Galway Advertiser 2007/2007_09_27/GA_2709_E1_020.pdf 

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Galway Advertiser

September 27 2007

NEWS

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FASHION

BEAUTY

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H E A LT H

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LIFE

MARY
It may have come as a short, sharp jolt to your system. Fifth Year is over and you are now in Leaving Certificate year. If you took it easy and drifted through last year, do not panic, advises Tommy Casserly, the local manager of Student Enrichment Services, a company which teaches study skills courses in more than 350 schools around the country. "There is still enough time left to do well in the Leaving Certificate as long as you study effectively," he says. So what are the keys to success? Start by drawing up a "manageable" timetable, organising a suitable place to study, (either at home or at an after school study hall) and having all the necessary textbooks, past papers, etc, to hand. you can allocate for study and homework each night. "Make out a realistic timetable which allows enough time for homework, study, sports and even a little television and social life! Try to keep one day free at the weekend. This will help to avoid burn out and the prospect of a day off should increase your productivity!" He recommends dividing time into slots of 25 to 30 minutes, allowing a five minute break in between. "For numerical subjects, ie, maths, physics and accountancy time slots of 40 minutes are recommended After three study/homework sessions a 20 minute break is advisable. This will help keep a high level of concentration. "It is important to set specific time limits for each task. This will improve your efficiency at completing your

O'CONNOR
last. `Having established a realistic timetable, mark in the homework sessions and fill in the remaining time slots with the subjects that you will study each night. The subjects covered each night should remain fixed each week, eg, `Every Monday I will study English poetry, maths and geography.'" He says be sure to set realistic targets for yourself and adhere to your timetable. "If you have achieved the targets you set for the week then reward yourself by taking full advantage of your study free day. However, if you got distracted during the week and did not complete your goals then you will have to use your free day to catch up." and focus on studying specific topics. "When answering these exam questions, do not write the answers out in long form but point form. Using your textbook to help you, write out a list of key points, facts, details, etc, that are required for the answer and that you will be able to memorise. It is easier to memorise a list of short points than several pages. These key points will trigger other relevant information for a complete long form answer in the exam." He suggests keeping these answers organised by subject and topic in separate folders so that you can easily access them later. "To review/ revise these topics, quickly jot down the main points that you have memorised on a piece of paper. Compare these with the points in your folder. Circle any words or phrases (on the original page in your folder) that you have forgotten. Always remember we learn by making mistakes! The most effective way to remember your girl/boyfriend's birthday is to forget it just once!!"

Preparing for the Leaving Certificate

Tommy Casserly.

Organise Your Time
Decide how much time

homework/study and allow you to cover material more quickly." Mr Casserly suggests allocating time for both study and homework each night alternating a study session with a homework session. "It might be advisable to keep your easiest homework or favourite subject until last. Your concentration levels will decrease as the night progresses so it is best to keep something that you do not mind doing until

Creating the right study environment will increase the likelihood of academic success.

Choosing the right environment for study
Creating the right environment for study will increase the likelihood of academic success, he outlines. Ideally, students should have their own workstation and there should be no distractions such as television, I-pod, MP3 player, etc. "Enquire if your school provides an after-school study facility. They can be extremely beneficial as they replicate exam conditions and provide an environment conducive to learning." Your next step is to train yourself to study effectively and efficiently, he says. "To study a particular topic the best method is to answer questions from past exam papers. Then you can divide the course into manageable sections

Valuable asset
Students should aim to revise each topic at least four times before the exams. "Your past exam papers are your most valuable asset. Certain topics are asked very frequently and these need to be learned in great detail. Marking schemes show the required standard and the Examiner's Report offers valuable insight into where downfalls occur. These can be viewed at

www.examinations.ie" Mr Casserly says it is vitally important that students use their limited time efficiently. Most Leaving Cert students spend hours "at the books" each week. However, a lot of this time can be wasted, he believes. He describes highlighting pages in textbooks or spending time re-writing text into folders as a "poor and ineffective" method of study. Students should be aware of the important distinction between homework and study. "Homework refers to exercises given by teachers for completion at home which are then submitted for correction. On the other hand, study refers to all other work done by the student (revision, learning, memorising, etc,). If a student can comprehend this distinction early in secondary school then he or she will benefit greatly." The single greatest influence on students' success is the interest shown by their parents or guardians, according to Mr Casserly. "By providing plenty of

encouragement and showing an interest in their progress, parents can motivate their children to work harder. Teachers are the experts in their subject area and students need to utilise the time they spend in class. Many students are passive in class - they just sit there. If they get actively involved in the learning process by asking questions or attempting answers and taking notes they will benefit greatly. "The amount of time and effort that a student devotes to study will depend on their chosen career or preferred course when they leave school. Remember, a one per cent improvement in an exam result can change a grade from a C1 to a B3 (that's five more points!)." * Student Enrichment Services will hold weekend seminars for secondary school students of all year levels at NUI Galway on Saturday and Sunday. For further information on study techniques or to book a place on any of its courses log onto www.studentenrichment.i e or telephone (01) 4947927.

Get fit and help breast cancer charity
Fancy getting in shape for Christmas and helping a local breast cancer charity at the same time? Now is your chance. To mark Breast Cancer Awareness month, which kicks off on Monday, Contours Express in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo will donate 10 from every new membership to the National Breast Cancer Research Institute in Galway. Founded in 1991, the NBCR is based at the Clinical Science Institute at NUI Galway. A leader in the field of breast cancer research, it combines ethical research into the biology of breast cancer with raising awareness about the condition. Rachel O'Connor, proprietor of Contours Express Ballinrobe, the women-only gym, says as the charity does not receive any State funding, it must continuously fundraise to help improve breast cancer services and treatments for Irish women. She hopes her fundraiser, which runs from October 1 to 13, will make a significant contribution to the institute whose current research focuses on detecting and isolating biological markers which can indicate the presence of breast cancer and determine the prognosis of a patient. "As well as donating money from each new membership we are also inviting people to drop in any donation, no matter how small, to our premises in Ballinrobe. We will pass on all monies to the NBCRI." To mark this fundraising venture Contours Express is offering one lucky reader a free one-year membership subscription. All you have to do answer the question below and send it with your name, address and telephone number to Contours Express competition, The Galway Advertiser, 41/42 Eyre Square, Galway before Friday October 5.

Q. When does the Contours Express fundraiser begin?