How do you get that extra 10-15% in an exam?

Chuchoter

So I'm another person just finished TY and the subjects I chose were all at HL (English, Irish, Maths, French, Physics, Chemistry, Biology). I need at least 535-550 in the LC, so I'm thinking of doing 2 hours of study a night plus homework starting in 5th year. Is that enough? Also, is physics hard should I swap to economics?

Now my main question is that in all my subjects I can't seem to get into that 90% bracket. I can get 85% reasonably ok(except Irish where I'm always stuck around 77%), but A2s won't get me the points I need and I want to at least aim for A1s so if I have a bad day I'm still doing ok at an A2. What is the trick to that extra few percentage points? Anyone have any fantastic study tips or is it just that 90% bracket is the domain of these amazingly brilliant people of which I am not one?

anothernight

To be honest I don't think how you do in TY is an indicator of how you'll do in the Leaving Cert so I wouldn't worry about it.

Also, enjoy 5th year, do your homework diligently, and study in 6th year. You really don't want to burn out before the real exams. It happens to a lot of people who start to study at the beginning of 6th year, so I don't even want to imagine what it'd feel like to study in 5th year!

Just my 2c

**Timbuk2**

To get the A1 - you need to be really familiar with the papers, and most importantly the marking scheme. A person who knows all their stuff will get a C1, but it's the person that knows all their stuff and applies it very intelligently to the paper in a coherent but concise way will get the A1. This is especially important for subjects such as Physics, English and French.

Do your study consistently. I'm nearly finished my LC now but I think that l missed out on my desired grades in some subjects (e.g. physics) from leaving all my study to 2 weeks before My pre results made me complacent!

Mayoegian

anothernight wrote: »

To be honest I don't think how you do in TY is an indicator of how you'll do in the Leaving Cert so I wouldn't worry about it.

Also, enjoy 5th year, do your homework diligently, and study in 6th year. You really don't want to burn out before the real exams. It happens to a lot of people who start to study at the beginning of 6th year, so I don't even want to imagine what it'd feel like to study in 5th year!

Just my 2c

It's vital you keep up with study in 5th year. Do your homework and keep up with study, especially in HL Maths-that is so important. Don't listen to people saying not to study, or 'just take it easy' you need to establish a certain level of consistency in 5th year to give the LC one heck of a go.

Keep up with your homework, study for your tests and study a bit in between and you'll do very well in the LC!

Chuchoter

So would an hour a night of just going over stuff be enough? I don't want to make the mistake I made for the JC which was coasting the whole way through 2nd year and then getting less than amazing JC results.

Otherwise, I'm not sure why I chose physics and even though I'm pretty good at maths I don't know if I'll be able for it. Looking at the Economics paper it seems like a subject where you just read the book and learn it, whereas Physics you seem to have to understand stuff really well. I don't need physics for medicine. Should I just go with economics for the easy A?

**Timbuk2**

An hour a night should be fine. Any more and it won't be sustainable, or at least it won't be very effective.

The main idea is to familiarise yourself with, and revise, all of the work that you do as you go along, so when it comes to studying for the LC, it comes back into your head very quickly. If you study something one night, and then come back to it in a week, and then in month, then you will definitely commit it to your long-term memory and you won't have to 're-learn' it again come exam time - only flick back through it.

Mayoegian

crayolastereo wrote: »

So would an hour a night of just going over stuff be enough? I don't want to make the mistake I made for the JC which was coasting the whole way through 2nd year and then getting less than amazing JC results.

Otherwise, I'm not sure why I chose physics and even though I'm pretty good at maths I don't know if I'll be able for it. Looking at the Economics paper it seems like a subject where you just read the book and learn it, whereas Physics you seem to have to understand stuff really well. I don't need physics for medicine. Should I just go with economics for the easy A?

Some people make a fatal error and go for a subject that they think is an easy A, but once the start the course they can't stand it and are stuck in a rut! If you like science, and have a real passion for it, go with Physics-but bear in mind it can be very difficult(the same really as any subject). I do Chemistry and Biology and I find that they are very manageable, interesting subjects. You need to have an interest in the subject to really excel at it-interest is the key.

anothernight

Mayoegian wrote: »

It's vital you keep up with study in 5th year. Do your homework and keep up with study, especially in HL Maths-that is so important. Don't listen to people saying not to study, or 'just take it easy' you need to establish a certain level of consistency in 5th year to give the LC one heck of a go.

I suppose it would depend on the person. I was saying what worked for me anyway

To the OP, definitely do study for class tests in 5th year. Class tests can make all the difference.

highlydebased

Do every bit of work you can. Come june of the real thing you'll be glad of everything you've ever done!

Economics is pretty handy-the market structures can be a challenge however the Macro chapers are interesting, particularly if you have an interest in government, economy etc and are up to speed with whats going on at the moment. Its a straight forward paper- answer 4 out of 8 long questions so the choice is huge- and answer 6 out of 9 short questions

Ruski

Keep Physics. It's not a very difficult subject at all. I found it fairly handy, and you also get all the formulas in a little booklet that you can use in the exam.

I would not recommend keeping any long-term goals in fifth year. Just make short-term aims like class exams, house exams, and homework. Don't think about the Leaving Cert. Pretend that the Leaving Cert doesn't exist and relax. When you get to sixth year, start covering stuff from fifth year but do it slowly. Maybe an hour and a half a day. Get yourself a set of past papers and work your way through them. As the months go by, start spending more time on study. There is no point over-working yourself.

muffinz

all 3 science subjects?! you, my friend, are insane in the membrane :pac:

Chuchoter

muffinz wrote: »

all 3 science subjects?! you, my friend, are insane in the membrane :pac:

lol that is what I am starting to think!!!

Does anyone have any really good study methods?

Liveit

There are two types of people who do well in the leavong cert

-those that naturally pick up things and have other aspects to their life outside of school.

-those that study for hours on end every night and their life is their schoolwork


I would advise that if you are in the first bracket of people then do physics. It seems to me that you are in the second bracket, it would be better for you to do a 'learn from the book' subject such as history.

Just my opinion

OxfordComma

I wouldn't recommend studying (as in learning off information and that) the whole way through 5th year, although trying to coast your way through without doing any work is a bad idea too, and will make things a fair bit harder for you in your LC year. What I would recommend is doing all your homework properly (especially for Maths, English, and language subjects) and studying properly for tests, aiming to do as well as possible. You'll be surprised at how much easier it'll be to remember everything in your LC year if you do that. But I wouldn't recommend actually studying properly for the LC when you're in 5th year, because you've got more than enough time to get all the work done during your LC year. No point burning out way too early.

Also, Physics isn't easy, but then again, no subject really is. It'll require a lot of hard work to do well in it, but some parts of it are quite interesting. I personally think Chemistry is the more difficult science to get to grips with, but others find that it's the other way round for them.

double GG

I suggest do the opposite I did work in 5th year. Even an hour a night can help. Do your homework and then on each night do an hour or two. Even a 25 minute session with a five minute break done 4 times, each night which is 1hr 55 mins on top of your homework. If your willing to do it, each night then by all means do it, 'cos I am telling you now it really will stand to you come June 2012

Another tip I could possibly throw out there is too get a set of exam papers, to get a decent knowledge on the layout of questions, I did this in fifth year (well i got exam papers didn't use them though :P)

However, i think 2 hours on top of your HW is a bit much for now. How about an hour from September to Halloween, an hour and a half till Christmas and then 2 hours till the Summer.

Try not to force yourself to learn though, even reading a certain topic in Chemistry and then reading it again in 2 weeks can be much more helpful than trying to learn and learn until you practically know it off by heart.

I must commend you though in being this disciplined in wanting to study in 5th year, if only I had your self control :P

Anyhow forget about it now, it should be the least of your worries, enjoy your summer you have 2 months off now, enjoy it. Don't worry about study now Have fun, do whatever you want to do etc... ;)

EuropeanSon

I just look at the questions and write down the answers. Works for me.

wonderfulname

crayolastereo wrote: »

So I'm another person just finished TY and the subjects I chose were all at HL (English, Irish, Maths, French, Physics, Chemistry, Biology). I need at least 535-550 in the LC, so I'm thinking of doing 2 hours of study a night plus homework starting in 5th year. Is that enough? Also, is physics hard should I swap to economics?

Now my main question is that in all my subjects I can't seem to get into that 90% bracket. I can get 85% reasonably ok(except Irish where I'm always stuck around 77%), but A2s won't get me the points I need and I want to at least aim for A1s so if I have a bad day I'm still doing ok at an A2. What is the trick to that extra few percentage points? Anyone have any fantastic study tips or is it just that 90% bracket is the domain of these amazingly brilliant people of which I am not one?

Your seriously just finished TY? :eek: Having noticed you around boards I have to say your standard of English and general knowledge put you in an older category in my mind. From where your standing the Leaving Cert looks relatively massive, but trust me, its not. Just keep yourself up to date through 5th year, ensuring you understand whats going on, and save the serious study for 6th year. Once you understand whats going on in the early stages (and I somehow don't see you having too much of a problem with that) its really not all that hard to revise it in 6th year, especially with things like maths and the sciences, specific formulae, definitions and theorems cannot be learned off in 5th year and remembered word for word come your leaving, but if you can say in English what they mean it helps an awful lot study wise.

Oh and one thing I was very glad of last year was that I actually sat down and read my English texts in my own time once or twice in 5th year, you don't actually get to read them properly come 6th year, instead you dissect them, and with English leaning more towards general understanding and less towards learned off essays now it is something you really need to do.

Last thing, Physics is incredibly easy for someone capable of honors maths, if thats where your abilitys lie you really will love it. For now, enjoy your summer, leave school til' September.

Chuchoter

wonderfulname wrote: »

Your seriously just finished TY? :eek: Having noticed you around boards I have to say your standard of English and general knowledge put you in an older category in my mind. From where your standing the Leaving Cert looks relatively massive, but trust me, its not. Just keep yourself up to date through 5th year, ensuring you understand whats going on, and save the serious study for 6th year. Once you understand whats going on in the early stages (and I somehow don't see you having too much of a problem with that) its really not all that hard to revise it in 6th year, especially with things like maths and the sciences, specific formulae, definitions and theorems cannot be learned off in 5th year and remembered word for word come your leaving, but if you can say in English what they mean it helps an awful lot study wise.

Oh and one thing I was very glad of last year was that I actually sat down and read my English texts in my own time once or twice in 5th year, you don't actually get to read them properly come 6th year, instead you dissect them, and with English leaning more towards general understanding and less towards learned off essays now it is something you really need to do.

Last thing, Physics is incredibly easy for someone capable of honors maths, if thats where your abilitys lie you really will love it. For now, enjoy your summer, leave school til' September.

lol thanks its from years of debating! :P Thanks for the advice everyone, I 'm going to go read the English texts and just start 45min-1hr in September.