When choosing subjects Leaving Cert, choose what you like – it will make learning easier

Regardless of the subject, preparing for Leaving Cert requires significant engagement with subjects outside of school. Students can make these two years as smooth as possible by choosing subjects that they enjoy, excel at, and are interested in. Often students are caught up with university requirements when making this decision but this will get less attention than one might expect.

By focusing on strengths and passions, students will choose subjects that are less daunting and challenging. Leaving Cert requires a great deal of independent learning as well as several hours of homework and preparation each week. It is much more difficult to study subjects that you have difficulty or do not enjoy. However, many students fall into this situation because they choose subjects that are not for them, but someone told them they would be helpful.

By choosing subjects that you both love and are good at, you are probably choosing subjects related to the career area you want to pursue. It is highly unlikely that a student who hates science during the Elementary Cycle will be perfectly suited to a science-based course in high school.

It is important to consider why you like a certain subject and why you are good at it. Reflecting properly on this can really make a difference. Consider aspects like, ‘I like this subject because I like the teacher?’ ‘What skills do I use in this subject?’ “There’s a lot of memorization involved?” ‘Do I need to write a lot of essays or read outside of class?’ will be very helpful. Skills related to a particular subject can be related to many senior cycle subjects.

Students must also consider what they may need in the future, especially if they intend to enroll in high school. However, the college entrance requirements are less complicated than many people think. A great way to double check is to use the ‘course finder’ on Careerportal.ie. Here, students can enter keywords and other phrases and find all courses related to that topic, with information on course content and entry requirements.

For many young people, the goal of Leaving Cert is to get as many HIGH scores as possible. It doesn’t really matter which subjects contribute to these points, so don’t be afraid to pick your favorite, even if you can’t see its connection to your future studies or work. you now.

Aoife Walsh is a guidance counselor at Malahide Community School, Co Dublin