History or Biology

David086

For one of my options for Leaving Cert it's very limited and in my case I either have the option of doing History or Biology. I got a D in HL History and a D in HL Science for my junior cert. Which should I pick? These are my two weaker subjects.

paulinap

If I were you, I'd take Biology.
As I do both, i can honestly tell you that Biology is easier, as you have to learn less than you would in history also there isn't too much understanding involved and you don't have to write essays like in history (unless you're great in writing lots of stuff in short time)

LittleMissLost

Deffo Biology
Listen in class, make sure you understand what you did in class, revise it on the night you did it and you will be grand.
I didn't exactly study Biology but really listened in class and got an A1.
I've heard history is a b***c of a subject to do well in :P
Good luck!

spurious

LC History has the research essay for 20% of the marks - marks you can control by writing and rewriting your essay. Your documents will bring you to a pass at the very least.
If you were a student of mine I would advise History.

Ash_M

I cannot stress how much I would recommend Biology. History was easily the toughest subject I did, but Biology was an A1 with a constant, low-level work effort. History took more time than any other subject and was still my worst grade. Unless you have an outstanding aptitude for the subject I wouldn't recommend it, the way the exam is structured makes it difficult to do well in. Biology is much more student-friendly in the exam, and also easier to study for as it can be broken down much more than History.

sarah.

Biology. There's no comparison!

spurious

Ash_M wrote: »

I cannot stress how much I would recommend Biology. History was easily the toughest subject I did, but Biology was an A1 with a constant, low-level work effort. History took more time than any other subject and was still my worst grade. Unless you have an outstanding aptitude for the subject I wouldn't recommend it, the way the exam is structured makes it difficult to do well in. Biology is much more student-friendly in the exam, and also easier to study for as it can be broken down much more than History.

Did you get D grades in your JC, like the OP did?

plein de force

History is a really tedious subject and i'd only recommend it to people who have a real passion for it. i detested it in school, i wanted to do biology but timetable issues meant i had to do history. There's such a vast course to learn and me personally i prefer stuff like biology where there's understandable facts that are easily memorable.
No matter how much i tried, history never stuck in my head

spurious

I would ask your teachers' advice. They know their subjects and they know what you are capable of.
What worked for other people may not work for you.

David086

spurious wrote: »

I would ask your teachers' advice. They know their subjects and they know what you are capable of.
What worked for other people may not work for you.

Unfortunately both teachers have left the school. History teacher was a sub and science teacher retired

spurious

They will still both be able to be contacted by your present teachers.

Do you know why you got Ds in the Junior? Did you leave out questions?

David086

spurious wrote: »

They will still both be able to be contacted by your present teachers.

Do you know why you got Ds in the Junior? Did you leave out questions?

Wasn't prepared properly for them. History teacher couldn't control class and got nothing done and Science teacher just didn't care didn't know my name till 3rd year! :eek:

degausserxo

I did history in 2009 and I'm doing biology this year. I'd recommend history if you're worried about points - 20% will be done before you go in, so if anything goes wrong on the day at least you can rest knowing that you've probably at least passed. Plus the case study is usually very easy even at HL. There's a lot in biology, but if you can learn off reams of stuff then go for it. Personally I'd choose history though.

Mr. Rager

Sorry to steal the thread but biology or physics? I'm not very sciency but I am pretty ok at maths (I'm doing honours for 5th year)

Ash_M

spurious wrote: »

Did you get D grades in your JC, like the OP did?

No, but I did get equal grades in both History and Science in the JC, with a rather large difference in the LC in favour of Biology.

bscm

fjsanchez wrote: »

Sorry to steal the thread but biology or physics? I'm not very sciency but I am pretty ok at maths (I'm doing honours for 5th year)

Physics is good if you have an open mind... it's hard to describe but if you can understand the "rules of physics" (energy cannot be created/destroyed, only transformed etc) and have a good imagination then you should be okay. It's the type of subject where you'll do well if you catch yourself wondering why something happens the way it happens etc.

Biology is good for people who like set definitions.

Physics and Biology teachers tend to hate each other

bscm

History is a strange one. It's long but when I studied the papers, it's very predictable and essay titles are deceivingly easy at times.

I barely started the last essay (worth 20%) and got a B3 at HL

wnolan1992

plein de force wrote: »

History is a really tedious subject and i'd only recommend it to people who have a real passion for it. i detested it in school, i wanted to do biology but timetable issues meant i had to do history. There's such a vast course to learn and me personally i prefer stuff like biology where there's understandable facts that are easily memorable.
No matter how much i tried, history never stuck in my head

It's only tedious when taught badly. I can honestly say that about three of the people in my class for LC History had no passion for the subject whatsoever, but still found it interesting because our teacher was enthusiastic and made it interesting.

But that's a bit OT....

OP, it depends, if you do HL English, HL History will be a bit easier than if you were doing OL English by and large. I'm going against my own results here (got a C2 in HL biology and a B1 in HL History) but I'd recommend biology. Especially if you're doing OL English. For Biology, a lot can be done by just simply memorising answers from the Exam Papers, far more so than History.
If you got a D in history in JC, I can only say it does get a lot harder. And considering the D in Science was spread across Chem/Physics/Biology, you'll probably find Biology easier.

smeal

I dropped Biology in 5th year because I just wasnt a science person so I went to history and I LOVED IT and i loved my teacher but only ended up with a C1 in it:(
I understand its a really hard subject to do well in but I was so so sure I had a high B in it. It's hard to know if you've done well in it I suppose unlike Biology where you sit the exam and pretty much know if you have the answer right or not.

wnolan1992

smeal wrote: »

I dropped Biology in 5th year because I just wasnt a science person so I went to history and I LOVED IT and i loved my teacher but only ended up with a C1 in it:(
I understand its a really hard subject to do well in but I was so so sure I had a high B in it. It's hard to know if you've done well in it I suppose unlike Biology where you sit the exam and pretty much know if you have the answer right or not.

True, I was sure I had at least an A2 in it, got the B1, reviewed the paper and my teacher said that marks had been taken off for no reason. History's very like English for the LC, the mark you'll get depends to a certain extent on the marker you get, whereas Biology moreso has a defined set of answers, you either have it right or wrong.

smeal

wnolan1992 wrote: »

True, I was sure I had at least an A2 in it, got the B1, reviewed the paper and my teacher said that marks had been taken off for no reason. History's very like English for the LC, the mark you'll get depends to a certain extent on the marker you get, whereas Biology moreso has a defined set of answers, you either have it right or wrong.

Funny thing is I ended up with an A1 in English when I had been a C/D student all year and had been an A/B sudent in history all year. Just goes to show ha....

wolfpawnat

I am not the most intelligent person in Ireland, but I did both subjects and all I can say is the one that has stood to me is Biology. History is well and good if you want to do a degree in it, but Biology is a core module for many courses and many degrees require one science so to just pass it opens doors for you

Do Biology OP, I found the essay ate into study time far too much, plus researching it and everything can be a nightmare!

wnolan1992

smeal wrote: »

Funny thing is I ended up with an A1 in English when I had been a C/D student all year and had been an A/B sudent in history all year. Just goes to show ha....

And I was an A/B student in Biology and ended up with a C2 :pac:
But so as not to scare the OP, that was largely my own fault, cos twas on the Thursday of the second week of exams, and I'd got about 4 hours sleep total since the exams started, and hadn't studied half enough for it because I was over confident due to the high grades I was getting.

And to address the RSR taking up time, it most certainly does, but, if you're teach works with you throughout the process (i.e. giving good feedback on your drafts) you've a guaranteed 20% before you walk in the door.

But again, Biology is probably the more practical subject if it's a choice between the two, as as was stated above, many degrees require a science.

David086

Thanks for your comments everyone and I think I'll go for Biology.

LC2010HIS

I did both.
I did 2 Leaving Certs.

And I can tell you confidently, Biology is the way to go.

• Easy to study

• Papers are great

History was my favourite subject and I got a D1 in it this year...
Disappointed.

Biology is great.

You got to think points and whats going to be manageable. Biology is the one to go with being honest.

spurious

I still think you need to talk to your teachers.

Please do not take all the talk of A1s in this and that which you see on boards as either (a) the truth or (b) any indication of the standard student.

Gav77

Personally i fuc###g hated biology...found history a lot easier to learn as its interesting! Got a B1 in history in the leaving and a D1 in Biology. Its upto you really..i guess whatever subject you find more interesting, then go for that one

Jolly Red Giant

The choice between HL Histry or Biology is difficult. I would suggest looking at how you learn.

I know more about History so I will concentrate mostly on that. History at LC HL is different to JC History and is focussed on analysis, interpretation and expression of opinion. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' - you look at a question, form and express your opinion and use historical evidence to back up your views. History is such a broad subject that it is difficult to get a high grade if you rote learn (learning stuff off by heart).

20% of the marks go for the Research Project and a further 20% are for the Document question in the exam. If you do very well in both you could have 35%+ with three essay questions to complete. You will also learn essay writing and research skills that will be useful when you go to third level.

Biology would probably be a better choice if you are a rote learner. There is a lot of the course that requires you to learn stuff off by heart. There is also a certain amount of lab work in biology.

Seeking Self

fjsanchez wrote: »

Sorry to steal the thread but biology or physics? I'm not very sciency but I am pretty ok at maths (I'm doing honours for 5th year)

Physics is better if you base your decision purely on your maths skillz, and if you're a good logical person, its very rational and if you're into things like how the world works, its for you. Biology is good if you can visualise tiny things in your head easily and apply reason to them, or if you're interested in how the world stays alive. I did both for my LC, then went on to do physics in college for a year before I changed my mind to do a biology-based course, but I'm finding it difficult to compare them! I like them both for different reasons. I think for both yourself and the OP, go with your gut, as most schools will allow a transfer within the first few weeks to another class, timetabling permitting. And as an aside for the OP, anyone I know who did history struggled, even those with a prior aptitude. It does seem to be a good subject for those with a passion unfortunately. But good luck either way!

siobhanod93

I do both History and Biology.

History takes time, is long, tedious and is so diverse!! Plus you have to do a research project too.

Biology has lots of learning, but the answers are short and concise.

Biology will help you to get into a lot of courses in college.... you don't need History for anything :O
If you got D's in both, I would be going for the Biology tbh