How to start 6th year with a bang
- The Leaving Cert Blog
- Jun 25, 2019
- 4 min read
I remember it vividly, I went back to school but it felt different this time after the summer. I knew a mighty storm was ahead of me. We were put into a hall filled with students as we were taught the importance of this year in our lives - to be honest it didn't really help. I knew I felt a bit overwhelmed with the pressure at the start of the year. However you don't need to worry since I'm going to give you the advice you need to keep your calm during a time when it is very much hard to do so.
1. Keep structure in place i.e keep a routine.
I put this first because it is the most important. It is crucial that you have a set routine in place at the start of the year in terms of studying and your social life. Think about it like this, when you come home from school, and you have no routine, do you think you'll be motivated enough to study English poetry if it's only September? Probably not.
For me, the thing that gave me structure was 'Evening study' in my school. I knew from past experiences with the Junior Cert that I needed something to force me to study, especially at the start of the year when it feels like 'you have all the time in the world'. School finished at 4 p.m, Evening study started at 4:20 up to 5:30 (1hr 10mins), then a ten minute break. This was followed by study from 5:40 to 7 (1hr 20 mins). I would then come home, and proceed with any homework I had remaining / any extra study I had to do for a class test for the very next day.
I did this until December (for half the year) because I knew I wouldn't be motivated enough at the start of the year to do so. I stopped it after December because I knew I had the motivation to study on my own from then since it was getting much closer until my mock exams. This served as a good routine which set a solid foundation for me to succeed and is one of the reasons why I have no regrets in relation to studying in 6th year - I gave it my all!
2. Make use of useful resources.
It is crucial that you make use of websites that help you succeed in the LC at the start of 6th year - but you may ask, why specifically now? Well, this is because it gives you enough time to try out new resources and really understand them. A few resources I used are
• TheMathsTutor.ie (Their past paper video solutions saved me from a lot of frustration)
• EssentialFrench.ie (I attended their Dublin workshop - it saved my French grade!)
• 625points.ie (Their Biology+Maths notes were brilliant, and their predictions can be pretty accurate!
• Studyclix.ie (Their exam questions from state/mock exams along with marking schemes helped me understand what examiners wanted)
• Thephysicsteacher.ie (It contains solutions to past paper questions that are much more in depth than the stupid vague marking schemes! It also has free notes on every topic in LC Physics
Simple resources like these played the biggest part in helping me do well in the LC.
3. Keep your hobbies / make new hobbies
The majority of my friends gave up major hobbies that they enjoyed at the start of 6th year. It sickened me that they would give up what they loved for so long so quickly. In my opinion, those are the things that keep you sane in this year of insanity. I went jogging on 5k runs with my friends in the local parkrun. I frequently went to the gym with my friends after studying in the library to let out some steam. It was an anchor that kept me grounded when all I wanted to do was fly into heaven with all the stress I was experiencing.
4. Don't think you have to be stressed
Let's face it, there is a lot of stigma associated with starting 6th year. People believe that you HAVE to be suffering throughout the year, and you HAVE to be stressed. I was a victim of this and sometimes felt like I had to worry about the LC when I could have been enjoying myself.
Stress and anxiety with the LC hits different people differently. I dealt with it pretty well but I know people who toiled from the start because they thought the LC was going to go bad for them even before it started - don't underestimate yourself.
5. Exam papers
I know you probably want to punch me in the face when I say this because you've probably heard it a billion times already. I had a strong focus on exam papers since 5th year and it helped me immensely with my LC. I knew exactly WHAT they asked frequently and HOW they asked it. Knowing the tricky questions they ask can play to your strengths - 30% of the things I saw in exam papers came up in my real LC exams. I would recommend doing one exam question per night. Write it into your homework journal every day and do it. Spend 10-25 minutes per long question and MOST IMPORTANTLY, correct your answers with the marking scheme. It will save you, trust me.
The amalgamation of these tips will help you start 6th year right. It's definitely a difficult time but it will get trickier as you progress through the year. It's most important that you stick to your plan and make sure you don't have any regrets. Remember - temporary pain, permanent greatness!
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