Physics + Chemistry / Doing subjects outside of school

conorc94

Right... I'm in my second last year of secondary school (4/5th year depending on wheter or not your school has a TY programme) and at the start of the year I chose to do French, Biology, Chemistry and Music. As well as Maths, English and Irish, obviously. After a few weeks, I left Chemistry and moved to Business. I moved because I thought the teacher was absolutely sh*te... It was basically just memorise this paragraph and and then write it out again in the exam, she didn't explain anything and made no effort to make the classes interesting/enjoyable.

So, I moved to business because it let me keep LCVP as a subject (You need certain subject combinations, Chemistry + Bio is one, and Music + Business is one) Now... I have absolutely ZERO interest in anything got to do with business but it seems relatively easy and I can get C's/B's in every class test the teacher gives without studying at all.

My main interest is in Science and I've realised recently I'd like to do a science course in Uni. The thing is, i think it's too late at this stage to change back to chemistry (plus the teacher sucks) and physics (which I originally wanted to do over chemistry) is in the same class slot as music (which I don't really want to leave, its fairly easy to get points in and I'm interested in it.)

So, I found out today theres a subject you can take for the Leaving cert called "Physics and Chemistry", which is both combined (Shocker, I know). Only thing is, my school doesn't teach the subject. I was wondering if it would be possible for me to start doing the subject outside of school at this stage and still learn enough to finish the course and do well in the LC? Also, I'm in Galway, does anyone on here know anywhere I could go to learn this subject (like 1 on 1 tuition)?

Any replies at all would be appreciated, Cheers.

Heres links to info on the 'Physics and Chemistry' course:

http://www.careersportal.ie/ed_training/leaving_cert_subjects.php?course_id=27&ed_sub_cat_id=7&menu_parent_id=2&course_name=Physics+and+Chemistry

http://www.curriculumonline.ie/en/Post-Primary_Curriculum/Senior_Cycle_Curriculum/Leaving_Certificate_Established/Physics_Chemistry/

SureYWouldntYa

If you're a half decent student you wont even need grinds, it is the easiest subject by a country mile. Same questions year in year out. Like only 15 experiments in the whole course. A serious amount of marks is in the log tables

PictureFrame

conorc94 wrote: »

Right... I'm in my second last year of secondary school (4/5th year depending on wheter or not your school has a TY programme) and at the start of the year I chose to do French, Biology, Chemistry and Music. As well as Maths, English and Irish, obviously. After a few weeks, I left Chemistry and moved to Business. I moved because I thought the teacher was absolutely sh*te... It was basically just memorise this paragraph and and then write it out again in the exam, she didn't explain anything and made no effort to make the classes interesting/enjoyable.

So, I moved to business because it let me keep LCVP as a subject (You need certain subject combinations, Chemistry + Bio is one, and Music + Business is one) Now... I have absolutely ZERO interest in anything got to do with business but it seems relatively easy and I can get C's/B's in every class test the teacher gives without studying at all.

My main interest is in Science and I've realised recently I'd like to do a science course in Uni. The thing is, i think it's too late at this stage to change back to chemistry (plus the teacher sucks) and physics (which I originally wanted to do over chemistry) is in the same class slot as music (which I don't really want to leave, its fairly easy to get points in and I'm interested in it.)

So, I found out today theres a subject you can take for the Leaving cert called "Physics and Chemistry", which is both combined (Shocker, I know). Only thing is, my school doesn't teach the subject. I was wondering if it would be possible for me to start doing the subject outside of school at this stage and still learn enough to finish the course and do well in the LC? Also, I'm in Galway, does anyone on here know anywhere I could go to learn this subject (like 1 on 1 tuition)?

Any replies at all would be appreciated, Cheers.

Heres links to info on the 'Physics and Chemistry' course:

http://www.careersportal.ie/ed_training/leaving_cert_subjects.php?course_id=27&ed_sub_cat_id=7&menu_parent_id=2&course_name=Physics+and+Chemistry

http://www.curriculumonline.ie/en/Post-Primary_Curriculum/Senior_Cycle_Curriculum/Leaving_Certificate_Established/Physics_Chemistry/

Hi there, I don't do Physchem or in fact any science subject, but I do a subject outside of school (Economics). My advice if you are going to take up a subject outside of school- make sure you're interested in the subject. If you dislike it and are doing it for 'easy points' I can guarantee you you won't get over a B3 grade. In contrast to yourself, I love Business. It's my favourite subject in school and I believe the easiest one at that. Therefore, I took up Economics because I loved Business so much, and hey presto Economics is my 2nd best subject (according to the mocks anyway).

I wouldn't be too hung-up on grinds, in my opinion a lot of teachers overcomplicate their subjects. For example, there is an Economics class in the same town as mine. The highest in their class was 54% (D1). I managed 87% (A2) in the Mock without ever getting grinds etc.

Work consistently off exam papers, Physchem is a minority subject like Economics, therefore the exam structure is almost the same every single year.

Finally, I wish you the best of luck. It's a hard decision I know, but I can honestly say that it was the best one I ever made in terms of my Education. It has taught me the value of independant learning and has opened my eyes to what I want to do next year and for the rest of my working life!

#1 CAO: BCL Law with Economics! Can't wait.. Best of luck!

conorc94

PictureFrame wrote: »

Hi there, I don't do Physchem or in fact any science subject, but I do a subject outside of school (Economics). My advice if you are going to take up a subject outside of school- make sure you're interested in the subject. If you dislike it and are doing it for 'easy points' I can guarantee you you won't get over a B3 grade. In contrast to yourself, I love Business. It's my favourite subject in school and I believe the easiest one at that. Therefore, I took up Economics because I loved Business so much, and hey presto Economics is my 2nd best subject (according to the mocks anyway).

I wouldn't be too hung-up on grinds, in my opinion a lot of teachers overcomplicate their subjects. For example, there is an Economics class in the same town as mine. The highest in their class was 54% (D1). I managed 87% (A2) in the Mock without ever getting grinds etc.

Work consistently off exam papers, Physchem is a minority subject like Economics, therefore the exam structure is almost the same every single year.

Finally, I wish you the best of luck. It's a hard decision I know, but I can honestly say that it was the best one I ever made in terms of my Education. It has taught me the value of independant learning and has opened my eyes to what I want to do next year and for the rest of my working life!

#1 CAO: BCL Law with Economics! Can't wait.. Best of luck!

Thanks for the replies

I definately wouldn't be doing Phys-Chem just because of easy points. I read about the stuff in my spare time, so having to study it as a school subject wouldn't be much of a change at all. The predictability of the exam is a bonus which I didn't know about

What would be the story with actually sitting the exam in my school? Would I just have to talk to the principal and get the papers ordered in or what?

Good luck with your course

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

If you're a half decent student you wont even need grinds, it is the easiest subject by a country mile. Same questions year in year out. Like only 15 experiments in the whole course. A serious amount of marks is in the log tables

I've always found the science subjects fairly easy because I'm interested in them. ( Apart from maths... I'm in Pass )
Thanks for the reassurance

PictureFrame

conorc94 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies

I definately wouldn't be doing Phys-Chem just because of easy points. I read about the stuff in my spare time, so having to study it as a school subject wouldn't be much of a change at all. The predictability of the exam is a bonus which I didn't know about

What would be the story with actually sitting the exam in my school? Would I just have to talk to the principal and get the papers ordered in or what?

Good luck with your course




I've always found the science subjects fairly easy because I'm interested in them. ( Apart from maths... Pass )
Thanks for the reassurance

You'll do great if you have an interest in the subject! Thank you, I haven't started it yet next September hopefully but that's the dream! I was 50 points over last years requirements in the mocks so hopefully i'll stick with it!

Yep, when the Principal or whoever comes around with the sheet of your subjects when you finalise your levels etc. you just add it to the sheet!

conorc94

PictureFrame wrote: »

You'll do great if you have an interest in the subject! Thank you, I haven't started it yet next September hopefully but that's the dream! I was 50 points over last years requirements in the mocks so hopefully i'll stick with it!

Yep, when the Principal or whoever comes around with the sheet of your subjects when you finalise your levels etc. you just add it to the sheet!

Yeah hopefully

Well, good luck with getting in then, I'm sure you'll have no problem

pathway33

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

Like only 15 experiments in the whole course.

Where can I get a list of the experiments on the phys/chem course?

rainbowtrout

pathway33 wrote: »

Where can I get a list of the experiments on the phys/chem course?

You can look at the syllabus here. I did it for my Leaving Cert way back when. There's a good choice on the paper, 6 physics questions and 6 chemistry if I remember rightly, and you do three of each.

Predictable topics, electricity/mechanics comes up every year in physics, organic chemistry, acids and bases every year in chemistry. A quick trawl through the papers will show you the pattern.

http://www.curriculumonline.ie/en/Post-Primary_Curriculum/Senior_Cycle_Curriculum/Leaving_Certificate_Established/Physics_Chemistry/

Bazinga_N

rainbowtrout wrote: »

You can look at the syllabus here. I did it for my Leaving Cert way back when. There's a good choice on the paper, 6 physics questions and 6 chemistry if I remember rightly, and you do three of each.

Predictable topics, electricity/mechanics comes up every year in physics, organic chemistry, acids and bases every year in chemistry. A quick trawl through the papers will show you the pattern.

http://www.curriculumonline.ie/en/Post-Primary_Curriculum/Senior_Cycle_Curriculum/Leaving_Certificate_Established/Physics_Chemistry/

Just read this.. I don't really understand the syllabus... Is there something a little more specific? As in terms of topics and experiments.. Also, would it be recommended for someone to buy a seperate physics and chemistry textbooks and use the info you need? As I can't find a textbook for it! Finally, it says that a new syllabus called ''Chemical & Physical Science'' any news on when thats being spread out?

SureYWouldntYa

Bazinga_N wrote: »

Just read this.. I don't really understand the syllabus... Is there something a little more specific? As in terms of topics and experiments.. Also, would it be recommended for someone to buy a seperate physics and chemistry textbooks and use the info you need? As I can't find a textbook for it! Finally, it says that a new syllabus called ''Chemical & Physical Science'' any news on when thats being spread out?

Theres a really old textbook out there, from 1990 and its still good. Dunno what its called, teacher took it away halfway through 4th year when we had course finished for Chemistry

rainbowtrout

Bazinga_N wrote: »

Just read this.. I don't really understand the syllabus... Is there something a little more specific? As in terms of topics and experiments.. Also, would it be recommended for someone to buy a seperate physics and chemistry textbooks and use the info you need? As I can't find a textbook for it! Finally, it says that a new syllabus called ''Chemical & Physical Science'' any news on when thats being spread out?

There's a book called Physics and Chemistry by Daithi Quinn. I know my local bookshop in Ballaghaderreen has it, as some of the local schools offer the subject.

If you can get hold of it, it would be better as it contains everything you need for the course, and there are a couple of things on the phys/chem course that aren't on the separate courses.

The syllabus is about as specific as you will get, unless you read through the exam papers. It's a subject that less than 500 people take per year. That means there are little or no resources for it as it's not financially viable for publishers to print books for it.

Don't hold your breath for the new syllabus any time soon. The current syllabus is about 40 years old.

conorc94

rainbowtrout wrote: »

There's a book called Physics and Chemistry by Daithi Quinn. I know my local bookshop in Ballaghaderreen has it, as some of the local schools offer the subject.

If you can get hold of it, it would be better as it contains everything you need for the course, and there are a couple of things on the phys/chem course that aren't on the separate courses.

The syllabus is about as specific as you will get, unless you read through the exam papers. It's a subject that less than 500 people take per year. That means there are little or no resources for it as it's not financially viable for publishers to print books for it.

Don't hold your breath for the new syllabus any time soon. The current syllabus is about 40 years old.

Thanks for that... I wasn't sure about textbooks either