Repeating Advise!!

analyse this

Ok so I'm just planning for the worst possible situation. I need 550+ and have done very little study so I don't expect to get into my course. The eternal pragmatist!! The only prob is that I am completely set on my first course and would rather repeat than do anything else down the line. However, seeing as you have to study a complete English curriculum all over again I plan to drop it (like its hot!! ...I couldn't resist! ). So, what I wanted to ask is whether people can recommend a few subjects that, they believe, would be possible to study in a single academic year and still do considerably well in the leaving. I am already doing maths, Irish, and eng (obviously), and, also, art, French, business and geography. I'm thinking along the lines of bio, physics or applied maths, however, all suggestions are welcomed.

Steve01

analyse this wrote:

I need 550+ and have done very little study so I don't expect to get into my course.The eternal pragmatist!!

Oh you rebel

analyse this

Sorry?

JC 2K3

If you're of a mathematical mindset, Applied maths, Maths and Physics should be a guaranteed 270-300 points.

I don't do Biology, but I'd pick Chemistry over it.

ANY subject is doable in a single year. Think about the amount of time you actually just wasted doing nothing in 5th and start of 6th year.

Bluefox21

bio is a real short course so thats a good choice and home ec is meant to be allright aswel

Fobia

Certainly applied maths, you could very easily do 7 questions to an A standard in 1 year.

analyse this

Do you not need to be of a physics mindframe to do app. maths? I am doing honours maths (B2 in mocks)...would that suffice?

chas_88

definitely chemistry, and probably biology too.

nedward

Well, I'm repeating, and this year I dropped English, Irish and Maths in favour of Ag Science and Business. I'm also repeating Geography, Physics, Chemistry and French. I took up Biology too, but dropped it again-a high workload. From other people who have taken up science subjects, they find them very difficult - especially Chemistry and Physics. They're short courses, but there's a lot in them. Business and Ag Science are great, in my opinion. Learn it all off, and there's your A1.

Economics and Accounting are meant to be pure doable in a year, but to do a whole course in one year and get an A is a shocking amount of work. Don't drop subjects unless you're sure they're not for you. Oh, and don't stay in the school where you went first time round-if you didn't get it there once, a second time is of no benefit to you.

analyse this

Yeah I was considering Ag. Science as well! My main reservation with the science subjests are all the expiriments that have I missed. What does the experiment section of the science courses entail? is it necessary to actually practice them or will memorising them be sufficient?

JC 2K3

No, not necessary at all to practice them.

Just get one of those revision books(think EdCo have ones for all the science experiments) where they explain them, give you the results, explain everything about them and give possible questions etc.

marco murphy

What is applied maths?

Enemy Of Fate

Economics.I maintain that if you spent 6 hours a day on 2 weeks of economics, you'd be capable of getting a B1 in your leaving, and thats starting from complete scratch.Then spend maybe another week of 6 hour days doing past exam papers, and you'll almost certainly get an A1.Its such a small ****ing course!We had it finished before christmas.And since then we've done EVERY question (thats still relevant today) on all the exam papers going back to 1991, covered EVERYTHING on the course twice, and covered the important things (market structures,elasticity and FOPs) thrice!!!Seriously.Theres so little work involved in economics its unreal.

Fobia

analyse this wrote:

Do you not need to be of a physics mindframe to do app. maths? I am doing honours maths (B2 in mocks)...would that suffice?

A B2 would certainly suffice. I think if you were to pick up 2 extra subjects, applied maths and physics would be your best choice. The applied maths course is very short, and though the physics course is longer, there is crossover with applied maths on the mechanics section of physics.

Poblachtach wrote:

What is applied maths?

There are 10 questions, each covering a different aspect. Eg, 1 question is Accelerated linear motion - the old "A train leaves Galway at x speed another leaves Dublin at y speed" kinda stuff. You also have stuff like projectiles (calculating their range), and collisions (snooker balls, etc.).

It's not the easiest of subjects but it's a very short course and even if you werent good at it I'd imagine by doing the exam papers alot you'd be grand for it regardless.

blondie07

Without a doubt i would say agricultural science or biology. my friends doing ag science and she said it is the easiest thing in the world, and she only took it up in november of this year! you do a project but she just took one from someone who did it the year before and wrote it out again, with a few changes. or biology, if you get good notes, it really isnt a lot of work, just basic learning. plus there's three units (unit 3 being more than twice the length of unit one) and if you even only study unit 1 and 2 and leave out 3 completely u can get 80%! that's what im doing. but im doing plants also which pretty much guarantees il be able to attempt practically the whole paper! def one of those two

Just wanted to add as a warning, which im sure you already know but just in case: DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, DO HISTORY. THE BANE OF MY EXISTANCE

Selphie

I thought it was just a C you could get by doing Sections one and two. Section three is huge, there's no way its only worth 20%

Biology's grand though, once you have a good teacher. It's really interesting too, and a lot of it is common sense.
Oh yeah, blondie07's is good advice there. Do not do History. Don't even consider it.

Selphie

wrote:

Joe has shortcut for those who are aiming for a C.
He says: For students who are working towards a C grade - not A or B - they can reduce the amount of work they have to do - and just use Units 1 and 2 of the syllabus. Anyone who wants a higher grade will have to also learn Unit 3.

Yep, this was on the Getting it Right thing for RTE. It's 80 percent of the syllabus, not eighty percent of the exam. You'll only get a C, though with plants you might get a high C, low B.

blondie07

Selphie wrote:

I thought it was just a C you could get by doing Sections one and two. Section three is huge, there's no way its only worth 20%

Biology's grand though, once you have a good teacher. It's really interesting too, and a lot of it is common sense.
Oh yeah, blondie07's is good advice there. Do not do History. Don't even consider it.

Yah im positive. short questions there's 6 (2 from unit 1, 2 from unit 2, 2 from unit 3), experiments (they have to ask at least 1 from unit 2, and a plant experiment so im doing all of plants), long questions ( 1 from unit 1, 2 from unit 2, 3 from unit 3). but they also have to have at least half a question on plants in there too so that's at least 3 1/2 questions u can attempt out of 4

carlowboy

My mother's a biology teacher. You can't get 80% by leaving out Unit 3.

GretchenWieners

Only repeat if you know you really want to and can maintain focus throughout the year. I'm repeating and it was definitely worth it but so many of my friends have dropped off over the months. Just remember that your number1 priority is repeating. Also I wouldn't recommend Ag Sci because the project takes up so much time and energy.

Selphie

carlowboy wrote:

My mother's a biology teacher. You can't get 80% by leaving out Unit 3.

Yep, he's right. Sure, if that was the case, nobody would study unit three and we'd all be getting B1s. See here:

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/gettingitright/notes/2007biology.pdf

Anyways, if the OP was doing bio, he'd want an A to secure his points. A lot of the questions that come up in biology are the same year in/year out. You're guaranteed to do somewhat well if you study ecology,photosynthesis, respiration and genetics, which pretty much always come up. The experiments, there's 22 mandatory ones, but these can all be learned easily enough, and they're pretty straightforward too. I'd recommend it definitely...

PeterMC

I went back to repeat, dropped Irish and German simply because I wasnt good at them, Sadly dropped English (such a long course for one year and not a great banker when it comes to points.)

Took up Business and Biology for the year, both are interesting and IMO easy. With some learning and lots of hardwork both very doable to get an A1 in a year.

Best of luck with your decision.

Corruptedmorals

Bluefox21 wrote:

bio is a real short course so thats a good choice and home ec is meant to be allright aswel

It is NOT a short course. It's unbelievably broad. Economics, Home Ec and even Geography would be easier, and are less broad. Home Ec appears to tie in a lot with common sense tbh.

boundary

Probably a stupid question and a little offtopic, but how is about 200pages of a roughly 400 page book 80% of the bio course?

analyse this

boundary wrote:

Probably a stupid question and a little offtopic, but how is about 200pages of a roughly 400 page book 80% of the bio course?

Are you serious?

cocoa

boundary wrote:

Probably a stupid question and a little offtopic, but how is about 200pages of a roughly 400 page book 80% of the bio course?

i can't say for sure, but i would presume the same way that prescribed poetry is 12.5% of the english course >_>

syllabi are crazy like that...

Corruptedmorals

boundary wrote:

Probably a stupid question and a little offtopic, but how is about 200pages of a roughly 400 page book 80% of the bio course?

Probably because genetics, ecology, evolution and photosynthesis and respiration and food come up so much.

Kurtosis

If you do answer every question from Unit 1 and 2 and the experiment questions perfectly, it is indeed possible to get 80%

Section 1: Do five questions out of six, each worth 20 marks.

Two questions from each of unit 1, 2 and 3, so you can answer four of them.
4*20= 80 marks out of 100 marks possible

Section 2: Do two questions out of three, each worth 30 marks.

You should know all the experiments, so just pick two questions to do here.
2*30= 60 marks out of 60 marks possible

Section 3: Do four questions out of six, each worth 60 marks.

There's one question from Unit 1, two from Unit 2 and three from Unit 3, so you can do three of four required.

3*60 = 180 marks out of 240 marks possible


So you've got 80 + 60 + 180 = 320 marks out of a possible 400.

And so:
(320/400)*100/1 = 80%!

Isn't maths fun?

ashyle

DO ITALIAN....guaranteed a B at least. It's easier than French and the oral is made up of prepared roleplays and vignettes as well as a bit of convo.

Don't go near business or biology-courses are so vast.

-blondie-

I wouldn't reccomend bio-really big course! I've been doing it since last year and HOPING Ill get a B1!

I'd say prob ag. sciece. my fiend ook it up at the start of this year and siad its simple!