Study Plan to get 560+ points :)

Ana27

Hi,

I would really appreciate any help offered to achieve at least 560 points in the Leaving Cert. Im in 6th year at the moment and will be sitting the leaving on 5th June 2013.

I have been studying daily since the start of the year but Im worried I wont cover everything and be caught out, since the points i want are so high i cant afford to be caught out

If anyone who has sat the exam and achieved similar results could offfer any help or anyone who is going through the same thing that would be great

The subjects Im taking are:
English
Maths
French
Biology
Chemistry
History

All higher level

Thanks!!!

Lawless2k12

I'm doing the LC as well this year. You looking for medicine?

I'm out for 340 to 360 myself for engineering in CIT so not under as much pressure as yourself but would appreciate any study tips from anyone as well as I'd obviously like to get 500+ to have a few extra points in case I change my mind for some reason. Always good to have extra options

Doing Design and Communications Graphics (DCG formerly known as Technical Graphics) and Physics in place of Chemistry and History above, but other than that my subjects are the same except I do Irish as well (All honours)... Help very much appreciated too

Ana27

Hey I want to do veterinary
Thats a good idea to aim for higher hope you get it

Lawless2k12

Ah right well don't forget to take a look at the "ladder system" and see if there are other ways to get your course. If you're worried about missing out then you can always go for a level 7 course from which you can branch off into the last year of the level 8 course after. I don't know much about the veterinary course but just see if there are other courses which lead to it. For example, in engineering there is a 290 point level 7 course and, if I completed all of its 3 years, I can do a fourth year which qualifies me to the same level as someone that went straight into the level 8 course. There probably won't be too many backdoor entries into veterinary but always worth a check if you haven't already. Hope you get your 560 straight out though

Ana27

Thank you Lawless2k12, I have looked at the ''backdoor'' entries for veterinary, I can complete a few 4 year courses and then apply for graduate entry veterinary I will defo try to go down that route if i dont get the points, which would be a miricle tbh!! I have also looked at studying abroad as the entry requirements are much more relevant ie. A Chemistry + A Biology rather than demand=points

I hope you get your points but thats great that you have other options

SureYWouldntYa

Ana27 wrote: »

History

For the essays you do in History, each paragraph is marked out of 12. However there is no limit to the amount of paragraphs you can do. If you aim for at least 10 more solid paragraphs, you could easily get the 60 marks for the cummulitive. Use the wording of the question in your answer in each paragraph and make sure all material is relevent to the title, and all your essays should be at an A1 standard.

Do not take chances leaving out stuff because xyz was supposed to come up this year, it doesn't work that way. You can get caught so easily in History.

Do not study just the case studies

Stick to the word limit of the rsr, i was 50 or so words above the limit and lost 5 marks because of it and cost me an A1

Hope it helps come next August!

felixfelicis

I'll do my best to help you out with a few! But I'm afraid when it comes to maths and chemistry, you're on your own

So, English. I got an A1 in this.
Don't waste any time predicting. English is getting less and less predictable each year.
For your single text, learn your quotes extremely well. For Hamlet, I had a ton of flashcards consisting of quotes and nothing else. (Eg, on one side I would write "Frailty, thy name is woman!" and on the back of that card I would write "Hamlet's view of women", so I could test myself! This really works.) Read a ton of sample answers, just don't necessarily learn them off by heart. As long as you know the story really well, and you have a crapload of quotes you can apply to any question, ye'll be grand
For the composition on paper 1, learn off sentences and ideas, rather than essays and stories. Learn some impressive words and phrases and apply them. If you're doing a short story, memorize some characters, settings, basic plots, so you can quickly apply them if need be.
Again, don't freak out over which poet is coming up. Learn 4 - the ones you like the best. And, worst case scenario, know the names of the poems of a 5th poet - just in case.
And of course, comparative - make sure you just include a ton of "In contrast with / Similarly / Unlike x,".

French (A1 here, too.)
First things first, cover your basics. Make sure you know all your JC vocab - numbers, colours, directions, food, etc.
In terms of the written section, always write more (I wrote 2x more, generally) than the amount they expect. There's lots of handy notes/books you can get with good "filler" vocab. The key thing here is to prepare yourself for ANY question - don't sit around hoping the Olympics will come up. Know your vocab, you'll be fine. (Eg phrases like "C'est un grand probleme parmi les jeunes de nos jours" which can be applied/twisted into any answer at all).
Do all the past listening comps, and then listen to them again, with the tape script.
As for the oral, it's grand It usually consists of the basics, so get them covered as soon as possible, so it'll be easy for you come March!
And last, but not least: IT IS VITAL TO PRACTICE READING COMPREHENSIONS WITH THE MARKING SCHEME IN FRONT OF YOU. The marking scheme for these can be a bit weird, so it takes some getting used to to see what you really have to do

Biology (A2, sadly! haha).
You just gotta learn it! Focus on the big areas - Ecology, Plants, DNA, Food (food is vital for SQs). Once these are covered, study the papers, see what's likely to come up, and branch out into those areas.
KNOW YOUR EXPERIMENTS! Don't forget about them! I think a plant experiment comes up every year, if I remember correctly.

History (A1!)
In terms of your research project - study something that will interest both you and the examiner. I don't care how much you love Marilyn Monroe, your examiner will be pissed off if they have to read about her. Read the marking scheme for this, too. It's helpful - because you don't have much space in a lot of the areas, so just write what'll get you the marks. I studied Abraham Lincoln and his involvement in the issue of slavery, btw. Branch out from the course - please nothing Nazi-related - and find something fascinating
In terms of essays, there are patterns. I don't know what books you're doing, but study the papers, and you'll see the patterns. (Eg for pursuit of sovereignty, a question on NI always comes up in some form. In dictatorship and democracy, Russia is always there etc).
And just keep writing those essays! Practice with a timer. Timing in the history exam is crazy.
Don't neglect the document question. It's important and very easy.

Hope I helped! x

moss1234

i would also love to do veterinery in ucd , points are sky high , study tips would also be greatly appreciated
Chemistry
biology
Physics
Maths
Irish
German
Accountancy ... thanks

Barster

Hi ,
My name is Barry and I'm also a leaving cert student . I'm just wondering for those who have been there and done that what study tips would you give a student? what sort of hours should I be doing throughout the year . For those who are interested the subjects I do are:
French
Biology
DCG
Technology
English
Maths (pass)
Irish (pass)
L.C.V.P

if anybody could give me specific advice on those subjects and what to look out for , how to study e.t.c please do i would greatly appreciate it thanks you

Lawless2k12

Barster wrote: »

DCG

Possibly THE worst project this year! Can't even measure the lectern I'm trying to make. Shocking what they gave us to build. A lot tougher than the GPS system or docking station projects handed out in recent years.

Bears and Vodka

Just a tip to add to the English advice above. I also got an A1 by the way.

The poster above gave no advice whatsoever for Paper 1. That's where the easier marks are got I think.

Question A. For reading Comrehensions follow a format such as this: 1. Make a point 2. Explain 3. Back it up (quote). Keep in mind that if the question is worth 15 marks they are looking for at least three pieces of information. If the question is worth 20 then they want at least 4.

Question B. Almost the same advice as for Composition below.

Composition. Practice your Composition Essay once every couple of weeks and hand it up to your teacher to correct. He/she won't mind. Choose your preferred style(s) and practice them over and over, with and without time constraints. Read books, if you are planning on doing a short story read classics not Fifty Shades. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Wilde, Nabokov, Joyce are all very good at what they do. The more you read the more useful vocabulary you will pick up as well as the occasional quirky phrases that you can use throughout your own work. For example I read Nabokov's short story once and came across this phrase which I made sure I remembered and used in my own essays if it was suitable: "If the soul of a person could be compared to a shop and the eyes to the twin display windows of that shop, then judging by the _____'s eyes the merchandise inside his soul was of superb quality.
It's just an example. Main thing is to keep practicing.

FudgeBrace

subz3r0 wrote: »

Composition. Practice your Composition Essay once every couple of weeks and hand it up to your teacher to correct. He/she won't mind. Choose your preferred style(s) and practice them over and over, with and without time

Which style of writing do you use? Just curious seeing as you got an A1!!

Mick! 1234

Hey guys, I achieved 575 points in my LC last year so I may aswell throw my hat in the ring!

Firstly, Chill Out Peeps!!! Like you, I was on boards.ie last year looking for tips, advice but mainly reassurance. However now that I’m on the other side of the big LC I wonder what all the fuss was about. With out trying to be patronising, you have to tell yourself you will succeed. Yes, the LC is a big ordeal at the moment but with a bit of hard work you’ll fly it! However studying flat out from now on is futile in my opinion.

Some proper advice now!

English(A1): Poetry first. Have four main poems and two lesser studied poems per each four poets. Then learn 15 quotes for each poet. These quotes should include the main poetic techniques like imagery, pathetic fallacy etc. Organise a flow of which poem follows which throughout your answer. The four poets (or 5?) that come up on the day have to suit 50000 students so remember – the Qs are workable and not too specific! Eg I did Kinsella last year, he’s a fairly depressed chap so therefore the exam Q can’t really ask about joy or happiness. Know where your poet is coming from and you’ll be fine.

Single Text: These Qs are getting more specific. Therefore don’t bother learning off reams of those idiotic “sample answers” your teacher dishes out like there’s no tomorrow. Do a bit of research yourself. The links between where Shakespeare’s characters, themes etc crop up in other places can be fascinating. Examiners love peeps who show that little extra nugget (eg Laertes was also the Ancient Greek father of Odysseus- which in Roman is Ulysses – also the title of James Joyce’s book!) Engage with the text yourself, have a good understanding of the play and pick 15 quotes that are relevant to you and cover a range of themes, characters etc. After that you can answer any question.
Comparative: Learn this off. The questions are never specific. Trying to produce this from scratch on the day is madness. I had 6 or 7 paragraph headings under which i compared the texts.
The other Eng Qs you can’t prepare for just use your natural ability.

Irish (A2) I can’t really give advice here. . I just learned off 3 essays, phrases, poetry etc. It was a tough slog. If you’re going to do the same be cute about it ie I had some of the same general phrases in every poetry/essay answer. There is always an easier way to do things! Learn good material that is not specificto one Q.

Oral: Study the sraith pictures very well. Again, find some phrases that apply to many of them. I had three questions last year that fitted every Sraith (How many peeps? what is she holding? And What did they do next in this picture?). Be cute about it and try to minimise the amount you have to learn. Quality over quantity!

French(B1): Oral oral oral. Learn the oral work well, it helps for that part but it is also vital for the written parts also! I also chose the Diary Entry Q. Have a few openings, closings, emotions etc sentences. However be discreet in the written section, you might have a few fabulous lines that just won’t fit on the day. Leave them out.
The reading/listening will come together itself over the year.

Biology/Ag Science(A1s): The main thing with these is the experiments. Learn these off well as they can crop up in a few places. If you’re struggling with a section, drop it and focus on the rest of the course. In hindsight, I would have been better off not doing Genetics/DNA as it took up a fair bit of time. It wasn’t until April that I noticed Ecology has a massive part in every answer booklet. Practically anything you write here will get you full marks! So be cute about it lads! After that just remember the main topics Repro, respiration, nutrition,Plants etc.

For Ag Science get the project out of the way before January. It’s an absolute pain having to do it in March. (I still have my one so PM me if you’re interested)

Geography(A1): spend time on the project. This will become the bane of your life but persevere!! Photocopy the ans booklet a few times and be sure that everything fits in neatly before the final draft. It took me over a month last year to get it right. After that it’s just learning off the SRPs for essays. However don’t be too rigid in this either – eg Transport and tourism in Ireland, Paris or Italy has basically the same principles. The Geo exam is become less predictable so you must be able to bluff/work your knowledge of one area into another Q.

All this might not make sense or click until next May or so, so don’t worry if you think you’ve a mountain of work to do. Chill out for another while lads!

The main thing with the LC is to be independent and just keep calm about it. Yes it is a massive ordeal but it is manageable. Study what suits you, not specifically what your teacher thinks to be the “correct way of looking at things”. Have confidence in yourself, other classmates may be doing 19,20 hours work a night(they say!) but they still mightn’t do as well as you. Getting grinds may not be necessary either - dont be pressured into it because you feel left behind. i didnt use any grinds. Know where you are in your class ie are you in the top few peeps in every test? This will give you confidence during the exams.

In a weird way I got a great buzz out of the hype, nerves etc of the exams so try and enjoy them! Don’t panic whatever happens – I remember sitting in Bio last year in front of a disgusting paper and freaking out. I wasted about 10 mins perspirating, looking around for divine inspiration before I realised I just had to get on with it.

Have confidence inyour own ability. Sitting ALONE, allll alone, with no one to ask a question to can suddenly hit you in the exams. It’s do or die stuff. However as I remember saying to a friend “the LC is more about damage limitation than showing off what you know”. Yes some exams will be horrible but it’s the peeps that react the best, chill out a bit and just get on with it that do the best.

Be relaxed and don’t be going around fumbling with a holy water bottle and stuff a few minutes before Eng paper 1(a lad actually did this in my room!).

Finally,(fair play for getting this far! I got a bit carried away!) chill out peeps. I think it’s pointless to start proper studying/learning until late March. Don’t study over Christmas or Easter, just go out a few times instead!Doing an honest homework each night is the most important thing. Some days you’ll feel like quitting but just remember what awaits you in college; fun, sport, women(or men), studying what you want, new friends, social life etc. This is the best year in school so enjoy it! Stay onside with everyone and try and play sport in school or outside. The LC should only become “No 1” from April on. oh and don't cheat for the Mocks aswell!:p

Good Luck!!

Ana27

Just wanted to say a huge thanks to everyone who shared their stories and advice Much appreciated!
I feel much calmer now knowing that although you guys did really well, you weren't necessarily studying flat out from September!!
Relief!!

I really like the idea of the flash cards for english felixfelicis ,

Thanks Mick!!

btw im really curious as to what your all studying now, where and how your finding it Did you know exactly 100% that was what you wanted to do or take a chance? If the latter applies, has it payed off?