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Leaving cert subject choice - Construction studies

  • 13-10-2012 5:42pm
    #1
    sunshine follower
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭


    Hey,
    I am i transition year at the moment and must choose my leaving cert subjects. I have decided to do physics and dcg aswell as a language. For my third subject I am not sure, my school has just started to allow us to the local boy school for some subjects and I am interested in doing construction studies. I have no expeirience with wood work or metal work. I'm not sure if I should take on a new subject like this are is it too dodgy. Does anybody who does this subject have any advice?:)
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Comments

  • #2
    duffyheap
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭duffyheap


    I was the only female in my class doing construction studies and it was definitely a great subject to do. It's common sense for most of it and your teacher is usually really helpful. I was a bit intimidated by being the only girl but i ended up getting one of the best grades out of my class. I got a B2 in higher level and i honestly didn't put too much hard work into it :)


  • #3
    dg647
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 124 ✭✭dg647


    The Construction Studies course is a very manageable course. I am a Construction teacher btw. There is 50% for the exam in June, 25% for a project that you can pick yourself (make something i.e. furniture, make a model of a house/structure etc or you can focus on new technologies such as solar/ wind etc.) the final 25% is for a practical exam where you are given a drawing and you must make the object shown.

    With some practice the practical side is very manageable, and you can avoid it in the project if you want. A good thing about the subject is that you have 50% done before the exams in June and that takes some of the pressure off. Where a lot of people slip up is they relax too much, forget about the theory side and this drags down the grade.

    A high B is very manageable if you put in the work, the A1 requires things to go your way with the project/ practical.

    If you have any questions just post them here and I will do my best to answer.


  • #4
    LostBoy101
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,369 ✭✭✭LostBoy101


    dg647 wrote: »
    The Construction Studies course is a very manageable course. I am a Construction teacher btw. There is 50% for the exam in June, 25% for a project that you can pick yourself (make something i.e. furniture, make a model of a house/structure etc or you can focus on new technologies such as solar/ wind etc.) the final 25% is for a practical exam where you are given a drawing and you must make the object shown.

    With some practice the practical side is very manageable, and you can avoid it in the project if you want. A good thing about the subject is that you have 50% done before the exams in June and that takes some of the pressure off. Where a lot of people slip up is they relax too much, forget about the theory side and this drags down the grade.

    A high B is very manageable if you put in the work, the A1 requires things to go your way with the project/ practical.

    If you have any questions just post them here and I will do my best to answer.
    Just a small question, does the teacher gets involved in the grading of the project when the examiner comes in?


  • #5
    dg647
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 124 ✭✭dg647


    There is a marking scheme given to the teacher. The teacher marks the project, then an external examiner comes in from the SEC and they grade it. So the teacher corrects it, but it is monitored by the SEC, so don't worry, it won't be a case of the teacher marking you down because he/she doesn't like you!


  • #6
    duffyheap
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭duffyheap


    I'm repeating my leaving cert this year. Do you have any good ideas on what to make?. Some thing pretty but not too complicated??


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  • #7
    LostBoy101
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,369 ✭✭✭LostBoy101


    dg647 wrote: »
    There is a marking scheme given to the teacher. The teacher marks the project, then an external examiner comes in from the SEC and they grade it. So the teacher corrects it, but it is monitored by the SEC, so don't worry, it won't be a case of the teacher marking you down because he/she doesn't like you!
    Not worried about the teacher disliking me as he seems to quite like me and provides me useful tips.


  • #8
    dg647
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 124 ✭✭dg647


    When you are picking a project remember that the project in total is worth 25%. 10% for the artefact that you make, 5% for experiments and 10% for the brief. The mistake that a lot of students make is that they pick a project that takes too long to make and it takes up too much of their time. Make sure that you cover every heading in the brief and do THREE experiments and make sure that you have evident of the experiment being done (such as photos, samples of the materials used in experiments etc).

    If you are making a craft project try and do something a little bit different. For example, everyone is able to make a standard coffee table with 4 legs, rails, rectangular top etc, but, try and make it some way different, look at shapes, legs, other materials other than wood etc.


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