Schols Schols Schols, information and venting thread.

tolosenc

Aoibheann wrote: »

get all the assistance I can if possible

Schols is supposed to be done of your own accord, very little dispensation/aid was given to me this year.

Podge_irl

-aboutagirl- wrote: »

Are you going into first year of a course? If so, you may not be able to take the schols exams, for example in law there is no way a first year could take them because you simply won't have studied enough subjects and some of the exams are based on second year material. So you need to check with your dept.

All schol exams are based on largely on second year material (though thats changing somewhat this year). There is nothing stopping you studying that material on your own though.

JC 2K3

obl wrote: »

Schols is supposed to be done of your own accord, very little dispensation/aid was given to me this year.

I emailed one or two lecturers with lists of questions and they were happy to help. There was one lecturer who was rather unhelpful, and you know who I mean, but I think that attitude is largely exclusive to him.

They won't give you extra help as such, but will generally clarify any queries you have.

gaybitch

I think the amount of help you receive depends hugely on the person you ask and the lecturers in your subject. I know someone who got a good deal of tuition because the lecturer was helpful and wanted to see the student get schols, but that was just that lecturer.

However, from my own personal experience of the staff, they'll be polite etc but they wouldn't want to spend their time on helping one student an awful lot with something like extra schols work.

mathew

All of my lecturers were more than happy to help. They invited us to ask question.. provided we had made some sort of effort ourselves obviously.
Two lectureres even put on an extra tutorial each and went through the past schols papers with us.
They were really helpful if I went up with a question after a lecture or were happy to make an appointment to meet and go over some stuff..

Aoibheann

-aboutagirl- wrote: »

Are you going into first year of a course? If so, you may not be able to take the schols exams, for example in law there is no way a first year could take them because you simply won't have studied enough subjects and some of the exams are based on second year material. So you need to check with your dept.

Had meetings with a few lecturers today, and I was advised that I *can*.. it's just that I would be insane to do it.

Happily enough, I am just crazy enough to try. Sure if I don't get it, I'll know my first year material well in advance for end of year exams, I'll have a headstart on SF material and I'll know what schols is like and can go for it again.

obl wrote: »

Schols is supposed to be done of your own accord, very little dispensation/aid was given to me this year.

Ask and you shall receive, tbh. I intend to do the work by myself, it's getting access to the resources that I need in order to do the work that I'll require the help in.. i.e I'll be asking any friends I know for lecture notes for the courses I'm taking hopefully, I'll be doing any prescribed reading starting very soon and working on as much as I can before I start.

JC 2K3 wrote: »

They won't give you extra help as such, but will generally clarify any queries you have.

That would be the main thing I would be looking for really. I don't expect them to bend over backwards for me!

PurpleFistMixer

Heh, reminds me of myself before first year... except then I realised I value sleeping and having a life, ever. : p

JC 2K3

Getting schols in first year would be next to impossible unless you were very well read in your subject area beforehand, and even then it'd still be hard work.

Aoibheann

PurpleFistMixer wrote: »

Heh, reminds me of myself before first year... except then I realised I value sleeping and having a life, ever. : p

Yeah, these are the reasons against trying..

I shall see how much I value having a life and all that jazz

JC 2K3 wrote: »

Getting schols in first year would be next to impossible unless you were very well read in your subject area beforehand, and even then it'd still be hard work.

See, this is true, but it *has* happened before, and I don't see any reason as to why it can't again.. But seriously, I'm not expecting anything. I'm going to do some work in advance this summer, then see how I'm fixed after the first couple of months. I wouldn't go near them with a 40 foot pole if I didn't think I could give at least a decent account of myself! More likely I would use the exams as an experience/preparation for an all-out attempt in second year. That, or just go for them in second year.

Liquorice

More power to you if you want to go for them in first year. There's no harm in giving it a shot, and if the workload becomes unmanageable you can just postpone til next year. You have to at least give something a shot before deciding it's impossible.

Kwekubo

Liquorice wrote: »

More power to you if you want to go for them in first year. There's no harm in giving it a shot, and if the workload becomes unmanageable you can just postpone til next year. You have to at least give something a shot before deciding it's impossible.

+1. You have over six months, but you'll really have to go for it.

Aoibheann

Liquorice wrote: »

More power to you if you want to go for them in first year. There's no harm in giving it a shot, and if the workload becomes unmanageable you can just postpone til next year. You have to at least give something a shot before deciding it's impossible.

My thoughts exactly, thank you.

Kwekubo wrote: »

+1. You have over six months, but you'll really have to go for it.

Oh absolutely, I know I definitely couldn't do things by halves to get schols.. or by wholes.. 1.5 all the way! It'd be a lot of work, but if I *really* want it enough, I'll make myself do it eventually!

cf_al_bs

any science ppl take schols in the past few years and have any advice, other than study loads!
thinking about taking them this coming yr to get me working before christmas!

Podge_irl

cf_al_bs wrote: »

any science ppl take schols in the past few years and have any advice, other than study loads!
thinking about taking them this coming yr to get me working before christmas!

Past papers, past papers and more past papers.

Mind you, they'll be less useful this year due to the change in schols.

cf_al_bs

Podge_irl wrote: »

Past papers, past papers and more past papers.

Mind you, they'll be less useful this year due to the change in schols.

thanks. yeah had that problem this year. was in jf science which was the pilot for semesterisation this year. exam papers where totally different layout, even slightly different material covered. luckily we got some sample papers late in the year, doubt we'd be so lucky with schols.

Podge_irl

Don't think they're under any obligation to give sample papers for schols, but if you ask nicely then they might consider it. You're in a bit of an unforunate year for it unfortunately.

cf_al_bs

Podge_irl wrote: »

Don't think they're under any obligation to give sample papers for schols, but if you ask nicely then they might consider it. You're in a bit of an unforunate year for it unfortunately.

i like a challenge! nah i dont really, i just like saying that. yeah ill try sweet talk all my lecturers. one of them is bound to guess what they think the layout will be like. :pac:

glut22

Ok so I've decided to bite the bullet and do something worthwile, i'm going for schols! I know the rules on exemptions have changed this year which kinda sucks but also means there will be less people going for it? I'm intellgent when i try but my flaw is being lazy so really dont know what my chances are. Does anyone have advice on how to go about achieving this? i presume I'd have to ask lecturers about the new format and syllabus. any advice would be appreciated:_)

mattysullivan

There's a fair few threads and such about this... I don't think anyone will tell you anything vastly new.

Check out the links in the 'got a question about trinity?' thread.

Cya for Schols in SF!

mathew

Go to lectures and tutorials and do the work given in them. Go over past exam papers and then go on to past schols papers. Dont go trying to do schols papers straight off, you'll only scare yourself. You shouldnt be able to do them yet, so dont bother trying!!

Courses/Exam Codes and Titles of Exam Papers

Calendar 2009/10 - Scholarship Entry

Council Minutes of 5 November 2008 on Revised Scholarship Examinations

and of course the all important Application Form

Applications have to be in by the 2nd of November so apply as soon as you can. If your not in you cant do it... but if you decide not to do it, you can withdraw by the 27th of November.. or if you decide later than that you can just not go to the exams. There is no penalty or problem with not showing up at all.

My advice is go for it. You have almost nothing to lose (apart from some free time) by doing them.. and a huge amount to gain.

Follow lectures, do the tutorials and practice exam papers and other questions as much as you can.

TheAmateur

mathew wrote: »

Courses/Exam Codes and Titles of Exam Papers

? They're calling it engineering science now... Getting ready for the change to 3+2 or something i suppose. Any idea if the maths and computer science exams have been modified too?

mattysullivan

Kwekubo wrote: »

I suppose I can legitimately throw my hat into the ring here, since our first year exam results constitute part of Schols if we choose to go down that route. Academic masochism ftw.

Is this explained in one of the links?

mathew

TheAmateur wrote: »

? They're calling it engineering science now... Getting ready for the change to 3+2 or something i suppose. Any idea if the maths and computer science exams have been modified too?

They were always called Engineering Science on the schols papers. I had Maths, CS, Engineering Science 1 (civil), Engineering Science 2 (elec), Engineering Science 3 (mech)

Although this year it appears there are only 3 engineering exams.. so I dont know how its going to work. I have heard that Elec (or 2e6) will be a second semester course and so wont be examined on schols. This will also probably be the case with 2e7 or 2e8. So I really dont know how its going to work out. Im waiting to hear back about it.. my guess is CS will still be included and theyll probably include a fair bit of 1st year stuff. 1e5 and 1e6 I would guess given their engineering content (as opposed to 1e4) But if I find out I will let you know. There may well be a schols talk for you organised by Engsoc in the next few weeks.

mattysullivan wrote: »

Is this explained in one of the links?

Its medicine who count first year results for schols (theyre different like that). Unless you're in medicine you dont really need to worry about it..

LauraLoo

can you only take the schols once?
or if you dont reach a high enough mark the first time can you re-apply next year?

diluvial

LauraLoo wrote: »

can you only take the schols once?
or if you dont reach a high enough mark the first time can you re-apply next year?

You can take it more than once. I don't know whether there is a limit to how many times you can attempt it; I'd say probably not though.

gaeilgeboy

You can attempt it as many times as you like, but you can only get the Scholarship once.

Kwekubo

mathew wrote: »

Its medicine who count first year results for schols (theyre different like that). Unless you're in medicine you dont really need to worry about it..

That's changing this year. See the links given above.

mathew

Kwekubo wrote: »

That's changing this year. See the links given above.

??

I dont see it. Which link is it in and where?

I know they exepect you to have at least a 2.1 in First Year.. but to be honest if you havnt theres a strong chance you wont get scholls.. but a lot of work might fix that.

Kwekubo

mathew wrote: »

??

I dont see it. Which link is it in and where?

I know they exepect you to have at least a 2.1 in First Year.. but to be honest if you havnt theres a strong chance you wont get scholls.. but a lot of work might fix that.

The links you gave above!

For example, the new Calendar says,

53 Medicine
Candidates are examined in their course work up to the end of the Michaelmas term of the
second medical year. Papers will contain material from the following disciplines: anatomy,
biochemistry, physiology, molecular medicine and human development, behavioural sciences and
ethics. A special topic theme will be examined in the beginning of the Hilary term which requires
additional reading.

Flicking through the list, it seems that schols in most courses will be based on material from both JF and SF, but not the annual JF examination results themselves.

mathew

Oh right ye.. I knew they would include first year material.
Im almost certain that Medicine are going to still count first year results tho.. although I could be wrong. They do it some funny roundabout way IIRC