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Edition 2018

Educational Times

At some point we have all struggled to understand how to manage numbers. Are you troubled by them?

Is that 'Bargain' really is a good deal or have you been planning and budgeting for a holiday?

When it affects our bank balances we don't want to make mistakes!

Maths theory is taught at a rapid pace to students who are unlikely to have any experience of how it applies to the real world. Add to this the requirement to 'do well' at examinations and we have put an awful lot of pressure on young students. We all have 'off days' where the theory simply didn't 'click'. Each teacher has their own style and speed at covering the curriculum so there's a high chance that extra help and support will be needed and no more so than as the annual exam season is approaching.

Joe McCormack is a local Navan resident who comes highly recommended as someone able to help you to overcome any stumbling point in maths to ACE your exams.

We've asked Joe to feature 4 monthly articles to help you prepare and overcome any hurdles.

Meet Your Helper.

"Joe McCormack, an Irish educational expert, has taught Mathematics, Geography, ICT, Technical Graphics, C.S.P.E, Woodwork, and Science in various Secondary schools in Ireland for the last fifteen years.

Joe corrects exam papers for the Department of Education and Skills as well as the Dublin Examining Board. In addition to this, he has worked in Ireland’s top school for tuition, the Dublin School of Grinds.

Through his experience and research, Joe has gained a unique understanding of the struggles and obstacles students’ face when it comes to the Leaving Certificate. With more than five thousand followers on Facebook, Joe answers queries and posts informative material to provide ongoing support to Leaving Certificate students and their parents.

ACE Solution Books are an unrivaled suite of books that will ensure Secondary school students achieve their maximum potential in their final exams.

If you wish to book Joe for a seminar on Exam Preparation, Efficient Study Techniques or Parenting an Exam Student, e-mail him at bookings@acesolutionbooks.com ."

Prize Draw

To further help you Joe is offering one of his 4 books as a Prize Draw each month.

Entry form at the end of his 1st Articles below.

Joe's articles are based on his 4 books which you can order via the website www.AceSolutionBooks.com

Part 1 Mock Examination Time

To provide further assistance each month Joe is offering one winner the choice of any one of his 4 books by entering the Prize Draw at the end of this article.

The following are extracts from ‘Chapter 3: The Mocks’ of Joe McCormack’s book “How to ACE the Leaving Certificate” for ALL subjects.

Advice for Your Mock Exams

With your lack of experience in exam papers at this level, it is important to contemplate the following before sitting your mocks:

♣ Attend school for every single paper.

♣ Create a timing plan for each individual question and stick to it.

♣ Be realistic about your results as it is relatively early in the year.

♣ Eat well and get some exercise to give you plenty of energy for the exam hall and studying in the evening.

♣ Don’t forget to have a look over the topics you covered in fifth year as they are now back on the table also.

♣ Have an idea what order you plan on doing the questions in – Start with a question you like or with something that is familiar to you.

♣ Keep the main focus of your study on the final goal, which is the Leaving Certificate. It is a marathon, not a sprint and the students that pace themselves well will do better.

♣ In preparation for your mocks, revise some sections of the course well instead of attempting to cover the whole course badly.

♣ It is OK to make errors in the mocks as you will have time later to learn best practice and use it. Making mistakes and forgetting things are all part of the mock process, so be sure not to be too hard on yourself.

♣ You don’t have to be talented to do well in the mocks. We now know that hard work and studying smarter (See Chapter One and Two) is more important. Practice and repetition are key attributes to success for any student no matter how talented they are. It is true that hard work can beat talent if talent doesn’t work hard enough.

♣ ‘Control the Controllable’s’. As you head into the mocks; get your energy levels up, have all your materials in place for each subject and ensure the house is stocked with good foods - these are the things you can control. You can also control how much study you do and how you react to setbacks; so much of the preparation is in your hands. As with any exam paper, you have no control over what is asked, so try not to worry about what ‘might’ come up.

Advantages of Doing the Mock Exams

Many students feel that the mock exams are an inconvenience seeing them as two weeks study lost. Inevitably there are pros and cons to them, but for sure they will focus the mind for the months ahead. If during the mocks you find yourself demotivated, tired, anxious or disinterested, I can assure you that when leaving cert day comes, you will have greatly benefited from the experience. Here are some heartening reasons to persevere with the mocks:

♣ The mocks will serve as a walk-up call.

♣ The mocks will be an experience you will learn a great deal from.

♣ The mocks will motivate you to commence revision now.

♣ The mocks will help you identify topics you need to study.

♣ The mocks will test if your revision strategies are working.

♣ The mocks will familiarise you with the pressure of exams.

♣ The mocks will show you the areas you have good knowledge in.

♣ The mocks will gauge your performance against the clock.

♣ The mocks will allow you to practice exam techniques learned.

♣ The mocks will boost your confidence of success later.

♣ The mocks will show your teacher the areas you need help in.

♣ The mocks will get you familiar with the timing of a full paper.

♣ The mocks will give you an insight into the marking schemes.

♣ The mocks will increase your awareness of course content.

♣ The mocks will serve as an indicator to the quality of your study.

Mocks Will Guide Level Choice

Another big advantage of having sat through the mocks is it will help you decide what paper level you should choose for your Leaving Cert. Deciding levels is a tricky issue for students every year and involves many considerations. I would advise you to think about and discuss these factors in detail with your parents and teachers before attempting to change levels in any subject. Along with mock performance, here are some other considerations when making decisions regarding levels:

♣ Your teacher’s opinion.

♣ Your attendance thus far.

♣ Your ‘potential’ points change.

♣ Your own gut feeling about the subject.

♣ How much you enjoy studying the subject.

♣ How much of the course you have done thus far.

♣ Results in previous Christmas and Summer tests.

♣ Results in class tests since the beginning of fifth year.

♣ The amount of effort you are putting into the subject balanced against the other subjects.

♣ Minimum course requirements for college (e.g., do you I need a H7 in Maths to be accepted on a course).

For more Information on Joe’s work, see his website www.acesolutionbooks.com or follow him on Facebook for useful links and Secondary School resources https://www.facebook.com/joe.mccormack.3591.