Leaving Cert Maths Paper 2
Nathan - Ordinary Level
Well to say that was a horrible paper would be the understatement of the year. I opened the paper and honestly don't think I've ever felt so nervous about an exam paper it was just horrible. Project maths why do you hate me! Thank god I never have to sit another Maths paper ever again wooooo!
John - Higher Level
Despite the controversy, I see no-one’s blogged on this paper here yet. Well, better change that, eh? So, the teachers get their revenge on project maths. They took their punishment over the last couple of years. They had to teach courses that were totally foreign to them. They scratched their heads like the rest of us at the bizarre questions that were thrown up, while trying to reassure us that ‘nothing like that’ll come up on the leaving cert’. And now that the enemy has displayed a chink in its armour, they pounce. In the SEC’s defence, the error in Q8 (a) would have had a minimal impact on any student’s approach to the exam (I certainly didn’t notice it, nor did any of my friends). The way the question was set up, you used your trigonometric ratios/sin rule/cosine rule to find the missing sides and you moved on. Only if you were paranoid enough to attempt to verify your calculations using an alternate method would you have discovered any discrepancy. I had more of a problem with how part (i) was phrased. Without the word ‘perpendicular’, there were a range of distances possible. Still, it’s sloppy. If the SEC can’t design a triangle that can exist in the real world, it hardly fills you with confidence, does it? Apart from that, I thought it was a fairly nice paper. I think I managed to conquer ‘that fecking arbelos’ (as it’s now affectionately known), and the long stats/prob question was almost therapeutic. That wasn’t my opinion exactly when I opened the paper however. The very first question had me cursing the new course. ‘Explain a sample space.’ Well, it’s kinda......y’know... To add insult to injury there was a perfect example of what I was trying to define staring at me from the bottom of the page. I think I ended up writing something along the lines of ‘that yolk down there’ to supplement my shaky definition. Question 2 on plants and growth hormones was typical of project maths: weird. It was less than crystal clear what they wanted you to do with their normal distributions, but I think I gave them what they wanted. Overall, I’m delighted with how the two papers went, and I must admit, a small part of me will be sad to see the back of the weird and wonderful world of project maths. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, see the question in the edco sample paper on the cup of tea/telephone). Please note: blog posts reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union. Blogs are updated daily by 6.30 pm on scheduled examination dates.
Leaving Cert Technology
Claire - Higher Level
I never thought this day would come. No really, I didn't !The good thing about having technology as the last exam is the fact you walk in there with 50% already in your pocket. It's a great feeling to have especially since at this stage in the exams you have lost a lot of motivation and are just so excited for the simmer is hard to concentrate on any study!The atmosphere before the exam was buzzing. Everybody in my exam hall was smiling and happy; ready for whatever would show up on the last exam.And what did show up on the exam- was lovely! It was as if the exam was cheering you on to finish.The short questions began on a such a positive note; asking you about wind powers advantages. Most of the short questions were straight forward but some required a little more thinking. I didn't get them all but I'm happy I answered the twelve we needed reasonably well.I have always hated question 2 and 3 but today I was smiling doing them. The Olympics stadium appeared which was really cool, and relevant. I love relevant exams!The ICT option I took wasn't so bad, it's usually my favourite section but today it was a little trickier. But still a very nice section.The materials section was fabulous if you excuse my enthusiasm. It asked about materials metals and plastic in the frat part; which was student friendly. The next part linked in with our earlier project with the theme of disability; wheelchairs showed up. Seeing something familiar was really reassuring.Of course I wasn't able to answer everything but I would never have expected that!Honestly I couldn't have asked for a nicer end to Leaving Cert 2012.
Please note: blog posts reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union. Blogs are updated daily by 6.30 pm on scheduled examination dates.
Junior Cert Irish
Clara - Higher Level
Paper 1
Well, actually it wasn't a bad little paper in my opinion! The underlying theme seemed to be the Olympics in London this summer with the grammar section (A) being all about this and there was a further mention in the aural test. Steaming right on ahead though...Aural: I found the first and last sections to be a lot easier than the middle section. I think Cuid A was very well answered on my part and I reckon it wasn't too hard. Cuid B was by far more difficult, but not completely impossible. Cuid C contained one fine piece and one that to me was almost completely incomprehensible - I am dreadful with Munster dialects.Comprehensions: To be honest it was pretty much the same as any year so far and the Justin Bieber one was fairly similar to my mock so I was ok with them. I found some of the language difficult in both pieces but didn't seem unreasonable - it is Higher Level.Grammar: This was again, predictable.I hope every one guessed and studied the Aimsir Fhaistineach as it was Laithreach last year and Caite the year before! I was silently rejoicing at section A therefore although the irregular verbs were... well, irregular! Section B was something I was less prepared for. I've had little practice but think I've made some sensible guesses and will pick up a few marks at least.Ceapadoireacht: I glanced over the page here, taking heed that I would be writing this when I got home even though I knew going into the exam the only ones I would be attempting were scealta or an eachtra.I found the essays (Section A - Aiste) a little challenging, as with Sections C and D but I supposed this is not a format of writing I've ever used and if you were prepared it was probably quite simple and accessible.Overall, a good and fair paper. I hope I'm writing the same when I post about Paper 2 tonight... wish me luck!
Paper 2
I genuinely thought this paper was quite difficult.Why you ask? Well: Pros: The unseen was complete double dutch to me! Fortionately I at least understood all the questions and was able to go through the piece searching for key words from them and make reasonably sensible guesses. I was much happier with Section B here and had enough knowledge to write a summary of a story that fit one of the topics well.Filiocht: Again with the REALLY difficult unseen section! I had even more difficulty with this than the pros but again... some sensible guesswork was done and I'm hoping that it wasn't dreadful. Studied section was fine yet again.Litireacha: Actually,this was the easiest part of the paper in my opinion! Although the topics were nothing like I had prepared in class or studied at home I was able to use my own head and come up with the Irish I needed. I think B was a bit more difficult than A, the one I chose, but overall this section was not offensive and I reckon most people will be pretty happy with it.I'm glad that his paper is behind me - overall I was not expecting it to be easy. As I said earlier - it's Higher Level and it "does what it says on the tin" so to speak. Go n-eiri an bothar leat with the rest of the exams! Talk to you guys tomorrow :)
Lorraine - Ordinary Level
Hey guys! :) Lorraine here! I did Irish this morning! I'm doing ordinary level so I only have one paper thank the Lord!The listening competition was grand! For pass there is A,B and C. A was just 2 boxes with i,ii,iii on each and you just had to answer the questions in Irish. B and C was grand! Its literally where you write a,b,c or d into a box and then the second bit is ticking which word you hear! :D I was delighted with that it seemed easy enough! The listening only lasted 15 minutes! Then it was quarter to 10 when I started all the comprehensions and stuff!The first bit on the paper was the match all, simple! The next few bits was the reading comprehensions- Jedward and Trappatoni came up, a summer camp and piece about a shopping sale. The postcard was on the Gaeltacht and the letter was about a summer job you got. The Alt/Cuntas I found pretty impossible. I couldn't understand what I needed to do and the pictures were about a boy and a girl running for the bus when the school bag splits and they miss the bus because there picking up the books and then they walk home and get soaked. I just didn't have the vocab to answer it!I had a blog to do then which I wasn't expecting as the only things we've done for that section in class is ''I was doing my home work when Una rang me. She invited me to.... I have gone. I will be back at...'' but the blog was about a girl coming over to your house and you watch TV and listen to music etc - I just wasn't expecting it! Overall, I definitely think I passed. There were 18 in my room and at the end there were 2 of us left.The exam started at half 9 and ended at half 11. I stayed till the end and so did a girl out of honours but that was it in our room! From speaking to others about the exam, I know I'm not alone in thinking the exam was pretty doable. I finished it at 10 to 11 and I just kept reading over what I had wrote fixing mistakes and such till half 11. Pass Irish = a very happy student!
Please note: blog posts reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union. Blogs are updated daily by 6.30 pm on scheduled examination dates.
LC Irish Paper 2
Ailbhe (Ardleibhéal)
The clichéd "BIG THREE" are over. Just three more to get through.Irish passed by without much ado.Did Stair first. The choices available were not of the predicted variety. Bealoideas, Meath na Gaeilge and Colaiste Lováin were chosen.Clare sa Speir and Fiche Blian ag Fás showd up as expected in Ceist 1, which was were my pen took me after the Stair. The questions were manageable, I just hope I wrote enough to secure me the precious marcanna.I then started into An Triail. I did the Teicníochtaí Drámata. I was glad to get that jumbo sized question finished.I then turned to poetry.I couldn't do Uirchill because I never bothered learning meadaracht, little did I know how much my negligence would conspire against me. An Chéad Drama got a going over. I think I may have spelt the poet's name incorrectly, probably wasn't the best start, they should really print the poets on the paper.Jack, Níl Aon Ní and Faoiseamh a Gheobhadsa were the ordinary level poems of choice. I had been banking on doing Jack and had learned off a hefty wedge of Dlí na hOidreachta, saol na tuaithe sula dtáinig an cumhacht leictreach agus araile and was disheartened to find that the question wasn't the best. Instead I turned to O’Searcaigh and O’Direáin for the ordinary level question.Was glad when 12.50 rolled around on the clock. That was definitely the toughest paper. Not only was it the same length as English paper 2 but you have a lot more to learn and more questions to answer. Not many were left standing when the final whistle was blown. Out of a starting group of about 140, I'd say about 20 or so stayed in the exam centre until the bitter end. Most dodged out early to get an extra cram for business in.Have to spend my afternoon with French now, a subject I have disregarded, lucky me!
Owen (Ardleibhéal)
Wow, all I can say is thank god that today is over! There was some serious amount of writing involved in today’s exams with both Irish Paper 2 and Business!Well, well, well Irish Paper 2... the paper I've been dreading the most with its unpredictable ways, its confusing questions and usually the most ferocious paper to walk the world of the Leaving Cert!!However today for me it proved to be nothing more than a piosa páipéar! All my worries and anxiety were completely overdramatic (looks like I can relate already to the An Chéad Drama question :D).As soon as I opened my paper, I was off to a flying start with the prós question, a very approachable question on 'An Cearrbhach Mac Caba' and how we are sympathetic with him in his constant struggle with death. He's a gambler, who is lazy, spends his time playing cards and wasn't even there for his wife when she was having her baby, however for the sake of the question I decided to pledge by sympathy to the gambler after all he did change his ways in the end!Next came the An Triail question for myself, now I have to say I'm not at all into the whole ‘let’s cook our children in the oven’ thing and never found myself to be a big fan of the play but I did manage to get through the question. I did the first question on how the main conflicts of the drama come from the fault of 'something' 'something' 'something' about love, I took an educated guess anyway and decided to talk about how the main conflicts in the play were as a result of love.... I hope that's right cause I did give a fairly decent answer!Now for the poetry, to my great relief it was quite manageable. After dreading for so long what poem might come up and if I would know it in enough detail, the ones I had prepared the most made a lovely appearance. Níl aon Ní, although Cathal may be a bit dodgy, I threw myself head over heels into complete adoration of his poetry! Next came Faoiseamh A Gheobhadsa, again another enjoyable poem which shares some similarities with Níl Aon Ní so I didn't have any trouble with that.Next onto the higher level poetry....*Owen turns the page**Owen sees Uirchill an Chreagain and Owens dies a little on the inside**Owen turns the page again...AN CHÉAD DRAMA and Owen is resuscitated back to life*Thankfully one of the poems I had covered in detail phew! Although I did cover it in detail, the questions were a bit awkward and a bit of a waffle was in need but I'm sure I got the gist of it!Stair na Gaeilge... I found myself writing about the poets and Bealoideas na Gaeilge. Thankfully I'd covered the poets but having expected something like Fiannaíocht to come up, I settled with Bealoideas with my knowledge from an Cearrbhach Mac Caba helping me out so I took a gamble with it.Overall most people were happy with the exam and the only main complaint was with the An Triail question and how it is becoming near to impossible to study at this stage with the vast variety of questions being asked on it!
JC Maths Paper 2
Roisin (Higher Level Maths)
Today, we had maths paper two and C.S.P.E. - a day I'm very glad is over! Maths went pretty well, I think! I understood pretty much all of it, even the dreaded proofs! I only ran into one or two problems and I gave them my best attempt so hopefully it will have been fine!
James (Higher Level Maths)
This morning, I had Mathematics Paper 2. This wasn't the easiest way to start the new week but I managed the paper well. I answered questions 1, 2 and 3 before skipping on to question 6 and then back to 5. By the time I had reached question 4, I had very little time remaining and was disappointed as this looked like a handy question. However, I answered every other question well and overall, I feel good about my Maths exam.
LC Maths Paper 1
Ailbhe (Higher Level Maths)
As soon as I got the paper, I searched for the theorem that would tie up my grey matter in knots. It wasn't to be found. Slowly the realisation dawned. No theorems on the paper. I was caught somewhere between utter contentment and drastic disappointment. I had sacrificed precious hours and hours to learn off those god forsaken theorems in the belief that they would earn me an easy 20 marks on the day, only to find that they had been omitted. Of course this would happen, when has maths ever been a walk in the park? Even when I know my stuff it still throws a bombshell down my alley!Moving on, I actually found the paper quite easy, it’s always the paper that you find the easiest that serves up the D however! This is coming from a girl who sailed into the exam centre confident in the knowledge that I would not have to lean on the strength of maths to support the weight of my CAO form. All I was interested in was passing it. As long as I got at least 114 marks on the paper, I was out of the woods as far as maths was concerned. I'm happy to say that the long hours during which I waded through the treacle of alpha, beta, iota, delta x, quadratics, binomials and the rest somewhat paid off!I'm slightly worried it will be two for the price of one on theorems in Paper Two due to the serious absence of them in Paper 1. Who cares? Its 4 down 6 to go and I'm off to the gym!
Owen (Ordinary Level Maths)
After making great use of another lie-in, I was well recuperated after my strenuous English exam yesterday. I found myself up early enough all the same and got the brain to a quick start practicing as many questions as possible, getting all formulas in my head and stationary ready!The paper itself wasn't too extreme and had the usual variety of questions that have been asked over the past several years however there were to me anyway some debuts featuring 'roots' taking to the stage for the first time in question 3 part C and question 8 (V).However everything else was very much approachable and overall, I’m quite content without how the exam went expect for the odd C part questions but nothing to keep me down!As for some of my other exam sitters, they found the paper to be extremely difficult and a real struggle and while they had their own solution to the questions, they were able to find the exam centre door much easier than solutions for X's and Y's, making a quick and early exit!Now with the weekend ahead of me, it’s going to be jam-packed full of revision, revision and more revision with some tough exams and full days next week, but all the same we’re getting closer to the end! :D