I'm in no way a fan of the Irish college system. Quite frankly the CAO system exerts far too much stress and strain on young people. I survived my Leaving Cert (just about) having spent the year under horrible stress and having more sleepless nights and I can see the general understanding is that the final year of secondary is by far the most difficult. I managed to make the most of the year however and came out with 515 points (out of 625)! As college decisions near and exams get closer - here's my little tips to get through the year and get the best out of your exams.
- Sleep is your friend. You can't work when you're tired or sleep deprived (believe me, I've tried) Try and get as much sleep as you can and don't stay up all night cramming for school tests especially. You can only do your best and being sleep deprived isn't going to help anyone.
- Listen. Its that simple. I've been asked on a number of occasions how I got my points in my exams and all I tell anyone is that I listened. You remember 20 percent of what you hear compared to 10 percent of what you read. You'd be surprised what you can pick up without even realizing. I had a question in my Biology exam that I hadn't studied but on the day I remembered something my teacher said and BANG got he answer! It's simple but if you don't listen, you won't learn.
- Podcast are saviors for language students. I listened to Irish and French podcasts on the way to and from school everyday. You pick up phrases and pronunciation when you hear the words repeatedly. I'd recommend Radió na Life and Youtube have some good French vids you can convert to Mp3s.
- Make study plans and try to stick to them. Choose topics to do every day and do them . it makes the end of the year easier when you've covered things!
- To follow on from the previous points, languages are tough. I'm not the best at French or Irish but I tried my best and passed both at higher level. Practice practice practice Start speaking groups at lunch time and speak with your friends in said language as often as possible. try watching tv and films in the language too. Emerging yourself in the language is the easist way to learn something I watched Irish news everyday and regularly watched TV5 when I was doing my written homework at night.
- Don't be afraid to ask teachers for extra time to get homework done if you're feeling under pressure. Exam years are horribly stressful and when you're trying to juggle 6-8 subjects, it's horrendous. Teachers are human too and have been through exams too. Ask nicely and explain the situation. It can relieve a bit of pressure from you and most teachers will be happy to oblige a day or two extra.
- Do coursework in plenty time and don't leave it to the last minute I handed my LCVP coursework in the day it was due and spent most of the day before finishing it in a blur of stress and panic. You're given a long amount of time for a reason! For subjects like Religion, choose a topic that your interested in. Doing your research won't be so daunting then and you might actually be able to have fun doing it. It makes it easier to get a good grande if you're talking about something with passion and true interest.
- Repeat revision. You've heard it in school but repeating things make them stick. Study things over and over again every few weeks and by the actual exams, you'll be better off and studying will come a bit easier.
- Don;t be afraid to take breaks. Studying all day mashes your brain sometimes. Take breaks away from your study area. Talk to a friend, go for a jog or read for a bit. Your mind will be clearer and you'll get so much more done.
- Phones and iPods aren't helpful at all. We're all attached and have heard people blagging on an don about them being distractions but it's true. put them away. You can live without them for the few hour you're studying.
- Ask questions. If you don't understand something - ask. Sometimes you mightn't get something covered in class but if you ask teachers to explain after, they con become clearer. Don't be worried about annoying with 9 trillion silly questions on the same topic. If it gets you to understand, your teacher won't mind!
- Most schools have organised study during the evenings and most holidays. Do it. it can cost but it helps force you to study. If you get put sitting next to people intent on making noise (I sat next to a 3rd year with a rather loud blackberry and a laugh like a jackhammer) don't be afraid to tell them to be quite. Getting your study done is probably far more important then the silly conversions that happen in study.
- Try and attend school as much as possible. Loads of people take the final week for a study week but without focus, you can sometimes just spend the time staring at books. Same goes to study days.
- Use study periods to study and not sleep. You'd be surprised how much homework you can do in 40 mins or even how you can get ahead on study.
- In regards to college applications/CAO's - don't let people make your mind up for you. I had a guidance teacher who was putting silly ideas into my head and confused the hell out of me. Research what courses you're interested in doing (and research it well.) If needs be, contact the college and ask to speak to course leaders. If you can go to open days and speak to someone on the course. Don't be afraid to ask questions no matter how silly they sound.
- Furthermore, Gap years aren't all that terrible. If you don't have the money to go to college straight-away or if you just want a little break, go for it. I'm on a gap year this year myself. I've gone and gotten myself a job so that next year I can afford college. Be sure to have an idea of what you're doing for your gap year however. After the first month or two of forever lazy day, the bliss suddenly starts to wear and you'll be dying to do something.
- Finally, don't stress too much. At the end of the day, failing or doing bad at something is not the end of the world and you can always repeat the year or the subject.
I know these are all points that have been made before but they do help. Best of luck to everyone sitting exams this year!
Orla xo
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