Taking Up A Subject - Need Urgent Help

Wizoom

Basically, I am at the end of 5th year (effectively), and I'm starting to panic in a big way. I moved over from England at the start of fifth, and therefore don't have any knowledge of Irish, giving me only six subjects. Its only recently I realised what a disadvantage having 6 subjects is, and I need urgent help picking a subject that I can do outside of school, in one year.

I do (in school) English, Maths, History, French, Biology and Chemistry, all honours level. I really need some help here as I'm getting pretty stressed about this. Thanks for your time.

*Tripper*

Business, its really handy, you could easily cover the course in one year.
Also what about Ag. Science?

Rockerette

i vote Geog.




or if you're interested in music, go for that.
but obviously the appeal of that is limited to most people...


stay away from physics is all i can say

arbeitsscheuer

*Tripper* wrote:

Business, its really handy, you could easily cover the course in one year.

Yeah that's what I did - I dropped Home Ec. (or whatever the technical term for it) and picked up Business. Now, I'm not sayin' I did well or anything, it was still my worst subject, but at least I passed, no problem.

JBoyle4eva

Well, maybe you could try Business as it's all theory. It only needs to be learnt off and there's not that much work involved in remembering it. Just get good practice at the last few exam papers and prepare well for the ABQ and you should easily do well.

Larianne

I dropped Chemistry in 6th year and took up Art instead - what I should have done from the start! Only do it though if you've an interest/talent in Art. There is Art History and Appreciation aswell to learn but I found that easy enough myself.

But like others have suggested, Business seemed like the easy subject in my school for the leaving.

fade2black

Geography was always one of those subjects that you could learn on your own at home in a couple of weeks with the normal books.

And don't stress out about anything to do with the leaving cert in any way.

dr.barbie

economics perhaps? i took it up in Sept on the recommendation of others....its handy, short and a fair paper....personally, I prefer it to business.

d4gurl

You look like a Science inclined person perhaps Ag science - I have heard it is easy enough - a lot of my friends took it up only this year! good luck with your choice!dont stress you have a long way to go!!

Funkstard

I took up Techical Drawing at the start of this year (I'm in 6th year). It's now probably my best subject, and I got a B1 in a mock I did over Easter, thinking I'd gotten around 70%. Now, unless you've done TD since Junior Cert I wouldn't recommend it, but I'm just showing that it certainly is possbile to pick up a subject and do well in it in one year.

The vast majority of my year have forgotten about Irish and are focusing on 6 subjects by the way...it seems to be what a lot of people do. Do you think that the extra work needed to learn a new subject could interfere with your other 6 subjects? If not then go for it, but if you think it might I'd think seriously about it. There's no point in doing ok in 7 subjects when you could do well in 6.

DonaldDuck

Funkstard wrote:

The vast majority of my year have forgotten about Irish and are focusing on 6 subjects by the way...it seems to be what a lot of people do. Do you think that the extra work needed to learn a new subject could interfere with your other 6 subjects? If not then go for it, but if you think it might I'd think seriously about it. There's no point in doing ok in 7 subjects when you could do well in 6.

Most people in my school ignore irish as well,its one of those "night before" exams for people.

You might be better off taking the 7th subject at pass standard,most pass level courses can be done a lot quicker.And just use it as a fall-back subject,if you have a bad day in another exam

Lord Oz

Applied Maths definately, very short course. If you're good at maths do applied maths.

cianclarke

Geography would be the easiest, I figure if you didn't even read the book you'd still pass the test - it's a bit silly really.

Thirdfox

Lord Oz wrote:

Applied Maths definately, very short course. If you're good at maths do applied maths.

Worse... advice... ever... (in my opinion ) Applied Maths is not an one year course, good maths skills does not guarantee automatic good marks here (then again what do people define as good?). Passing should be fine but if you are doing an extra subject you should really be looking at getting high marks.

Even though I got an A1 in it I had to drag it out kicking and screaming (I did Honours Maths and Physics too).

Physics is very easy in my opinion (even though I only got an A2 in that, ironic huh?) You seem to like sciences from you subject list... my advice is Physics (unless you can't bear the subject). Bad maths doesn't matter either (the maths questions in it are really simple). Common sense can answer a lot of questions...

Having said that (rant coming on...) "Name a use for a radioactive isotope" - "Providing power" - wrong??? What the hell does a nuclear power plant do then? Partially cost me the A1.

Skyuser

Geography.

Raphael

Ag science has a lot of overlap with biology, might be a good one.

Rockerette

Thirdfox wrote:

Physics is very easy in my opinion (even though I only got an A2 in that, ironic huh?)

eeh stay away from physics is my advice. i like it, and am aiming for a B1.. but i wouldnt curse anyone with doing the course in 1 year...



GEOGRAPHY!

THAT is common sense.

Matthewthebig

Lord Oz wrote:

Applied Maths definately, very short course. If you're good at maths do applied maths.

seconded

*Tripper*

Remember 20% of geog is the fieldwork!

Aoibheann

Thirdfox wrote:

Having said that (rant coming on...) "Name a use for a radioactive isotope" - "Providing power" - wrong??? What the hell does a nuclear power plant do then? Partially cost me the A1.

You've to name the isotope afaik?

Thirdfox

Sample answer says otherwise e.g. smoke alarm is a correct answer (I know radioactive isotope is Americum 231) etc. etc. but hey I'm not bitter, probably just cost me a place in medicine

But I've got my law buddies now! (Sue those doctors )

Enright

with respects to all other posts, i believe that they have it wrong. all suggestion will require considerable work on your behalf, have you investigated the possibility of taking uo LCVP, the workload is small, can be done over 1 year and have the possibility of delivering 70 pts is a distintion is obtained. certainly look into it, assuming its an option in the school

Juicebox

I vote for music i am basically teaching myslef the course as the teacher doesnt bother to come in...didnt do it for jc either

HoboJesus

Applied Maths. 'Tis often taken in a year and it has but six questions on the paper. I personally always saw it as a way to get points as well as a nice subject in itself. Take a look at it before you decide, a lot of it is getting your head around simple situations, and you can tell if you'll be able by giving it a decent look over.

4Xcut

physics. its a very short course. there's maybe 1 or two slightly(and i emphise slightly) hard concepts. Its a breeze if you're anyway good at science and easy to just mindlessly learn off if you're not as there's not a lot in it

Serina

I took up 3 new subjects and did them in a yr when repeating my leaving cert- business biology and home ec and did well in them business or geog is a gud subject to take up.

Aoibheann

Thirdfox wrote:

Sample answer says otherwise e.g. smoke alarm is a correct answer (I know radioactive isotope is Americum 231) etc. etc. but hey I'm not bitter, probably just cost me a place in medicine

But I've got my law buddies now! (Sue those doctors )

I dunno tbh.. just remember my teacher refused to give me the marks for not naming Cobalt-60 in relation to treatment of cancer. And I knew the answer, just forgot to say it. ;_; Cost me my shiny A1 in that test, but as long as it doesn't in the Leaving I don't mind...

Hoping for medicine myself, could end up in Law & German though!

Thirdfox

In Trinity?

Aoibheann

Where else?

(First choice is med there, so yup. My only Law choice down is there too, 6th choice).

Thirdfox

Same happened for myself... except law was 7th choice (since I had a med offer in England too - King's College).

Screw up with the Maths results probably led to myself not getting the place in England

Matthewthebig

4Xcut wrote:

physics. its a very short course. there's maybe 1 or two slightly(and i emphise slightly) hard concepts. Its a breeze if you're anyway good at science and easy to just mindlessly learn off if you're not as there's not a lot in it

Go Pat Doyle :d