#HomeEc - #JC2017 - Katelyn Dunne

#JC2017 #HomeEcKatelyn Dunne - Ratoath CollegeHome ec is one of my all time favourite subjects. However I was still extremely nervous for the exam (like everyone is). I had a vague idea of what would kinda come up, but still pretty clueless of what I was to expect considering a lot of the papers had changed a little already. When I was given the paper I started of by looking through it first. I looked pretty good. I started of with the short questions and the where easy enough got stuck on one or two but that wasn't that bad then I did the long questions. I did question 1,3,4 and 5. They were straight forward. After the exam I feel it was fair and was similar to other year.#StateExams2017

Science - #JC2017 - Maria Hayes

Maria Hayes - Scoil RuainThe Science paper which I was faced with today was very good. Everything I had concentrated on, came up!!I began with the Biology questions, then Chemistry, then finally Physics.I was happy with the biology questions, usually they are very difficult but this time they weren't as hard. Same goes for chemistry and physics!The only problem with the Chemistry was we had to draw a molecule of oxygen. I forgot my compass to draw the molecule!!!Other than that I was very happy with the paper!#StateExams2017

Geography - #JC2017 - Diego Brule

Diego Brule - Colaiste Einde Salthill GalwayHigher Level

Geography, geography. Geography has always been a gamble for me, partly because I've lived everywhere at this stage and have a fair amount of general geographic knowledge, and partly because I only study my favourite parts and hope they come up. And very luckily, Today's short questions were all of the simple things that I knew and section II was precisely the topics I loved (or that I've done so many times that I don't even have to think about it).And so at 9:30 am, I open the exam. I flew through the first few questions, and I come across this typical developed/developing world map, which I never liked because it basically portrayed every country outside Europe and Asia as messed up, poor and evil. I come from Chile (South America), so I was always against how geography class made 'developing' countries look like.But in this map, for the first time ever, Chile was in blue, or 'developed'. I celebrated this in silent glory for a few seconds and then got back to my exam.Then, the feared, the Section 'wrist-breaker' II, came around. I flicked through the 6 questions and picked three to answer, which were ones that I'd prepared essays on: Rivers and humans, Economic activities, and the OS map and aerial photograph.I finished all of this with about 10 minutes to spare (including some Van-Gogh quality diagrams) and was about to hand it up when I realised I forgot to answer a part of a question (throwback to CSPE), so, naturally, I rush this last part and finish just in time, and walk out of the exam hall feeling triumphant, having conquered one of the tests that I feared the most.Next up was Maths, but first, a burrito break at Boojum.#JC2017 #StateExams #ISSU17

Geography - #LC2017 - Kate L. Ryan

 Kate Ryan - Colaiste IascaighI'm not really sure how geography went if I'm honest. The paper seemed a bit weird in places and I'm almost certain I messed up with the timing. But all in all, it wasn't the worst. I think nearly everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief when they saw the geoecology questions in section 3. Everyone in my class was betting on human interference with biomes and luckily it paid off. I doubt I could have written as much on anything else.

The regional was sound. I had predicted the tertiary question on Europe and it's not hard to write about primary activities in Ireland. I wasn't too impressed by the physical. While I predicted interaction with surface processes, the essay I prepared on volcanic landforms wasn't specific to Ireland. I had half of the essay essentially and had to throw down a couple of sentences on the giant's causeway to make up the rest.I didn't mind the human processes elective. There was a nice essay on influences on population growth, but I ran out of time towards the end and rushed the essay on land use zones. The short questions were tricky in places but overall okay.The paper was nice enough, but to be perfectly honest the problem with the geography course is the sheer volume of theory you're expected to learn off. Even if you are some superhuman who can store 300 different essays in your memory, you're not given enough time in the exam to show what you know. It can be quite overwhelming and I don't think many students left their exam thinking they done enough.#StateExams #ISSU17

English - #JC2017 - Kurt Scott

Kurt Scott - Ratoath CollegeThe theme of Mystery was well suited to the new Junior Cycle English exam, and the uncertainty attached to it. The questions presented were all very fair, and gave students every opportunity to demonstrate their skills, and knowledge of the curriculum, from discussing poetic devices and their affects to contemplating the impact of visual stimuli, such as a magically themed poster.I especially liked the increased focus on analysis and opinion in the paper, as it created an opportunity for students to explore their skills as organic writers.In summation, I would say that the paper was very stimulating, fair and that the time given was just enough, which was surprising after the time challenge that was the Mock English paper. A positive and promising new Junior Cycle English paper.

 #JC2017 #StateExams#ISSU17

English - #JC2017 - Diego Brule

Diego Brule - Colaiste Einde Salthill GalwayWant me to be honest? I can say I almost didn't prepare for English, solely because our teachers simply didn't know what would come up(we're the first generation to sit the reformed English JC) but hey, it actually didn't go bad. (And if it did I can always use the excuse that it's not my first language)Exam starts, I open the paper. I immediately read 'fantastic beasts'. My heart jumps and happiness floods me as I'm sure I can answer anything about one of my favourite movies. (Sorry I didn't read the book) But under fantastic beasts were small letters: 'fantastic beasts and the people who love them'.. what? To say the least, I was disappointed. But as I finished this question, I turned the page and an actual Harry Potter Fantastic Beasts question was there, so naturally, I was happy again.You can see that I went through a rollercoaster of emotions in just under 30 minutes, not bad right? Well, there's more.Next was Poetry. I started hating myself. Why did I not go over all those quotes, I ask myself, and the funny thing is, I kind of knew the quotes, but not having them learned off word by word pissed me off. I skipped this section, only to find that next question was drama, and I was even less prepared for that.I say a prayer(not kidding) before skipping and seeing what awaits in the last question and- aha! we had to make up a TV dialogue between a teenager and an adult, confronting, obviously because we teenagers aren't capable of rational thought. (rolling my eyes hard at that one)And so I have a bit of fun making up this dialogue and then I notice there's half an hour left. I panic as I went back to poetry and drama to answer the best I can, and before I know it the time's up. But oh well, a roller coaster isn't fun without the up and downs, I still enjoyed that test, even though it was the one I had fewer hopes for.

 #JC2017 #StateExams #ISSU17