"I’ve always enjoyed mathematics. It is the most precise and concise way of expressing an idea." -N.R. Narayana Murthy
Everybody has different interests when it comes to subjects at school. For some, it may sound unbelievable that there are students who enjoy their Leaving Cert Maths lessons, but it's true.
In some cases, it's just a simple matter of perspective.
For one, maths is obligatory for the Leaving Cert so you'll need to accept that it's unavoidable so you may as well try to make the most of it.
Even if you'd rather be studying history, geography, English, science, or a foreign language in secondary school, you're always going to have to come back to maths at some point and study.
Every student also learns differently and sometimes a dislike of maths might simply be the way they're being taught the subject. Our advice for studying Leaving Cert Maths; find the right resources and learning approaches for you and you'll see that it's not that bad.
We're not promising that you'll love studying Leaving Cert Maths, but it might make the whole subject a little more bearable if you get to revise with better resources and go into the exam feeling confident that you'll do well.
Your results will be even better if you prepare for the exams with past papers and other study resources, which is what we'll be looking at today.
Why You Should Use Complementary Study Resources
Thanks to the internet, it's never been easier to access study resources. Gone are the days when most of your time would be spent searching for the right resources in the library.
This isn't to say that you can't go to the library. There are still plenty of great resources there, but you can also find great study resources for Leaving Cert Maths that you can access in a matter of seconds thanks to online search.
So what makes these resources so useful? What about just simply sitting down and going over your notes?
It's clear that since we all learn differently, the traditional ways of studying aren't necessarily the most effective. Repeating concepts ad nauseam may eventually result in you learning something, it's far from being the most effective way to learn and it's frankly quite embarrassing that education followed these approaches for so long.
The internet has changed education for the better. While it can often be a distraction, especially for younger learners, when used appropriately, it can complement traditional teaching approaches and make every lesson far more effective.
In addition to the classroom, students can enjoy short videos, online worksheets, and games that all help them learn more effectively than a single lesson ever could.
This isn't to say that they can just teach themselves. These resources need to be used in conjunction with proper teaching and sometimes you will just have to sit down and study, but if you can make the process more effective and less painful with complementary resources, we say you should go for it!
Using Leaving Cert Maths Notes
Notes, whether handwritten or typed, physical or digital, are still one of the best resources for studying.
It's recommended that you take notes during your lessons as this aids memory, but it can also help to read others' notes and notes made specifically for helping you study certain topics.
Again, it doesn't matter what format these are in, but rather the information they contain. If you're finding certain notes ineffective, look for others, ask to borrow a classmate's, or make your own.
For Leaving Cert Maths, make sure that your notes include the key points and topics that make up the syllabus like:
- Calculus
- Trigonometry
- Algebra
- Complex Numbers
- Calculus
- Integration
- Functions
- Logs, Indices, and Induction
- The geometry of the Line
- Sequences and Series
- Proofs
- Geometry
- Area & Volume
- Financial Maths
- Probability
- Statistics
These are all topics that are part of Leaving Cert Maths and could feature on the exams and any past papers you download. If you're wondering where you can find this information, official sources have copies of the syllabus, but there are more effective and useful notes on these websites.
Exam Learn
The Exam Learn website is one that every Irish secondary school student should bookmark because there's just so much information available on it.
There are types of notes and video tutorials you can refer to while you study.
You can find each of the topics that make up the Leaving Cert Maths syllabus, but you can get more out of the site by signing up, which is free. You can access the first few topics without signing up, but we recommend that you do.
Studyclix
Studyclix is another great website that's recommended for Irish students preparing for their Leaving Cert exams. There are notes for various subjects, including maths.
The maths resources include links to other websites, videos, and PDF docs on the various topics. These docs include areas of Leaving Cert Maths such as:
- Algebra
- Number Sets
- Log and Indices
- LC Complex Numbers
Leaving Certificate Past Maths Exam Papers
One of the best ways to do well on an exam is by having studied and practised for it. Past papers offer a great way for students to familiarise themselves with the exam format and the kinds of questions and problems they'll have to answer.
After all, while the syllabus outlines what students should know, what they're being tested on is their ability to satisfy the marking scheme of the exam. You don't get any marks for knowing all the answers in class, after all, and you'll get far more marks through time management and exam technique.
How Leaving Cert Maths is marked means that there aren't really passes or fails, but you'll still want to do as well as you can on it.
As the Leaving Cert exams approach, you should be getting into the habit of taking past papers under exam conditions. Not only will this let you become more familiar with the exam format, but it'll also help you to feel less nervous when you sit the exam.
Initially, doing an entire Leaving Cert Maths past paper is probably too much, especially when you're still studying a lot of the mathematics that's on the paper.
Instead, start with some practice questions from a past paper, do the paper in several sittings, or create your own past paper on one particular exam topic with just the questions on that particular area.
Each resource is only useful if you make sure to get as much out of it as you can. Don't forget that you'll learn far more from a question that you get wrong than a question you get right. Make sure that once you finish a past paper, mark it and try the questions you got wrong a second time.
Repeat this process until you understand each question on the past paper.
Here are a couple of places where you can find past papers for Leaving Cert exams and the Leaving Cert Maths exam in particular.
The Leaving Cert
The Leaving Cert is an obviously-named website that's dedicated to the Leaving Cert. You can find Leaving Cert tips, resources, and notes, as well as past papers.
The site also includes marking schemes so that you can correct the past papers once you've finished them.
State Examinations Commission
If you want the most accurate information, you need to go to the source. The State Examinations Commission is responsible for the Leaving Certificate.
You can find past papers according to type, year, and test. You can view, download, and even print out past papers.
Additional Online Resources for Leaving Cert Maths
It's never been easier to find quality resources for Leaving Cert Maths. Here are just a few more resources that you might find useful as you study for your exams.
Websites
Websites aren't the only resource you can access online for the Leaving Cert, but we have a couple here that we recommend you bookmark and visit regularly.
- iRevise
- TheMathsTutor.ie
There's plenty of information on both of these sites about the Leaving Cert and Leaving Cert Maths including video tutorials, mock tests, notes, etc.
YouTube Channels
Visual learners might prefer watching videos over reading notes. If you find that reading endless pages of notes isn't working, then it might be worthwhile heading over to YouTube and watching video tutorials on Leaving Cert Maths and the topics that make up the syllabus.
These two YouTube channels come highly recommended for Leaving Cert Maths:
- Simple Science and Maths
- Exam Learn
These aren't the only resources you can use to help you get the best possible marks on your Leaving Cert Maths Exam.
You can always get additional help with maths or any other subject from a private tutor. There are plenty of experienced and talented private tutors on the Superprof website and you just have to search for maths or mathematics to find them.
You can browse local tutors offering one-on-one private tutoring. This is a great way for students to study using approaches that are tailored to them. After all, there aren't any other students in the class so the tutor can ensure you spend every minute of the session learning as effectively as possible.
If there aren't any suitable local tutors, you can always broaden your search to include online Leaving Cert Maths tutors from all over Ireland. Online tutors don't travel to their students and tend to charge less per hour than their face-to-face counterparts.
Many of the tutors on the Superprof website offer the first session for free so shortlist a few and try them out before choosing the right tutor for you and how you like to learn!
Your private tutor may even suggest some great resources and past papers for you, too.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
