Leaving Cert English...what do I need to know?

Sarahmay17

I've just finished 5th year and I would love to get all of english revised and finished before going into 6th year to help secure an A grade. So my question is, what do I need to do to cover myself? I've Platt, Bishop and Yeats perfected, Dickinson and Heaney are nearly to a good standard, Macbeth, (my single text) I only know character questions and we just started the comparative before the summer holidays.
Any comments on what I should do would be great! Thanks.

aimzLc2

Sarahmay17 wrote: »

I've just finished 5th year and I would love to get all of english revised and finished before going into 6th year to help secure an A grade. So my question is, what do I need to do to cover myself? I've Platt, Bishop and Yeats perfected, Dickinson and Heaney are nearly to a good standard, Macbeth, (my single text) I only know character questions and we just started the comparative before the summer holidays.
Any comments on what I should do would be great! Thanks.

wow you sound really well prepared for fifth year, welldone , 5 poets is perfect, start on imagery,language and theme questions for macbeth and decide the two genres you will do for the comparative, you don't need to do the 3. Decide if you prefer short story/personal essay etc for paper 1 and just keep practising them , even though you are doing the work now, continue to hand up essay's to your teacher during the year to maintain the information , best of luck

ray2012

Sarahmay17 wrote: »

I've just finished 5th year and I would love to get all of english revised and finished before going into 6th year to help secure an A grade. So my question is, what do I need to do to cover myself? I've Platt, Bishop and Yeats perfected, Dickinson and Heaney are nearly to a good standard, Macbeth, (my single text) I only know character questions and we just started the comparative before the summer holidays.
Any comments on what I should do would be great! Thanks.

For Macbeth, make sure you cover the theme of Kingship (power's use and abuse). It was tipped to come up this year but never appeared, so it may make appearance in 2014. All you basically write about in it are the 4 kings in the play (Duncan, Macbeth, Malcolm and Edward), their qualities as kings, if they hold "the king becoming graces", and their abuse/use of power.

JustForClarity

You seem exceptionally prepared for sixth year, especially in the poetry section.

I'd recommend reading/watching the three texts you'll be studying for the comparative over the summer. I read our novel (The Road) in April of fifth year to get it out of the way early and that set me up to learn about it in detail over the next year while many others were still reading it (although some never read it at all!).

Besides that, try doing some sample answers on Macbeth if you like. Use any notes you have and your own knowledge of the text to answer questions on topics like: the supernatural, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth's character, kingship, evil, Macbeth as a tragic hero, and any imagery in the play. While these essays mightn't be to the same standard they will be at next June, it will greatly help you remember everything from the play and allow you to figure out which quotes you most frequently use and perfect them.

I'd say leave poetry until next year. You seem to be more than on top of things in that area and there's an awful lot of time devoted to poetry approaching the exams.

Other than that, please make sure you don't overdo it. Fifth and sixth year are a duo of long and tiring years, especially if you don't make use of this summer holiday. There were people in my year who studied all through the two years (including holidays) and I've seen it get far too much for people when the exams are approaching. Given that you sound like a particularly studious student, I'd imagine you'll be working hard for the next year. Use this break as relaxation time because you're in for one of the hardest (but also one of the best) years now.

Dropping No Eaves

I'd recommend doing nothing and enjoying your Summer...

olazbabes

6th year has been the most painful experience for me. The 3 weeks is torture. Why can't you just enjoy your summer. You have a full year to work. If you study now you will forget it because you move on with the course and get bombarded with essays. Have fun with friends now. If you had to do something practice Composing questions and develop a flare. It is 25 per cent of your grade=100m. it worked for me. At the end of the day poetry is only 50. it is the composing that determines grade in my opinion. Anyone can write about macbeth/ poetry as it is prescribed. Good Luck

_LilyRose_

I would also advise you to take the summer off! Read this summer because you'll be so tired next year that it will definitely take a backseat. And it counts as paper 1 practice! Good luck

jamo2oo9

Don't do any studying this summer or you'll become such a fantastic procrastinator by Christmas and you'll won't feel bothered to do any studying at all. Happened to a girl last year. She got herself well prepared for the summer and started her studying business but didn't do very well by the time the mocks came around where she got 240 points. Don't know how did she do in the real thing but I heard she was studying childcare in DIFE.

woopah92

Definitely take the whole month of July off to study, but maybe the last 2 weeks in August or something try and revise a little bit. It'll get you back into "school mode" and you'll be ahead of your classmates. Trust me, even the people who say they're going to study, don't.

Sarahmay17

Thanks for all the advice! I might do a minimal amount of study, just enough to releave some amount of stress from next year. I'm hoping for about 540 and so far its looking likely with effort next year and your english related comments!! Much appreciated

buyer95

Basically ye are all fcuked next year anyway for English, because this year every poet that was widely predicted, Plath, Mahon and Bishop came up. These things balance themselves out so I would expect them to throw a spanner in the works next year and either repeat some of the poets or ask one that is widely tipped. So I would recommend taking to the bed for the summer and brooding about the unfairness of life.

I joke, I joke. Take a break this summer. You will have forgotten the poetry for sure this time next year anyway. You should use the summer as an opportunity to catch up on reading, that counts as paper 1 pratice, as you'll be expanding your vocab.