Doing Leaving Cert Chemistry as a External (mature) Candidate?

coolaboola

Hello!

Firstly, good luck to all Leaving Cert students sweating through the last few pre-exam days studying.

I have a bit of a 'round about query which boils down as follows: can I do Leaving Cert chemistry on my own?

I'm 30, so its a very long time since I did my Leaving. I've since completed a degree in mechanical engineering and a masters in engineering science and I've been working as an engineer for nearly 7 years now.

For a while I've been toying with the idea of pursuing other interests, possibly even changing career altogether. One of the course options I've been looking at requires leaving cert chemistry as a mandatory entry requirement.

Now, I never did Leaving Cert Chemistry. I did study chemistry in college as part of my engineering degree but the course and my grasp of it were pretty abismal. So I was thinking of taking Leaving Cert Chemistry in 2006. If nothing else it would keep the brain cells and learning muscles ticking over. And if I do ever decide to take the leap onto a new path I would have that requirement under my belt.

Is it possible to study for and sit Leaving Cert Chemistry as an external candidate (i.e. not enroled in any school)? How do I go about doing that (registering, fees, etc.)? What about the mandatory experiments? What about finding/enroling with an exam centre? If I can't sit the exam as an external candidate is there anywhere I can enrol to do the course in 1 year in the evenings (as I'm working full time)?

Looking forward to hearing from anyone with advice to offer.

c

chickens

I think you contact the department of education and science and the enrollement, they quite helpful BUT you must ask EXACT question otherwise the send back silly answer (believe me, thay no conisideration of bad grammer!). As for experiment, they have to be done no? Maynooth do day on biology experiment, maybe somewhere do day on chemistry experiment?

I have friend, she not allowed go to school but she go down to local school once a week to sit into their experemential class (if you have job maybe you change hour??).

Evening course? I think there are courses offerend in many comprehensive (technological???) schools for mature student, my parent they do english, I think maybe you do revision couses for leaving as well, maybe they do class?? Also institute of education do saterday morning class, no??

Oh!! www.examinations.ie might be able to help (check spelling of site, I know no).

Gileadi

in the short-- yea there should be no problem sitting just one exam,lots of people tend to sit things like honours maths to get around the minimum requirement of potential courses

the only downside is that there are compulsory experiments to be done and the department are apparrently beginning to check up on these more regularly,if they ask you to show them a lab book with the write-ups done and you cant they have the right to stop you from sitting the written paper

a sly way around this is just to get somebodys write ups from a previous year as they experiments are the same all the time and re write them or even just rip the persons name off it and stick your own in.....then again its quite unlikely to get asked i think its <5% checking rates currently

chickens

And how they be ask? If he no in school he no able to tell school he get inspection.

Cherry_Pie

Chem is a tough subject but very do-able! Esp if it all you're concentrating on! you could try Kilroy college, www.kilroyscollege.ie
They will send you out all the information and material you need to do home study for the year! I think its about 200 Euro for one subject, but they are ment to be very good!!

Gileadi

chickens then can send you out a letter asking you to be at whatever school you have permission to sit your exams in on a certain date to provide your lab book


i think if you just went out and bought a 2nd hand chemistry book(not doing the subject so couldnt reccomend one) and one of those rapid revision/less stress more success type books you could do it solo....especially as the guy already has an engineering degree so it should be much easier to grasp then some of the ideas in that,and tbh if you did an hour or 2 a week between here and next may and then stepped it up a gear theres no way you wouldnt get the c3 requirement for most chem type courses

chickens

Oh!! I tell friend! You have very through system :rolleyes:

vector

Gileadi wrote:

chickens then can send you out a letter asking you to be at whatever school you have permission to sit your exams in on a certain date to provide your lab book...

lab book? WTF is there now a continuous assement element to LC chemistry?

Kevin_rc_ie

No there isn't.

You are required to do experminents within the year and they are examined in the exam. In theory, the department checks to see if people actually do the experiments by checking your lab books. NOthing in the lab book bares any importance to your result. But as said above, if you don't have a lab book, and they claim you didn't do the experiments, they can sotp you from doing the exam.

nikkc17

Hey I'm sitting the leaving cert as an external candiate myself and i have taking the last 5 months off work to study the subjects. I applied last Nov. to the dept. Its pretty cheap but you have to ask a school can you sit it there and if your doing practicial subjects like art you will need to ttalk to the teacher. I am doing business, geog, chemistry and biology all of which i never done before but got A1-B2 in them in the mocks. I'm not doing grinds or anything just gave up going out etc.

You will need to do up an experiements copy with the man. practical experiements in chem. but you can just get them off some one else. You dont actually need to have done them. If you need anymore help just ask.

coolaboola

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Great to get such rapid responses too (to my very first boards.ie post too!)

Yup, that lab thing was puzzling me a bit. Will look into it. I live near a couple of CDVEC's which might be handy. Having to work around my office hours might be tricky but sure we'll see... Sounds like I've a bit of investigating to do, especially for the experimental bit. The day of biology experiments sounds like the business if I could find a chemistry equivalent.