Construction Studies

fallon54

Hey,
I'm in the middle of my leaving, everything is going relatively well, I've got business and french next week and physics and construction the week after. I can quite safely say I am ****ed for Construction.

It's not that I'm lazy or anything, I've tried over the last few years to make the best out of what has been basically a doss. I'm doing higher level and got 57 in the mocks(I've never done woodwork before and I was third Highest in the class) just to show how bad the class is. I've done a good project and good practical, I'm confident I've got my pass already, over 40% from just them, but I want a decent honour.

Teacher is brutal, we havnt even got a book, Went on my own iniatiative to buy an ''architechiral technology'' book which I hoped would help and it did, but majority is quite advanced or irrelevant. also got the solutions to all the exam papers before but I still feel I'm not prepared enough.

Anyone got advice or in the same situation?

Cheers

fallon54

Bump.....


clearly not many don't do Construction, not surprized.

Gangsta

Sure there are construction books for lc out.

GusherING

I did my leaving 3 years ago so I'm presuming the Construction Studies syllabus hasn't changed much!. Learn how to calculate a U value. Thats a guaranteed question. Do not ever answer Q10, the one that asks you to write an essay because the topic is always well random so you can never be prepared for it. Also, practice drawing the different types of foundations, walls, windows and roofs. Your teacher must have taught you this at the very least. Also, be prepared to draw say, a wall with a window or, a roof with a window below it etc. That should cover you for two questions, plus the U value, then your grand!

PM me if you need any more help. Good luck!

lost_soul

Hey,

Dont stress. I did Construction Studies last year and i was the same as you. I only mananaged to get 27% in my mocks!!!!! Presuming the course hasnt changed this year that book that you bought is the biggest load of **** ever! What I did was i bought the book with the past examination solutions and read through that and learned the answers. The same thing seems to come up every single year. There is a great scope for total bull**** in that exam too. I only started doing any study for the exam a week before it and i managed to go from the 27% to an A1!!!!!! So try your hardest to get a copy of the solutions and im sure they even have some online. Good luck.

rnnmlly

u say u doin business ant specific things that ar tiped to come up???

fallon54

Yeah, we did some of the drawings, they should be ok, as long as I dont get the stairs or window drawing, have to look over them, again u values are grand, hopefully get a nice question.

Lost_soul, got myself a copy of the solutions, have a day or two at the end of the week to cover that, and next tuesday, after physics, cheers for the tip! Its do-able so!!


As regards business, study the three main units, 3,4,5, for your abq. And know ALL the acts insided out, theres 6 that come up, should be reasonable, state, explain and quote for every answer(excpet short Q's) especially the ABQ, you get marks for making the link.

razorhead

My son is doing Cons Studies next week and like in the OP's case - so I am told - the teacher was brutal. Where can you get the past questions and solutions? cos I think this will be the only form of study for him.
Is there an exam question format out there anywhere.

Thanks for your help.

HungryJoey

I'm doing Construction studies too myself, Did my project and practical they went fine. But my teacher is brutal. Seems to be the case with alot of construction studies teachers so I hear though or maybe its just us as students, I don't know. I feel I know nothing.

EDIT: With regards books, I have 2 leaving cert construcion books and I know there is a 3rd availible that is quite a good book. I have seen people with it. In addition to these text books I have the Exam sample papers also, which are excellent. I'm sure I'll just read over these samples over the next few days.

Hj

Arctic_Monkeh

effed for construction aswell, jus hoping my project will get me by. if i dont pass the written is it a fail overall?

Can anyone tell me how to do U-values....

fallon54

Arctic_Monkeh wrote:

effed for construction aswell, jus hoping my project will get me by. if i dont pass the written is it a fail overall?

Can anyone tell me how to do U-values....

U values are very simple once you know the layout, as its difficult to explain I wont confuse you further..you have your, conductivity, resistivity, thickness and Big R.. I think they might show you how to do it if you have a look at the dept's website under marking schemes...Not sure though

Arctic_Monkeh

Ive had a look at the marking scheme but its confusing and doesnt explain it. ill prob jus leave that question and just attempt 5 others, what q10 about?

fallon54

To be honest mate, If your stuck for the paper, get sorted with the U value, easiest 60 marks on the paper, if you can draw, together with that you already have the bones of 100 marks and make up another 50 on three other questions, then your sorted with your pass on the paper at least.

Arctic_Monkeh

thats the strategy i was thinking off. kno two q's well and make up the restof the marks with basicaly general knowledge.

Just a matter of getting those 2 q's bang on...

fallon54

Well you aint got a choice one question one, so make sure your familiar with the basics, Wide strip, cavity wall, etc I've found that if you can draw that alone on most questions(obviously if its a roof it wont matter) but you get half marks. also if your unsure of measurements guesstimating them is a good idea as long as they look in scale.

Arctic_Monkeh

fallon54 wrote:

Well you aint got a choice one question one, so make sure your familiar with the basics, Wide strip, cavity wall, etc I've found that if you can draw that alone on most questions(obviously if its a roof it wont matter) but you get half marks. also if your unsure of measurements guesstimating them is a good idea as long as they look in scale.

Any predictions for Q1 ? i know cavity walls, it usually asks in the scale 1:5 or 1:10....is that 1 cm is to 10 or vice versa....man im so screwed!

fallon54

cindylachieuse wrote:

http://www.pink-martini.org/missions/liens/link.php?m=1&l=1&u=7&k=1q5I0e5licY2VpbrMeOJ7Lhf6Vu5L

WTF?

Arctic_Monkeh

No idea....

fallon54

Ok well.. To be honest mate, your best bet would be to try and get hold of the solutions papers...They're made by eecDirect. Contact them and see if they have any stockists near the 'smackdown hotel' ha or ring around the locals..
Heres the contact info
Phone: 067 - 26186
Fax: 067 - 26328
Web: www.eecdirect.ie
E-mail: info@eecdirect.ie

Like one of the lads said earlier stuff gets very repetitive.

Arctic_Monkeh

Fallon your an absolute LIFE SAVER!!! cheers

ah yo know, its a very remote area!!!:D

fallon54

Although it mightn't help, found this chief examiners report on the Dept's site, Brings good news that 40% of the projects got an A grade and 90% of the practicals got a C or higher.
http://www.examinations.ie/archive/examiners_reports/cer_2001/lc_con_studies_01_er.pdf

fallon54

No worries mate, I'm more or less in the same boat, so try and help out.

don't know how available the books are, I got it by chance, I guy came around selling them in our school for a tenner so grabbed one ha.

Arctic_Monkeh

that sounds like GOOD news ha. Have to say my project is passable, but my practical was appaling, sent it off selotaped ha



actually i think i have a pic of my project .....one sec

what about the folder? 30 marks i think?

fallon54

I think its gas that the actual 'piece' for the project is only 30 marks.
Exam broken down like follows:
Project: 150 marks
30 - Actual project
30 - Brief
30 - experiments (3x10 each)
30 - Care and maintenance of tools
30 - (cant think for the life of me what the last one is)

Practical - 150 marks

Theory: 300 marks
5 Questions at 60 marks each.

Basically, theres three parts to the project that once you have done are worth 90 marks, the dept cant take away from you. (experiments, care and maintenance and the last one). so theres 15% straight away.

I did quite a good practical, considering I never did woodwork in my life..think I have a pick of my project aswell.. and Practical

Arctic_Monkeh

you seem in good shape! But do you HAVE to pass the written to pass overall?

fallon54

There ye go, my project and managed to sneak a pic of the practical

fallon54

Nope not neccessairily, if you want your honour you need to definitely pass the written. Do well ie 90% plus in project and your practical and your get your 40%.. both sections are worth 50 overall.

Arctic_Monkeh

feckin hell, you've already passed! ha my practical was jus junk stuck together haha:p

Nice craftsmenship

Arctic_Monkeh

fallon54 wrote:

Nope not neccessairily, if you want your honour you need to definitely pass the written. Do well ie 90% plus in project and your practical and your get your 40%.. both sections are worth 50 overall.

No but if you fail your written do you fail overall?

fallon54

Ha cheers, lets hope so! Missed your attachment. Table looks lovely, Actually looks like something you'd buy!

fallon54

AFAIK, if you fail the written it doesn't mean you fail overall no. As long as you get 40% from somewhere you'll get your pass. Doesnt have to be a certain percentage from each section. Get 250 marks from any part and you'll have your pass. I.E. 100 from your project 90 from your practical and 60 on the paper, and you have ur pass.