JC Students' thoughts on the eve of the exams
Roisin
I have to admit I'm getting pretty nervous today. Both English papers are tomorrow so there’s a lot to do, but I think I'm pretty much on top of it..... I hope... I'm going to try to relax a little bit this evening and try not to worry too much. I usually find it easier to stay calm if I can distract myself with something, like a good book or movie, or a board game with someone, really anything that takes your mind off the exams! I'm also going to get everything I need for tomorrow ready tonight so I'm not under pressure in the morning. I'm going to try to get to bed in good time so I won't be exhausted in the morning!
James
I feel that I am well prepared for tomorrow. Although the stress is growing before my first exam... I'm trying my best to put it to the back of my mind and keep concentrated. English is one of my better subjects and I am confident that it will go well for me. The exam is marked fairly tough so good grammar, spelling and punctuation will be key in achieving a good grade. I would advise every student to get to bed early tonight.... that's what I'm doing anyway! :)
LC Students' thoughts on the eve of the exams
Ailbhe
T’was the eve before EnglishIt was the best of times it was the worst of timesAt the moment I’m flitting between various personalitiesThere’s the " It’ll be ok Ailbhe you have loads done, just relax and it’ll soon be over"and then the Devil appears on my shoulder -"you know Ailbhe, rumour has it this is the year the prediction book is being thrown out the window, you don’t stand a chance!"and of course there’s the denial -“ I can’t believe they expect us to learn all this, I mean it’s just crazy! Who do they think they are?"The careless nonchalance " I just don’t care anymore what's done is done, where do i sign up for the repeat class next year? I'm off to the beach!"Of course turning on the radio doesn’t soothe my turbulent mind.You'll always have the sure footed bright spark with his/her words of "encouragement""well I don’t know about you guys but I've done every paper since Jesus was knee high to a grasshopper, I've sat 5 mocks and got over 95% in each and I’m planning on a heavy duty all nighter buffering my books up with coffee and my swollen confidence."To be honest guys, I think we all go through each of these characters; the question is who do you want to be 12 hours away from the test paper?Speaking for myself, I’m planning on drawing the final curtain on the revision early tonight. I will turn off the notes I have playing on my iPod and listen to some much needed Passion Pit. I will take an early night. I will delve into my current bedside accompaniment, George Orwell and see what's going on in the land of 1984. I will turn off the light and hopefully succumb to the etherised (thanks J Alfred Prufrock!) state of mind known as dreaming!
Last minute tips and tricks:
Read the newspaper today. Paper one can be greatly adorned with a fantastic array of general knowledge/current affairs.Exhume your old Junior Cert English book and dust off the section on functional writing this is invaluable to Question B.Bring every colour of highlighter know to man to the exam with you. For the comprehension highlight part (i) in pink, part (ii) in orange and save the brashness of yellow for part (iii). Or use your own discretion on the colours if you're not feeling the pink!As for Home Ec, this is my favourite subject and is quite an accessible exam if it wasn't for the God awful timing. Tonight make out a pretty little colour co-ordinated chart of the RDA's and any other short nuggets of information you are inclined to forget. This will really help you in the hour between the two exams and also gives you a chance to test out all the new stationary you got for the exams! Don’t deny that you love the new rulers, biros, highlighters and pencils you have festooned on your desk! ;)All in all just relax. Banish the doubt, denial and frustration. You are that overzealous student designed to instil fear into the hearts of others. Attack the exam with ferocity. Three hours and it’s all over. Forever!
Owen
Wow can't believe that the Leaving Cert starts tomorrow, its hard to believe that the past 14 years of education pretty much comes down to the next 3 weeks!As I find myself approaching the last few hours before the adrenaline rush, heart thumping and hair pulling exams aside, I don't quite know how I feel?!?Yes of course I'm nervous and I’ve got that heart stopping feeling like I've nearly fallen off a chair or lost my mobile so when I think about it, yes anxiety overwhelms me but all for 2min maybe even less and then I get over it. I realise that I've put in the work and there's not much more I can do but give it my best shot sure even if things don't work out, people make their own destinies, right?, not exam results... although saying that, they probably do help!Tonight, on the eve of English Paper 1, all I can do is take some well deserved time to relax and unwind with some TV, maybe a movie, a bit of PlayStation or just hanging out with some friends and prepare myself for 2moz - nothing worse than going into an exam completely stressed out! Hopefully the paper 2moz will be a nice little warm up for rest of the exams, not too much study involved but a hell of a load of writing... think I'll be getting an early night!
State Examinations 2010
Irish Second-Level Students’ UnionPRESS STATEMENT *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
State Examinations 2010 08/06/10
On the eve of the first day of the 2010 state examinations, thousands of Junior and Leaving Cert students across the country are sitting down trying to get as much last minute study done as possible – hurriedly cramming as many home economics facts and paragraphs of prepared English essays off by heart in the hope that they will be able to adapt these essays to suit the questions on tomorrow’s English papers.The sad reality is that in forty-eight or even twenty-four hours time, much of this information will be gone from their memories forever, replaced with quotes for Leaving Cert English Paper two, Junior Cert Irish essays and quotes, mathematical proofs and geographical facts which in turn will be forgotten by the weekend when it comes to cramming for next week’s exams. The current Irish second-level examinations system encourages rote-learning to such an extent that it is detrimental to our students, affecting their ability to adapt at third-level.The ISSU welcomes the current review of the Junior Cycle being undertaken by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment but urges the Department of Education and Skills to act on the NCCA’s recommendations as soon as they are made available. The ISSU also calls on the Minister for Education and Skills to reconsider the review of the Leaving Certificate which was recently shelved due to its estimated cost of €100 million. Let’s face facts; the Leaving Certificate doesn’t adequately prepare students for third-level or life outside of education so although the initial cost of an overhaul may seem high, the eventual benefits to our students and to the ‘knowledge-economy’ that the government so often states that it strives for will far out-weigh the initial cost. We need to encourage more creative and dynamic learning at second-level, the ability to rote-learn a paragraph isn’t a fundamental life-skill.The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union will be keeping an online blog during the state examinations with daily contributions from Junior Cert, Leaving Cert Applied and Leaving Cert students from across the country as well as official commentary on each paper from the ISSU.Top tips on exam best practices as well as how to keep stress levels to a minimum can also be found on www.issu.ieOn behalf of all the ISSU team, we would like to wish all students beginning the state examinations tomorrow, the very best of luck.__ENDS__Notes to Editor:ISSU is the national umbrella body for school Student Councils, aiming to represent and connect Irish second-level students the length and breadth of the country, ensuring that the voice of the Irish second-level student is heard and striving for innovation and democracy within the education system. ISSU is a not-for profit student rights organisation.At ISSU we believe that young people are not merely citizens in waiting - we deserve better, we deserve to be heard. We can and will contribute positively to society. It is so important that our voices, views and opinions are (i) heard (ii) listened to (iii) and most importantly respected. This is what ISSU is all about. We’re here for you.Our main aims include:
- To provide training and development of second-level school Student Councils, in conjunction with relevant bodies.
- To develop policies on issues affecting Irish second-level students and bring the needs and rights of students to the attention of the relevant authorities.
- To provide a transparent, democratic and reliable organisation.
- To work in collaboration with other educational institutions and bodies both in Ireland and Europe.
- To work closely with educational curriculum policy makers and teachers’ unions to continually develop a transparent, fair and modern education system.
- And most importantly, to give students a structured platform through which the voice of the Irish second-level student will be heard.
ISSU represents students at a national level and is affiliated to; the WHEEL, NYCI, Anna Lindh Foundation, Stand up for Education Alliance, Children’s Mental Health Coalition and the Children’s Rights Alliance. On an international level, ISSU works closely with OBESSU. ISSU also works with curriculum development teams and various advisory bodies. Contact:www.issu.ie, email info@issu.ie or call 01 443 4461.
ISSU.ie Exam Blog
Your offical online exam centre.... the ISSU EXAM BLOG .... Starts Tuesday June 8th at 6pm. Daily updates from Junior Cert, Leaving Cert and Leaving Cert Applied Students with exclusive ISSU commentary and analysis as well as your comments and feedback - only on issu.ie. The blog will be updated live every evening at 6.30pm. To contact the blog team email blog@issu.ie. To view the blog click hereConnect with us on - Twitter, Facebook and issu.ie or email blog@issu.ieFor Students, By Students.
Students welcome Minister’s ‘Clear Signal’ – the proof will be in the pudding
The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) has warmly welcomed the remarks made by the Tánaiste and Minister for Education & Skills, Mary Coughlan at the TUI congress today. Speaking today (Wednesday) an ISSU spokesperson said:
“Minister Coughlan could be the catalyst for change that Irish Education needs. She is clearly bubbling with enthusiasm in her new role and is eager to bring about change. Students are now renewed with optimism at the possibility of bonus points for Leaving Certificate Maths. We also recognise her commitment to some flexibility on the moratorium on posts of responsibility in second-level schools, and her commitment to Junior Certificate reform. Project Maths is set expand to all schools from September; however it needs to be part of reform of the entire system to be truly successful. In a ground-breaking move the Minister has also hinted at this, in her recognition of the need to move away from a system that encourages rote learning in a step towards a system that fosters critical thinking. ISSU calls on the minister to encourage and support the great work of the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union in fostering student voice, participation and empowerment. It is important that she recognises that the needs of those we serve are a vital link in the decision making process ‘Remember Minister, we’re not citizens in waiting!’ We are on the brink of escalation of industrial action by the second-level teaching unions, however there is hope for the future of education if the Minister follows through with her commitments, ultimately the proof will be in the pudding”.
__ENDS__Notes to Editor:ISSU is the national umbrella body for school Student Councils, aiming to represent and connect Irish second-level students the length and breadth of the country, ensuring that the voice of the Irish second-level student is heard and striving for innovation and democracy within the education system. ISSU is a not-for profit student rights organisation.At ISSU we believe that young people are not merely citizens in waiting - we deserve better, we deserve to be heard. We can and will contribute positively to society. It is so important that our voices, views and opinions are (i) heard (ii) listened to (iii) and most importantly respected. This is what ISSU is all about. We’re here for you.Our main aims include:
- To provide training and development of second-level school Student Councils, in conjunction with relevant bodies.
- To develop policies on issues affecting Irish second-level students and bring the needs and rights of students to the attention of the relevant authorities.
- To provide a transparent, democratic and reliable organisation.
- To work in collaboration with other educational institutions and bodies both in Ireland and Europe.
- To work closely with educational curriculum policy makers and teachers’ unions to continually develop a transparent, fair and modern education system.
- And most importantly, to give students a structured platform through which the voice of the Irish second-level student will be heard.
ISSU represents students at a national level and is affiliated to; Anna Lindh Foundation, Children’s Mental Health Coalition, Children’s Rights Alliance, NYCI, Stand up for Education Alliance, and the WHEEL. On an international level, ISSU works closely with OBESSU. ISSU also works with curriculum development teams and various advisory bodies. Contact:www.issu.ie, email communications@issu.ie or call 01 443 4461.
Junior Cycle Review
The ISSU National Board is calling on all second-level students to get involved with our submission to the NCCA (National Council of Curriculum & Assessment). We will be preparing our report in July with the intention to submit our findings in early August.The NCCA have published their inital findings in their document entitled "Innovation & Identity". A copy of the document can be seen below.
How to get involved
Email your thoughts, comments or suggestions to studentvoice@issu.ie or post them to "ISSU, 8th Floor, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1", leave a comment on the ISSU facebook or use the comment box at the end of this page.
- What are your thoughts on the current Junior Cycle programme, including the Junior Cert exam?
- Does the Junior Cycle assist in bridging the cap between Primary School and Second-Level School?
- What would you like to see in the Junior Cycle? Subjects, Exam style etc.
There is no set length or restrictions of any type on submissions. We encourage Student Council's to submit group applications on behalf of your school - however individual submissions are also accepted.[issuu layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml showflipbtn=true documentid=100405173814-a2f752c7ac504ca3820415314dbd5f19 docname=new_junior_cycle-2010 username=issu4u loadinginfotext=NCCA%3A%20Innovation%20%26%20Identity width=420 height=297 unit=px]