Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

Working before exams?

Options
  • 07-12-2019 10:20pm
    #1
    Paddy223
    Registered Users Posts: 145 ✭✭


    Have 5 college exams starting on the 6th and ending on the 14th January, if I fail any of them then I will have to resit in August. I have previous experience and the boss knows me from the local gastro wants me to work Christmas week from about December 22nd up until after New year's Day. I'm not in bad need of the money as I have savings from summer and loads of grant money so should I just work or would it be wiser to not and just concentrating on study instead?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Upforthematch
    Registered Users Posts: 1,328 ✭✭✭Upforthematch


    Paddy223 wrote: »
    Have 5 college exams starting on the 6th and ending on the 14th January, if I fail any of them then I will have to resit in August. I have previous experience and the boss knows me from the local gastro wants me to work Christmas week from about December 22nd up until after New year's Day. I'm not in bad need of the money as I have savings from summer and loads of grant money so should I just work or would it be wiser to not and just concentrating on study instead?

    If you're serious about your exams tell your boss you're not available.


  • Options
    #3
    Paddy223
    Registered Users Posts: 145 ✭✭Paddy223


    You see I'm not sure of the significance if I did work, would it really impact my results that bad?


  • Options
    #4
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    Paddy223 wrote: »
    Have 5 college exams starting on the 6th and ending on the 14th January, if I fail any of them then I will have to resit in August. I have previous experience and the boss knows me from the local gastro wants me to work Christmas week from about December 22nd up until after New year's Day. I'm not in bad need of the money as I have savings from summer and loads of grant money so should I just work or would it be wiser to not and just concentrating on study instead?
    It depends on you really, realistically you'll probably be so tired at the end of the day you'll get no to minimal study done while you're working which only leaves you a few days to prep, and 5 exams is a lot but if you're confident you can cover all the course material within that time do it if you want. I worked before exams before and regretted it, I didn't fail, but my marks were far below my normal grades. At the end of the day you'll probably end up needing good grades more than a few days of work. Maybe tell the boss you're unfortunately busy with college work but can chip in a few days but not all. At least it shows you're willing to work you're just busy.


  • Options
    #5
    Purple Mountain
    Registered Users Posts: 13,009 ✭✭✭✭Purple Mountain


    How can anyone here be expected to advise you that when we don't know if you've been studying up until now, how your grades have been so far or how happy your lecturers are with you etc?

    To thine own self be true



  • Options
    #6
    rizzodun
    Registered Users Posts: 2,598 ✭✭✭rizzodun


    If I knew all the subject matter, theory and content off by heart and could recite it correctly without issue for all subjects I'd work.

    If I really needed to study and concentrate on the subjects before the exam I wouldn't work.

    Which are you op?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Paddy223
    Registered Users Posts: 145 ✭✭Paddy223


    Two of the I know quite well and done good in the two CA's while in the other three I don't know if I could say the same. You see it's my first year in college and I never faced such a predicament before. How serious do college students take January exams for example do most of them take time of work for it or just plough on?


  • Options
    #8
    HildaOgdenx
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,444 Mod ✭✭✭✭HildaOgdenx


    Really only you can decide this. There are too many unknowns in the situation for strangers to be able to help you to make a decision.

    If you decide not to take the work offer, will you make good use of the time to study?
    Is there a compromise, where you could take some of the work hours, and still give yourself decent study time?
    Do your January results count towards other results? (Personally I would say take all exams seriously).
    Etc.

    I'm not asking you to answer those questions , just a couple of things to think about.
    Maybe have a chat with a tutor or someone e.g in second year of the same course, in your college, about it.
    Best of luck in the exams.


  • Options
    #9
    antix80
    Registered Users Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭antix80


    If you're up to date with your study and know all the material... Maybe. Depends on the subject and whether last minute rote learning would be beneficial to you

    I always worked through my exams until my final ones.. When i left work before xmas to concentrate on study and didn't do a tap.


  • Options
    #10
    LessOutragePlz
    Registered Users Posts: 1,358 ✭✭✭LessOutragePlz


    I personally wouldn't work myself if I was in your shoes but as other posters have said only you can be the best judge of how it would impact your grades if you did work.


  • Options
    #11
    1hnr79jr65
    Registered Users Posts: 916 ✭✭✭1hnr79jr65


    I would say priority is study for exams, they should be main focus.

    The job if you loose it, well no issue as long as you study and pass exams, you can always get another job, there are plenty around atm.

    If you have to resit exams, the cost would be alot compared to getting a new job if required.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    fishy_fishy
    Registered Users Posts: 452 ✭✭fishy_fishy


    All your exams are important. Do you want to be redoing them in August? Plus, depending on your course, doing badly now could impact on every subsequent year. I remember people in college who didn't get a firm grasp of the basics in 1st year and the first half of second year. When the harder stuff came around, they couldn't keep up. Always struggled. If you're shaky on 3 of your 5 subjects, you should really be thinking about how that will impact things further down the line.

    If you're not short of money, then take the time off. Set aside 2/3 days in that timeframe where you'll study, and designate the rest as days off. You'll be well prepared and well rested.

    However, if you can't make it to the end of the academic year without topping up your money now, then you'll have to work - it's not really a choice.

    Everyone has a different situation and different courses have different workloads. Personally, I never worked between September and June. Just saved my summer earnings to spread across the college year. But then, I had between 25 and 35 contact hours per week. Some people have <10. You'll figure out what works for you but if you can afford not to be working before your exams, I'd take the time off.

    Think of it as being like a least regret exercise:

    Option 1: You could take the time off and end up short of cash, but do the best you possibly can do in exams. You might still fail some though.

    Option B: You don't take the time off and decide to work those days. You will have more cash and a bit of goodwill from the boss, but you won't be as well rested and/or as well prepared. You might still pass, but you're more likely to fail and have anywhere between 1 and 3 repeat exams (and spend the money you earned during that week paying repeat fees), and be wondering if you'd have passed of you didn't work those days.

    Which one can you live with more easily?


  • Options
    #13
    Paddy223
    Registered Users Posts: 145 ✭✭Paddy223


    Thanks for all the help guys. In regards to the job itself I have never worked there before it's just that I was approached for Christmas week so I haven't really to worry about whether I'll lose it or not. In regards to people saying they didn't say that they studied on Christmas week when they planned to it can be a slippery slope. For this I'm going to stay in college for next week (study week) and go flat out, then for Christmas week (the week I'm supposed to work) I was planning to try and do 3-4 hours each day by getting up early like 7 am and so then the rest of the day would be free. Although in addition to this it would be difficult to do if ur working late night shifts.


  • Options
    #14
    Paddy223
    Registered Users Posts: 145 ✭✭Paddy223


    Fishy_fishy that's a very good point. I mentioned that to my parents already and it would be a possibility you would spend the money you made by repeating exams in August. I still have plenty to keep me going with grants and money from the summer as I'm not a student who goes out too often maybe once a week at the most. Technically the weeks work at Christmas is just a bit of bonus to me and I'd probably be doing the boss of the place more of a favour than myself.


  • Options
    #15
    fishy_fishy
    Registered Users Posts: 452 ✭✭fishy_fishy


    Paddy223 wrote: »
    Fishy_fishy that's a very good point. I mentioned that to my parents already and it would be a possibility you would spend the money you made by repeating exams in August. I still have plenty to keep me going with grants and money from the summer as I'm not a student who goes out too often maybe once a week at the most. Technically the weeks work at Christmas is just a bit of bonus to me and I'd probably be doing the boss of the place more of a favour than myself.

    I think you already know in your heart whether you should take the work or not and just need a bit of support. Are your parents pressuring you to take it?

    Your primary job for the next few years is to pass your exams and get the best possible result in your qualification that you can. A lot of grad schemes require a 2.1 or higher - being the wrong side of that can ultimately cost you a lot more than the couple of hundred you miss out on now.


  • Options
    #16
    Paddy223
    Registered Users Posts: 145 ✭✭Paddy223


    My parents have been ok about but have quite a carefree attitude in that "do it everything will be grand". But they aren't thinking of the possible stress if they were to place themselves in my shoes


  • Options
    #17
    ILoveYourVibes
    Registered Users Posts: 15,176 ✭✭✭✭ILoveYourVibes


    Just study. Seriously if you don't even need the money explain to your boss.


  • Options
    #18
    Bob Harris
    Registered Users Posts: 3,462 ✭✭✭Bob Harris


    Your number one priority in college is to pass your exams.
    If you can fit in a part-time job then well and good but it shouldn't be to the detriment of your study.
    You don't need the money and it sounds like you do need to study so do the sensible thing and enjoy Christmas while
    getting some study done and avoid working in a busy bar/restaurant that means you will enjoy Christmas less, study
    less to earn money you don't need.


  • Options
    #19
    Paddy Cow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,576 ✭✭✭Paddy Cow


    Paddy223 wrote: »
    Fishy_fishy that's a very good point. I mentioned that to my parents already and it would be a possibility you would spend the money you made by repeating exams in August. I still have plenty to keep me going with grants and money from the summer as I'm not a student who goes out too often maybe once a week at the most. Technically the weeks work at Christmas is just a bit of bonus to me and I'd probably be doing the boss of the place more of a favour than myself.
    You should check with your college because I know in a lot of them there is a policy of capping repeat exams at 40%, no matter how well you do.


Advertisement