"You need to do ordinary level maths".

Daniel S

I've wanted to be an engineer for the last 5 years of secondary school, but I've just gotten my Christmas results back, and this comment at the top of the page. I'm really starting to think I'm not going to be able to do it, I'm going to have to drop it. What should I do? 17/20 of my CAO choices are Mechanical Engineering (or undenominated, with the intention of doing mechanical). It really feels like I've been kicked in the stomach.

seriouslysweet

It's a bit insensitive if you ask me, a bit like I'd feel if told I was useless at science given I've wanted to study it and medicine since I was in nappies. Can you get help? From a grindsteacher? Or even a friend who understands them? Did you feel you were doing better in class, maybe it's just a bad test? Also, third level is mostly about what your're interested in and able to work at, not always the same as how you do in secondary.

Chuchoter

Christmas tests aside, how are you dealing with maths in class? The test might just have been a bad test, but to stay in higher I'd say you'd need to be getting about 60 or 70 most of the time.

eoins23456

You would the teacher would say their opinion to your face rather then on a test.If you are really adamant about staying in higher level you might have to get grinds of an experienced teacher,get revision books to go through examples,get a solutions book to the exam papers-they really help.www.studentxpress.ie has the solutions from 1996-2010.

Dermo

Don't leave yourself with any regrets.
Ask to speak with your teacher and get his/her honest opinion on your capabilities. If need be get grinds, spend extra time doing exam questions by yourself and ask your teacher or grinds teacher to correct them.
If you put in the effort you have a higher chance of getting your reward.

Daniel S

My tests have been fairly bad, I worked really hard for last years summer test and got 40%. They haven't been a consistant 60-70% like an above poster said. My teacher is adamant that grinds "DON'T WORK!" and tbh, that's what got me though the JC. If I drop down, there will be 4 people left in the class (Third honours class, the lowest). Would leaving my Level 8 choices as they are and doing the special entrance exams for each college I've applied for be okay?

Daniel S

Dermo wrote: »

Don't leave yourself with any regrets.
Ask to speak with your teacher and get his/her honest opinion on your capabilities. If need be get grinds, spend extra time doing exam questions by yourself and ask your teacher or grinds teacher to correct them.
If you put in the effort you have a higher chance of getting your reward.

Parent Teacher meeting is next Tuesday, I've never liked this teacher, and haven't talked to her. I feel like she doesn't know me at all.

Digits

Tbh if you got more than 50 you could probably still turn things around...my brother got 55 in his pre and an A1 in the real thing...if your dead set on doing it do it maybe get a few grinds but if you honestly feel your struggling then id say you should drop imo.

Chuchoter

If its something you really want to do go for it. Maths is a handy subject in that if you practice enough, you will get good. I also think that grinds do work, my dad gave me grinds the whole of JC and I went from bad Cs to an A.

d'Oracle

I did Mechanical engineering after pass maths.

Did you put DIT Preliminary Engineering on the diploma side of your CAO?
Are you prepared to repeat?

I reckon a good grind teacher is vital here.
A good one will tell you if Honours is salvageable.

But its not the end of the road if you can't do honours right now.

I have a degree in Applied Physics and Instrumentation and currently work in a place where most of the other folk are Mech Eng or have degrees in Manufacturing Technology etc, lots of them did Ordinary Level maths in the LC

I'd sooner head into the LC doing Ordinary Level confident of getting a good result then doing HL with the hope of passing

Edit, I failed my pre in Physics and got a B2 in the real thing (back in 99 before cars, mobile phones and TV). But failing HL physics wouldn't have bothered me to be honest aside from the fact I'd have felt a bit of a t1t doing it at 3rd level. Failing Maths is a biggy though, so Ordinary Level may be the way to go.

d'Oracle

mtb_kng wrote: »

My teacher is adamant that grinds "DON'T WORK!"

This is idiot talk.
I was also told this, by a teacher who was inferior at teaching to my grind teacher.

Doctor_Socks

OP, I was told the same thing in my leaving cert year after my mocks and I turned myself around from a D2 to a B1 and I am now doing a PhD in engineering in NUIG! The only thing that should influence your decision is if YOU think that pass would be the better option.

The special entrance exam is a nice way in to engineering in NUIG, its slightly harder then pass but in my opinion its much easier then what honours maths was. There is a lot of information on it on the NUIG website if you're interested.

And the comment about grinds not working, that teacher is an idiot! Of course grinds work, the 100's of students around the country that they help each year are proof of this!!

hardCopy

It's definitely possible to turn it around at this stage.

I got B's in the leaving in subjects that I failed in my mocks (HL). But I stuck with Honours because I knew I hadn't been working hard enough, once I made the effort my grades improved. If you're already busting a gut and struggling you may find it difficult to make a big improvement.

For maths, I got a grind through most of 5th and 6th year, they do work if you can find a good one, some will just give you photocopies of old notes. I was lucky to get a fantastic grinds teacher.

Daniel S

d'Oracle wrote: »

I did Mechanical engineering after pass maths.

Did you put DIT Preliminary Engineering on the diploma side of your CAO?
Are you prepared to repeat?

I reckon a good grind teacher is vital here.
A good one will tell you if Honours is salvageable.

But its not the end of the road if you can't do honours right now.

Repeating isn't an option as a new course come's in next year. Also, I couldn't face it again anyway. My uncle is a brilliant maths teacher and all his students love him, problem is, he's in Dublin, i'm in Ennis.

This is my CAO atm:

Level 8 Course Choices:
1. LM073 Mechanical Engineering
2. LM116 Engineering Choice
3. GY405 Mechanical Engineering
4. GY401 Engineering (Undenominated)
5. TR032 Engineering
6. LM040 European Studies
7. DC195 Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
8. DT025 Engineering - Common 1st Year
9. DN150 Engineering
10. TR019 Law and German
Level 7/6 Course Choices:
1. LC851 Mechanical Engineering
2. LC821 Engineering (Mechanical and Manufacturing)
3. CW517 Mechanical Engineering
4. DT006 Mechanical Engineering
5. CR071 Mechanical Engineering
6. DK742 Engineering - Mechanical Engineering
7. AL010 Mechanical Engineering
8. AL012 Mechanical Engineering
9. AL048 Mechanical Engineering and Renewable Energies
10. CR075 Biomedical Engineering

d'Oracle

Right.

If I were you I'd drop one of the Level 6/7's and put on Preliminary Engineering DT020. http://www.dit.ie/study/undergraduate/programmes/preliminaryengineeringdt020/

Its basic requirement is that you get Ordinary c1 in Maths (and D3 in English for some reason)

I'm not sure when your mocks are but if they are still to come and you mess them up, then you can drop from honours, Smoke the pass papers and still do Mechanical Engineering only take an extra year to do it.

I did it. The Prelim course will leave you arguably better prepared to enter 1st year than the Honours math students anyway. Basically you do a year of the honours maths, Applied maths, physics, chemistry and a few other bits and you get into 1st year Eng in Bolton St. (DT025)

You can go on to do Honours degrees after the level 7 degrees but you have to do really well to get in.

Get grinds if you can, although in a class of 4 people either your teacher is bad or you aren't asking enough questions. (never be afraid to admit that the problem is at least some of your own.) That said, you should really talk to the teacher and your parents about this.

Just whatever you do work hard and ask questions.

seriouslysweet

Teachers who feel threatened by grinds say things like that. Most good teachers seem to give them!

Epicness Personified

first off theres loads of time left before the LC to catch up and get an honours in maths. I was nearly failing every test in maths until I really started working at it after the xmas hols and I did alright. And if you do drop down im pretty sure you can do engineering in nuig with pass maths. I have a friend in 1st year now doing it and he did pass maths.

Daniel S

Thanks everyone, I'd say I'm in for a bit of a battle tomorrow. :rolleyes:
Have a double period. Not taking the teachers "hint" to do ordinary maths :mad:. I'm going to hold off until at least the mock results.
Going to get grinds also, but I don't want to go back to the guy I went to for the JC, he just scared me into doing lots of work, which was what I needed, but that won't work now.

Any suggestions for good grinds in Clare?

unknown13

I have a few friends in DIT doing Engineering who did OL maths. Dropping down to OL maths doesn't prevent you in anyway from becoming an Engineer. You just won't meet the entry requirements for Trinity or UCD.