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

Leaving Cert Biology

  • 11-03-2006 2:43pm
    #1
    tvworshiper2006
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20 ✭


    Hi guys,
    I’m now right in the process of picking subjects for the Leaving Cert and I am seriously considering Biology. I am just wondering what do you all think of the subject, like is it manageable? Is in interesting, doable etc? I feel as if I didn’t really have a great interest for Junior Cert science as I didn’t have a great teacher but I want to do Biology and will have a good teacher if I do it.

    So what do you all think guys, is it a good to do for leaving cert, I think I would have more of an interest in it than Ag. Science?


Comments

  • #2
    Tula
    Closed Accounts Posts: 42 ✭Tula


    hey
    have to say that Biology is something you need to be interested in. alot of the work is quite boring and its all learning. the course is REALLY long. but of all the science subjects i think this is the easiest to pick up. its not too hard to understand, you just need to learn the work.
    good luck picking your subjects, i recommend geography.


  • #3
    angeldelight
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,175 ✭✭✭angeldelight


    Well I did Physics Chemistry and Biology for the LC and I'd have to say I found Biology the most interesting. Some of it was mind-numbingly boring in fairness, I hated all the flowers stuff but when we moved onto the human systems, genetics etc I loved it. Whereas Physics and Chemistry can be a lot about understanding, Biology really is mostly learning off definitions and facts apart from maybe genetics, but it's definitely easy to get a good grade if you're prepared to put in the work


  • #4
    tvworshiper2006
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20 ✭tvworshiper2006


    is it easy to start a new starting point in biology after junior cert? some things look quite complicated are they?


  • #5
    dr.barbie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 177 ✭✭dr.barbie


    Theres a huge leap from junior cert science to leaving cert science subjects, biology included. Bio is my favourite subject, and I love pretty much all of it-and a lot less hassle than chemistry but most of the people in my class really struggle with it so I think you have to have a genuine interest in it to do well. Ag science is meant to be a very doable subject, a buddy of mine did it instead of bio and got an a1 without too much bother. Bio and chemistry are really long courses but its good to have a science course for lots of college courses. Id recommend economics as a subject- I picked it up in one year and its short and not too difficult if ya put a bit of work in. Anyways- I gotta get back to study-in the middle of my pres and Im on here...tut!!


  • #6
    abercrombie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,181 ✭✭✭abercrombie


    i do bio - it's not my favourite subject but i don't hate it! i think it's easy enough really...that said, like dr.barbie, a lot of people in my class are failing too. There seems to be no middle ground...half the class are getting A's and B's and the other half are getting D's if they're lucky! Though personally i didn't find bio and chemistry very long courses...but that's just me!


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    Dean820
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,099 ✭✭✭Dean820


    Don't do Biology.. you will regret it for the rest of you life.. its soooooo boring.. i used use it to get extra sleep... plus its ****ing hard.. you have to actually study to pass it.. lol


  • #8
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,657 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    You have to study most subject to pass them :rolleyes:

    I did biology and loved it. Like others have said, some parts are incredibly boring, but you get through them. I found it so interesting learning what was going on inside me RIGHT NOW. If you can make biology relate to yourself and what's going on around you, you'll find it really interesting. I didn't even have a good teacher but I still loved it.

    There is a fair bit of work involved. You'll need to know everything pretty well and the paper is HARD. I thought I got an A in it when I did, with 100% confidence, but I ended up with a B2, and that was because of stupid mistakes. But if you're interested in what's going on and how you work, and you're prepared to do a bit of work, then definately pick biology.

    Actually, I'd recommend it because I know a few of my friends didn't do it and I find their lack of knowledge about certain things incredible. I managed to convince a friend that a jellyfish sting could give her gangrene and she believed me because she didn't know better...


  • #9
    dr.barbie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 177 ✭✭dr.barbie


    Faith wrote:
    You have to study most subject to pass them :rolleyes:

    I did biology and loved it. Like others have said, some parts are incredibly boring, but you get through them. I found it so interesting learning what was going on inside me RIGHT NOW. If you can make biology relate to yourself and what's going on around you, you'll find it really interesting. I didn't even have a good teacher but I still loved it.

    There is a fair bit of work involved. You'll need to know everything pretty well and the paper is HARD. I thought I got an A in it when I did, with 100% confidence, but I ended up with a B2, and that was because of stupid mistakes. But if you're interested in what's going on and how you work, and you're prepared to do a bit of work, then definately pick biology.

    Actually, I'd recommend it because I know a few of my friends didn't do it and I find their lack of knowledge about certain things incredible. I managed to convince a friend that a jellyfish sting could give her gangrene and she believed me because she didn't know better...


    Ya, its a great subject for actually teaching you a few important things that WILL be useful in later life- compared to some of the other subjects! If you dont put the work in you fail though-its not a bluffers exam. But I would definately recommend it if you are willing to put a bit of time and effort into it.


  • #10
    AmyD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7 ✭AmyD


    its a horrible subject. nothing else can be said about it! it is so boring and there is so much 2 learn. but before u dont pick it make sure its not needed for any of the courses u want to do.


  • #11
    Aporia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 377 ✭✭Aporia


    It's a very detailed course so with that allot of learning is involved. I find it the most intresting of all the subjects I'm doing. Some people find the cell section of the course challenging and visa versa. The higher level biology paper is marked at a very high standard. I'm guessing this is because biology is a subject taken up by students pursuing a medical career ect. If you found the biology section from the Junior Cert syllabus generally intresting it's worth a shot. You mention they look difficult but once you understand what your learning you begin to enjoy it.


  • Advertisement
  • #12
    dr.barbie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 177 ✭✭dr.barbie


    we got our pre results during the week and a couple of people who literally studied their asses off failed so I guess its a pretty harsh exam if your not into it. But if you can grasp it, its a beauty of a subject. Id still recommend it. :)


  • #13
    DonaldDuck
    Closed Accounts Posts: 173 ✭✭DonaldDuck


    dr.barbie wrote:
    Ya, its a great subject for actually teaching you a few important things that WILL be useful in later life- compared to some of the other subjects! If you dont put the work in you fail though-its not a bluffers exam. But I would definately recommend it if you are willing to put a bit of time and effort into it.
    No science subject can be bluffed in..Unless youre counting geography as one


  • #14
    Corruptedmorals
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,194 ✭✭✭Corruptedmorals


    Yeah some of the course is hard and mind-numbingly boring and full of crappy terms (sporangiospore??) but on the whole, it's interesting, the experiments are fairly cool (except for the yeast beads one that smelled awful) and we get to go to the zoo for our ecology study! The old course sounds awful, my teacher keeps reminding us how it went into much more excruciatingly boring detail, like pages on leaf structure etc.


  • #15
    d4gurl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭d4gurl


    IT depends what kind of person you are. I am naturally interested in stuff like biology so i do quite well - to be honest I find biology to be a bit of a joke...its really piss easy (not being cocky) If you know d way to approach the exam


  • #16
    Psychedelik
    Closed Accounts Posts: 71 ✭✭Psychedelik


    Biology is glorified gardening :D

    I don't find it particularly "intriguing" myself - I'd find physics much better that way.


  • #17
    IbanezFreak
    Closed Accounts Posts: 63 ✭✭IbanezFreak


    AmyD wrote:
    its a horrible subject. nothing else can be said about it! it is so boring and there is so much 2 learn. but before u dont pick it make sure its not needed for any of the courses u want to do.

    Ok im going to sound like a big geek here but im not! I find biology as being a really really practical subject. Its one of those subjects that if you work at it it will reward you very well with high grades. I got an A1 in the mocks just from putting in some work and concentration throughout the year. People think the course is endless and boring but in my opinion I find parts of the syllabus really interesting. At the end of the day you need points to get into college and if your aiming for the really high courses you gotta have subjects that you know you can bank on to get you points because you know your stuff. Some other subjects ie. english and music can lose you alot of points even if you put in lots of work into them. Biology is the complete opposite, if you put in effort you will get good grades. The Exam itself is alot easier than the amount of text that are in the textbooks. In my opinion any person who will simply work (like just do homework) in School will do fine in Biology. I actually regret not taking a second Science subject as alot of courses such as Physiotheraphy,Dentistry etc in colleges require 2.


  • #18
    helles belles
    Closed Accounts Posts: 160 ✭✭helles belles


    hey
    i have to say i agree with most ppl here. if u have a good teacher it can be incredibly interesting.
    i think it is easier to do well in as u dont need to have an aptitude for it, biology is just learning off.

    but if i were u i wouldnt pick geography. i took it up this year and it was the worst decision of my life. its painfully boring! and very hard to study because it is so boring.


  • #19
    mateo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 147 ✭✭mateo


    helles belles wrote:
    hey
    i have to say i agree with most ppl here. if u have a good teacher it can be incredibly interesting.
    i think it is easier to do well in as u dont need to have an aptitude for it, biology is just learning off.

    but if i were u i wouldnt pick geography. i took it up this year and it was the worst decision of my life. its painfully boring! and very hard to study because it is so boring.

    I agree with you on Geography! I only chose it cos there was nothing else in the option block. But now I wish I hadn't chosen it because I actually cannot study it. I forget it like a day after.

    Anyways, back to Biology...I find it quite interesting and also easy as memory is pretty much all that is involved. The only part I don't like is Genetics, cos you have to actually think about it and I'm no good at that.


Advertisement