Moving school NOW! urgentish

dragona

Advice please -a bit urgent if you like! As he is going to school on Wednesday

Just found out two days ago that son (going into 3rd year) has been offered a place at a far better school,not going is NOT an option - and he is desperate to move BUT big problem - not all the subjects that he has previously studied are offered.
He now has to cram in intensive work/catch up on two subjects never studied.The choices are Art, Business Studies, Music and Home Ec.

He is artistic, and so has plumped for that, but the dilemma is what else!!!!!!

Any ideas? He is aware that he will not be able to really cram in two years worth of work into one, but what would be his best bet??

carpothepunk

geography,im taking it and the junior cert course is IMO a doss :rolleyes:

dragona

Erm he is doing Geography, the choices he has are outlined above!

If he's ok-ish with Maths then I'd definitely say Business Studies. I got that done over one Summer.

If not, Home Ec. Didn't do it myself, but was told it was quite easy.

dragona

Right - would you actually have to know how to play an instrument to do Music?

Not too sure actually. I would assume so. But like I siad, not 100% sure.

Didn't even know it was a Junior cert course now.

*MmmPie*

I'd say maybe Business, Home Ec is hard work as it involves cooking exams and a childcare/textile project thingy, but then alot of the theory on the course is just common sense

amacachi

i got a B in business studies just answering questions covered over a 4-month period in one year, so definitly that he should concentrate 90% of all his efforts on the book-keeping and accounting side of it

Flashling

In music there is a practical exam, where I think you need two instruments (voice included) so you need talent, you can't just learn things off, where as home ec. is all about doing things By The Book. So, if he is creative, then music maybe? But if he is good at learning things, then Home ec.

PurpleFistMixer

Being able to play a musical instrument would be a definite help because it'd have you knowing most of the theory and bear in mind you do have to do a practical exam... other than that, I don't know. I didn't do music for JC but if he's already got musical proficiency it'd be an idea.

Business Studies is a lot of common sense, you'd mostly just have to learn the accounting things and really they're pretty easy once you sit down and learn them.

Fobia

Business is boring. Easy, yes, but I will never learn to do accounts because of it. Nevarr.

THEZAPPA

i did music for the junior cert.

yes you need to know a instrument and you have to play 4 different types of songs,you need to know your choice works/songs and set works/songs and all about them you need to know how to read music and you get a band to learn about and write about them in the exam....

you also have to do rhythm exercises for the practicals it takes tears to learn all this.

if you have not done music for the 2 years i seriously recommend you do NOT do it,people who do not do music think it is easy-it is not.

dragona

I didn't think music would be easy
Really it is a toss up between Business Stdies and Home Ec then

THEZAPPA

dragona wrote:

I didn't think music would be easy
Really it is a toss up between Business Stdies and Home Ec then

home ec is really common sense but you do have to do a project and have a cooking pratical.

bussiness i dont know i never did it.

i would home ec would be the best out of the two.

They are both pretty easy course imo, but in terms of doing the course in 1 year, I'd choose Business.

It's just mostly theory and numerics, plus there is a practical for Home Ec, as THEZAPPA has said.


Like I said, if your son is better at Maths than making the dinner, go for Business.

philologos

dragona wrote:

Right - would you actually have to know how to play an instrument to do Music?

yes you do and you have to learn how to compose and have a previous musical knowledge at least up to about grade 3 theory

JBoyle4eva

My advise would be to do a subject but do ordinary level in it as it'll take the strain of cramming a little easier!

Sisu

I vote for Business Studies, especially if your son is reasonably good at maths and has common sense. I switched (from Music, which does require talent) in second year and got an A without doing any particular catching up. Our class finished the course during second year and spent all of third year revising the course.

Secondly, would it be practical for him to continue studying one or more of the subjects that aren't taught in the school and sit the exam in them. It seems a pity to drop them having done two years, and probably covered most of the course. What subjects are they?

Lastly, the Junior Cert isn't the be all and end all. If there's a subject he might like to do for the Leaving, then maybe he should pick that one, even if it isn't the one he can pick up best in a year for the Junior Cert.

Drag00n79

Could he try both for a month and then decide? If not, I would suggest Home Economics, unless you plan to get Business Studies grinds.

marshmallow

I'm going into 3rd year myself.

Business - I'm doing it. Most of it is different record keeping with some theory. If he is relatively good at maths, like others said, it should be easier for him. A lot of the record keepings began small then gradually added more information to it, he'd be able to learn it in one go rather than each seperate bit gradually as I did.

Seated in one exam.

Home Ec - I'm not doing it. A lot of friends find it hard work. You need to have done a childcare projects, several cooking practicals and know theory.

If he's a good cook that would help with the practicals. A lot of the theory is like Biology so if he's good at that he would know most of the theory then. All he would have to catch up on is the childcare project.

Have to sit a seperate theory and practical exam.



Music - I'm not doing it but take music lessons. I wish I had opted for this as a subject in school. If he has never done music before, doing it in one year would probably be hard.

If he has some musical experience then it should be easier. He will already know how to play an instrument and know basic theory. For theory he needs to know set composers and pieces and some of his own choice. For the practical he can sing or play an instrument. If he plays piano, all three pieces can be on the piano.

For the junior Cert he has to sit a theory exam and a practical exam.

Hope that's some help!

dragona

Sisu wrote:

Secondly, would it be practical for him to continue studying one or more of the subjects that aren't taught in the school and sit the exam in them. It seems a pity to drop them having done two years, and probably covered most of the course. What subjects are they?

Lastly, the Junior Cert isn't the be all and end all. If there's a subject he might like to do for the Leaving, then maybe he should pick that one, even if it isn't the one he can pick up best in a year for the Junior Cert.

Ok, thanks - he was dong Tech Graphics and Wood/metalwork, neither of which he particularly liked. Also I can't really afford to send him out and pay for extra lessons, and thirdly he HAS to pick another two subjects to study anyway, so as far as the Junior Cert goes, he will have to do the best he can in the new subjects. He will be expected to try and do extra study for those anyway, seems a bit much to expect him to carry on with the old subjects as well!

He is quite good at maths, so even though all his friends have said *NO!!!* I suppose BUsiness Studies is the best bet, and he'll just have to try and wing it.I realise that JC isn't the most important tests , but don't want to downplay it too much, otherwise he may think he can get away with not bothering .......and I think it would mean a lot to him to get a good result - he sort of cares!


Just a quickie - am going to Dublin tomorrow to spend squillions on uniform - am also looking to get some school books(a lot are carried over from 1st year) and was wondering where would be the best place to go - any second hand bookstores anywhere????

Mysteryfish

I did business for the JC and I think that it would be his best choice. It's not too hard and most of it is easy to understand and remember. Most school book stores will have second hand copies of books so you just have to ask for them, though I'd advise looking through a couple of the second hands to get the nicest one.

byatch

I'm only taking up music now and im going into 4th year. Wat school is he going to if you dont mind me asking? I have heard it is not to hard to pick up. You dont have to do two instruments. You have to do one which can be voice

dragona

byatch wrote:

I'm only taking up music now and im going into 4th year. Wat school is he going to if you dont mind me asking? I have heard it is not to hard to pick up. You dont have to do two instruments. You have to do one which can be voice

Yep well, suffice to say that he thinks he can *pick up* guitar in a jiffy, and can't sing a note! I really do think music is a no no. He has visions of everyone sitting in the common room, jamming away..........

philologos

theres a lot of material to learn for business theres more than just maths theres loads of stuff to learn i wouldnt recommend it if he is only going to learn for one year. Home Ec and Art is best bet

Mysteryfish

Well, the Art course is suppose to be pretty hard, and there can be a lot of rushing to finish projects, etc. As far as Home Ec goes, my cousin did it and only 3 people in his class got A's in the JC and it's suppose to be a very hard subject to get an A in. Business does have a wide course but it's still (in my opinion) the best and easiest choice. You are allowed a calculator, and provided you are able to memorise some formulas and defnitions, the only other thing you need is to be able to lay things out neatly, as you can lose marks for unclear handwriting/messyness, etc.

dragona

About art - do you need to have a portfolio of drawings? Is coursework considered as part of the exam?

kawaii

For art you do a project thing that starts at the beginning of the year...

I their are four parts to it: Painting, Design, Printing and 3D - Something like that anyways...

Their is no exam if I remember correctly...

Business - Boring, dull... If yo kid's an artist than I wouldn't reccomend so I would say to go for Home Ec... Allows a bit more creativity I guess and it's quite practical...

Irishstabber

There is an art test. Its a sketching test taken a month or two before the june exams.

kawaii

Yeah, that's right...

I'm so damn forgetful...

Lamia

From my experience of the JC, Art was a God send-as long as the person is reasonably artistic it shouldnt be a problem picking it up in 3rd year. I only wish Id finished my 3D earlier in the year as opposed to the day it was due in...

Home Ec is very like Science but the project part would make it more difficult then choosing Business Studies which can be passed with common knowledge and being good at Maths as others have said.