The annual TY Subject Roadshow took place in the Gym on Tuesday., February 15th .Transition Year students ,here at Sacred Heart ,were introduced to subjects available to them for, Leaving Cert by this year’s Fifth Years.

For TY students all over the country it is time to decide what you will study for your final two years in Secondary School. You have three programme options here-

- Leaving Certificate Applied

- Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme

- Leaving Certificate (Traditional)

1.Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) is a more practical programme with a strong emphasis on Work Experience. It is split into four sessions over the two years. Students are awarded ‘Credits’ throughout two years of continuous assessment with the final exams only counting for approximately a third of the marks. It must be noted that the Leaving Certificate Applied cannot be used for entry into Third Level, so you will need a PLC ( Post Leaving Cert ) or Access course to progress into Higher Education. More information on the LCAP Programme can be found at the following link.

https://www.curriculumonline.ie/Senior-cycle/LCA/

2.The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) is designed to add a strong vocational dimension to the traditional Leaving Certificate. Essentially the difference is the inclusion of two ‘Link Modules’ called Preparation for the World of Work and Enterprise Education. 60% of the marks are awarded for a portfolio of work done over the two years and the remaining 40% is for a written exam in early May. To be eligible for LCVP students must be studying subjects from specific subject groupings. More information LCVP can be found at the following link.

https://pdst.ie/node/2354#prog

3.The Traditional Leaving Certificate is the most common option followed by students and will typically involve students studying the three core subjects of Gaeilge, English and Maths along with four others subjects.

Is subject choice really that important?

The simple answer is yes! Subject choice for Senior Cycle is a time for making some serious decisions. Considerable time should be put into choosing your subjects carefully, as the wrong choices here may have some unintended consequences in a couple of years’ time when choosing your college courses. Your Guidance Counsellor will be someone who will have knowledge of the various subject requirements necessary to gain entrance into particular college courses. Advice could also be sought from your subject teacher to ask what the subject entails and if they feel it would suit you. You could also speak to students who have studied the subject before.

How many subjects do I have to do?

The majority of students in the country will study seven subjects for their Leaving Certificate. These will comprise of the three core subjects of Gaeilge (unless you are exempt), English and Maths, which leaves four more subjects to choose from. Some students may qualify and opt to study LCVP so they will have Link Modules as an eighth subject and other students may decide to study an extra subject(s) outside of school in their own time. When it comes to calculating CAO points, it is only your best six in one sitting of the Leaving Cert that are counted.

Finally, here are some of the top tips for Subject Choice shared with Transition Year students during the Roadshow.

- Choose subjects that you will enjoy doing

- Choose subjects that you know you are good at

- Discuss with your parents, teachers and friends

- Research about each subject and its content

- Choose subjects linked to a possible future career

We wish all Transition Year students well as they make their subject choices for Leaving Cert.