school and plan to start Ag. Science in the summer. But thats only because Im doing two pass subjects ( Irish and Maths).
To be honest, I wouldn't recommend Religion as its not as easy as people make it out to be, sure you could take it up at christmas and pass, but whats the point in that? If your doing an extra subject, it should be for the points and nothing else, unless you really like the subject and your school dont offer it. In saying that however, It is possible to get an A with a LOT of work, but I find with Religion that I just do my grinds and dont study it again and now i've forgotten everything.

If you do want to do extra subjects, i'd highly recommend Business or Economics. Business is in my opinion the easiest subject to get a high grade in behind Ag. Science. It can be self-taught fairly easily and im really upset I picked it as a school subject as I could easily have done it outside school and saved me the money for the Ag. Science grinds. Economics is a very popular subject for people to self-teach themselves and its a very interesting subject. Good luck anyway

Chuchoter · 03-03-2012 01:19PM

Now I know everytime someone makes a thread like this people give the same advice and nobody ever listens, but seriously stay clear of extra subjects. I don't know anyone who at this point in the year can say it was worth doing, unless it was a situation where they were already a grade 12 in music or spoke Japanese as their native language.

Junior cert and Leaving cert are massively different in the workload put on you. Don't even bother picking subjects on the basis of which you think you'll really really like if it means extra work because you'll despise them all equally come sixth year.

Canard · 03-03-2012 01:20PM

0000879k wrote: »

Yeah I may change from physics. I really want to do religion, physics I just wanted to do because everybody say you have to do a science, even though I have no plan on following up something to do with science, so may change that to business.

I dont do a science and I dont regret it - unless you're mathsy I wouldnt bother with physics at all. If you really want to, I'm pretty sure TCD accept geography as a science.

On the contrary to the above post, business isnt easy to get a high grade in at all - the marking scheme is horrible. I only found that out around halfway through 5th year so...think twice is my advice with that one :P Its quite interesting but very information-heavy.

edit: two posts above, ninja'd by chuchoter :pac:

TheStook · 03-03-2012 01:24PM

Chuchoter wrote: »

Now I know everytime someone makes a thread like this people give the same advice and nobody ever listens, but seriously stay clear of extra subjects. I don't know anyone who at this point in the year can say it was worth doing, unless it was a situation where they were already a grade 12 in music or spoke Japanese as their native language.

Junior cert and Leaving cert are massively different in the workload put on you. Don't even bother picking subjects on the basis of which you think you'll really really like if it means extra work because you'll despise them all equally come sixth year.

Thats not exactly true. Obviously doing an extra subject for the craic is a bad idea but you cant honestly say that extra subjects have no benefit to anyone (bar your examples). In my case of doing two pass subjects they are very beneficial because it means I can get 600 points rather than a max of 560, and I have more time to study them. And I know people who have taught themselves Economics and gotten an A1 in the mocks. But I agree with you, in a lot of cases an extra subject is a bad idea

0000879k · 03-03-2012 01:50PM

I currently do all Higher level subjects for the junior cert but find Irish and maths difficult so if I do an extra subject I will have the option of doing them at ordinary level whilst still being able to get 600 points.

I know religion will be a difficult extra subject as it is all essay based and medium to heavy learning. But there is 20% for a project, I also find it very interesting and I am very good at writing essays. (I got the only A in my school in Higher level English in the mocks.)

OH and a sub-question - Do you like you leaving cert choices? As I'm not sold on physics.

PictureFrame · 03-03-2012 01:55PM

0000879k wrote: »

Hi all, I'm in third year and have to chose my subjects for my senior cycle. I have chosen - English, Irish, Maths(obviously) and Accounting, French, Geography and Physics.

In addition to these I wan't to do LCVP and Religous Education as extra subjects.
LCVP, I can do as an extra subject in my school, however, religion you cannot. I'v heard of people picking up religion at Christmas of 6th year and passing, I hope to start religion right away i.e 5th year and get the religion teacher in my school t go over some things with me/correct some essays.

Have any of you done this, any advice etc?

If you have 6 honours, why would you do an additional subject? You don't need to do it! I do Economics outside of school as I only had 5 honours. And BTW LCVP is a complete joke of a subject, boring and damn almost impossible to get a Distinction..

0000879k · 03-03-2012 02:01PM

I have all honours for the junior, but I may wish to change Irish and maths in ordinary level, then I will have 5 honours,6 if I do religion.

Togepi · 03-03-2012 02:19PM

I'd only advise doing LCVP if you're doing five or less higher subjects.

angela1711 · 03-03-2012 03:13PM

I think that LCVP is very easy. I find it to be like an easier version of business.
The only thing is the portfolio which is very time consuming with all the corrections etc.

0000879k · 03-03-2012 03:50PM

Do any of you regret your subject choices? Do you find anything to be rather difficult.

Slow Show · 03-03-2012 03:51PM

Extra subjects are a great idea in theory, but from my experience they rarely work, unless you actually go to regular grinds in them or something like that. I was one of the many who attempted to pick up Business as an extra subject, half-did one unit of it, said I'd do loads more over the October mid-term, never did and realised I never would. You need serious dedication to actually keep up that kind of thing, tbh it's much easier to just work at improving the subjects you already have. I wanted to do an extra subject to make up for the fact I'm a bit weaker at languages, but now I'm just working harder at French and hoping Irish comes together, much lighter workload really.

If you're doing LCVP purely for points, the maximum you can get is 70 (equivalent to a HL C1), so keep that in mind.

0000879k · 03-03-2012 04:26PM

Whilst I value your opinion, business is a lot of learning and I would think hard as a fist subject let alone extra so the motivation may be tricky. I plan to start religion at the start of fifth year. I really like it, it isn't as long a course as others either.

I also plan to have the book in my bag at all times,if i have a free class I do religion.

Canard · 03-03-2012 04:37PM

I've heard the book isnt enough though and you need to know a lot about general philosophy or something - I'd make sure to look into it first! Honestly I think there a lot easier subjects than religion to do yourself but go ahead if its what you want to do

0000879k · 03-03-2012 05:53PM

Well they say to always do what you enjoy so..

PictureFrame · 03-03-2012 06:35PM

0000879k wrote: »

Well they say to always do what you enjoy so..

Yes but just because you enjoy it doesn't mean you'll be able to achieve a high grade in it! Religion is by far one of the toughest subjects in the Leaving Cert. it seems by looking at past papers, also as a minority subject there are barely any resources available to help you self-study the subject, i've never heard of Religion grinds and to the best of my knowledge there is only 1 book available for the subject and it doesn't offer near enough information.

If I were you, which i'm not clearly, I would pick an easier subject and research it thoroughly before you commit yourself to it.

Extra subject for leaving cert/ leaving cert subject choics

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