Commercial Photography Techniques with Ronnie Norton at THE LIGHT EXCHANGE

This seven week course on commercial photography techniques with Ronnie Norton, one of Ireland's foremost advertising photographers will run at The Light Exchange.

The course will begin with a recap of the core principles of;

• lighting in the studio,
• achieving correct digital exposures
• accurate colour rendition
• lenses & accessories essential for commercial work.

During the course he will discuss how to light for various commercial 'people' shots including fashion. He will also demonstrate how to overcome specific problems with a variety of subject matter such as product packaging, glass & bottles, chrome and silver surfaces, gems, fabric and textured objects, including post-production issues. Pricing, invoicing and communicating with commercial clients will also be covered. 8 places are available but they book up fast.

Starts Thursday October 8th from 7.30pm to 9.30pm for 7 weeks price: 350euro deposit required 50euro students 300euro

For further information please contact Susan or Emer on 01 4975626

Recently Norton Associates had the dubious (!!?? :-) pleasure of the famous duo Podge & Rodge into their studios to have their photographs taken. Read about their exploits on Norton Associates blog.

How to Photograph Silhouettes

Just a quick post to pass on a link to a terrific website about photography. Striking examples of silhouette photos that just inspire.

Right now the sun is coming up over Dublin in glorious tones of orange and yellow which would have made a fitting backdrop to a silhouette photograph. Memo to me, be out and about with the camera at 6am tomorrow. Just in case!

There are other really helpful posts on exposure, light, landscape photography and more.

How to photograph silhouettes in 8 easy steps

Swine Flu Guidelines for Schools & Parents

INFORMATION SHEET FOR SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND CENTRES OF EDUCATION ON INFLUENZA A(H1N1)

This information sheet gives general information about Influenza A(H1N1)v (which has been referred to as Swine Influenza) as well as anticipating questions that may arise within a school, college, or centre of education. In particular it advises on what can be done to help prevent the spread of the Influenza and what should be done if a student develops flu-like symptoms whilst at school, college or centre of education (hereafter referred to as school/college). This document will be updated to take account of other questions that may arise or as advised by the Health Authorities.

What is Influenza A(H1N1)v?

Influenza A(H1N1)v is a type of influenza. It causes respiratory disease in humans, pigs and birds. The current variety of Influenza A(H1N1)v is a type that was primarily found in pigs. Up to this, human cases of Influenza A(H1N1) have most commonly occurred in people who have been in close proximity to pigs but it is possible for Influenza A(H1N1) viruses to spread from person to person, as is being seen now. The virus has now changed and can spread easily from person to person. It is called Pandemic Flu because people all over the world are being infected by it.

Is there any requirement at present for schools/colleges to close?

Schools/colleges should continue to operate normally unless advised by their local Department of Public Health in the Health Service Executive (HSE). Refer to http://www.dohc.ie or http://www.hpsc.ie to check for the most up to date guidance in this regard.



What are the symptoms of Influenza A(H1N1)v?

The symptoms of Influenza A(H1N1)v are similar to the symptoms of normal human, seasonal influenza and include sudden onset of fever, fatigue, coughing, sore throat, runny nose, headache and pains in the limbs or the joints. Some people with Influenza A(H1N1)v have also reported vomiting and diarrhoea. Anyone developing these symptoms is advised to stay at home. They should call the HSE Flu Information Line Freephone 1800 94 11 00 or check http://www.swineflu.ie for advice on what to do next. If concerned, they should contact their GP or Out-Of-Hours GP service by telephone.

Should students who have recently returned from travel abroad, be kept away from schools/colleges?

No. As long as they are well and not suffering from flu-like symptoms, there is no reason for these students to be kept away from school/college and they can carry on with their normal routine. They should, however, be vigilant for the symptoms of flu and, at the first signs of these, should stay at home and call the HSE Flu Information Line Freephone 1800 94 11 00 or check http://www.swineflu.ie for advice on what to do next. If concerned, they should contact their GP or Out-Of-Hours GP service by telephone.

What action should be taken if a student develops flu-like symptoms whilst at school/college?

If a student develops flu-like symptoms/Influenza Like Illness (ILI) at school/college, arrangements should be made for him/her to be taken home. Where the student is an adult he/she should be advised to contact the HSE Flu Information Line Freephone 1800 94 11 00 or check http://www.swineflu.ie for advice on what to do next. If concerned, they should contact their GP or Out-Of-Hours GP service by telephone.

Where the student is a minor the parents should be advised as above. Whilst waiting to go home, the student should be placed in a suitable area, such as a small office, away from other students, but where an eye can be kept on them to ensure that they are all right. The student should not return to school/college until 7 days from the onset of symptoms have passed. No further action should be taken unless there is a cluster of ILI, in which case the school/college should seek advice from their local Department of Public Health of the HSE.

What about a student, who was at school/college and is now off school with flu-like symptoms/ILI?

If a student is off with Influenza Like Illness (ILI), no action should be taken, other than to ensure that they do not return to school/college until 7 days from the onset of symptoms have passed. Where there is a cluster of ILI, the school/college should seek advice from the local Department of Public Health.

How will a school/college know if it should close?

Unless the local Department of Public Health advise the management of the school to close as a precautionary measure, the school/college should remain open. A list of the Department of Public Health offices (HSE) is attached for your information at http://www.hse.ie/eng/Find_a_Service/Public_Health/

As is normally the case where management finds it is necessary to close some or all of the school/college it is not necessary to obtain the Department of Education and Science’s approval in advance. Schools/colleges should simply act in accordance with the advice of the health authorities. A school/college closing on foot of advice is however requested to advise the Department of Education and Science of the position without delay. By continuing contact from the public health, a school/college will be advised on when it may re-open.

What if a cluster of schools/colleges are advised to close or it is decided that schools/colleges countrywide should close?

Any decision, based on public health advice, to close a range of or all schools/colleges (and where the number of schools/colleges affected is such that making individual contact locally would be impractical) the advice regarding closure will be announced by a statement through the national and local media with supporting information provided on the Department of Education and Science website.

Should schools/colleges continue to go on trips?

There is no reason why schools/colleges should not continue to go on trips both in this country and abroad. If the trip is abroad we recommend that they look at the latest available travel information, if any, on the Department of Foreign Affairs website (http://www.dfa.ie) and advice on the Department of Health and Children website http://www.dohc.ie

What should you do if a student gets sick on a trip?

If symptoms are consistent with flu they need:

1. To be isolated from the other students.
2. Their parents should be contacted immediately.
3. Arrangements should be made for student to return home if at all possible.
4. If not possible for student to return home, a local GP should assess. If GP advises that the student fits the criteria for a possible Influenza A(H1N1)v case the student must remain in isolation for 7 days from onset of symptoms.
5. If student is very ill and requires immediate medical care, the GP or hospital should be phoned PRIOR to attending.
6. If the GP advises that the student does not fit the criteria for possible Influenza A (H1N1), normal procedures for looking after a sick student on a trip should be followed.

What is the advice to parents regarding student attendance?

While schools/colleges are open parents should send their children to school/college, in the normal way, unless they have any symptoms of Influenza A(H1N1)v.

Can a school/college close if there are high levels of staff absenteeism?

The normal rules in relation to staff absenteeism apply to Influenza A(H1N1)v.

Decisions to remain open or to close having regard to the unavailability of staff due to illness in the event of an outbreak of Influenza A(H1N1)v, are a matter for each individual school/college authority as is the case at present where any significant number of teachers are absent due to illness or the sudden onset of severe weather. Each school/college must assess the viability of remaining open having regard to the number of staff absent/available. The position of students that may already have arrived at school/college before the position on teacher absence becomes fully known should be taken into account. This may mean that in the case of a school, for example, it remains open on the day in question with the available staff carrying out a supervision role over the students where normal classroom and tuition activity is not possible.

Should schools/college invest in masks or cleaning products?

At this time, there is no requirement for schools/colleges to invest in masks or any specialised cleaning products or detergents. However, schools/colleges must ensure that adequate facilities for hand washing are available and routine cleaning of facilities takes place.

Educational institutions, as far as possible, should encourage and facilitate everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like Influenza A(H1N1) including:

* Students should cover their mouth and nose with a paper tissue when coughing or sneezing. If no tissue is available they should cough or sneeze into the inside of their elbow. Students should use a tissue only once and dispose of it quickly and carefully (a dustbin is fine). This is respiratory etiquette. Waste, including used tissues, may be disposed of in the normal way. There is no need to take special precautions in the handling of such waste.

* Students should wash their hands with soap and water.

* Wash hard surfaces such as kitchen worktops, door handles, etc with a normal household cleaner as the virus can live on these surfaces.

Schools/Colleges can encourage good prevention awareness by putting up posters on respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.

Where does responding to a flu pandemic fit in the context of wider emergency planning guidance?

Schools/colleges are reminded of the departmental advice provided in 2004 in relation to ensuring that they are included in emergency plan framework for their area. Copy of this departmental circular (PBU 04/04) is attached. http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/pbu04_04.doc

The key agency in relation to advice on a flu pandemic is the local Department of Public Health (HSE) and as advised many of the decisions regarding advice and actions will be taken locally by personnel from that office. For that reason it is important that your contact information is provided to the local Department of Public Health, if that has not been done previously.

What is the position if a student is due to take a State examination and becomes ill or is being monitored as a possible influenza case?

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) makes arrangements each year to accommodate examination candidates that are ill, injured, or where a student has to be isolated from other students. These arrangements include where appropriate, setting up special individual candidate centres and making arrangements for taking the examination in hospital. In this regard if a student scheduled to take the Leaving or Junior Certificate examinations is diagnosed with Influenza A(H1N1)v or, is being monitored as a suspected case, the SEC should be contacted in the normal way with any advice made available to the school by the health authorities.

How can schools/colleges keep up-to-date with developments?

Schools and colleges should keep themselves informed of developments regarding Influenza A(H1N1)v by checking the websites provided at the end of this information sheet.

Checklist of key actions that should be taken by Schools and Colleges.

(This should not be regarded as an exhaustive list but as complimentary to existing best practices in school relating to health, safety, and hygiene and existing procedures for notifying parents and students of decisions regarding school/college closures that occur at short notice).

* Keep up to date on advice issued by the health authorities.
* The Health Service Executive has already posted information to every household in the country on the Influenza A(H1N1)v. Schools/colleges can supplement this information by promoting good awareness throughout the school/college community.
* Place posters on hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette up in the school/college. Updated material and posters to assist educational facilities is available at http://www.hse.ie
* Make staff and students (especially at 2nd level and beyond) aware of the symptoms of Influenza A(H1N1)v.
* Make sure the school is part of the local areas emergency plan. See Departmental Circular PBU04/04.
* Update a list of key contacts in the event of a closure (and re-opening).
* Review procedures for communicating with staff and families in the event of a partial or full closure.
* Consider any arrangements that may be required for students with special needs.
* Plan, where possible, for staff absences and consider at what level a school/college may need to close where sufficient staff are not available.
* Identify the arrangements to be made for looking after pupils/students showing symptoms while waiting for parents to collect them.
Where can I get further information?

This information specific to the educational institutions will be kept updated, as further information becomes available. In the interim, further and updated information is available from a range of other websites including:

Department of Health and Children, that provides timely and regular advice and information – http://www.dohc.ie

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre – http://www.hpsc.ie

The Health Service Executive Swine Flu website – http://www.swineflu.ie

In relation to schools, the general position regarding school openings and closures is set out in department circulars 11/95, M29/95, and 107/2007, copies of which are attached.

Standard school year http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/cl0107_2007.doc

Primary Schools http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/PC11_95.doc

Post-Primary Schools http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/m29_95.doc

Current at 31st July 2009.

Taken from http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/influenza_information_for_educational_establishments.pdf

Courses.ie Makeover!

We are changing our look and introducing loads of new features to Courses.ie. Be one of the first to hear all about the new features by signing up for our newsletter and be in with a chance to win an iPod!

We are so, so excited by the new developments we are jumping for joy!

CAO Points Pushed up by demand

THOUSANDS of students will be bitterly disappointed today as they discover that points have risen for 550 college courses according to todays Irish Independent...

A record number of applicants has pushed up CAO points virtually across the board this year.

The increase will hit students with around 350 points in particular. They would previously have hoped they had enough points to get into their top choice in today’s first round of offers.

Popular courses such as nursing and teaching – regarded as passports to secure jobs – are all harder to get into this year.

Science has unexpectedly rocketed by up to 85 points, while entry to arts courses is up in most cases.

And the introduction of a controversial aptitude test for medicine this year has thrown up dramatic results, with girls and repeat students losing out badly.

Even some of those with six A1 grades – which is the maximum 600 points in the Leaving Certificate – had failed to get into medicine.

However, others succeeded with just 520 points because, for the first time, they can combine their Leaving with the results of the Australian-devised aptitude test which all medicine applicants had to take.

As a consequence of the change, dentistry has now emerged as the toughest course to get into – up to 575 on random selection in UCC, the equivalent of five A1s and one B3 on higher level papers. In Trinity, entry went from 555 to 570 on random selection.

Despite the current plight of farming, agricultural science has also gone up, as has food science in both UCD and UCC.

The points squeeze comes just days after pupils were left disappointed by the first fall in the number of top A grades in years.

But the sharp rise in points is caused by record numbers of applicants to the CAO.

These include 2,000 more Leaving Cert students than last year and more adults, many of whom have been made redundant. Fewer applications for property- related courses and law have, however, pushed down points in those areas.

And government attempts to boost engineering have yielded disappointing results – dozens of courses will advertise vacancies in engineering on the CAO website within days.

In total, 380 honours degree courses show an increase in points while 252 are lower, 83 remain the same and the remainder are not comparable or are new courses.

Of the ordinary degree and higher certificate courses, 166 were up, 89 were down, 33 remained the same and the remainder were not directly comparable or were new.

This year, overall applications to the CAO were up 7.2pc to just under 74,000. The increase reflects what’s happening in the country due to the recession, said John McGinnity, assistant registrar at NUI Maynooth.

“More adults have applied, and want to get a qualification either because they been made redundant or see the writing on the wall,” he said.

In addition, 2,000 more Leaving Cert students applied than last year. This was partly due to the closure of other non-CAO options, such as apprenticeships.

Arts

Applications for arts were up by 1,000 to just over 10,500, or one in every seven applications. As a result, points for arts were also up. Entry points in UCD for the country's biggest arts faculty, which takes in 1,300 students every year, went from 350 to 360; while in the University of Limerick, arts went from 440 to 445.

Maynooth's arts course now has a higher entry point than NUI Galway, Cork or Dublin. A spokesman for NUIM said the university had broadened its range of subjects to 26 to include law and business and this had proven very attractive to students.

“Many students have chosen a broadly based honours degree during this downturn in the economy, which will allow graduates choose from a range of work or further study options after graduation,” he said.

Other trends from this year’s first round were:

- Nearly half the nursing courses require 400 or more points.

- A poor year for engineering with a slight decrease in applications.

- Two popular business courses – in UCD and NUIG – are down in points, but up in TCD and UCC. The CAO said last night that in round one, 46,918 of all 73,982 applicants received an offer – 63pc of total applicants – as compared with 67.6pc of all applicants in 2008.

Those who did not receive an offer included more than 4,000 who failed ordinary level maths which is needed for most courses.

The figures also show that fewer applicants got their top preferences this year compared with last year.

Of those applying for honours degrees, 26,832 applicants (76.9pc) received either their first, second or third preference as compared with 79pc in 2008.

Already this year 6,922 applicants have received offers in the small earlier Rounds A and Zero, which are mainly for mature applicants, students who deferred a place last year, and some applicants presenting with Further Education and Training Council qualifications for Post Leaving Certificate and other courses.

To date, 5,094 of these (7pc of all applicants) have accepted places.

At this time last year, 3,824 acceptances had accepted offers, representing 5.5pc of total applicants.

- John Walshe and Katherine Donnelly - The article in the Irish Independent

Personally, the fact that the CAO site is not updated constantly with news and information concerning the points situation, only adds to the stress and anxiety of our students, maybe next year they will remedy the situation.

New Masters degree in security and digital forensics

The Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown has launched a new degree course that has been inspired by the rising tide of cybercrime. 98pc of all Irish organisations have experienced incidents of cybercrime according to Silicon Republic.com

They continue to say that the programme is one of three streams in a Masters in Computing (Business Data Mining and Software Engineering are the other two) qualifying for government subsidy and has a number of free places allocated for jobseekers. Full course information is available on www.itb.ie

You can read the full article on Siliconrepublic.com

Leaving Cert Results Out Today

Fingers crossed and good luck to all Leaving Cert students who are either eagerly or anxiously awaiting their results today. There is life after the Leaving Cert!

Results are also available online from noon today at www.examinations.ie

For those who shared their thoughts on Leaving Cert.net do let us all know how you got on!

Student Helpline from the National Parents Council will be in operation at 10am on Wednesday 12th of August

Helpline Phone Number: 1800 265 165

Points calculator and further information courtesy of CAO






* Bonus points for Leaving Certificate Higher Level Mathematics will be awarded in 2008 by University of Limerick and for Liberal Arts (MI004) and Early Childhood Care and Education (MI007) at Mary Immaculate College. The Dublin Institute of Technology also awards bonus points for Mathematics and a number of science subjects in the case of the Level 8 course DT021. Applicants should refer to DIT literature for full details.

# Points for Foundation Level Mathematics will be awarded by certain institutions. Applicants should refer to the HEI literature for full details.

NCAD does not award points for Leaving Certificate or other examinations. Consult NCAD literature for details.

Accompanying conditions:

1. The six best results, in recognised subjects, in one Leaving Certificate Examination will be counted for points computation.
2. One sitting only of the Leaving Certificate Examination will be counted for points purposes.
3. In the case of certain subjects, e.g. Home Economics (General), Foundation Level Mathematics or Foundation Level Irish, some HEIs may not award the points shown above. If in any doubt, check with the Admissions Office of the appropriate HEIs.

# LCVP points awarded: Distinction - 70, Merit - 50, Pass - 30

Top 7 social networking sites our children use

Parents arrive and our teenagers leave? Sound familiar? Well it seems it applies to Twitter and Facebook also. We adults start using these sites and our children find somewhere else to hang out, according to the Times Online.


I am not so sure that the sites listed are where our teenagers are hanging out. Quite a few of the sites listed would suit a younger age group where as Twitter, Facebook, etc are for the older teenager.

Would you agree? Where do you think your children are hanging out online?

5,000 vacancies the IT sector

Yet the CAO (Central Applications Office) report the number of applicants for engineering and technology degree courses was down by 9.8pc on last year. Why is that?

According to the experts, changing the way our education system works is vital if we are to encourage young people to take up professions such as IT and engineering that will benefit our smart economy, reports Silicon Republic in their article Learning our Lesson.

Learning a new language opens your mind!

We are delighted to welcome the first of a number of guest writers to the Courses.ie Learning Blog.

Starting off our series of guest articles is Liz Hannon from Languagewise.

To learn a new language is an acknowledgement that you are willing to embrace the people and culture of another nation. Through learning how to speak the language of another country or state you will not only gain a better understanding of the attitudes of another group of people with a different social, historical and political background to your own but you will also gain an insight into their sense of humour.

To be able to even say a few words of greeting in a foreign language is a great ice breaker and an act of friendship. It shows that you are reaching out to someone of another nationality and are keen to know more about them , their language and culture.

It can be fun learning the different idiomatic expressions and discovering that something that "costs an arm and a leg" translates in French to "it costs the eyes in your head" or that "you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" translates in Spanish to "although a monkey looks like its made of silk, it is still a monkey" !

Absolutely anyone can learn a new language. A lot of people say " I am not good at languages" or "I hated French in school" and from a bad learning experience close themselves off to the idea of learning a new language and feel that they they are not capable. Well they are wrong!! There is no mystery to learning a language. If there was how does a one year old child start speaking!

Once you have a qualified and experienced teacher (preferably a native speaker), they will guide you quite literally from A to Z! It is the experience of the teacher that allows them to interact with a student effectively to make them feel at ease and to progress at a pace that suits the student. Just like learning to swim or ride a bike absolutely anyone can do it and all it takes is practice!

Learning a language is one of the most positive steps one can take in life and enriches the learner who through their experience can open up a whole new world of travel and making friends in a different country. It is a pursuit that transcends age and class and unites people.

Learn a language and broaden your possibilities in life!

On a personal note, I think you also have to be prepared for some laughter as you find your way around accents and nuances of a new language. I was chatting to some friends who were helping me to learn Swedish by webcam and messenger. I had them hooting with laughter as I replied to what they were saying. I thought I was typing, 'I hear you', but it turned out to be something else entirely as I had forgotten to put an accent in the correct place! It was a great lesson as I have never forgotten and won't make that mistake again! What I did discover though was not to be nervous of making mistakes, because when I did (and do) it is beneficial and I found myself enjoying the experience even more.

If this article wets your appetite to explore another language and culture during the Autumn evenings Languagewise deliver courses in a wide range of languages for both business and personal interest, on a day or evening class schedule.

5th Year Student states "Guillotining in the Dáil"

Not old enough to vote yet but political parties take note, the students of Ireland are watching you closely if this blog post is anything to go by....

That time of the year again. Lots of work to be done but no time to do it. The holidays of TD’s and Brian Cowen’s tan takes precedence over the few dozen bills before the house in the coming days. Recently we’ve seen other problems in the Dáil with the house suspended for 3 hours one afternoon after TD’s ran out of things to say. The Seanad is the house that everyone talks about as being in need of reform however everyone forgets that the main house is just as flawed. Here’s some changes I believe will make things run better in the national parliament..........Read his suggestions at http://short.ie/7raa7c

Polish to be taught in NI Schools

Children as young as four will be taught Polish in Northern Ireland primary schools from September, it was revealed yesterday.

According to the Belfast Telegraph:

The aim of the language programme is to offer an enjoyable experience of language learning for the youngest pupils with a view to encouraging more to continue at post-primary level.

So far 25 schools have signed up to have a tutor provided for their Primary 1-4 classes under a scheme funded by the Department of Education. During the last school year 247 primary schools had regular Spanish lessons and 76 Irish lessons.

Do you think this is option to be considered by the rest of Ireland?

Stop Press! The Adult Learning Festival dates are out!

Aontas - The Adult Learning Festival 2010 is coming to a venue near you! The festival will take place from February 2nd to February 6th 2009!

The Adult Learners' Festival is about

* Celebrating adult learning and the achievements of adult learners
* Showcasing the work of adult education providers
* Promoting the work of AONTAS and the adult education sector
* Ensuring that adult education is placed firmly on the political agenda

Aontas exists to promote the development of a learning society through the provision of a quality and comprehensive system of adult learning and education which is accessible to and inclusive to all.


Check the Adult Learning Festival site for information on courses being run as part of the festival which may tweak your fancy to go along and try.

Course Providers - If you are involved in community or adult education, why not organise an event during the festival? You will get publicity for your group’s activities, help to raise awareness about the value of adult learning, and be part of a national event which celebrates the achievements of adult learners all around the country. Contact your local Aontas link here

Email Aontas at mail@aontas.com or phone them on 01 406 8220

They will include details about your event, and send you out posters and other publicity material for your event.


Adult Learning - Something worth celebrating!

CAO site up and running as normal

The CAO website crashed yesterday evening and went off line. It is now fixed and up and running as normal.

Students have till July 1st, which is Wednesday to go online for the change of mind though the CAO.

Hyperwords - such a handy plugin

Reading the Times Online announcing Microsoft's Bing Search Engine

The two biggest names in technology are set to slug it out over the coming weeks in a $20 billion (£12 billion) battle for web supremacy. In one corner is Google, the dominant player in online searches; in the other is Microsoft, the world’s biggest software company. Microsoft is poised to launch Bing, a new search engine it says will give more useful results and end its rival’s hegemony.

I admit to not being sure what the word 'hegemony' means. Instead of having to look for the dictionary (which I don't always have to hand, or opening another tab to access an online dictionary) I just double click on the word and thanks to a plug in called Hyperwords, I have the meaning in seconds without leaving the page.

From Ancient Greek ἡγεμονία (hēgemonia), “‘supremacy or leadership, chief command’”) < ἡγεμόν (hegemon), “‘a leader, guide, commander, chief’”) < ἡγεισθαι (hegeisthai), “‘to lead’”) < αγειν (agein), “‘to lead’”).

I can translate the word into French, hégémonie, into Arabic سيطرة, and replaces the original word in the text with the translated word.

There are a number of other different functions that it carries out, but what a godsend just for its translation and reference features alone!

Exam Help

RTE - Have a very helpful site with all the latest advice via podcasts, blogs, message boards. Check it out.

Can everybody learn something new?

Let's see what Stephen Fry has to say about it.....


Creative Thinking: Stephen Fry: Learning

Can you help?

Rainforests around the world are being destroyed at an alarming rate. This is increasingly due to destructive logging operations and conversion of the land for farming use. RainforestSOS states. An online campaign asks for our help.



Please put your name to the list using the widget on the right. Thank You.

And we wonder.......

Taken from the Drogheda Independent

Wednesday April 22 2009

Dear Sir,

I RECENTLY had a long conversation with a friend of mine who lost his job. He was in a reasonably good job and after a little bit of overtime was earning a gross salary of € 35,000 per year.

So I asked him the obvious question of how he was going to cope now with four children to feed and I have to be honest the answer startled me, he was actually a lot better off and now in a position to go out golfing every day when his children are at school.

Frankly I did not believe him until I sat down and did the sums.

On a salary of € 35,000 his annual net income after the mini budget was € 28,854, after all deductions.

Now he's on the supplementary welfare allowance which, with a wife and four children, gives you € 443.90 per week or € 23,083 annually.

As he also has a mortgage he is entitled to mortgage interest supplement which pays all the interest on your mortgage so in his case € 1,200 per month of his € 1,500 mortgage or € 14,400 per annum.

He is also entitled to back to school and footwear payment of € 905 per year for four children, a medical card which we will say is worth on average say € 500 per year (probably more) and a heating supplement which I cannot quantify.

In total he now therefore has tax free income of € 38,888, an increase in his net income of € 10,034 per year working on his handicap.

Based on the calculations after the mini Budget you would need to earn more than € 47,000 per year if you have four children to justify continuing to work. Now this is even before the costs of working like petrol, car maintenance, tolls, lunches etc.

Now in any civilised society and especially a society in a deep recession with a huge welfare bill surely the Government must give people an incentive to go out and work.

Making the child benefit taxable or means

for golf tested later this year is just going to make the situation far worse and encourage more people to give up work and rely on the state to live.

It could even drive our small economy to collapse as the welfare bill gets bigger and bigger as more people, including myself, say why should I bother to go out to work when it is basically costing me money to work?

The country needs to get back to basics, to a system that encourages people to get up off their backside to work, encourages people to take risks, set up businesses, enterprise rather than encourage people to rely on the state.

Unless something radically changes I will be joining my mate on the golf course very soon.

More Please

Another brilliant show, Boston Legal bites the dust. There is a dearth of really good shows out there that can engage the mind rather than vacant it.

I love the writing, the acting and the fact that it makes me think as I watch, it also educates me, and can have me running the gamut of emotions all in 40 minutes.

James Spader explains Scientology in an episode;



Another programme I am hooked on is The Wire. Again both the writing and acting is superb. This series has just started on BBC 2. I had tried before to watch it, but found the American Projects and drug dealers slang hard to grasp. This time I turned on subtitles and it was so much better and I am glad I did otherwise I would have lost on on following this terrific series.

Here, one of the drug dealers explains how to play chess by using the allegory of the hierarchy of the drug dealers and the running of their operation.



There is only so much time I have available to watch shows, RTE have released the Beta version of their Player and I am enjoying it. The quality is excellent. I do have a fast broadband connection but I think anyone with 1mb+ should be fine.

I caught up with The Best of The Panel today :-) I hope this player does not disappear for long before they bring out the final version.

Believe in yourself

Count me in as one of the millions that have watched Susan Boyle's rendition of I Dream a Dream (from my favourite musical Les Mis). (Currently this version has been seen over 25 million times!)

Don't you just love the fact that she is an everyday woman, a woman you would see all over Ireland. Yet for all the knocks she has received in life she had a belief in herself and a dream to honour her Mother, and did she ever! It was wonderful.

I found another recording that she did 10 years ago and her diction today as then is one of the reasons I enjoyed her singing so much. I find many singers today have little sense of diction and it ruins my pleasure in listening. Susan Boyle sings Cry Me a River, stunning, even on You Tube.

Twittering

We have just added Twitter to our sidebar where you can follow all the latest happenings on Courses.ie!

As providers update their listings with new courses or events we will be letting you know as soon as it happens.

New articles? Get to hear about it first by following us on Twitter. Look forward to seeing you there. www.twitter.com/courses

New Fourth Level Education Announcement

New fourth level education proposal to create thousands of jobs

According to the Irish Independent

Wednesday March 11 2009

The Taoiseach has unveiled a major new initiative between the country's top two universities, aimed at creating thousands of jobs over the next ten years.

Trinity College and UCD are teaming up to create what has been described as a new fourth level academy, similar in concept to the IFSC in Dublin.

Up to one thousand graduates will be trained every year in specialised areas, in a bid to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.

It is estimated that this will result in the creation of around 300 new enterprises in this country over the next ten years.

The winners & losers in course choices this year

In today's Irish Times, they have given a run down on the course choices students are making according to the CAO.

The big winner this year is science where demand for higher level degree is up by 20 per cent. The Government and business leaders will be delighted with this trend, which reverses years of steep decline.

The bad news for Leaving Cert students is that CAO points for science courses are set to rise because of the increased demand.

The other big winner this year is agriculture where demand for courses is up by almost 50 per cent, reflecting confidence about the long term security of employment in the food industry and in agriculture.

Physics for the leaving Cert

For those of you studying physics, here is a wonderful site with lots of notes and great advice from the physicsteacher.ie

According to his blog;

For each chapter I have included all past exam questions, which can be cross-referenced with the relavant marking-scheme which is also included. Also included is a copy of the associated extracts from the syllabus - this gives the students the responsibility of checking up on me to ensure I have everything covered before moving on to the next chapter.

There is also plenty of “extra-credit” material tucked in at the end to help address many of the conceptual difficulties which students (and teachers!) have; these also help to set the historical and social context of many of the discoveries. Science is after all a very human activity, dispite what you might think from the text-books and syllabus.

I would hope that students outside of my own school would find these useful, particulary those who don’t have a specialised Physics teacher should find it to be a useful resourse to help them help themselves.

Some would see the decision to allow the students to see their test in advance to be somehow ‘cheating’, but for me it helps overcome one of the biggest obstacles facing many students who may not be in the top bracket; they simply don’t know what to learn. I have found with this new approach that hard-working students who are of average ability have gone from 50% to 75% since I introduced the option. It doesn’t change those at the top; the A-students still get their A’s, while at the other end those determined to do as little as possible still continue to achieve results which reflect this.

But I’m delighted with this practice. We spend at least one class and maybe two going over these questions at the end of each chapter and before I give them the test. Then I simply pick ten questions from the list, while altering the numbers in the maths questions. After seven years of leaving-cert questions (2002 - 2009) there is a pretty comprehensive bank of questions there, so I don’t believe it is giving students an inflated sense of their own worth.

But as an incentive to prepare for class tests and greater student participation it is working like a dream. I’m not too proud to say that I’m thrilled with my work!

Courses.ie leading the way....again :-)

They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

It is both a compliment and interesting to see sites older than ours recognise that we have raised the benchmark and are now incorporating features that we, Courses.ie, introduced and felt should be taken as standard.

Watch out for more as we start to introduce some of the changes and new features you have told us that you want to see.

Furniture Design in Ireland

Just imagine if you designed a chair and it sold for over 22 million and went into the history books as the most expensive piece of design in the world! Well that is what happened to Irish designer Eileen Gray. 23 years after she has died and over 90 years since it was designed. It was in the collection of Yves Saint Laurent which is currently being sold in Paris. (Photo courtesy of the Irish Independent) The National Museum had the foresight to purchase her private collection of papers and furniture from her apartment in Paris. They are now on permanent exhibition in in the Museum. Gray died at the age of 98 yet many of her designs would not look out of place in this contemporary age. If you might like to follow in her footsteps and learn furniture design or study design there are many colleges around the country that run design courses, below is a list while not exhaustive, will help you get started. If you would like a college added to the list please let us know. Photos of the Yves Saint Laurent auction at Christies are on Flickr. COLLECTION YVES SAINT LAURENT ET PIERRE BERGE Catelogue Athlone Institute of Technology	www.ait.ie
BA (Hons) in Design Communications (3yrs ab initio) BA (Hons) in Design (Visual Communications) (4yrs ab initio) BA (Hons) in Design (Multimedia Studies) (1yr add-on)
Carlow Institute of Technology	www.itcarlow.ie
BA in Industrial Design BA (Hons) in Industrial Design BA (Hons) in Product Design Innovation
Cork Institute of Technology	www.cit.ie
BA (Hons) in Multimedia (4yrs ab initio) BDes in Design Communication (3yrs ab initio) BDes (Hons) in Visual Communications (1yr)
Crawford College	www.cit.ie
BA in Ceramic Design BA (Hons) in Ceramic Design Higher Diploma in Arts (Art & Design Education)
Dublin Institute of Technology	www.dit.ie
BDes in Visual Communication BDes in Interior and Furniture Certificate Design Display BSc Product Design National Certificate in Design Studies BSc in Architecture
Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology	www.iadt.ie
BA (Hons) in Animation BA in Design (Model-Making for Film & Media) BA (Hons) in Design (Visual Communication) BA (Hons) in Film & TV Production BSc (Hons) in Psychology Applied to Information Technology BEng in Digital Media Technology Higher Certificate in Arts (Make-Up for Film, TV & Theatre)
Grafton Academy	www.graftonacademy.com
Diploma in Fashion Design (3yrs)
Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology	www.gmit.ie
BA in Art & Design BA in Art & Design (P/T) BA (Hons) in Textile Design BSc in Furniture Design & Manufacture BSc in Furniture Production & Technology BSc (Hons) in Product Design (Furniture) BSc (Hons) in Manufacturing Technology (Furniture) BSc (Hons) in Design & Technology Education
Griffith College Dublin	www.gcd.ie
BA in Interior Design BA in Interior Architecture BA (Hons) in Interior Architecture Diploma in Interior Design (2yrs)
Letterfrack Furniture College (GMIT)	www.gmit.ie
BSc in Furniture Technology National Certificate in Furniture Design & Manufacture National Certificate in Furniture Production National Diploma in Furniture Conservation & Restoration
Limerick Institute of Technology	www.lit.ie
First Year Art & Design BA (Hons) in Product Design (Level 8) BA (Hons) in Fashion Design (Level 8) BA (Hons) in Design (Visual Communications) (Level 8)
Letterkenny Institute of Technology	www.lyit.ie
BA in Graphic Design BA in Industrial Design BA (Hons) in Design Media, Design & Production
National College of Art and Design	www.ncad.ie
BA in History (Art, Design & Craft) BA in History (Art, Design & Fashion) BA in History (Art, Design & Textile) BA in History (Art, Design & Visual Communication) BA in Art & Design Education BDes in Visual Communication BDes in Fashion Design BDes in Textile Design BDes in Industrial Design BDes in Craft Design (Ceramics, Glass & Metals) HDip in Art & Design Education
NUI Maynooth	www.nuim.ie
Degree in Product Design (4yrs) BA/BSc in Multimedia
Queen's University Belfash	www.qub.ac.uk
BSc in Architecture (3yrs) BSc in Creative Multimedia (4yrs) BEng in Product Design & Development (3yrs) MEng in Product Design & Development (4yrs)
Sligo Institute of Technology	www.itsligo.ie
BA in Industrial Design BA (Hons) in Industrial Design BA in Interior Architecture (ab initio) BA (Hons, add-on) in Interior Architecture
University College Cork (UCC)	www.ucc.ie
BSc (Hons) in Architecture (4yrs) Run jointly with CIT
University College Dublin (UCD)	www.ucd.ie
BSc in Architectural Science (3yrs)
University of Limerick	www.ul.ie
BSc (Hons) in Digital Media Design BSc (Hons) in Product Design & Technology BEng in Computer Aided Engineering & Design Bachelor of Architecture
University of Ulster	www.ulster.ac.uk
BA (Hons) in Architecture BA (Hons) in Art & Design BA (Hons) in Textiles & Fashion Design BDes (Hons) in Design & Communication BDes (Hons) for Visual Communication BDes (Hons) in Interior, Industrial & Furniture Design BDes (Hons) in 3D Design (Interior, Product & Furniture) BSc (Hons) in Interactive Multimedia Design BSc (Hons) in Multimedia Computing & Design BSc (Hons) in Technology with Design BSc (Hons) in Technology with Design (with Integrated Foundation Year) PgD/MSc in Computing & Design PgD/MDes in Design Communication Foundation Studies in Art & Design (Diploma) CertHE in Interior Design PhD/MPhil in Arts & Design
Waterford Institute of Technology	www.wit.ie
BA (Hons) in Design (Visual Communication) (4yrs)

Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday

Today is Shrove Tuesday - the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. It is so called because it was the day on which people were ‘shriven’ or absolved of their sins prior to Lent.

The word shrove is the past tense of the English verb shrive, which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by way of Confession and doing penance. Thus Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the shriving that English Christians were expected to do prior to receiving absolution immediately before Lent begins.

Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Tuesday, because traditionally pancakes were made on this day. Many people in Ireland (and elsewhere) still enjoy celebrating ‘Pancake Tuesday’ by making pancakes. The reason for associating pancakes with Shrove Tuesday is that they use up the fresh items from the larder – items which could not be eaten during the period of Lent, as it was a time of abstinence.

Odlums, one of Irelands longest manufacturers of flour run Odlums Pancake Party in aid of The Children's Hospital in Tallaght. You host a party any time between the 20th and 24th February by inviting family, friends, work colleagues, to your home, school, community centre or work place. The idea is to have some fun while raising money for a worthy cause. They have pancake recipes on the website; traditional, easy and easier!

I am the traditional type with sugar and lemons, but there are various methods of pancakes from different countries, maybe instead of traditional you might like to try Griddle (from America) Crepes (from France) or Bellinis (from Russia). Have fun :-)

Nowadays we don't have to use up all the fresh items in the larder but many people still want to atone, offer up, do penance, by giving up something they enjoy for the Lenten period. Be it chocolate, sugar, alcohol or cigarettes. For years in homes around the country many school children brought home the Trócaire Box. The idea being that what you would have spent on chocolate, sugar, alcohol or cigarettes you put in to the Trócaire Box instead. In that way you are helping not only yourself but also people in the Third world.

Trócaire state on their website;

Lent is our most important fundraising and awareness building period. Each year during Lent we highlight particular challenges facing people in the developing world and encourage the public to take action through campaigning and by raising funds through our Trócaire box.

In our home my son has taken to making the pancakes (and Mum gets to clean up after!!) so enjoy Pancake Tuesday and try not to leave the pancake on the ceiling when you have the toss the pancake competition! :-)

A-Z using British Sign Language

British Sign Language:How To Sign The Alphabet Using British Sign Language

Eight Toughest Interview Questions

Paul MacKenzie-Cummins for CareerBuilder.co.uk

Interviews are designed to do just one thing: identify the best possible candidate for the advertised job. And sometimes it may feel that the questions being asked have been designed to deliberately catch you out or make you question whether you are up to the job or not.

But that's not their intention. Some questions aim to establish how well you cope under pressure, others will be to reveal your personality or to see what your career aspirations are. Just remember that there is no need to draw a blank or clam up if you have done your research and preparation beforehand.

If you want to avoid an interview disaster, here are some of the toughest interview questions and their suggested responses.

Q: "Tell me about yourself"

This is perhaps the most open-ended question of them all and is typically used by interviewers as a warm-up question to give you the opportunity to shine. But resist the temptation to start talking about your life history. What your interviewer is looking for is a quick two or three minute snapshot of who you are and why you are the best candidate for the job. So keep your response relevant to the position you are applying for. For example:

A: I started my media sales career five years ago as a telesales representative, rising through the ranks before gaining promotion to sales manager three years later. I am now responsible for training and developing a team of 15 sales consultants that are currently the company's best performing sales team.

Q: "What are your salary expectations?"

You should have done some research into the average salary and remuneration that this type of position will pay. Try to deflect the question by turning it around and asking the interviewer about the salary on offer. Typically, they will start with a lower figure than they are prepared to offer because they want to keep their costs down. So if you are pressed to give a number, its best to give a range to avoid pricing yourself out of contention. For example:

A: I'm sure whatever salary you're paying is consistent with the rest of the market average of £23,000 to £25,000.

Q: "Why should we hire you"

This can be a killer question and can make or break your chances of winning the job. And how you answer will depend on how well you have probed your interviewer about their requirements and expectations. So what the interviewer is really asking you is, What can you do for my business? Your response needs to answer that question. For example:

A: As I understand your needs, you are first and foremost looking for someone who can increase your advertising sales and has experience of managing a sales team. I have a proven track record in successfully managing and developing my territory within this sector, having increased my sales from £150,000 to £210,000 over the last two years alone.

Q: "If you were a car ... tree ... animal what would you be?"

Baffling though it may seem, some interviewers still insist on asking silly questions, such as If you were a car, what type of car would you be and why? There are no right or wrong answers. The interviewer is simply testing your reactions under pressure to see how you will cope with the unexpected in an attempt to gain an insight into your personality and how you view yourself. Don't get hung up on the implications of what type of car you say you would be, just be mindful that you will be expected to explain your choice. For example:

A: I would probably be a 1962 Alpha Romeo Spider -- classy, stylish, driven and fast off the mark

Q: "Why did you leave your last job?"

You know this question will be asked at some stage, so have your answer ready in advance. The rule of thumb is to always remain positive about your current and previous employers because you never know when your paths may cross again. Besides, who are you going to turn to for a reference? For example:

A: I learned a lot from my previous employer and enjoyed my time there. However, promotional opportunities were few and far between and I am keen to advance my career sooner rather than later.

Q: "What are your weaknesses?"

Career manuals abound with ways to tackle this question. And most of them seem to suggest that you should take one of your strengths and portray it as a weakness. For instance, I work too much. But this will actually work against rather than work for you because it may imply that you do not organise your workload effectively, or that you have poor time management skills. Instead, opt for a genuine weakness. For example:

A: I used to struggle to plan and prioritorise my workload. However, I have taken steps to resolve this and now I have started using a planning tool and diary system on my laptop.

Q: "What motivates you?"

Short of telling your interviewer that you are motivated by the prospect of earning a footballer's salary, driving a Bentley or having a holiday home in St Tropez, try and give a constructive answer that will excite your interviewer into understanding what benefit you will bring to his business. For example:

A: I get a real kick out of seeing my team exceed their sales targets and completing the project on time and within budget.

Q: "How would your former colleagues describe you?"

This is a sure sign that the interviewer likes you and is already thinking about contacting your previous employer for a reference. And this is the time when you realise how important it is to choose your referees carefully. So answer this question in the way that you would like to think your employer would respond. For example:

A: I have an excellent working relationship with my manager and we have mutual respect for each other. He considers me to be hard working, dedicated, reliable and able to work well using my own initiative.

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Core Skills and Up Skills - a debate

Thanks to Bernie over at Inside View posting about Core Skills in Ireland. He discusses the post 'Core skills not up skills' by Chris Horn, who says

"There's some considerable debate here in Ireland about the need to "up skill" our economy, in the light of loss of jobs to lower cost economies. I however contend that there is not so much a need to "up skill", but to "core skill" - to get back to fundamentals and thus ensure that we have a solid foundation of lifetime skills."

I feel there is a need to do both. We cannot ignore the fact that many workers now need to gain more skills if they wish to be in demand as ongoing or future employees. I see his point and fully agree that core skills are being neglected in primary and post primary schools. Getting back to basics now will only allow us to see the benefit in our children in 10 years time.

Horn says

" Our young people should be able to reason, to deduce and derive, to correlate and spot patterns, to explore and to be inquisitive, and to be articulate and confident. In my humble view, these are more life centric skills than learning facts and perspectives by rote: knowing something off by heart, but not understanding why, why not, and so what. Skills taught in schools should be for life. There are many things which can be learnt during adulthood, but some skills which are difficult to learn without a solid foundation during the teens and 20s."

Maths and science is where Horn is leading and feels our students are being let down by the education system that fails to take more of an interest in these skills.

In Britain Carol Voderman is being suggested as a Maths czar as a means of getting students interested in Maths, and there is an American TV police show 'Numbers' that is fascinating with the way it shows how we interact with numbers every day of our lives. The site explains the maths in the series and also has a weekly maths puzzle, well worth exploring.

Bernie Goldbach of Inside View states,

I know that many of the asipiring programmers have weak mathematical skills. Many do not program in second level education, so learning programming is like learning another language. Some first year students do not think logically and expect their third level education will remedy their deficiencies. Third level is often too late in the education cycle. Taking a page out of Chris Horn's blog, the primary level is where the skills start--in mathematics classrooms. Then those skills continue into second level, with an expectation that geometry, trigonometry and calculus get sound coverage. From what I see entering third level, I think there are serious core skills shortfalls in Ireland and I don't believe those shortfalls will be remedied during the current recession.

Bernie Goldbach is a lecturer in Tipperary Institute.

Teachers, things can only improve

Despite all the doom and gloom around us our children will still need to be educated and "students should not be too quick to abandon the profession, because of the current shortage of jobs." So says the article in the Irish Independent.

While the start of the article would make you wonder why anyone would go into education as a career following the budget it does go on to say...

Demographic trends suggest that more teachers will be needed in Ireland in the coming years.

The number of school pupils in Ireland is expected to grow by more than 50,000 over the next five years, and unless class sizes are increased dramatically, staff will have to be hired to teach them.

Moira Leyden, the assistant general secretary of ASTI, says: "We are very concerned about the increase in pupil-teacher ratios, and the fact that there will be job losses.

"The long-term trend is an increase in population over the next five or six years, and ultimately there will have to be jobs for teachers coming on stream so that these children can be taught. There are still plans to open new schools, and these will need teachers.''

In the second-level sector, employment prospects also vary according to subject areas.

Those who specialise in English, history and business studies are finding it much tougher than those with degrees in maths and Irish. Aspiring teachers can also improve their chances of securing steady work when they are on placement by showing enthusiasm and dedication, and becoming involved in the school's extra-curricular activities.

Ultimately, the trainee who directs the school play or coaches two hurling teams will be seen as a greater asset to a school.

The full article can be read here

How to treat the mocks - a life saver

An excellent article appeared in the Irish Times by Brian Mooney on how to treat the Mocks. It could be your life saver.

Don't throw it all away - your mock exam papers that is. They can tell you more about the gaps you need to fill before the State exams this summer than anything else.

At the end of the mock examination process, you will have the most valuable resource possible in the form of the corrected scripts returned to you. These will help you to improve your results in the State examinations in June. Many of you will simply deposit these scripts deep in your school bag, where they will never see the light of day again. If you take this course of action, your mocks have been of little real value to you.

Your corrected scripts are a road map to your best possible result in June. They contain within them all of the evidence of what you did well and what you did badly.

YOUR CORRECTED MOCK EXAM SCRIPTS WILL TELL YOU

* Where you allocated time appropriately to each section of each question
* Where you addressed the question asked, or where you drifted into writing irrelevant material which only had some loose association with the question.
* Where nerves and stress led you to answer poorly, when a more careful approach could have paid rich dividends.
* How prepared you are to meet the standard of answering required in June.
* To conclude, how you analyse the feedback you receive will determine whether your mocks act as a catalyst for a greatly improved performance in June or are a wasted opportunity.

HOME ECONOMICS SOCIAL AND SCIENTIFIC

* Study the following topics in detail: proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates and water.
* Food commodities: alternative proteins (their nutritive and dietetic value), meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and milk products, cereals, nuts, fruit and vegetables, fats and oils.
* Food labelling, food preservation, food additives, food hygiene, and food safety. National Agencies for food study/food hygiene legislation (HACCP) ISO 9000.
* Household technologies, large and small appliances.
* Consumer studies and consumer laws, components of management (inputs, outputs and throughputs).
* Types of mortgage, forms of credit and savings schemes.
* With regard to your chosen elective, practise past paper questions and check your answer against the marking schemes available on www.examinations.ie
* Finally, practise both short and long questions, on past examination papers.

GEOGRAPHY

* Practise previous examination questions and use the State Examination Commission marking schemes to check the quality of your work.
* Core questions: In answering these questions ensure that you are able to refer to appropriate case studies at both national and international levels.
* Attempt all of the short questions, as you will be marked out of your best eight.
* In physical geography study a “landform question”.
* Study the three topics of rivers, seas and glaciers. You must study one of them in detail and prepare a case study of the human interaction with that topic.
* Memorise regional geography, primary, secondary and tertiary activities.
* Ensure that you are able to identify all surface landforms by name or from a diagram.
* Elective questions: At the beginning of fifth year, you will have chosen either human or economic geography as your elective. If you have chosen human geography, you should revise population as overpopulation is a commonly occurring topic.
* Settlement: Settlement patterns – site, situation, function, map and photograph skills are other topics you should be familiar with.
* Optional geography question: This is an essay-type question for higher-level students. Practise writing a number of appropriate essays in your chosen optional area. You will be working on one of the following topics in your geography class in school: geo-ecology, global interdependence, culture and identity, and the atmosphere-ocean environment. Ensure that you have a clear structure to your work, which deals with three to four aspects of the topic and identify seven to eight significant relevant points on each aspect.
* The written paper makes up 80 per cent of the overall marks. Leaving Certificate geography students have until April to complete their Geographical Investigation, which will be assessed outside the written examination.

HISTORY

* Ensure that you complete your work on the research topic as soon as possible.
* Develop a regular pattern of revision- at least four 40-minute sessions weekly.
* Draw up outline plans for all of the essays you are preparing.
* You should now be at the stage where you can write full essays in approximately 40 minutes, without the use of textbooks or notes.
* Prepare answers for a possible contextualisation question in the documents section of the examination paper.
* At this stage, it is often not possible to revise every topic. Ensure that the topics you do revise are done in some detail. For example if you are revising Home Rule within Irish history, you need to cover every aspect of the topic.

BIOLOGY

Familiarise yourself with the structure of the paper and the application of the marking scheme.

Short questions

Practise the short questions on both past exam papers and on sample papers.

Experiments

Revise all of the experiments you have done in fifth and sixth year, which will be examined in section B of the paper.

Long questions

* Go back over the definitions you have learnt and practise writing them out.
* Always be careful to ensure that you are addressing the question asked.
* Plant biology is a section of the course you should study carefully.
* You should consider answering questions 14 and 15 as they will offer you choices within the question.
* Practise drawing the diagrams you have studied and ensure that you label them accurately.
* Concentrate on the following topics: ecology, respiration, genetics, plant structure and body systems.

PHYSICS AND APPLIED MATHS

There is an excellent website physics students can use in their revision – www.thephysicsteacher.ie. The site also provides excellent revision materials for students studying applied maths.

CHEMISTRY

* Ensure that you are completely familiar with the practical questions you have studied to date.
* The organic chemistry section of the course is regularly examined and should therefore feature prominently in your revision schedule over the coming weeks.
* If you are considering attempting question four, which contains 11 short questions, you may find that this is a relatively easy question if you have a good overview of the entire course.
* You have been accumulating detailed records of your laboratory experiment work over the past two years. Revise this work fully prior to your mocks.

FRENCH

Timing

As with all exams, the mock gives you the chance to fine-tune how long you spend on each question. Practise this by answering a reading comprehension or one of the past paper essay questions and seeing how long it takes for you to finish it.

Aural

Practise the past papers. Go back over sections and identify vocabulary that is repeated. Add this to your notes. Practise the past papers again. If you’re sick of listening to past papers, go to you tube, type in “entretien francais”, and watch a chat with some French celebrities. This helps get your ear in for the oral too.

Oral

Even if your school doesn’t have a mock oral, this is still a good time to revise for it. Remember, it won’t be long before you’ll be sitting the oral proper.

Revise all the topics your teacher has given you and go back through your documents. Remember the more often you read and write the vocabulary, the better your chances of remembering it. Try recording yourself and picking out your mistakes.

Reading comprehensions

Know what the questions mean. Learn off the required vocabulary you’ve got from your teacher. Don’t leave gaps. A guess is better than nothing.

Written work:

Look back over your vocabulary notes. Tenses are important here too. Revise the present, past, subjunctive, future and conditional tenses. Make up sentences to practise the topics and vocabulary that your teacher has given you.

* You might take a look at skoool.ie and read over their study notes. Check out www.s-cool.co.uk/alevel/french/writing.html too. It’s for the British A Level, but has some notes that are relevant to the Leaving Cert.
* www.languagesonline.org.uk/ is for A levels also, but will correct your answers for you.

BUSINESS

* Ensure that you read the business pages of the national newspapers so that you stay abreast of the current business environment. This will enable you to draw on examples of current practice from the world of business in your answers.
* Financial ratios, such as profitability and liquidity, are regular question on both mock and Leaving Certificate papers. Revise these, so that in answering this question you will be able to propose a course of action that the business should follow, based on your ability to calculate the correct ratios.
* A question on marketing is a hardy annual on business papers. Revise global marketing, market segmentation, product life cycle and breakeven analysis.
* Use bullet points in all your answers. Take note of the number of marks offered per question. A 20-mark question should have five key points in the answer, supported by relevant examples.
* You should practise answering full questions in 30 minutes so that you can maximise your performance. If you write beyond this time limit, you will not complete the required number of questions.

PREPARING FOR ORAL EXAMINATIONS

The most important aspect of preparation for oral examinations is to be comfortable about a range of topics or issues that an examiner might raise with you or allow you to introduce. The only way you can do this is by practising discussing the issues outlined below in the appropriate language with a fellow student or a person with fluency in the language in question.

Typical topics include:

* Yourself, your family, where you live, your past times or hobbies.
* Sport: your participation in sporting activities, your sporting achievement (real or imagined), your interest in sport.
* Your school, the facilities on offer, your friends, the subjects you are studying and what you like most about your school.
* Things you did during your holidays, over the past year or things you plan to do once you complete your Leaving Certificate in June.
* Your plans for the future, colleges or courses you are interested in or plans you may have to travel.
* Your hopes for the Leaving Certificate, the points you are aiming for and how you are preparing for the exams.
* Current Affairs: It is important, given the current economic crisis to be able to discuss your views on major world or national issues.

PREPARING FOR AURAL EXAMINATIONS

You can improve your performance in the aurals by listening to past papers on the CDs, which are readily available. You need to focus on the key question forms, such as when, how, and what etc.

To enable you easily to identify words that are in regular use, you should familiarise yourself with key vocabulary.

The following are some of the areas you should be familiar with: counties, countries, towns and cities, months, time, numbers, occupations, academic subjects, types of schools and vocabulary relevant to the CAO college admissions process and job applications.

• Acknowledgment: I would like to thank my teaching colleagues in Oatlands College, Mount Merrion, Dublin for their tremendous support, in writing and preparing the subject content of these mock examination articles – Brian Mooney