How to adjust to the LC from the JC

It can be a massive change from JC to LC

I remember when I finished my first day of 5th year and quite frankly, it was pretty nerve-wracking. It seemed like a lot to take in, especially since I had a billion questions.

- Are the subjects going to be ridiculously difficult?

- How much will I have to study?

- When do I have to choose my career after the LC is over?

- Will I struggle with this transition from Junior Cert to Leaving Cert?

So, for any new 5th years who are starting in September, this will be helpful!

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1. Ask questions

It's definitely not bad to ask questions during this time - I recall myself going on various meetings with my guidance counsellor during 5th year. It definitely helped me thoroughly understand where I was at. I remember that I didn't quite understand the CAO system properly even after I was explained it briefly. So I asked as many questions as I could to put myself out there, and get a feel for what was at stake. You probably have many questions and hence, want many answers. Always ask questions!

2. Be proactive

There are a lot of people I know who chose the wrong subjects for LC in 5th year, and they never did anything about it until 6th year when they realised that they have made the wrong decision. The start of 5th year gives you the opportunity to change your subjects if you truly believe you made the wrong choice in relation to subjects.

Furthermore, it is essential that you be proactive with your studies. This senior cycle could serve as a second chance. Maybe you didn't unlock your full potential in you JC, and you wish to redeem yourself. Or maybe you want to simply do the best you can do. Either way, it is essential that you consistently do work for the next two years. It may seem like a hassle to study properly in 5th year but it will be well worth it. I remember cramming a lot of JC material a week before the JC and managing to do so. However, it's much harder to do that in the LC, so it's of major importance that you stay on track.

3. Don't feel like you have to study everything immediately

Is the LC a big jump from JC? Definitely. But that is no reason to put stress on yourself and do 4 hours of revision every day from the get-go. Maybe do 30 mins of study every day consistently for the month of September, rather than doing 4 hours per day in September and then burning out in October. The LC courses are long, and can be extremely tedious. However, the more consistent you are with your work, the less stress you'll experience in the long term

4. Acknowledge that the LC syllabi are far more difficult than their JC counterparts

People tend to choose subjects for LC based on what they enjoyed for the JC. That's great, but they also tend to treat 5th year as a doss year because they believe that the JC knowledge can let them pass the LC exams. This definitely happened to some people I know who chose Physics and believed that their JC knowledge would be sufficient to pass LC physics. Boy were they wrong! LC physics is a hard subject even with hours of revision done prior, so obviously this wouldn't work!

5. Do your research

Always research the subjects you wish to do. I wish I had done this more. I chose my subjects based on the reputation they had rather than the course they offered. From JC, it can be hard to do so because up until this point, you probably had very little say in what subjects you could study. However, it is vital that you research the subjects you wish to do.

Even asking people who do that subject can be extremely helpful! It will save you pain and suffering later on when you wish you had chosen something else!

6. But most importantly, enjoy the process

You'll most definitely be overwhelmed with the amount of things ahead of you. At the time, the Junior Cert felt like the hardest exams in the world, but the LC is a completely different monster. But there's no need to fret, It's most important to acknowledge that most of your classmates are probably experiencing this feeling as well. The process of adjusting to the LC is no easy feat, but it's much better when you enjoy the process!