Geography in a year?

Aoifums

I'm hopefully heading to the Institute in September and was hoping to pick up Geography as an 8th subject. I know it's a long course but if I work hard at it during the summer would it be doable? My friend is lending me her books and notes and I plan on doing about an hour a day or at least 3 hours a week.

bluemooner

you are very correct that it is a long course. And the style of questions mean that almost every aspect of the course is covered. however, i think that it is a doable task if you are willing to apply yourself to it.
if you get the exam skills book published by mentor you will be grand! i didnt even look at my textbook for most of this year! the answers in that are fantastic.:D

waterford1988

I took it up when I repeated and got a B1, without doing anything over the summer. I think its the kind of subject if you work hard you will be fine.

**Timbuk2**

If you're good at learning things off, then yes. Don't forget about the project that you need to do in February/March - it's worth 20% and can be extremely time consuming, but once it's finished it's finished and you can concentrate on the exam!

There is a lot to learn. I would recommend the book "Exam Skills" by Sue Honan if you don't already have it. She might release a new one next year that is a bit updated with some of the questions that came up 2010, although you would be fine with an old one.

The textbooks (none of them - they are terrible!) are not suitable for anywhere near an A1 - they don't contain enough information.

Over the summer, I would concentrate on the physical section and the geoecology section (or whichever option you are doing: geoecology and global interdependence are the most common - find out which one your school does first!) over the summer. Then you can concentrate on regions and the elective in 6th year, as well as your project.

It's definitely doable - just remember the sheer amount of learning that is associated with it.

Aoifums

Awsome, thank you
Anyone who is/was in the Institute, do they let you take up a long course like Geography in 6th year without having studied it at your old school? And what do they do for the field trip?

unknown13

Yes, you can do it in a year not that long of a syllabus. In the institute they do two trips, the Fluvial processes and one about traffic.

Cipango

Buy the Key Skills book by Sue Honan and you'll fly!!

Not too much to the course i tought myself as my teacher was useless.

Only problem is you will need help with the field work project.

FordieMUFC

Yes, you can. But make sure you become very very familiar with the marking scheme etc... because theres parts of the book that you don't need! e.g. I never looked over Ice and coastal erosion along with earthquakes in my physical and always get A2's Similar kind of thing with the rest, and I only studied one essay type question topic (biomes).

double GG

Yes, it is possible, in 5th year it is the physical geography and the regional geography, (the easier two topics IMO). Just be prepared for a lot of work

starry nights

Aoifums wrote: »

I'm hopefully heading to the Institute in September and was hoping to pick up Geography as an 8th subject. I know it's a long course but if I work hard at it during the summer would it be doable? My friend is lending me her books and notes and I plan on doing about an hour a day or at least 3 hours a week.

i did that this year in one year in the tute, and i'll make it simple.

PROS:
Jim Carberry is an amazing teacher for geography.
The course is very easy to understand.
Project counts for 20%

CONS:
While its easy to understand it's a very broad course, there are a huge and i mean huge amount of essays to learn.
Geography, cos so many do it, is very hard to get an A1 in.
Realistically are you actually gonna study over the summer, really now?

if you're gonna take up an easy subject do ag science, if you like science subjects that is. I regret dropping it for geography as it's the easier of the two to get an A1 in plus it has a 25% project in it.


And yes the tute let you take any subject up from scratch but be warned, i took two (im repeat) and it's a little overwhelming at times.


hope i've helped a little

leg

james s wrote: »

the exam skills by honan doesn't cover enough detail -

Can't really agree with that great book in my opinion. How does it lack detail?

H2student

leg wrote: »

Can't really agree with that great book in my opinion. How does it lack detail?

Well it lacks detail in some aspect. Since it deals with past questions mostly, there's bound to be some ground left uncovered. For example, no metamorphic rock. (most textbooks don't have it explained anyway) However, I feel that it's an excellent book. I personally revised (and studied for the first time some sections) the whole course by just using that book. Having everything in an essay format saves me time composing one myself. To be honest, if it aims to leave no stone unturned, the book will be too long for most of us to learn effectively. With so much choice in the exam, it's sufficient to get a B at least in my opinion. If you paid attention in class, you're bound to be able to regurgetate some facts if you're unlucky enough to get an unlearned question.

I doubt I got an A but I feel that a B or a high C is possible all thanks to that book. Which is pretty amazing in my opinion as I neglected Geography until April and solely used that book to revise.

Kylzer911

Annoying more than anything, easy to condense the course and focus on certain questions. I had a crap teacher, and still managed (hopefully:rolleyes: )

Defo do it though, i was the same with business, thats long too, hopefully did well there too, i would have regretted not doing it, and i imagine you would too.

LL92

When you're doing Geography in class, it won't seem too bad but when you get to the LC, that's when you really feel the pressure. It has to be the broadest course on the LC. No answer is just a simple answer, they are all ESSAYS :eek::eek: and although the junior cert course is sort-of a basis for what you do in LC, the difference in the detail of your answers is unreal! I really wouldn't recommend it! However, my teacher was ABSOLUTELY USELESS!!! Surely there's another subject you could do though? I heard economics was really easy to do, with just a little learning.

Kylzer911

Sorry LL92, dunno what course you did :P it's not that bad just a pain in the arse, only one essay is involved , the rest just need an amount of points..
far easier to do geog in a year than economics. Economics isnt that large a course but still only a few people excel in it, examiners take marks off for the craic. Pickin up an 8th i assume would be aiming for an honours B which is what i was after, and that's easier to get with geog.

Who knows what they'll do with economics after this years paper, Mingin!

H2student

Aw crap, I was hoping to self-study Economics as a repeat subject, since learning theory is my forte. Would it be easier than business to self-study?

Bit off topic so.... learning geography in the classroom is so dull to be honest. All we did was go through the textbook and took down notes. To me, it was a waste of time, apart from the occasional useful fact and providing material for me to use to waffle a weak question, I gained almost nothing from it. Tackling the textbook page by page doesn't link it to the actual exam and all of us ended up panicking when the Mocks came. Salvation only came when I got this book under recommendation of boards.ie

Kylzer911

Ah H2 dont let me put you off economics, if ur up for it give it ago. But there are quite a few tough topics which personally feel a teacher is necessary. Business however is piss! If your in any way thinkin of picking that up, do, you won't regret it, well i didnt anyway!

And yeah geography is verrry boring.