Biology - #LC2017 - Sarah Connolly
Sarah Connolly - Ratoath CollegeWhile I had a great morning sitting Irish sweet lord I didn't know what was coming when I got my biology paper, I'm kidding but it was definitely a more challenging paper than other papers but I got it done! There was a minimal choice on it but I'm happy enough with the options that I had! There was a nice question on ecology and I found that very nice tbh!I did find the short questions tough but that's the nature of the exam really!#StateExams2017
Leaving Cert Physics
Shahed - Higher Level
What a lovely paper! I was nervous before going into the exam but it turns out, there was no need to be. Everything that I'd studied had come up!The section A questions were lovely, especially the Joules' law question. I also did the refractive index and the speed of sound in air questions, both of which were nice, too.In section B, I found the most challenging question to be the one about Particle Physics. It's a simple topic, but the questions were a little odd. Thankfully, there's a lot of choice in the exam, so this didn't set me back. The Nuclear Physics, Mechanics, Electricity and Light questions were all straight forward. I found that I had time to do an extra question, which never happens to me in Physics, so I must have done something right!Physics has always been one of my favourite subjects, so I couldn't be happier with how it went. To anyone else who still has exams left, good luck! The end is in sight.
Please note: this post reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Irish Second-Level Students' Union
Leaving Cert English Paper One
Shahed - Higher Level
The past two years have been building up to this moment and now here it was: the first day of the Leaving Cert! The first exam was English Paper 1. I wasn't nervous beforehand, as it's a nice paper to start off with (usually!) I took some time to read through the paper then dived into the questions. The texts were, for the most part, straightforward, though people were thrown when they saw Seamus Heaney in Text 3! I answered Question A on his essay, which was about the importance of objects from the past. For Question B, I wrote a talk on negative and positive influences, which was without a doubt the best question of all three, in my opinion. Next came the composing section. Luckily for me, there were two short story questions, so I was spoiled for choice. The first was about a ghostly presence that plays a significant role and the other was to be based on "...a new beast, slouching towards us... The beautiful mutant," which was taken from the second text. I chose the short story about the ghost. Over all, I think it was a good paper and am happy with how it went. Here's hoping Paper 2 is just as good!
Please note: blog posts reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union.
Junior Cert Metalwork
Mark - Higher Level
Ah, the last exam for me. Well I wasn't at all stressed about this exam, its an easy exam. And of course there are the practical's done previously which make up most of the marks. Q 1 is compulsory for everyone to answer but then you get a choice of various questions and pick 3. I uncreatively decided to do Q2, Q3 and you've guessed it, Q 4. although they were the easiest for me. Well I was so glad that the blast furnace came up. And as per usual there wasn't any issues with the paper. So at last its all over. Freedom!!! :) 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 Business
Mark - Higher Level
So today I had my business exam. Well I was certainly glad that insurance came up (in both papers actually). Trading, Profit and Loss Account and Balance Sheet was easy, and I got it balanced :) ! being honest I think that both papers were easy enough. #PREDICTABLE I found the forms of business question very easy to answer on as well. There is of course a lot of choice in the business papers, getting to choose 4 of the 6 long questions. Regarding the short questions in paper one; easy, although the forms of communication question was a bit odd.Dear State Examinations Commission, please don't try and be funny, because you're not. Pie chart: How does Lady Gaga like her steak? Well done/Rare/Medium Rare/RAW RAW RAW RAW Possible trick question, she would probably be wearing it. But no, jokes aside a lot of the business questions were common sense, obviously revision helps! French and History tomorrow, most of the exams are done now for me. I'll be doing my last blog on the metalwork exam (which will be my last exam, and then FREEDOM!!!) 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 English
Mark - Higher Level
So today was the first day of the exams and first up was English papers 1 and 2. Paper one is generally easy enough and allows you to be fairly creative with the personal writing section in particular. I decided to go straight into the personal writing section of paper 1 and as per usual did the speech, opposing the motion that said sport brings out the best in people. I generally like speeches as they allow you to use humour whilst getting logical points across and I also managed to save a bit of time from that one too. I decided to do the functional writing next choosing to write a leaflet for a school talent show and that was easy again. Media Studies was no bother either and the newspapers question wasn't any trouble to answer on. The Reading Comprehension was okay and there weren't any troubles there either. Paper one was grand and I was in a good mood heading into Paper 2.paper two is always tight for time but I had worked on it so I wasn't in too much trouble with it. I had plenty of quotes prepared for my studied drama (Romeo and Juliet), my poetry (Sonnet 29, also by Shakespeare, and also a few war poems just for choice) and my novel was Of Mice and Men by John Steinback. So at the beginning of the second paper I had the choice between an unstudied Shakespearian drama or another unstudied. I chose the other which was an extract from Educating Rita by Willy Russell and I quite liked it and was glad to have a choice of two of the three questions on it. For the studied drama question I chose the first choice regarding a character. I answered on Friar Lawrence and it really suited the question on my impressions of him and then how this progresses further on in the play. Poetry was my least favourite section of the paper but I think I still did well in it. For the fiction section we were given The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón and I enjoyed reading it so I'll have to look at it over the Summer! Overall English Paper 2 was easy enough although my hand feels like it will fall off after all of that writing! Day one finished now I'll have to get ready for Irish. :)
Asha - Higher Level
Well my hand is dead. For a subject I seriously dislike it was quite fair to be honest. Paper 1- I found the reading section easy enough, Qt 1 and Qt 2 were really clear all answers in the text. Qt 3 threw me a little, I had difficulty naming the characteristics but I managed in the end. The personal writing was very nice. I was hoping for a good topic for a descriptive essay but in the end settled for topic 4 which was loosely based on the first paragraph in the reading section. I wrote a personal essay incorporating school, motorways and dogs. Don't ask me how, I haven't a clue. But it was good I think I did well enough. Functional writing.. If you knew the review layout you were safe home. I went for the flyer though. I chose Qt 1 for the media studies. (a) was really nice, literally just the differences in copy, language, pictures etc. (b) was sort of confusing I wasn't sure if they were referring to the elements of a newspaper or otherwise. In the end I did both. My article for (c) could have been better. The paper was fair and there was a very broad range of things that was asked for giving everyone a choice and a chance to play to their strengths. Paper 2- Didn't even look at the Shakespeare drama having never looked at Shakespeare, straight to the other drama. I liked that they linked it with the reading section from paper 1 by taking a play from Anton Chekhov. I did Qt 1 and Qt 3. Qt 1 was tricky.. was something going on between Frank and Rita? I don't know, I wrote about what I thought may have been jealousy on Franks part and about the clear tension between the two. Opposing personalities and that. Qt 3 was grand. I had done a similar question in class. Same main aspects, lighting, posture, positioning and they way the spoke (intonation, emphasis). For the studied drama I did Qt 1 on the Bull. At the start he was arrogant and intimidating, later on he was remorseful, violent and his clear love of his son and the land show. Unseen poetry was cute :) I really liked it. I felt the parent was supportive with a fear of losing her child but also proud. I thought that it was like a metaphor or something for her growing up from childhood and/ or her decision to leave home. The title didn't surprise me at all. I rambled about poetic devices and commented on how the poet ended the poem. Studied poetry I did Qt. 2 The examiner is probably going to hate me after I did Midterm break but oh well. I had considered doing Qt. 1 but was glad I didn't because when I got home I saw they were looking for two poems. I chose people and spoke about growing up before their time and stuff. Don't remember exactly what I wrote but I'm confident enough. Is it just me or was there an overwhelming theme of despair, loss and fear this year? That's what I thought anyway. Especially after the Unseen fiction. What was that? Seriously. What was that meant to be? 'It'? Scary clowns and all that jazz. I did Qt 1 and Qt 2. First one was grand no tricks, it was clear how his opinion differed. Second one was just a commentary on descriptive writing and other effective writing devices. My studied novel was, 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.' I think it is safe to say I hate that book at this point. I chose Qt 1 as the better of two evils. I think I ended part a with something about how, yes I found that world unfair and unfortunately it is this one. At least I kept with their theme. For (b) I spoke about how Bruno betrayed Shmuel and Kotler was a bully. Generally people are a big issue. So yeah that was English :P 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.