Extra Work

No-one wants to be that student who hands the teacher up the extra work. But I was that person, and it takes that pro-active nature to succeed in the Junior Cert. Take a subject like English, where there are no definite answers for questions, and much of the marking is very subjective. It is hard to grade your own essays as a result.

Why should I get my work corrected?

If you have certain answers that you are looking to learn off for the Junior Cert, you want to be 100% sure that they are correct before you begin learning them. For the languages, you want to ensure that you have your grammar correct, and that all the spellings are right. And for a subject like history, you want to ensure that all the information is factually correct.

But I don't get along with my teacher!

No matter how many times you have not brought in your homework, no matter how many times you have messed in class, your teacher will care about your Junior Cert grades. It is in their best interests that you succeed. They will be more than happy to take up your work and mark it for you.

What should I get my teacher to mark?

Here are just a sample of the things that your teacher could mark for you:

• Irish stories
• English essays
• History accounts
• Geography answers
• French/Spanish/German letters and postcards

Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important things that you're going to need over the next few weeks. Without sufficient sleep, your brain cannot function properly. You'll find it hard to concentrate when studying or in class, and your memory won't be great. It is essential that you get a decent night's sleep each night between now and the Junior Cert.

How long do I need to sleep for?

Studies show that teenagers need at least 9 hours sleep on average. If you're not sure how long you sleep for each night, I have found a calculator that might help. It's wasn't originally made to be used by tired Junior Cert students though, instead for new parents.
http://www.whenmybaby.com/sleep-duration-calculator.php


I find it hard to get to sleep

Its funny the amount of people that experience this problem. It doesn't help that the Junior Cert is only a matter of weeks away. Stress seems to loom over people, particularily when they are lying in bed trying to get to sleep. Here are a couple of tips to help you get to sleep quicker.

• Do not look at a bright screen ie. phone before you go to bed
• Avoid watching television before going to bed, as it means that your brain will still be active when you are trying to get to sleep
• Play a podcast or music at a low volume while you are going to sleep
• Ensure that your bedroom is as dark as it can possibly be - blackout blinds are essential
• Avoid caffeinated or carbonated drinks in the hours leading up to your bed time
• Exercise in the hours before your bed time
• Read a book before bed, it should relax your brain

This article has a few tips, I've never tried any myself though! : http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/unable-sleep-eleven-ways-you-2300449

5 Key Study Components

5 Key Study Components

1.      Study Plan

2.      Refill Pads

3.      Exam Papers

4.      Stopwatch

5.      Coloured Pens

1. Study Plan - Before you even unpack your bags, you're going to need to know what you want to do. You need to make a plan of what you want to achieve during this study session. You must be specific - it's not good enough writing down 'History (2 hours)', you have to specify which element of the course you will be covering. For example; 'influences of the French Revolution on Ireland (30 minutes)'. This will enable you to look back in the weeks to come to see what you have studied, or more importantly, what you haven't. Always give a time frame with the topic and tick it off when you have finished studying it.

2. Refill Pads - You will need to write a lot. Whether that's doing notes, essays or establishing a study plan. Have at least two refill pads at all times, you're going to need them both in class and at home!

3. Exam Papers - Absolutely crucial when studying. You can get all the answers correct in the books, but when it comes to the papers, you may struggle. Get papers for all of your subjects. Even if you are not given homework in the papers, do some questions. Start with the most recent questions and work backwards through the years. Instead of using sibling's papers, try to get the latest copies. Remember, both the papers and marking schemes are available at http://examinations.ie

4. Stopwatch - You're going to need a stopwatch for both timing yourself doing exam questions and timing yourself studying. We've all got stopwatches on our phones nowadays, but when using our phones studying, it is very easy to become distracted. Try to get a dedicated stopwatch that you use just for studying.

5. Coloured Pens - It's important to make things stand out on the page. Colour is a great way to do that. Whether you're underlining things in a book or writing words in different colours in your notes, it is good to highlight the most important information. 

Oral Examinations

 These can be quite daunting for many students. Having to go into a room, face-to-face with an examiner that you don't know, and have a conversation with them in a language that you probably aren't fluent in. But don't let them get to you. With some practice and confidence, you will gain lots of marks through your oral.

Try and find someone that speaks the language you are doing the oral in. Talk to them. Bring along your notes. My parents are able to speak French and Irish, so I found it convinient being able to practice with them. But if you don't have any friends or family that speak a foreign language, your teacher is here to help. Most language teachers are willing to give up their time to help you.

Practice unforseen circumstances. Don't expect every question that you are asked to come off the department's sheet. Remember, the examiner is there to have a conversation that flows naturally. In a real life situation you will not be asked 'do you have brothers and sisters?' followed by 'how much pocket money do you receive?' . So, be prepared to be tested. Don't panic if you stop. You can always ask the examiner to repeat what they have said, or explain that you don't understand.

Do not make up fake answers in order to show-off your vocabulary. For example, if you pretend you visited Paris last summer, the examiner may begin to probe you with questions about the holiday like; 'Did you see the Eifel Tower, what did you think of it?' .

Learn-off the role plays and stories. These are sections of the oral that are a give-away in terms of marks. Particularly in French, the role-plays are a section where students have the potential to get full marks in. Also in Irish, students should learn the responses off by heart. But pronunciation is key. It is of utmost importance to pronounce the sentences correctly, including any accents on letters.

Life After the Mocks

You did well. Congrats! - But don't become too confident. It is important that you recognise what subjects you can improve in and work on them. Keep the mock papers. Analyse each question and take note of those you made mistakes in. Be aware that in many schools the papers are marked by the teachers. So, they may show bias towards their own students. It is important to remember that in June, an impartial examiner will be marking your paper.

Do not take your results for granted. I know of a number of cases in which students received higher grades in the mocks than in the Junior Cert. Perhaps the marking scheme for the mocks was generous, perhaps your own teacher marked the paper, perhaps it was an easy paper. In one subject in particular, the majority of the class received an 'A' grade in the mocks. A handful of students received over 90% , indicating a high result. In the Junior Certificate itself, some of the students that had received over 90% in the mocks ended up receiving a 'B' grade. They learnt a tough lesson, and it is one that will be learnt by many a student who decides to 'take their foot off the pedal' , or become lazy and ignore a subject.

You didn't do as well as you thought you would. Don't be put-off. It's important to recognise exactly where you went wrong. Did you leave your studying till the last minute? Did you not get enough sleep? Were you feeling stressed? . These are the kind of questions you should be asking yourself. Look at the results of all of your subjects, and spend an hour analysing each mock paper; where you lost marks, where you gained marks, what questions you missed etc. Take note of your mistakes and ask for a copy of the mock paper from your teacher; most won't mind giving you one. This will come in handy later in the year.

Remember, you still have lots of coursework. Those who do religion have a project which is worth 20%, CSPE students have a project which accounts for 40%, and science students have an experiment book and two large experiments which together account for 35% of the grade. Those doing languages also have their oral examinations, which also are a large percentage of the final result. Take all coursework seriously. Many students ignore the importance of it. For those who are aiming high, it is essential to score highly in the coursework in order to maintain a high grade. But also for those who feel they may struggle in the examinations themselves, coursework is important.

·        ·  There is little or no stress surrounding it - It is done in class time, with your teacher.

·         ·  You can do rough drafts of the projects, and simply copy them into your official folder later.

·         ·  Your teacher is there to help you should anything go wrong.

·        ·  There is little or no time constraints involved - you have plenty of time to do them - So don't rush the projects.

Objectives

 If you are in 2nd year or just starting third year, the Junior Cert probably seems like it is miles away. In fact, there are about 230 days between the start of third year and the start of the State Exams. But time is your most valuable resource, and how you use that time will determine your grades.

Long-term Objectives

Your long-term objectives include what you want to achieve in the Christmas exams, the mocks, or indeed the Junior Cert itself. Try to be optimistic, but stay realistic at the same time. Look at your previous test scores in each subject, and from there, make a prediction of what you think you may get. Push yourself - set yourself goals that are higher than those you got before. Don't settle for getting the same results.

Short-term Objectives

 I found that these were very important to me. Short-term objectives include what you want to achieve each week, each month, or indeed each day that you study. Before studying, students should have a clear plan in place of what they want to achieve. Get a piece of paper, write down what topics/subjects you want to cover, and how long you want to spend studying each subject.

Be specific. Instead of writing down 'study English for 30 minutes' , write: 'English - Merchant of Venice Act 4 scene 1 notes (30 minutes)'.

Keep records of what you have studied. This way, at the end of a term, at the end of the week, or coming up to exams, you will know what you have covered, or more importantly, what you need to cover.