Good luck to all Irish students starting Leaving Cert and Junior Cert examinations tomorrow. #leavingcert #juniorcert #Ireland

New Tutor Applications
We have a large number of new tutors registering at the moment. We are currently processing these applications and checking credentials, referees etc. In addition, each new tutor has to be assigned their own unique secure online meeting room. Please note this process may take a few days.

Best Education Posts on G+
Eileen O’Duffy selects the best of the Education posts on G+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/117245552213693020396/posts/G1AzAxYy1YX

New Tutors
We had a large number of new tutors registering over the Christmas holiday season. We are currently processing these applications and checking credentials, referees etc. In addition, each new tutor has to be assigned their own unique secure online meeting room. Please note this process may take a few days.

Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas and thanks for all the support and good wishes over the year. We’re using the seasonal lull to build enhanced features for our online meeting rooms. More details in the new year….

View what tutors are online now on the homepage
Now you can view what tutors are online now on the 24-7tutorials.com homepage

The Learning Curve Institute
Liam Printer, Head of Languages from The Learning Curve Institute will be online on 24-7tutorials.com on Monday evenings for one-to-one French and Spanish support for Leaving Cert students and any other language learners needing some extra assistance.

Almost half of sixth year students take grinds
Almost half of sixth year students take grinds, according to a new ESRI study on education in Ireland http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0920/esrileavingcertstudy.pdfWhy do we continue to use the term ‘grinds’ in Ireland? The term is not used anywhere else. Ireland was traditionally an agricultural country and ‘grinding stones’ were used to produce flour by hand. This is probably where the term originates. ‘To grind’ in education generally means to ‘instill or teach by persistent repetition” –not exactly a model of 21st century teaching and learning……We’ll stick with ‘tutorials’!

Learn English online with native English speakers
24-7tutorials.com has collaborated with TEFL Express to provide a panel of English as a foreign language (EFL) tutors. Practise speaking and listening to English from the comfort of your own home. One-to-one tutorials in real time enable you to choose your own topic and when you want help.

New Tutors
We are currently processing applications from new tutors and checking credentials, referees etc. In addition, each new tutor has to be assigned their own unique secure online meeting room. Please note this process may take a few days.

Congratulations to the class of 2011
Almost 58,000 students will receive the results of their Leaving Certificate examinations today. UK students will receive A level results tomorrow, 18 August. The Irish Second Level Students’ Union encouraged students to seek advice from parents and guidance counsellors over the coming days. A spokesperson said: “Leaving Cert results day is different for everyone. There will be people who are dying to find out how they did and people who’d rather hide under the bed. Whatever happens and however you did, it’ll be okay.”

Please take 5 minutes to send your feedback
Exam season is over and most second and third level students are now on holidays. We’re using this lull to step back and review 24-7tutorials.com and see what we can do to improve the service. We have contacted our regular users separately. If you haven’t registered to tutor/taken a tutorial yet, please take 5 minutes and click on the link to tell us why not. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GF5JGDJ

Post Leaving Cert holidays
Now the exams are over, many students will be heading away to the sun for a holiday. The Department of Foreign Affairs offer tips and advice for students to read before travelling to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday. Bon Voyage!

Leaving Cert Maths paper 2 – help is available online now
Maths tutors are available online www.24-7tutorials.com to help students prepare for Leaving Cert Maths paper 2. Pay just 15 euro for one-to-one online help in real time. Use audio or chat messaging in secure online meeting rooms. There is no video to protect the privacy of students/tutors.

Mixed reactions to Maths paper 1
There will rarely be consensus on Maths papers and today was no exception with mixed reactions from ordinary level students. ‘It was a good paper. The people that wanted to scrape the pass it was there for them’, ‘it was way harder than I thought it would be’, ‘Some little parts in questions got me. But overall I was really happy with how it went’. One ordinary level student remarked:  ‘Be glad we don't do honours, that thread is in meltdown!!’The thread was in ‘meltdown’ indeed with a more or less unanimous verdict among higher level students online that the paper was very difficult. Comments included ‘the worst paper I have ever seen’, ‘disgusting’, ‘horrible’ ‘and ‘Oh thank god, I'm not the only one who thought it was evil.’ One student asked ‘They will have to mark it easier though? Like they can’t fail the whole country!’ ‘There is always paper 2’ suggested another. …

LC English paper 2 -no shocks or surprises
Many students sitting today’s Leaving Cert English higher paper 2 had already placed their ‘pick 4 poets’ bets  Boards.ie have been running a ‘poetry prediction poll’ over the last few weeks with Eavan Boland the odds on favourite followed by Emily Dickinson. Punters were happy today to see the top two race in along with Yeats and Frost. 'Everything I predicted came up' remarked one student and 27% of students voted for 'best paper ever! everything I studied came up' on another online poll.

Addicted to Facebook/Twitter and need to study?
Many students find it difficult to study online and ignore (more pleasant) distractions such as social media websites. A new programme called Cold Turkey  enables you to block certain websites for a specified time period e.g. 8-24 June……

LC English paper 1 was cat!
No, Leaving Certificate English Paper 1 wasn’t particularly difficult at all but ‘whoever set the paper was obsessed with cats’ according to students chatting online. ‘I never want to read about cats again’ said another. The higher level paper included a comprehension where students were asked about the crazy cat lady.Lots of students loved the essay on the impact of technology on young people: ‘I did the technology essay –think nearly everybody did’.www.24-7tutorials.com liked it too:-)

Good luck to all exam students
Good luck to all Junior and Leaving Cert students starting exams tomorrow from www.24-7tutorials.com

The day before the Exams
Think positive –examiners want to give you marks not take them away from youFocus on what you already know –now is not the time to look at new topicsAllow at least an hour to unwind and relax before going to bedGet a good night’s sleep –you will often have 6 hours plus of exams the next day and need to be alert in the afternoon too.Pack all pens, equipment, calculators or whatever else is needed for each examAllow plenty of time to arrive early and unstressedAvoid exam post mortems at lunch hour

Common mistakes made in exams
Not reading the question correctly Ignoring part of a questionMisunderstanding questions e.g. define/compare/contrast/outline/analyse Summarising the plot of a text instead of addressing the questionMismanaging time and not finishing the paperIgnoring the marking scheme RepetitionIrrelevant quotationsRead more blog posts on Exam Time Management and Exam Past Papers and Marking Schemes

Last minute Leaving Cert English
Focus on Paper 2. Sketch out rough plans with a brief introduction, 3-5 points and a conclusion for each question. Support each point you make with a quote or referenceStand alone textWrite short summary notes/plans on main themes, characters and relationshipsComparative textsHigher level 2011: Theme or Issue/ General Vision and Viewpoint/ Cultural ContextOrdinary level 2011: Relationships / Theme / Social SettingDo not plan your answer using sub headings with the title of the texts at the top. Use points of comparison/contrast between texts for each paragraph.Poetry (Higher level) Sketch out rough plans on main themes and features of style for 4/5 of the poets depending on the time you have available. (Ordinary level) test yourself on the theme, tone, genre and language used for as many poems as possible

Last minute exam help
www.24-7tutorials.com  is still open and not on school holidays. Some of the tutors are busy with last minute requests for exam help If you’re having difficulty finding a tutor for a particular subject, contact us directly and we’ll try and match you up.

Exam Time Management
Mismanaging your time within an exam can easily cost you a full grade. Attempt all questions. Sketch out an approximate time plan in advance e.g. 3 hour exam and 4 questions: Q1 9.30-10.15 Q2 10.15-11am Q3 11-11.45 am Q4 11.45-12.30It is much easier to get the first 20% of the marks for any question than the last 5%. If you find yourself stuck for time on question 3, don’t waste anymore time perfecting the answer, move onto question 4. It is better to attempt the final question in points form rather than leave it out altogether. If you have answered only three questions instead of four, the highest mark you can get is 75%.

Use past exam papers
Use past exam papers when you are revising. Don’t wait until the exam itself to familiarise yourself with the general layout of the paper, compulsory questions, options and marks allocated for each section Check previous questions on a subject topic. Note any trends in the questions asked   Draft short plans for important and recurring questions. You can also check out the marking schemes for past papers e.g. Higher Level English the percentage of marks awarded for clarity of purpose (30%), coherence of delivery (30%), efficiency of language (30%) and accuracy of mechanics (10%) Past exam papers and marking schemes are available on www.examinations.ie