Cramming for the Leaving Cert

CramCramCram

Just finished my mocks before the mid term and to be honest I did pretty poor not going to disclose my results but lets just say I've barely only passed and failed a few subjects, I'm doing 4 Higher Level subjects (English, Economics, Construction Studies, Geography) 3 Ordinary (Maths, Irish, French) And L.C.VP as an extra subject (which I did pretty well in)

I've rarely opened a book this year and have kept putting it off and now I realise that time is against me, I'm aiming for about 350 points so if anybody has any tips on how to get the head down and tips to cram I'd appreciate it.

Apologies if it was a long read.

Bears and Vodka

Well there are no 'magic formulas' how to cram it really, at the end of the day you just have to sit down and do it.

There are things you can do to help you with study:
1) Pick out the times during the day in which you can study. Usually in the evening after school and on weekends.

2) Make yourself a study timetable. Yes, it sounds boring but here is a sample one:

Monday:

• English - 1 hour 30 mins
• Maths - 1 hour

Tuesday:

• Economics - 1 hour 30 mins
• Irish - 1 hour

Wednesday:

• Construction Studies - 1 hour 30 mins
• French - 1 hour

Thursday:

• Geography - 1 hour 30 mins
• Maths - 45 minutes

Friday:

• English - 1 hour
• Economics - 1 hour

Saturday:

• Nothing, party time, wooo! (or whatever you're at).

Sunday:

• Construction - 45 mins
• Geography - 45 mins
• French - 30 mins
• Irish - 30 mins
• Maths - 30 mins
• LCVP (if you need to) - 30 mins

*So, they way it works is: Allocate more time for the Higher Level subjects. I tried to put a Higher and a Pass subject on the one day. This is study, it doesn't include time for doing homework for other subjects.

3) Stick with it. If you are finding it hard to start doing hour and a half or whatever straight away, then ease yourself into it. Do maybe 20 mins more per subject every week, if you feel you need to 'cram'.

4) Find a way to actually study that works for you. It can be summarising notes from a book into a more condensed version, it might be simply reading and highlighting, it might be re-writing stuff in your own words. Whatever floats your study-boat, find it and use it.

5) Exam papers, exam papers, exam papers

That's about it. And excuse ME for the long read :P

P.S. I may be criticised for the sample study timetable I provided here, but a study timetable is a matter of preference and varies from person to person. Make yourself your own one if you want, this is just a guide.

Good Luck !

CramCramCram

Appreciate the reply, thank you and I'll follow what you've wrote

spurious

For any type of studying to be productive, you need to find what sort of a learner you are.
Do you remember visual or aural things better? etc.. Then tailor your study and revision approach to your strengths.

Your study will be much more focussed and successful.

PictureFrame

CramCramCram wrote: »

Just finished my mocks before the mid term and to be honest I did pretty poor not going to disclose my results but lets just say I've barely only passed and failed a few subjects, I'm doing 4 Higher Level subjects (English, Economics, Construction Studies, Geography) 3 Ordinary (Maths, Irish, French) And L.C.VP as an extra subject (which I did pretty well in)

I've rarely opened a book this year and have kept putting it off and now I realise that time is against me, I'm aiming for about 350 points so if anybody has any tips on how to get the head down and tips to cram I'd appreciate it.

Apologies if it was a long read.

Were your Mocks sent away? If so look through the papers and you might notice a few places where you maight gain some extra marks! There is time, only if you utilise the time you have left to the best of your ability! You have to work hard there's no other way around it unfortunately!

GrainneOS

Help please! I'm really worried about the irish oral...just got my results back and i'm bankin on it!!!!!!!!! anyone know of any good revision courses?? I spotted one on mocks.ie, was anyone at it? Thinkin of bookin in.. would really appreciate feedback. by the way, their app is pretty good and freeeeeeeeeeee

Togepi

spurious wrote: »

For any type of studying to be productive, you need to find what sort of a learner you are.
Do you remember visual or aural things better? etc.. Then tailor your study and revision approach to your strengths.

Your study will be much more focussed and successful.

Is it possible to be pretty equal at the different types of learning? I usually find I remember things better if they just come up in conversation, or if I talk about them. But then I learn stuff well by making it into a diagram too.

whiteandlight

Yes you can be strong in more than one type of learning. I'm just going to flag the maths in case that is one of your fails. Most of your subjects are primarily learning off subjects and you need to figure out what works for you for that but for maths make sure you are actually doing sums.

There's no point spending an hour reading the maths book. You need to read an example try and understand it, cover the solution and see can you do the example without peeking. Then move to the exercise and try questions, checking your answer after each one. It can be slow and tedius particularly if you haven't (as you say) been doing much in school but it has to be done.

If you haven't been revising in maths regularly then I wouldn't jump to the papers until you do thorough revision of the chapter/s required. E.g. if you want to practise complex numbers, go through the chapter in the book carefully practising each type of questions before going to your papers where complex number is Q4 on paper 1. This approach is absolutely vital for paper two where the questions may have more than one topic in them e.g. geometry mixed with trigonometry. Unless you revise both sections you will struggle.

Good luck.

AOIFE15

I just finished my mocks before midterm and we haven't gotten our results back yet but I feel like they went pretty badly. I do 6 HL subjects (eng, irish, art, spanish, business, geog) and OL maths. In 5th year or 6th year I so far haven't done any REAL study, I can't get motivated and don't even know where to begin I feel so behind now. I'm aiming for around 470-500 points in the real thing, is it too late? does anyone have any tips on what to do? thanks

Bears and Vodka

AOIFE15 wrote: »

I just finished my mocks before midterm and we haven't gotten our results back yet but I feel like they went pretty badly. I do 6 HL subjects (eng, irish, art, spanish, business, geog) and OL maths. In 5th year or 6th year I so far haven't done any REAL study, I can't get motivated and don't even know where to begin I feel so behind now. I'm aiming for around 470-500 points in the real thing, is it too late? does anyone have any tips on what to do? thanks

First of all read this: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=77196911&postcount=2

Secondly, to get motivated you need to get your mocks results, think about how badly do you need your points. Then do something about it. Make a commitment, there's no easy way to do it. You just need to have willpower.

lainey108

AOIFE15 wrote: »

I just finished my mocks before midterm and we haven't gotten our results back yet but I feel like they went pretty badly. I do 6 HL subjects (eng, irish, art, spanish, business, geog) and OL maths. In 5th year or 6th year I so far haven't done any REAL study, I can't get motivated and don't even know where to begin I feel so behind now. I'm aiming for around 470-500 points in the real thing, is it too late? does anyone have any tips on what to do? thanks

thank god someone else is the same! hahah

AOIFE15

lainey108 wrote: »

thank god someone else is the same! hahah

So many people I know are in the same boat, amount of stress but no motivation hahah

lolabearxx

im in the same boat, three months left and ive done nothing all year,got 365 in my mocks but im looking for 500 in the real thing..is it possible?

PictureFrame

lolabearxx wrote: »

im in the same boat, three months left and ive done nothing all year,got 365 in my mocks but im looking for 500 in the real thing..is it possible?

It may be, depending on certain factors:

1. How many HL Subjects do you do?
2. What subjects do you do?
3. Did you fail any subjects in the mocks? (not being nosey just in general)

You need to jump 135 points, that's quite an increase (37%) but it is possible. As you said you did very little work for your mocks, you just need to up the study hours! My cousin got 430 last year in the mocks and jumped up to 585 in the Leaving and is not in 1st year Medicine in UCD! However he did MASSIVE amounts of work for the Leaving.

Good luck!

JonnyMcNamee

AOIFE15 wrote: »

So many people I know are in the same boat, amount of stress but no motivation hahah

Before Christmas I was in the exact same boat meself! I was doing nothing and was failing some subjects! Had no motivation whatsoever. But you have to think forward to exam and results time. Nothing more sickening than opening a paper, seeing a question and saying 'I should know this'. Same with results. I'd hate to open them and just be like 'I could've done a lot better'. That's what motivating me now anyway Just three months of hard work and it's all over!

sarahm1994

I was the same as you guys, had done nothing at all and was FREAKING OUT as to how I was going to get the points I needed. The panic made me cram like crazy during my mocks (who says late nights are a bad thing???) and I just got them back and I'm on track for the points I need. Never too late to start! And use the panic to give you energy - totally worked for me

lainey108

i got 300 in mocks but i want 415.. i dunno it seems impossible at the moment, is anyone taking half days from school to study? iv started to but only for the subjects that we have completed the course for..but the teachers arent pleased..

Bears and Vodka

lainey108 wrote: »

i got 300 in mocks but i want 415.. i dunno it seems impossible at the moment, is anyone taking half days from school to study? iv started to but only for the subjects that we have completed the course for..but the teachers arent pleased..

I don't think that's a good idea. Classes in school after the course is done are like grinds, but free! You can ask your teacher about a topic you don't understand, whereas if you are on your own you will have to figure it out yourself. Don't skip school

Study plenty after school and on weekends. Cut out on TV or something and find time to study.