Maths so far

The first term is over and it is time to have a look at where you are at. 

Are you finding it hard going or are you finding it easy enough? You should have got over the shock of being back in school!! This second term from Halloween to Christmas lasts for 7 weeks. There is a lot that you can get done in this period.

 Have you got into a pattern yet? It sounds easy but it is not. No matter what year you are in you need to get into a rhythm to do well at maths.

You must make sure you understand, learn the material and then do your homework without any notes.  Look back at my blog on revising for leaving cert higher maths.

The pep talk at this stage of the year for leaving certs is an easy one. You must start to revise for the mocks now.

There are two papers 1 and 2.

Topics for paper 1 with their average marks are

• Algebra (100 marks)
• Indices and logs (15 marks)
• Complex Numbers (25 marks)
• Sequence and Series (25 marks)
• Financial maths (25 marks if asked at all)
• Functions, Differentiation  and Integration (100 + marks)
• Proof by Induction (15 marks if asked at all)

Paper 2

• Line (25 marks)
• Circle (25 marks)
• Geometry (25 marks)
• Probability and Statistics (125 marks)
• Trigonometry (100 marks)

When you start your revision you must start with algebra and then you must get trigonometry done. They are the two ‘keys’ that open the doors for the rest of the chapters. They are not important they are vital!

The other sections that you must get completed are prob and stats for paper 2 and differentiation and integration for paper 1.

Algebra and trig are chapters you must be able to do, trig and diff are the chapters where you can suck up marks. You simply must revise them. If you still do not have them done in class there is nothing you can do. If this is the case do not worry as you will get them completed before the leaving cert.

For revision, take a chapter, use your notes from class. Go through the notes. Do out questions that you have in them and make sure you learn the material. 

Do not look at leaving cert questions until you think you know the topic. If you want to do question from past papers you must have the revision sorted first. Use open older papers as you will do papers from that last few years in class (I hope).

If you could get the big 4 topics done well that would be great. Keep up with your classwork and you will be alright for the mocks.

The pep talk is over. Now you have the outline of a plan. Seems simple. It works…… I know from years of experience that it works. Stay on track and when you get frustrated know that is part of the whole process.