Senior Cycle - Ordinary Level

Tips for Students

You will use Maths every day for the rest of your life. You are learning Maths not just to get you to the Leaving Cert, but as something which will be of interest and of use to you as long as you breathe.

Maths is wonderful. Maths is useful. Maths makes sense. Maths can be challenging. But just because it can be hard doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t love it!

A lot of success comes from confidence. You’ll gain in confidence from trying harder and harder Maths and by successfully negotiating your way.

Maths problems are written in English (or Irish if you’re doing matamaitic trí Gaeilge). Learn to read questions carefully. What are you being told? What task are you being asked to do? What will the answer look like?

If you don’t understand a question, read it again. You have to be patient.

You also have to use English (or Irish) to express your conclusions. This is where a lot of students fall down. Explain yourself clearly and thoroughly. Use full sentences. Use proper grammar and proper spelling. Then read over your conclusions to see would anyone be able to understand what you mean.

If you find a problem challenging, don’t give up easily. Keep at it, ask advice, ask the family, ask the brainbox of the class – but do NOT say, “This sum is too hard for me!”