The Leaving Cert subjects selected at this time of year could be vital for your future. Give subject selection the attention it deserves, writes Brian Mooney
HOW DO I GO ABOUT MAKING MY LEAVING CERTIFICATE SUBJECTS CHOICES?
Choosing the correct subjects for your Leaving Cert is the most important task faced by more than 60,000 second-level students around this time every year. These choices will determine the educational opportunities that will be open to you when you complete your Leaving Cert in two years.
Your schools will probably offer you the option of studying seven subjects, with those taking certain combinations of subjects being eligible to take the LCVP as an additional option. Your best six grades, achieved in one sitting of the Leaving Certificate or its equivalent, will be used to calculate your point score for entry purposes to all courses in colleges that offer places through the CAO application process.
If you are taking more than one Ordinary Level paper from the beginning of your two-year Leaving Cert programme, you may want the option of having six higher level papers for point's purposes. You can only achieve this by taking an extra subject either inside or outside school.
You need to be careful before considering this option, as there is no such thing as an easy higher level paper, and every Leaving Certificate subject requires considerable time commitment and effort on your part. Therefore, taking eight subjects is a major undertaking. If the additional subject is being studied outside school, you will have to factor in the time travelling to and from such a grind. All this time and effort eats into the time available for the seven subjects you are studying in school.
As I have stated above, if you are taking certain combinations of Leaving Certificate subjects, you can opt to take the LCVP. Sixty per cent of the marks available are awarded for a portfolio of work compiled during the two years of the programme, with the remainder awarded for a short written paper, taken in mid-May of your Leaving Cert year. Students awarded a distinction in the LCVP will gain 70 CAO points from this module, which is accepted by all colleges in the CAO system.
SHOULD HIGH ACHIEVERS TAKE ON EXTRA SUBJECTS IF THE SUBJECT CHOICE IS RESTRICTED IN THEIR SCHOOL?
If there are timetable restrictions in your school that make it impossible for you to take a subject you particularly enjoy, you could consider taking it outside school, provided you factor in an appropriate amount of study time to cover all your other subjects. Alternatively, you might consider changing schools at the beginning of fifth year to ensure that you get your desired subject choices.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T TAKE HIGHER LEVEL IRISH?
Apart from not being able to take a number of Honours Bachelors degree programmes, which have Irish as a core entry requirement, the main consequence of not taking higher level Irish is that you are precluded from studying to be a primary school teacher in any of the Irish training colleges.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT TAKE HIGHER LEVEL MATHS?
There is a range of level eight degree programmes which you will be precluded from if you don't secure a minimum of a C3 in higher level maths. Such programmes would include many engineering, science, information technology and computer courses, and most degrees that include maths as a core subject.
If you're interested in such courses, you may start your third level journey with a two year Higher Certificate programme, which will require a minimum of a D3 in Ordinary level maths. Provided you secure a minimum of 60 per cent in your various examinations, you can then progress on to Ordinary degree level and from there to an Honours Bachelors degree. This entire process may add only one or two extra years to your studies.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT TAKE A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN IRISH AND ENGLISH?
The colleges of the National University of Ireland require a pass in a third language for entry into almost all of their courses, apart from nursing. These colleges are NUI Maynooth, Dublin, Galway and Cork, and a range of associated constituent colleges, all of which are listed on the NUI website at www.nui.ie.
A third language is also a requirement for entry into the cadetship in the Army or Aercorps.
In recent years NUI Maynooth has dropped the third language requirement for their Engineering programmes and UCD has for their engineering and agricultural programmes. In recent months, both NUI Maynooth and UCD have dropped the third language requirement for their science programmes.
Trinity accepts Irish as fulfilling its second language requirement. UL and DCU, plus all the institutes of technology, do not require a continental language for entry purposes to most of their courses, apart from those which involve the study of such a language.
WHAT'S THE EASIEST SUBJECT IN THE LEAVING CERTIFICATE AND WHAT'S THE HARDEST?
There is no such thing as easy honours in the Leaving Cert. Some subjects may appear to have a very high success rate, but this is usually a reflection of (a) the academic ability of the type of student who selects the subject in the first place; (b) a subject that attract students with particular aptitudes, e.g. music and art; or (c) a language subject taken by native speaking, non-Irish nationals.
Another feature of the performance figures is that girls outperform boys in virtually every subject. All subjects at Leaving Cert level require a full two-year commitment. There are no short cuts to success in the Leaving Certificate.
WHAT COMBINATIONS OF SUBJECTS SHOULD YOU AIM FOR?
You should select a balanced range of subjects that will leave your further and higher education - and, ultimately, career choice options - open for as long as possible.
Most students study Irish (unless exempted), English and maths. A large majority of students also study a continental language, or for those students coming originally from outside the EU, a native language, if approved by the State Examination Commission, which manages both the Junior and Leaving Cert exams.
In selecting your remaining three subjects, you should study carefully the essential subjects for entry to every third level course, (available online at www.qualifax.ie) to ensure that you are aware of the minimum subject entry requirements for all courses offered through the CAO. Unless you have a specific career or course interest that is guiding your remaining subject choices, my advice is that you should spread your final three choices, across the entire spectrum of business, scientific, liberal arts and practical subjects. You should also be mindful of the results of previous exams and aptitude tests results when making these choices.
MAIN SUBJECTS AT A GLANCE
IRISH
Although Irish is studied by all students throughout their schooling, Higher Level Irish is studied by less than a third of students, mostly girls. As it is essential for entry in primary teaching, the lack of male students at Leaving Cert acts to suppress their numbers in primary school classrooms. A large number of students seem to have a mental block when it comes to studying Irish. For those who do not, Irish is an attractive higher level subject.
ENGLISH
English is a good Higher Level subject for the average student, provided they are prepared to read extensively. Good written expression is required to achieve a good result. Some students can underestimate the extent to which they must learn their own language in the modes they are required to express themselves, particularly at higher level.
MATHS
Less than 20 per cent of Leaving Cert students taking this subject at Higher Level, with many students falling back to Ordinary Level when the pressure builds up in sixth year. It is a relatively straightforward subject for those who are good at it, but tends to be avoided by most as it is perceived to be very time consuming.
HISTORY
In this relatively new curriculum, the balance of the course has moved away from a predominant political emphasis to encompass both social and cultural history. The identification of evidence and primary sources is central to studying history. Students can now secure up to 20 per cent of their overall mark by pre-submitting a research paper on a selected topic, from a range set out by the State Examinations Commission. Essay writing is central to the programme. Students have to present three essays in their Higher Leaving Cert paper, plus a documents question. Ordinary Level students should benefit from the opportunity to prepare a research question under the revised curriculum.
GEOGRAPHY
This subject studies the interrelationship between human activity and the physical environment. It is an extremely wide curriculum, with students having the opportunity to undertake a geographic investigation, which is allocated 20 per cent of the overall marks in the final examination, and is pre-submitted by the end of April. For both science and pharmacy at TCD, geography is accepted as a science subject for entry requirements.
CONTINENTAL LANGUAGES
The three main elements of the study of modern languages are comprehension, oral and written presentation. Be mindful of the aural and oral requirements. There is a strong emphasis now on the ability to comprehend and converse in the language studied, reflected in the fact that a third of the final marks awarded are for aural and oral work. Studying a continental language today requires you to culturally immerse yourself in the spoken and written world of its users.
APPLIED MATHS
This is a very suitable subject for the student taking Higher Level maths and physics, where the curriculum allows students of these disciplines to successfully complete the programme as an additional after-school subject, taken in one or two periods per week, over the two years of the leaving Cert.
PHYSICS
Physics has a strong maths element and requires the learning of many formulae. It develops students' understanding of many of the ordinary things that surround us, such as heat, light, electricity and magnetism. Students must maintain a laboratory book because there are 27 mandatory experiments, of which four are offered on the Leaving Cert paper, with three to be presented.
CHEMISTRY
Students taking chemistry must learn the chemical components in a series of prescribed experiments. They will be required to present the elements of four such experiments in their exam. Again, students studying chemistry develop an understanding of key elements of the world we live in, such as water, as well as everything we use, wear or consume.
BIOLOGY
Students studying biology explore the world of all living things from micro-organisms to humans. As with the other science subjects, students undertake mandatory experiments (24) and record the details in their laboratory book. It is often perceived as an easier subject than physics and chemistry, but this is not so, as shown by the high failure rates at Ordinary Level.
HOME ECONOMICS: SOCIAL AND SCIENTIFIC
This subject, a combination of cooking, home economics some biology and a bit of business, is not the easy honours some imagine. Twenty per cent of the marks are awarded for a course work journal, done within normal class time, and pre-submitted in October of sixth year, prior to the written examination. The study of food science is a central part of this subject. Students also have the option of studying either social studies, textiles or home design.
BUSINESS
Given the rapidly changing world of business, this subject deals with current day-to-day reality. It is a very interesting subject but requires constant attention to the business pages of quality newspapers. It looks at how organisations are formed, financed and run. It also explores the services that support businesses, such as insurance, banking, transport, marketing and public service bodies (IDA, Fáilte Ireland etc).
ECONOMICS
Economics has a mathematical slant and a lot of graphic and theoretical work. It explores the inner workings of companies and how they measure their success and progress. Also it examines international trade, the role of Government and the EU in controlling the economy, competition and markets. This is a good subject for the analytical student.
ACCOUNTING
Students who enjoy the book-keeping part of Junior Cert business should consider taking accounting. At Leaving Cert level, analysis and interpretation of accounts is the core activity. For those with strong numeracy and reasoning skills, this can be an enjoyable and successful subject.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Students are introduced to the dialogue between science and religion, as well as philosophy and psychology, in the exploration of meaning and values in our societies. Twenty per cent of the marks in this subject are awarded for the student's journal, which is pre-submitted prior to the examination.
MUSIC AND ART
Not subjects to be dipped into for the first time at this level. Most students taking either option will be following on from Junior Cert. At Leaving Cert, art involves a lot of work on the history and appreciation of art, alongside the normal design and craftwork.
CONSTRUCTION STUDIES, ENGINEERING, TECHNICAL DRAWING
These practical subjects, where available, give students hands-on experience working with tools, machinery and physical things such as plastics, wood and metal. Students who enjoy working with their hands get to design and make products. Students also have to undertake quite an amount of theoretical and background work for their final examinations.
TECHNOLOGY
Technology was introduced as a Leaving Cert subject for the first time in September 2007, in a number of pilot schools, and will be first examined in June 2009. This subject gives students a basic understanding of the principles of engineering, design and project management. If you enjoyed the technology programme at Junior Cert level, as well as hands-on activity, you may develop an interest in a career in engineering or technology.
CAREER CHOICES
When you are deciding which subjects to take in the Leaving Certificate, remember that the decision will have long-term consequences on what careers are open to you. A decision, for example, not to take a science subject or a continental language will have major implications on your choice of career. The same does not apply to business subjects, as most business courses teach all subjects with the presumption that students know little.
If a student is making their subject choices and has not as yet decided what career they wish to follow after school, I would advise them to keep all their options open by taking a science and continental language subject from among their four optional subjects.
MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF ADVICE
A pass in Ordinary Level Maths is essential for entry to most courses following the Leaving Certificate, so the 5,000 students who fail to secure a grade D in Ordinary Level are in a particularly difficult situation. Each year a further 5,000 students now choose foundation level maths, and there is a growing number of colleges and courses that will offer places to those with a minimum of a grade A or B in maths at this level. Whatever you do over the next two years, don't neglect your studies in this subject.
