Remember when I said I had always had my eye on doing 8 subjects for the leaving for points reasons? That doing an extra one would likely give me a better chance of coming out with enough points for what course  I want to do?

Apparently, this peace of mind comes with a price.

Not a monetary price, fortunately, but a price that is still quite draining. Fifth year is almost definitely starting to leave its war-scars on me. Study is becoming central in my daily life. I panic a little every time I miss the chance to look over those logarithms or forget the difference between acidic and basic lava. And those websites our teachers are always telling us to go on in the computer room? The likes of Skoool.ie? Eircom StudyHub? The Examination Material Archive?

Let’s just say their visitor counts are set to skyrocket from one particular computer until June 2012.

I have been having a mysterious and unusual increase in zeal for some of the more frowned-upon subjects around. Like, how long has it been since I last said “Irish is awesome!”, or “I am rather looking forward to proving these abstract inequalities!” ?

I’d say it’s been a while.

So, while I am treating my newfound enthusiasm for the chore subjects of the Leaving Cert with some slight suspicion (I am sure someone has been bucketing me with magic dust at night while I’m asleep), I’ll take it in my stride and hopefully it’ll pay off come Christmas and summer exams and the like. Sure, Irish has about a thousand and four declensions for every imperfect masculine noun, and maths takes forevarr to study, but I’m confident that this wee morale boost will make school that little more bearable!

And tea.

Lots. And lots. Of tea.

x

Do not consider painful what is good for you.
-Euripides

Happy 10/10/10

So Hows everyone???

i haven’t blogged in a while

I am so exhausted from the weekend. I was in town on Friday. Hi Becca . And Today I was studying . I don’t know why I bother I’ll never understand energy levels, sub-levels and orbitals even if Ms. o’ Connor shouts at me. I HATE CHEMISTRY . On the good side of school, we started our food studies assignments last Tuesday and there going well. Cooking chicken and broccoli bake on Wednesday. Do not know what to do about the chicken . Why cant the elderly be vegans too.

I got an A on my English essay . Thank you Ms Holly. Done in article form so good sign. Someday I’ll work at the new york times . I put down my blogging on my CV. Yay!!. Applying for work experience at The limerick leader . Hope it goes well.

Part Two will be here in a few minutes

Bye for now

Hey everyone!

Just a little note I forgot to mention in my last post -

If anyones got an Ipod touch of forms, then theres an app out called ‘Leaving Cert Papers’ (funnily enough ) which is downloadable straight onto your Ipod. I put it onto my Ipod over the summer and although it doesn’t have the 2009 0r 2010 papers,  it has all the others, every subject, both pass and honours with each marking scheme included. It’s ridiculously handy to have, even if you just want to check up an answer or view a paper on the bus.

I’m pretty sure it has most of the subjects too – here’s the list:

Accounting, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Science, Applied Maths, Arabic, Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Classical Studies, Construction Studies, Economic History, Economics, Engineering, English, French,  Geography, German, Hebrew Studies, History, Home Economics, Irish, Italian, Latin, L.C.V.P, Maths, Physics, Physics&Chemistry, Religion, Russian, Spanish and Technical Drawing.

Like I said, it’s handy to have… so thought I’d better mention it!

Sorcha x

I sincerely x3829517 apologize for not having written in quite a while. I’ve been quite sick  for the past week, and I’ve had a lot of tests to study for – which was made difficult due to my sickness. Fifth year, eh, guys?

I’ll be honest, I’ve never been a fan of the whole concept of time-organized study.

Back in my Junior Cert days, when I had thousands of subjects to study and the patience of a mysterious martial arts expert, my study habits were a little more ‘flexible’ than timetabling. If I had a big test coming up, or if study was part of the *actual* homework, I’d pull out the relevant textbook and read/take notes, concentrating mostly on that subject, for about an hour or until I felt I knew it well. And back then, study wasn’t as big a deal for me as it is now – I felt I learned well from my homework, and I only really knuckled down around big-test-season. So yeah, not so well-structured, huh?

Actually, this structure seemed to work out well for me. Not that I’d recommend it (I could’ve worked better), it just didn’t seem to leave me in a bad place grade-wise. I generally got all As and Bs in exams, and I was happy with my JC results (all As and Bs, too – Hell yeah!)

But alas, the Senior Cycle has befallen me, and it looks like there’ll have to be a lot of knuckling down for everyone, including the all-A-and-B students. I’ve been told over the years that study timetables are the way to go, and I think this year is the year I find out that this is true.

I’m going to start moving gradually into a more structured study pattern starting from today: I’ve made a list of topics in different subjects that I’m going to study, and how long I will study them for. Eventually, I’ll have a fixed time every day set aside for study.

It does seem a little daunting, but I really want to do well in my Leaving Cert. And as they say – the early (and organized) bird catches the worm!

I will leave you with a link that has provided me with much amusement for the past ten minutes.

http://number8belch.ytmnd.com/

XOXO

Gossip Girl

Paul

It saddens me to inform you, my dear cyberspace pals, that the novelty of being in Sixth Year has finally worn off for me. I now sit here in my study, surrounded by dictionaries, folders bursting with handouts, a leaning tower of textbooks and the shattered remains of my social life. I want out!

While reading through a college prospectus yesterday, it struck me that in order to get into any course, I’m going to need quite a few of these ‘magic points’. Think about it, points obtained from Leaving Cert results really are like magic. You can’t buy them, or sell them (although what a nice money-making scheme that would be) and they have total power over your future. They decide whether you’re going to be the next Marie Curie or the next Marie Curie’s cleaner (hey, someone’s got to clean all those test tubes). And it’s looking like I’m going to require over the 460 mark for anything I want to do. I think it’s time to go into a corner and sob quietly.

On the bright side, my attention span has been at its best these past few weeks. Facebook has been so boring that I’m not even tempted to go on it and would almost rather write my essay on Fianna Fáil’s cultural policy (I said almost). At least on Saturday and Sunday evenings I can look forward to The X Factor, a break I reward myself only if I study. Which I do because I’m not going to miss Cher singing. That girl is too cool.

Is anyone else going to the NUIG Open Day on Friday or Saturday? I’m definitely going because it’s more than likely my future destination. Sunday Times University Of The Year 2009! It’s also moved up to the spot of 232nd best university in the world. Out of 252… It’s getting there.

The longer I’m back at school, the more blissful Friday evenings are. Seriously, I’m as happy after school finishes for the week as an OAP on pension day!

The downside is the large menacing pile of school books in the corner of the room. Naturally, as a Leaving Cert student (those words still send a shiver down my spine), I have lots of homework and tests to study for. I am quite proud of myself though because I did a big long Irish poetry question on Thursday night that’s not due until Monday. At least that’s that out of the way.

Speaking of Irish, I didn’t mention anything in the last post about my time in the Gaeltacht. I went for the first time (and sadly the last time) this summer. If anyone is looking for a good one to go to, Coláiste Chamuis Camus in Co.Galway is the place to go! Obviously I’m going to be biased when I say that but it has an excellent reputation. They were an amazing three weeks- I met the nicest people and my Irish has improved enormously (it got to the point where I was sleep-talking in Irish). I’m so confident speaking as Gaeilge now that I’m actually looking forward to the Oral! The idea of a French Oral, however, still scares the beyjasus out of me. Anyway, we were doing some Irish listening in class a few days ago and it’s so much easier to follow it all. Fuair mé beagnach gach ceann ceart!

I’ve noticed that nearly everyone here seems to have gone to the Higher Options exhibition and I feel so left out that I wasn’t there! I only found out what it was three days ago so I’m guessing since we’re here in the isolated West of Ireland, my school didn’t bother suggesting it. Reading people’s blogs about it, it seems similar to something I went to last year near my school and am going to again this year. I really just attend those things for the free stuff.

I’m going to keep this short for today because I feel a cold coming on and want to go rest. Eh, I mean, study.

Hello everyone =D

I’m sorry that I havn’t blogged in so long, and that my blog as Gaelige didn’t happen…… I was cramming and panicking!!

Despite having a bit of a last minute pre-oral breakdown before French (I was nervous about being nervous!!) it went ok. I wasn’t asked anything too complicated, and nothing I couldn’t answer, just the regular bits about family, friends, sport etc. Despite this, I came out the exam feeling slightly disappointed! Maybe it was because I had learned so much and didn’t get to use most of it…. Anyway, I felt that I hadn’t done enough to make French into an A1 subject and so proceeded to pile on the pressure for Irish!

You see, I’ve figured that either Irish or French needs to be an A1, and the other an A2 for me to get the points…. Lovely positive thoughts to have right before heading into an exam huh? So, as you can guess, I was a nervous wreck going into Irish. I got through my sliocht (uimhir 5) without any problems. Then the fun began – I couldn’t remember how many people were in my family (I knew how to say it but if you’d asked me in English I still would have been like uuuuuuuuuhhhhh…). If first impressions really count that much I’m screwed!!! =( After that I suppose it got better. I wasn’t asked a modh coinnealach question, lots of people weren’t, but I managed to squeeze some in somewhere. Anyway, they’re over, and I’m just praying they went ok.

It’s amazing how much more time and energy I have now to do actual proper study- not just going up to my room, wandering around for a bit, coming back down and pretending I got “loads” done!! (Please tell me I’m not the only one who did that…) I think it might have something to do with “seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” or one of those clichés. Anyway, motivation seems to come a bit more easily now. After all, 7 and a half weeks and it’ll all be over. SCARY thought!!

We had our yearbook photos taken last week (on the windiest day EVER) and that just made it all seem a bit more real- the whole leaving the school thing. I kind of grasped that fact that the leaving cert was coming (to get me!!) a while ago, and yea college and parties as well as hopefully studying what I want. It just hit me then, the whole sentimentality aspect of it all, “there are people in this photo with me now that I may NEVER see again.” Ok, we mightn’t get on. We may have had our differences, but if you are used to seeing the same faces 5 days a week, about 35 weeks a year for 6 years it gona be a bit of a change (tear!). I’ve been in school with a few of the girls since junior infants :O crazy huh? When I said this to a friend in school, she simply replied “well, if you want to see some people again, you’ll make the effort. If you don’t you won’t!” Still, what if I’ve shared “the best years of my life” with people I’ll never meet again?

On a similar note, we are also preparing for our graduation. The songs are amazing!! My friend made up her own words to a song to make it applicable to our school. I don’t know the original name, but it goes like “Follow me and everything’ll be alright….” (I think!!). So, like thousands of girls up and down the country, as well as worrying about exams etc. I also have to find time to shop for a dress!! Gawd I say it like it’s a chore lol!!

Well I had better get back to the books for now.

Hope everyone is getting on ok, and not over stressing.

Ta ta

Katie

Hello again. I think it’s time I stopped letting this blog gather dust and returned from my cyber-wilderness. I shan’t make excuses, in truth I have no justifiable ones, but I shall resolve to update this more often.

Oh dear, there are only two or so weeks left until my mocks start. Fantastic.  I think the panic is starting to set in just a little bit. Only a little bit though, I’ve done this before so you can trust me on one thing: the mocks are not very important. Grades wise, I mean. They do have their uses: they are a wonderful eye opener for those students who have yet to “wake up and smell the coffee” as my teacher put it the other day. And He’s right.  If you have yet to get stuck into the books, don’t panic.  Much. Panic a little bit, then take that horrible sense of dread that you will probably get as you walk into your mocks and get very familiar with it. Now try not to forget it as soon as your two weeks of fake-exams are done. Hold on to it. Channel it into some…and there are those of us who may not be very familiar with this word…s-t-u-d-y.

Seriously.  I’m not even joking. I’d never felt so scared in my life when I went to do my mocks last year, but unfortunately I forgot all about that horrible feeling as soon as I handed up my last paper. Consequently, I had to experience it all over again in June. For the non-fake-exams. Which was even worse..

Let me know how you’ve been getting on with the aul’ LC, whether it’s take one or take two (or you’re Laura Brady and doing it for the 57^th time).

Good luck with your mocks!

Sinéad.x

Hey everyone

Hope everyone had a good weekend, and hopefully Monday wasn’t too bad either

Well the finale of America’s Next Top Model is tonight, and hopefully this time next Monday I will be studying instead of watching Tyra Banks and the Top Model hopefuls. I really want Aminat (but she just got voted out, so now I’m backing Allison, the blonde one) to win…okay, sorry, I know most people won’t care lol.

Had to start studying for the christmas exams really badly today, so I took on Economics and Biology and Maths in after school study. Sorry, I’ve no horror stories, it actually went okay. I got annoyed when I opened my Biology book on genetics and couldn’t remember half of it, but I just calmed myself and read over it. It’s annoying, because it was one of my best tests this year at 97% so I really don’t want to mess up on it for xmas.

I’ve had to make a timetable though, because I’ve a tendency to just study what I like, more than what I need. Irish has fallen completely by the wayside. Ditto Spanish.

My birthday is coming up this weekend so I’m extremely excited, even though it’s only my 17th. It fell unfortunately very near my exams though.

I was wondering, just reading a few posts, how does everyone study? I did a test while I was attending CTYI at DCU this summer, and I found out I was an aural listener. So I learn better if I can hear myself say it. So basically my new method of study, is time-consuming, but it works so I’m not going to complain.

Basically, I read something a few times aloud. Then I close the thing I’m reading from and say it again. Check if I’m right. Then I write it out three times. I’ve been told I’m insane, but it seems to be the only thing that works for me.

I’m also looking forward to the Trinity Open Day on Wednesday. Is anyone else going? I just want to take a look around, before I decide what courses I want from there on my CAO.

Anyhow, I know I’m getting distracted, but this is the last Monday it’s happening, so I’m going to treat myself to Extreme: Skinny Celebrities.

I’ll start tomorrow

Night all, have a good rest of week

Love from,

Aims

x.x.x.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday: there is never enough time to get what you want done, is there? And as I asked in my first blog, ‘how much time is enough?‘ I’m spending 33hrs 45mins studying a week (including “class time”), and still I have a LOT to get through! And how do I know if I’m taking the L.C. seriously enough? I sat in shame watching ‘The Late Late Toy Show’, seeing that young boy called John Joe speak so perfectly about the literature of Roald Dahl – on a side note: how cute was his little laugh? – and thinking to myself, “I’m screwed!”  There is no way Shakespeare will get something so wonderful from my brain come June next year. I’m stressing about orals, aurals, practicals, written papers, C.A.O. forms, examination papers, future college prospects, acceptance into a college, open days, exam results, and simply wondering if I’m doing everything correctly!

However, I am receiving a C.A.O. form and a external candidate  application form this week in the post, and I will hopefully begin work  on my history research project this week too! I also received news this week that “took a load off”. My old secondary school contacted me and told me I could sit my examinations there, so phew! And U.C.D. open day is next friday – I can’t wait for that. Anyone else going?

But I am a little exhausted. I’m worried this year I won’t do as well as I’m anticipating. I don’t want a lot, just enough to get me into a university, hopefully U.C.D. But night after night I lie, tossing and turning, unable to sleep because I think of the alternative prospect: having to repeat again, wait till I am a mature student, or settle for less. Is it too early to be suffering from butterflies in the stomach?

However, with regards to study, I did get a LOT done. King Lear is finished, as is the comparative study, basic French grammar is nearly finished, and I’ve also written a good bit of notes too! Yet, I only hope I’m employing the correct study techniques. What is the best form of learning?

I do not believe that the examinations are simply memory tests. Subjects like English, French, History, Gaeilge and Music are designed to exhibit  flair, intellect, opinion, cultural, social and political awareness, and some degree of personal response. If they were memory tests one would not be required to understand any of these concepts. We would  just write answers on a page based on what we’ve committed to memory, and let us be honest: what is interesting about that? If we perform as conformists, we lose all personal identity. My opinion would not be something that would matter to anyone, and even if it doesn’t as it is now, it matters to me.

On the other hand, what if being a robot is what the examiner expects? What if a person, like me, strolls into the examination, expresses his/her opinion in a clear, but controversial manner, and yet loses marks for being unique? Is identity important when writing a response to the study of John Keats’ poetry, or should one simply do what has been seen and done before, if doing so earns an ‘A’? Was Robert Frost right when he said ‘I took the road less travelled by and that has made all the difference’? Or was he merely speaking of himself? Should we do as he did if, in the long run, we remain true to ourselves; or should we conform to sample answers and committing essays to memory if, in the short run, it gets us to our first choice college?

Au revoir mes amis,

Ian