Are you just as wrecked?

MalefarmerAnn

Hiya Crowd,
I am doing Leaving Cert and am finding it hard to stay awake and atay concentrating on study, am looking for 540 and so am going a bit overboard,

What should I do for energy?
My mother is making me take ginseng tablets are they any good?
should I stick with bottles of Lucozade/Bpm or are there vitamins/minerals/tonics which work?
I am eating enough,
dont take as much excercise as should but am not unfit???

Scarinae

Avoid Lucozade and sugary drinks anyway. If you drink these, yes, your energy will go up - temporarily. Then you'll have a spectacular sugar crash and will be left with no energy. Boring as it sounds, avoid sugary food/drink, coffee, tea, Red Bull, all stuff like that - drink water instead. Read this article: http://webcenter.health.webmd.netscape.com/content/Article/81/97066.htm?pagenumber=1

randomfella

1. what time do u go to bed at?
2. What time do u wake up? (might sound stupid but some people study before school)
3. How often do u excercise?
4. What is your diet like, do u eat enough?

maybe if you answer these questions to yourself u can see where u are going wrong. U shouldn't need to take any extra drinks constantly to maintain your energy levels. U could have low sugar levels? i heard some expert give advice i think it could have been on www.rte.ie/radio1/listeningtotheleaving where they advised students what diets they should/n't be on.

EDIT: yea i agree with everything fishie said there. I mean it sounds wrong that u 'need' these drinks to keep u awake to study. Sounds like u need a rest.

It's stuff like this that makes me so sick of the leaving cert. We shouldn't need to be fatigued and contemplating energy boosting products.

The junior cert should be 2 years, the leaving cert should be 3. They mixed it up by accident or something.

Or just continual assessment.

[/mini rant]

Scarinae

<Jonny> wrote:

The junior cert should be 2 years, the leaving cert should be 3. They mixed it up by accident or something.

That's actually a really, really good idea... And so obvious, I didn't even think of it!! Did you know that in Coláiste Eoin in Stillorgan they do the junior cert in 4th year? Yup, four years for junior cert - absolute madness

randomfella

four years

nah i can't believe that. If they could manipulate their fourth year as an extension to the junior cert, surely they could swap its use for the leaving cert? So they have no transistion year at all? its optional in my school. THANK GOD

U know why they don't make it 3 years for leaving? Because they would just make the tests harder! and u don't want that!

shane0312

randomfella wrote:

nah i can't believe that. If they could manipulate their fourth year as an extension to the junior cert, surely they could swap its use for the leaving cert? So they have no transistion year at all? its optional in my school. THANK GOD

U know why they don't make it 3 years for leaving? Because they would just make the tests harder! and u don't want that!

People who do the junior cert through Irish get four years. Colaiste eoin is an all irish school.

thegloriousend

I have a can of aldi red bull every day when I get home form school. It really works, I can actually study so much longer. But I also crash and burn . Usually have to sleep when I get home once a week.

Overall, the pluses way out the minuses. Don't listen to all these stupid water myths. Be cool, drink red buuul

RagShagBill

<Jonny> wrote:

It's stuff like this that makes me so sick of the leaving cert. We shouldn't need to be fatigued and contemplating energy boosting products.

The junior cert should be 2 years, the leaving cert should be 3. They mixed it up by accident or something.

Or just continual assessment.

[/mini rant]

I only matured last summer, I'm in fifth year now, but if I was doing a leaving cert course last year, I'd be well ****ed. Also, you have to remember that if everyone gets three years to do it, then the points will go up for everything, meaning harder work to get into the higher courses.

Creamy Goodness

RagShagBill wrote:

I only matured last summer, I'm in fifth year now, but if I was doing a leaving cert course last year, I'd be well ****ed. Also, you have to remember that if everyone gets three years to do it, then the points will go up for everything, meaning harder work to get into the higher courses.

the points wouldn't necessarily go up for everything, it would just spead the workload out more evenly.

RagShagBill

Thus giving people a bigger chance of getting big points, thus higher points for courses.

*Angel*

It's not the healthiest option but seen as it's just a few more weeks, you should try drinking coffee, it's a great pick-me-up. For instance I quit coffee about 10 days ago and I do stay up pretty late (2 or 3 ish) because I work better at night, yesterday I had to start drinking it again because it just keeps me awake.

breadmonkey

The junior cert should be 2 years, the leaving cert should be 3. They mixed it up by accident or something

Why would you want to make it 3 years if it's too hard on you at a 2 year course?

And whats this crap about everyone getting higher points? The points requirement for a course is based on the number of people who want to do that course versus the number of places available. If they did make it 3 years they'd just add more to the syllabus.

Because the leaving cert is bigger and more important than the junior cert. We need more time to study for it than we do the JC.

Camogie Playa

*Angel* wrote:

It's not the healthiest option but seen as it's just a few more weeks, you should try drinking coffee, it's a great pick-me-up. For instance I quit coffee about 10 days ago and I do stay up pretty late (2 or 3 ish) because I work better at night, yesterday I had to start drinking it again because it just keeps me awake.

oh my god no offence but that is madness,no matter how little homework ive done i have to go to bed at 10. without my sleep id be a b*!"h the nest morning!id have no more freinds!but if it workd for you, fair fecks to ya!
Im a coffee addict too, and coke!i know they're soo bad for me but i have to have my fix everyday!

Fosfor syrup is good leading up to exams

*Angel*

Camogie Playa wrote:

oh my god no offence but that is madness,no matter how little homework ive done i have to go to bed at 10.

Well generally for about every hour study I do I bum around for about an hour (music/tv/nothing), that's just the way I work and it kinda works for me, and I find it really hard to study during the day but thankfully I work pretty well at night.

I'm not denying the madness though.

Rredwell

I do about 2 or 3 hours of study per day, though I am aiming for 4 as I need about 560 points. I alos eat badly, generally picking at food here and there. But I rarely eat chocolate, never drink, and have about half a cup of tea a day. And I get 6 - 7 hours' sleep.

[/Health assesment submission]

Gone West

I only need 305 for the course that I really want to do, so I havent started studying yet.

Agent Smith

usefull advice from a university student...


college is Hard.

( i'm in the middle of a 3000 word assignment)


very hard



but oh so much fun!

angeldelight

Rredwell wrote:

I do about 2 or 3 hours of study per day, though I am aiming for 4 as I need about 560 points. I alos eat badly, generally picking at food here and there. But I rarely eat chocolate, never drink, and have about half a cup of tea a day. And I get 6 - 7 hours' sleep.

[/Health assesment submission]

This time last year I was doing a lot of study, about 4 and a half hours on weekdays and 8+ on weekends BUT I took lots of breaks (don't watch tv for all your breaks try and be a bit acive, helps you sleep), ate 3 good meals so I wasn't distracted by my stomach rumbling, drank loads of fluid (headaches I'd been geting stopped)and got 7-8 hours minimum of sleep. I also took a day off every 2 weeks or so. I'd seriously recommend you do the same (not the hours of study necessarily, just the other things).It took me a while to realise, but when I wasn't tired all the time I listened more in school so some of my revision got done there, I was less grumpy and when i was reading something it actually went into my head rather than having to do it over and over. Its more efficient (and healthier)! You should try it, you might feel like you're slacking or whatever at the start but you'll probably realise you're getting more work done if you stick to it for a week or so.

Another thing I found was that although ppl say do 40 mins study and take a 10 minute break I just found that irritating so I did 1-2hours study and then took 45 min break instead, gives you time to actually get a topic covered.
Just tips cause I can remember how stressful last year was. And yes it did work for me!

4Xcut

That ten minute break thing is so hard to come back from. I know this may be unpopular but continious assesment would be worse. You would have to be contiously good instead of 1 exam you'd have loads. I know this because i get like Cs in our weekly and Biweekly tests but for end of year exams/mocks(i.e. ones that somewhat matter as they are a more realistic projection of the leaving cert) the pressure all builds up and forces(scares) you into studying for an A.

RagShagBill

That ten minute break thing is so hard to come back from.

Jesus, know the feelin'!

RagShagBill

This time last year I was doing a lot of study, about 4 and a half hours on weekdays and 8+ on weekends BUT I took lots of breaks (don't watch tv for all your breaks try and be a bit acive, helps you sleep), ate 3 good meals so I wasn't distracted by my stomach rumbling, drank loads of fluid (headaches I'd been geting stopped)and got 7-8 hours minimum of sleep. I also took a day off every 2 weeks or so. I'd seriously recommend you do the same (not the hours of study necessarily, just the other things).It took me a while to realise, but when I wasn't tired all the time I listened more in school so some of my revision got done there, I was less grumpy and when i was reading something it actually went into my head rather than having to do it over and over. Its more efficient (and healthier)! You should try it, you might feel like you're slacking or whatever at the start but you'll probably realise you're getting more work done if you stick to it for a week or so.

Another thing I found was that although ppl say do 40 mins study and take a 10 minute break I just found that irritating so I did 1-2hours study and then took 45 min break instead, gives you time to actually get a topic covered.
Just tips cause I can remember how stressful last year was. And yes it did work for me!

And how did that work out? How many points? I think I'll follow your advice next year, it will mean no more newspaper or books?

*Angel*

angeldelight wrote:

This time last year I was doing a lot of study, about 4 and a half hours on weekdays and 8+ on weekends BUT I took lots of breaks (don't watch tv for all your breaks try and be a bit acive, helps you sleep), ate 3 good meals so I wasn't distracted by my stomach rumbling, drank loads of fluid (headaches I'd been geting stopped)and got 7-8 hours minimum of sleep. I also took a day off every 2 weeks or so. I'd seriously recommend you do the same (not the hours of study necessarily, just the other things).It took me a while to realise, but when I wasn't tired all the time I listened more in school so some of my revision got done there, I was less grumpy and when i was reading something it actually went into my head rather than having to do it over and over. Its more efficient (and healthier)! You should try it, you might feel like you're slacking or whatever at the start but you'll probably realise you're getting more work done if you stick to it for a week or so.

Another thing I found was that although ppl say do 40 mins study and take a 10 minute break I just found that irritating so I did 1-2hours study and then took 45 min break instead, gives you time to actually get a topic covered.
Just tips cause I can remember how stressful last year was. And yes it did work for me!

I really don't know how you did that, I find it tough to get 2 hours done on a weekday a lot of the time and only got 3 hours done last weekend, me thinks I'm screwed...Well done though for all that dedication I hope it paid off!

angeldelight

RagShagBill wrote:

And how did that work out? How many points? I think I'll follow your advice next year, it will mean no more newspaper or books?

590 and a B1 in H maths that wasn't counted for points. No not at all, I'm a big reader so I went to bed half an hour earlier than usual to read. And part of the reason I got loads done on weekdays was I went into school for 8 and studied til 10 to 9 when it got noisy.

Shyster

shane0312 wrote:

People who do the junior cert through Irish get four years. Colaiste eoin is an all irish school.

Not all irish schools, in fact most of them take the usual 3 years. Couple of exceptions though.

Funkstard

Coláiste Eoin also have a sort of transition year in 1st year. I don't think they begin the course until 2nd year.

But they get the bonus marks for Irish, the bastards.

I was talking to my cousin who's in 6th year. He's planning on getting 100 hours of study done from now on; 8hrs during the week for 10 days and 5hrs on the weekends. Psycho. There's absolutely no way I could do that much. I mean, I work best cramming, but that's just obscene

*Angel*

Funkstard wrote:

I was talking to my cousin who's in 6th year. He's planning on getting 100 hours of study done from now on; 8hrs during the week for 10 days and 5hrs on the weekends. Psycho. There's absolutely no way I could do that much. I mean, I work best cramming, but that's just obscene

Nor me, that's a hell of alot, I'm still struggling to do a few hrs a night.

Funkstard

Ah, I see you're taking the "hide in front of the computer" rather than study route too?

I'm appalled at my recent inability to concentrate. It's some kind of psychological barrier. I'm procrastinating as we speak.

*Angel*

Funkstard wrote:

Ah, I see you're taking the "hide in front of the computer" rather than study route too?

yep, anything is better than study