Honestly, has anyone here done well on their leaving cert without really working?

BetterThanThou

Alright, I've got all my teachers saying that leaving cert is really difficult and if I want to do well, I'll have to study my ass off and try really hard in both 5th and 6th year.
However, for my JC mocks, I honestly did a total of 0 study, honestly totally took the piss in 1st and 2nd year, missing probably near half of each year. Then in 3rd year, I didn't study at all, missed most of my homework, Then, for my mocks, I still got in the top 25% or so in the year.
Anyway, my plans for leaving cert are to actually do my homework to the best of my abilities, I'll study a bit whenever I'm told a test is coming up and I'll study a few hours for my Christmas and Summer exams in 5th year. Then around November or so of 6th year, I'll start some hard study for my Leaving Cert.

FaoiSin

Depends, what do you want to do? Also the Junior Cert is a much easier exam than the Leaving

CuriousG

Depends what you consider doing well. Also depends on your future plans.

Best option is, do your best without overdoing it.

conor93a

I did absolutely nothing for the Leaving Cert and got 335, which isn't great, but isn't too bad either

CuriousG

conor93a wrote: »

I did absolutely nothing for the Leaving Cert and got 335, which isn't great, but isn't too bad either

I can say the same here. Partly because I should have worked harder, and partly because I stupidly decided to go through with HL on a subject I literally did not know one thing about. That subject being chemistry. YUK.

If you need a lot of points, you usually have to put in a lot of work.

loser2k12

The teachers aren't lying about hard work in 5th and 6th yr, they're a long slog but honestly it kind of hits an anticlimax when it comes to the actual exams that's what it was like for me anyway. Doing homework is definitely important, studying for hours upon hours is good in theory but completely useless in my opinion and a lot to expect from yourself. I worked hard for what I got, some can get away without working at all and get 500+ and others don't work and it's disastrous. It's a strange exam.

The Royal Scam

I never studied at all for my leaving. Failed English and Irish but did well on other subject as I have a very good recall of most things I have read/ heard. As I failed them 2 it really narrowed down my college offers.
As CuriousG says it really depends on what you want from life.
I have a good job and stable life but work hard for it.
If I could go back , to be honest , I would study for it ..

gerbilgranny

One of my children did little or nothing for Junior Cert, and did very well - she commented 'It makes me think if I'd have studied, how well I could have done'.

Now, I'd love to say that as a result she studied like mad for her Leaving, but sadly no...although she did better than she or anyone else expected, and got points for College (2 years later she left that course and started on something else, but that's another story).

But the reason I'm posting here is that around November of 6th Year, she had a session with a private 'Career Guidance Counsellor' - doing some aptitude tests one Saturday morning, and when she - and we, her parents - went back for the 'feedback/advice session', the Counsellor told her she could get great points (enough for Primary Teaching)...if she did listened in class, did the homework, but rather than study, just took one exam question from past papers for one subject each night, and answered that. 40 minutes or so a night! I was itching for the Counsellor to say 'and study'...but she said no, that just doing an exam question a night would probably be enough for daughter to do really well.

Now, I'd love to say that daughter took the advice, but...

But while I wouldn't advise anyone NOT to study till November....this Counsellor seemed to think that for someone who was fairly bright, that tackling past papers would be of great benefit. So perhaps you'd do that as well as studying a bit.

SureYWouldntYa

I done very little for the LC, thought id be grand, i wasnt. I was a lazy mf all of 6th year. Got 420 even though i know im capable of a lot more. Its a ****ty feeling opening those results and knowing you didn't do your best. Its September, do your best from the start, maybe not study like mad straight away but keep up with classswork do your homework and treat your mocks like the LC. The general saying is the mocks is marked harder, set harder. WRONG. They are set like actual exams so they can be "easy" one year and difficult the next.

Think of the good feeling you will get next August when you open your results knowing they are a true reflection on your ability and shows your hard work throughout the year

Cruel Sun

gerbilgranny wrote: »

but rather than study, just took one exam question from past papers for one subject each night, and answered that. 40 minutes or so a night!

Ummm.....that is studying. :pac:

finality

I did pretty well without doing much study. I just did homework well usually. In Irish I studied for a few days before the oral and then in the hour or two between exams on the day of the exam...got an A2. In physics and applied maths I got B1s essentially without studying (I gave up on them, thought I'd do terribly). In chemistry I did no work throughout fifth and sixth year, then studied for hours over the two weeks before the exam and got an A1.

To be honest I kind of wish I'd put the work in as I could've done better, but it is possible to sort of coast along and still do well. I think you'll know yourself whether you can do that or if you do need to put the work in.

amymak

My advice would be to do your homework (well) and make sure that you're attending school. It worked for me! Obviously you will need to start studying eventually (and do study for tests) but you should know yourself how much you're able for.

Epsi

BetterThanThou wrote: »

Alright, I've got all my teachers saying that leaving cert is really difficult and if I want to do well, I'll have to study my ass off and try really hard in both 5th and 6th year.
However, for my JC mocks, I honestly did a total of 0 study, honestly totally took the piss in 1st and 2nd year, missing probably near half of each year. Then in 3rd year, I didn't study at all, missed most of my homework, Then, for my mocks, I still got in the top 25% or so in the year.
Anyway, my plans for leaving cert are to actually do my homework to the best of my abilities, I'll study a bit whenever I'm told a test is coming up and I'll study a few hours for my Christmas and Summer exams in 5th year. Then around November or so of 6th year, I'll start some hard study for my Leaving Cert.

To be honest I kind of wish I'd put the work in as I could've done better, but it is possible to sort of coast along and still do well. I think you'll know yourself whether you can do that or if you do need to put the work in.[/QUOTE]

Basically this.

I did very little study for my leaving cert. The only subjects I studied extensively were Physics and Maths. Everything else was done through heavy cramming the week before the exams started. The stress and pressure I felt when doing the exams was ridiculous though. I managed to somehow pull out 500 through , so I could say I did just fine with little to no work , but looking back I wish I hadn't left everything till the end of sixth year to start studying. I would of saved myself from a lot of pressure , frustration and stress by being organised and keeping up a good study routine throughout the year.