Latest news with #CommunityCollege
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Norfolk mayor will not seek another term, appointed to community college position
Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander said he will not seek reelection in 2028, and will leave office after three terms. The news first came in an announcement that Alexander had been appointed as vice chancellor for strategic partnerships for the Virginia Community College System. VCCS Chancellor David Doré announced the appointment on Tuesday. 'His visionary leadership and deep commitment to innovation and opportunity will help drive strategic initiatives that change lives and elevate Virginia's workforce,' Doré said in the announcement. In an interview, Alexander said he would serve out the remainder of his third term through 2028. Last year, he defeated Tommy Leeman and Giovanni Dolmo. Alexander was first elected to the position in 2016, becoming Norfolk's first Black mayor. A longtime politician, Alexander previously served in the House of Delegates from 2002 until 2012 and the state Senate from 2012 to 2016. When asked why he was not running again, Alexander noted his long history of public service, including his time in the Virginia House and Senate and almost 10 as mayor without missing a City Council meeting. In the new role, VCCS said Alexander will advance the school system through public and private resource development, legislative engagement and system-wide communications. 'I am looking forward to joining the Virginia Community College System and working to further Chancellor Doré's vision because I strongly believe that access to education empowers communities,' Alexander said in the announcement. 'Higher education is a pathway for economic growth and social mobility, and I am enthusiastic about using my experience to enhance partnerships that will benefit our students and industries across the commonwealth.' Previously, Alexander was employed as chancellor of 20 private community colleges, including Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Centura College and Tidewater Tech. Alexander is also president of Metropolitan Funeral Service. Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345,
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Undocumented students rethink their college dreams after Texas cuts their access to cheaper tuition
Even though Jorge and his younger sister are only two years apart in age, their college experiences are headed in different directions. They were both motivated and highly engaged high school students in Central Texas. But after graduation, he went to Austin Community College and had to work three jobs to pay for tuition. She enrolled at Texas State University on a full scholarship. It wasn't academics or ambition that separated the siblings, but their immigration status. Their parents, seeking economic opportunity, crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with Jorge in their arms when he was 1 year old. They had his sister in Austin a short time later. This fall, Jorge hoped to finally be on equal footing with her. The 21-year-old had saved enough money to afford tuition at Texas State and had applied to transfer there to study mechanical engineering. His plans depended on having access to in-state tuition, the lower rate that Texas residents pay to attend public colleges and is often half, or even a third, of what out-of-state students are charged. But the siblings' path may soon split for good. Last week, state officials agreed to the federal government's demand to stop offering in-state tuition rates to undocumented students living in Texas. Jorge is one of thousands of students whose education plans may have been truncated by the ruling. Their aspirations — to become engineers or lawyers, or join other professions — haven't disappeared. But the road has grown steeper. For some, it may now be out of reach. The Texas Tribune spoke to four students who were brought into the country when they were young and are weighing what last week's ruling means for their college plans. They requested anonymity out of fear that being identified publicly could make them or their families a target for deportation. [What to know about Texas ending in-state tuition for undocumented students] The students said they had been on high alert for months, fearing that the Texas Dream Act — the 2001 law that allowed undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition and state financial aid — would be repealed this year as anti-immigrant rhetoric soared with the start of a new Trump administration. Federal officials have set a goal of deporting 1 million undocumented immigrants by the end of this year, and perhaps no state has extended them as much help as Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott said the National Guard can now make immigration arrests. State lawmakers have authorized spending billions of dollars from the state's budget on border security and passed a law this year requiring sheriffs to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And a proposal to end the Texas Dream Act advanced further in the Texas Legislature than it had in a decade. 'This one got further along than I was comfortable with, so I was keeping my eye on it,' Jorge said. The students were relieved when lawmakers ended this year's legislative session without repealing the law, but it was short-lived. They hadn't prepared for the federal government and state officials to turn to the courts to dismantle the long-standing policy. Schools, many of which had already started summer classes, were also caught off guard and have struggled to answer critical questions: What will happen to students who can't pay the difference in tuition? Will they be left with debt and no degree? Students have been trying to find their own answers, with little luck. College access advocates and legal experts say they are still trying to gauge the ruling's implications and whether it can be challenged. Soon after the court announced its decision, Jorge's friends texted him a news article about it. 'I was shocked,' he said. 'I stayed up until 3 in the morning just reading everything I could.' For nearly 24 years, the Texas Dream Act made college more affordable for students like Jorge. The law extended access to in-state tuition rates to university and college students who are not U.S. citizens but have lived in Texas for three years prior to graduating high school and one year prior to enrolling in college. The law required them to sign an affidavit declaring that they would apply for permanent legal residency as soon as they were able. About 19,500 students signed an affidavit to qualify for in-state tuition in 2023. That number not only includes students living illegally in the country but also those who are here on visas, such as those whose parents received work permits and reside legally in the U.S. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which tracks the number of affidavit signers, has told lawmakers the agency does not ask students to disclose their immigration status. Affidavit signers are also eligible to receive state financial aid. Texas GOP senators have expressed concern that those students take an outsized portion of the state aid available, but according to Every Texan, a left-leaning policy research institute, that's not the case. Affidavit signers received $17.3 million of the $635.2 million — less than 3% — of the aid distributed in 2023, the group found. [Texas Republicans pioneered in-state tuition for undocumented students. Now they're celebrating its end.] The law was not controversial when it was passed. It was seen, even by Republican leaders at the time, as a common-sense way to boost the economy. Undocumented students contribute more than $80 million annually to the Texas higher education system and fill vacancies in critical sectors like health care, education and technology, according to the American Immigration Council. But the Tea Party movement and President Donald Trump have pushed the Republican Party, in Texas and across the country, toward a more nativist stance. In 2021, Abbott launched a billion-dollar border security initiative called Operation Lone Star. As part of that effort, he increased the penalty for the state crime of trespassing and directed state troopers to arrest migrants found on private property. Abbott deployed thousands of Texas National Guard members across the state this week to respond to protests against federal deportation raids, which his office says have devolved into lawlessness in cities like Los Angeles. Republicans now argue the Texas Dream Act amounted to a subsidy that deprived U.S. citizens of opportunities. Texans for Strong Borders, an influential anti-immigration group, said the law encouraged people to immigrate to the country illegally. Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Texas, arguing the Texas Dream Act 'unconstitutionally discriminates against U.S. citizens.' Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a long-time critic of the law, chose not to defend it in court despite his history of suing past presidential administrations for overstepping their authority and infringing on the state's rights. A federal judge favored by conservative litigants quickly ruled in favor of the Justice Department and declared the law unconstitutional. Republicans quickly celebrated the Texas Dream Act's demise. State Sen. Brandon Creighton, the chair of the Texas Senate's education committee and the architect of the state's diversity, equity and inclusion ban and other sweeping higher education reforms, pointed out on social media that he had filed legislation to end in-state tuition for undocumented students multiple times in previous sessions. 'This is a long-overdue win for the rule of law, fiscal responsibility, and Texas taxpayers,' the Conroe Republican said. Critics accused the feds and the state of colluding to eliminate the policy without giving undocumented students and their supporters a chance to push back. The federal government's argument that undocumented students are receiving benefits denied to U.S. citizens is false and misleading, said Monica Andrade, an attorney and director of state policy and legal strategy at the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. [Texas' swift surrender to DOJ on undocumented student tuition raises questions about state-federal collusion] 'In fact, any U.S. citizen who meets the same criteria — such as attending and graduating from a Texas high school — qualifies for in-state tuition. These requirements apply regardless of immigration status,' she said. For Jorge, the political fights over immigration have always cast a shadow over his college dreams. He wants work for Engineers Without Borders, a humanitarian organization that helps establish clean water, sanitation and infrastructure in developing countries. His parents taught him that 'everything that we do has to be for the betterment of the world, because it's simply what we as humans owe one another,' he said. 'The idea of not using education to try to improve the world in some way seems a bit, I don't know, backwards.' Jorge has paid for school himself, starting out working for his father's construction company before taking additional jobs as a waiter and a cashier. His schooling has taken longer than usual because sometimes he couldn't afford to attend full time, even with access to in-state tuition. 'I take pride in the fact that my parents don't have to worry about me being short on bills for school,' he said, 'but when it comes to rent and bills, I am definitely still dependent on my family.' Jorge said he applied to Texas State not because his sister goes there, but because it was affordable. He could keep costs down by continuing to live with his family and commuting to San Marcos for class. Without access to in-state tuition rates, he said, Texas State is anything but cheap. According to the university's website, taking 15 hours in the fall would now cost him an estimated $24,520 in tuition and fees. That's double what he would have to pay with in-state tuition. Jorge still hopes the judge's ruling can be overturned. A group of undocumented students took the first steps in that direction this week by asking the judge to let them intervene in the case. But legal experts say an appeal is a long shot that will likely take months to resolve. In the meantime, Jorge has already started looking into whether he can finish his degree at a Mexican university online. 'I'd like to give more back to this country, but if that's the option in front of me, I can't say I wouldn't take it,' he said. Other undocumented students, even those who have received state financial aid or private scholarships, have also started looking for backup plans. Aurora, a 26-year-old student at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, is racing to finish her psychology degree. She enrolled in as many classes as possible this summer and fall because she was worried the Legislature would repeal the Texas Dream Act. 'A lot of us were already nervous, because we kind of feared that this was going to happen, but we just didn't think it would happen so soon,' she said. a national organization that awards scholarships to undocumented students going to college, provides roughly $4,000 to Aurora each semester. But she'd be at least $6,000 short if required to pay the out-of-state tuition rate. After the court's decision, she wondered if she would have to withdraw from her classes for now. Some students said they felt betrayed. A.M., a 24-year-old recent Texas A&M University graduate, said he wanted to return to the school to pursue a master's degree in public service and administration, but paying out-of-state tuition would be too costly for him. He is also reassessing his options. A.M. lamented that Paxton didn't defend the state law in court, especially after lawmakers declined to repeal it during this year's legislative session. 'It provides a lot of undocumented students with opportunities to fill labor shortages here in this state,' he said. 'And yet, Paxton kind of turned his back on us, on all of us Texans.' Days after the ruling upended Texas' tuition policy, state officials and universities still can't say what happens next, leaving students without much guidance on how to move forward. Fifteen Democrat state representatives wrote to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board last week asking it to create a first-generation resident tuition rate to allow students who benefited from the Texas Dreamer Act to enroll this fall at a more affordable rate. 'This action would not override statute but would provide a critical bridge until the Legislature can return to address the matter,' reads the letter, which state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, posted on social media. Friday evening, the agency replied that it does not have the authority to do what the lawmakers proposed. The Tribune reached out to the nine Texas public universities and colleges with the highest enrollment of affidavit signers and asked them if they would charge those students the higher rate immediately; if students who had already paid in-state tuition rates for summer classes would have to pay the difference; or if students would have any recourse to challenge the higher costs. The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at Arlington, the Dallas College District and Houston Community College did not respond. It's unclear if any Texas university knows which of their students are undocumented or how they will determine who should now be charged the out-of-state tuition rate. The University of Houston System said it does not require applicants to disclose their immigration status. Other schools — including Texas A&M University, Lone Star College, the University of Texas at Dallas and UT-Rio Grande Valley — did not answer when asked if they do. They said they were still trying to understand the ruling and what it means for their students. UT-RGV officials acknowledged the ruling's likely impact on students' financial plans. 'Our priority and focus are on minimizing disruption to student success consistent with applicable law and helping students navigate this transition with clarity and care,' said Melissa Vasquez, a university spokesperson, in a statement. College access experts worry colleges could start identifying undocumented students to cut off their access to in-state tuition rates, which could expose them to immigration enforcement. In addition, they said, the ruling could set the state back on its goal of having 60% of Texans between the ages of 25-34 hold a certificate or degree by 2030. As of 2021, only 49% of Texans in that age group had done so, according to the most recent data from the Higher Education Coordinating Board. 'We are hopeful that colleges will do what they can to help students complete the path they started,' said Will Davies, director of policy and research at Breakthrough Central Texas, a nonprofit dedicated to helping students from low-income communities become the first in their family to go to college. 'I mean, that's good for all Texans. No one benefits from forcing students to stop out with existing debt and without the credentials that can help them achieve economic stability.' Ale, 24, worked hard to graduate from the University of North Texas with a degree in political science, knowing her efforts might not pay off. She has work authorization and a driver's license via the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which was created under the Obama administration and shields some undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. DACA, which is also facing legal challenges, allowed Ale to split her week working four days as a hotel manager and attending classes at the University of North Texas in her remaining time. One semester, she and her parents worked extra hours so she could afford to be an unpaid intern for a politician. Now, Ale works for a law firm in North Texas that assists international students who, like her, don't know if they will be able to finish their education in the U.S. She wanted to apply to UT-Austin's law school before she learned last week that the Texas Dream Act was no more. She said she's trying to channel the sadness she feels about her situation into motivating her younger sisters, who are U.S. citizens, to never take their educational opportunities for granted. And she still plans to take the LSAT. 'I'm not going to give up on myself,' she said. Ale isn't alone in that resolve. Jorge said he's going to study Mexican history so he can prepare for the entrance exam at two Mexican universities, Tecnológico de Monterrey and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, where he's considering finishing his degree online. A.M., who wants to use his education to help reform the country's health care system, is looking into moving to one of the 23 states that do offer undocumented students in-state tuition rates and paying for his master's degree there. He feels sad and scared about the possibility of having to move away from his family and friends. 'It's kind of like having to start from scratch, and all the connections I made here, I might not be able to see for a while,' he said. Aurora felt hopeful she'll be able to finish her degree after told her this week she will continue to receive support, even if she decides to transfer to another university. 'I'm still a bit anxious, but at the same time positive because there are people out there who support us,' she said. All four said they are still trying to reconcile what it means to be raised in Texas and yet be told, in rhetoric and increasingly through law, that they don't belong. María Méndez contributed to this story. The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Disclosure: Every Texan, Houston Community College, Lone Star College, Texas A&M University, University of Texas - Arlington, University of Texas - Dallas, University of Texas at Austin, University of Houston and University of North Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer. Get tickets. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
RTÉ News
03-06-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Watch: Last minute advice as exam paper boxes arrive at schools
Boxes of exam papers are arriving at secondary schools around the country ahead of the Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle exams. After months of hard work, pupils begin their exams on Wednesday morning with English Paper 1. The exam papers will all be kept under lock and key until they are handed out to pupils in the exam hall. At St Conleth's Community College in Newbridge, Co Kildare, Principal Patricia O'Brien said it is always a busy day at the school as final preparations take place.
Irish Times
02-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Leaving Cert: last-minute subject-by-subject exam tips
The pressure is on – but it's not too late to make a real impact. These final days are all about smart, focused revision rather than cramming. Whether brushing up on key concepts or calming exam nerves, a few strategic moves now can boost your confidence. Here are some last-minute study tips from the experts to help you stay sharp and steady for exam day: English Tips from Conor Murphy, an English teacher at Skibbereen Community College Paper one: READ MORE Familiarise yourself with the exam paper and be conscious of the fact it was designed to lead you into the essay question. The comprehension question, A, reminds you of the various genres as well as genre techniques. B reminds you of the need for structure and purpose. Remember these elements when you attempt the final essay. Revise techniques rather than specific genres. There are so many different genres that can be assessed in B, and in the essay, trying to study each one will become overwhelming. Think about the techniques as moving from aesthetic to persuasive, stopping off at narrative and informative on the way. So, you are looking at things like using an appropriate hook, the power of the adjective, the use of aesthetic language, the various rhetorical techniques available. Then look at the question and, with the audience and medium in mind, plan with reference to these techniques. [ Classroom to College: essential Leaving Cert newsletter for parents, guardians and students ] Paper two: Ignore poet predictions. The poetry question is worth 50 marks, the main text (usually Shakespeare) is 60 marks and the comparative 70. Keep this in mind when you study. Narrow down the quotes you are learning off. Instead of having hundreds for the main text, look for a quote that will work for numerous elements. Look at a quote like the famous 'give me an egg, and I'll give thee two crowns'. How many elements can this be used for? The Fool, Lear, Goneril, Regan, Kingship, fertility, the concept of nothingness and a few other topics. This is why the quote is so often (over) used. Use this exercise as a way of revising Lear. Similarly for the comparative , narrow down the scenes you are studying to scenes that can be used when talking about at least two of the comparative modes. Obviously these will include the opening and closing of the text. When you have these narrowed down, zoom in on specific elements (dialogue, images, stage directions). These are your specific pieces of evidence needed to illustrate your essays. In general, test yourself on the various aspects of the course. Pick a topic and write down what you know, under headings, on a blank sheet of paper with all your notes out of sight. For instance: pick a poet, write down the name of all their poems, then the themes, then the recurring language techniques, then quotes. This will tell you what you know and what you need to go over. Students from St Michael's College, Listowel, Co Kerry with their Leaving Cert exam results last year. Photograph: Domnick Walsh Maths Tips from Eoghan O'Leary, maths teacher at Hamilton High School, Co Cork and head of maths at The Tuition Centre General guidance At this stage, I recommend focusing your revision on individual topics rather than attempting full papers. Concentrate on the topics you're most likely to choose in the exam. Avoid learning new topics you haven't already covered in class – it's time now to revise and refine, not to start from scratch. Revisit the formulae and tables book , and practice using your calculator, especially for operations that involve multiple steps. Also, write out a list of the formulae not included in the tables book and display them somewhere visible so they stay fresh in your mind. When the exam starts, my advice is to find a section A question you like and do it. It will settle your nerves. It could be counterproductive to read the entire paper at the start of the exam, because there is some much information. – Paper one: Functions, differentiation, and integration are unavoidable. They appear across both Section A and Section B, so they should be a big focus during your final days of preparation. Algebra often appears as a full Section A question and is also embedded in many other questions. Ensure you're confident with all the key elements. Sequences & series hasn't appeared in a majobig in recent years—it – ould be due this time. Also, be prepared for a long question involving logarithms and indices , which is quite common. Complex numbers reliably show up in Section A, but not in Section B. Students often ask if they should revise topics like induction, formal proofs, algebraic inequalities, and financial maths that don't appear every year. The answer depends on your target grade: If you're aiming for a H1 , it's worth covering everything to maximise choice. If your goal is a H6 , your time is better spent mastering the more likely and manageable topics, rather than struggling with abstract material. One commonly overlooked topic is area and volume , which can appear with algebra, differentiation, or integration. Even if it doesn't feature prominently in paper one , it's highly likely to come up in paper two. -Paper two Paper two is typically more predictable than paper one. Section A usually includes one question each on: statistics, probability, the line, the circle, trigonometry, and geometry . Section B often features: Two questions combining statistics and probability Two questions involving trigonometry, geometry, and area & volume Students often struggle to revise for Paper 2 because they find several topics difficult – especially probability and geometry . My advice: focus on the core skills in each topic, as these often appear in combination with others. Should you learn the geometry theorems, constructions, and trigonometric identity proofs ? If you're aiming for a H1, yes. But if you haven't already learned them in school, it could be counterproductive to do so now. Focus instead on the questions you're more likely to attempt in the exam. In the exam: Make sure your calculator is in the correct mode (degrees or radians as appropriate). Double-check your answers for correct units and appropriate rounding (decimal places or significant figures). Remember: A score of 539/600 = 89.83%, which equates to a H2. You need to score 540/600 to earn a H1. You don't want to lose a grade over a rounding error. Fle photograph: Eric Luke / The Irish Times Irish Tips from Séadhan de Poire, Irish teacher with Dublin Academy of Education Top tips for the run-in to exams? 'For higher level Irish, start to simplify material to make sure it actually makes sense. I've corrected the State exams, and I've seen a lot of students try to learn material that's too difficult for them. They then try to reproduce this material in exam settings and because they don't understand what they're writing, there's loads of mistakes in it and it ends up making no sense. 'What I tell a lot of my students is to focus on having simpler Irish that they understand and that they can use instead of trying to learn things off by heart. Especially for Irish paper one, for the essay.' Hot predictions? 'For Irish paper one, it's all based off current affairs so there's no magical list of topics. You kind of have to be following what's in the news in and around November, December and January time. That's typically when the paper's set. 'Based off that, the topics that I'm looking at with my own classes this year would be politics, because of the elections that took place here and abroad, the education system, the Irish language, the housing crisis and a little bit on technology. A tip I'd give students is you can overlap a lot of material between those different topics. 'For example, if you're talking about politics and problems – well, housing is a political issue. You don't have to learn five brand new essays. You learn a couple of paragraphs that suit different titles and then you try to fill in the gaps afterwards.' File photograph: Eric Luke French Tips from Elizabeth Lyne, director of The French Leaving Cert paper is 2.5 hours, encompassing the reading and writing tasks. There is then a short 10 minute break, after which students complete the aural or listening section of the exam. For the reading comprehension , students have to read two texts and answer questions based on those texts. The first text is usually journalistic in style and tends to address current issues. The second text is usually an extract from literature, and is more challenging. My top tip is to start with question six as this is asked in English and may give an indication as to the subject matter. Read each section carefully, underlining key parts of the questions, so that you know exactly what you are being asked. For the written section, my top tip is to keep your French clear and simple . Make sure that your opinion questions have an opening, main point/counter or supporting point/personal point and conclusion. Finally, while it is impossible to predict what will appear on the paper, I suggest focusing on climate, refugees, artificial lintelligence, school uniform, study of foreign languages, science as a 'male' subject, circular economy, screen dependency, disposable vapes, over-tourism and emigration Students at Rathdown checking their Leaving Cert results. Photograph: Jason Clarke Photography. Spanish Advice from Katie Lenehan, French and Spanish teacher with Dublin Academy of Education Top tips for the run-in to the exams? 'The biggest piece of advice I would give is to recognise the importance of your reading comprehensions . They're worth 30 per cent of the final grade. They're worth even more than the oral exam is and potentially it's something that students forget about because they have so many other things on. 'For the listening papers, I'd also try to sit a full listening paper each week ... They're quite practical elements that you can do. For the written paper, I'd recommend making sure you have a solid introduction and conclusion learned off for your opinion piece. And have 15 to 20 pieces of vocab for each topic that you're planning on covering for the exam, so it nearly becomes a game of jigsaw.' Hot predictions? Though she prefers to steer clear of the term predictions, Lenehan encourages her Spanish students to focus on papers from 2008-2014, which may crop up again this June. She lists a range of topics to cover – emigration, social media, AI, money, changes in Ireland and the environment. Common mistakes to avoid? She says she had 'crippling' OCD during sixth year and learned the hard way how important it is to look after yourself. 'Absolutely, study has to be a priority, but it doesn't have to be the only priority. [Students] need things like friendship , fresh air, good food. They need to sleep. Try to surround yourself with people that have a similar work ethic, or that have the same target grade as you, and try to encourage each other.' Students discussing their exams at Trinity Comprehensive School, Ballymun, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Biology and chemistry Advice by Caoimhe Ní Mhuirceartaigh, biology and chemistry teacher Top tips for the run-in to the exams? 'The marking scheme for both biology and chemistry papers can be quite word-specific. You need to ensure when you're answering a question that it's not waffle and you're hitting the short, concise points. 'For biology especially, you need to know unit one and unit two really well. You can maximise your marks by focusing on the areas that are very repetitive. Knowing the non-negotiable topics that come up every year and are worth a large portion. In biology, the two most important topics would be genetics and ecology.' Hot predictions? Both subjects, Ní Mhuirceartaigh says, have quite obvious trends. Topics she thinks may appear in the short questions section of the biology paper include food, ecology, genetics and enzymes. For questions on systems, it is worth preparing human reproduction – particularly the menstrual cycle – and the human defence system. For experiments, the food test has a high chance of appearing along with the ecology experiment. On long questions, ecology, genetics, enzymes, microorganisms, photosynthesis and respiration could all be worth some focus. Ní Mhuirceartaigh describes organic chemistry as the most important area to conquer in advance of sitting the chemistry exam. Given you can feature it in three of your eight answers on the paper, it can account for 38 per cent of a student's final grade. Common mistakes to avoid? 'Make sure the study that you do is effective. You're not just reading over notes at this stage – you're assessing yourself. That can mean exam questions. It can mean doing quizzes online, mind maps, flashcards. There are loads of different ways to assess yourself but don't just be sitting reading through notes.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Energy Science Days help students learn about renewable energy
May 26—MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District participated in the Energy Science Days, hosted at Big Bend Community College last Wednesday for fifth-grade students. "This used to be the solar car races, but they expanded it this year," MLSD Director of Public Relations Ryan Shannon said. "They really built in more of the STEM education, Energy Sciences, so kids had the opportunity to listen and learn with hands-on activities." The event brought together students from across Grant County to discuss renewable energy with hands-on activities and engaging demonstrations. "They had pizza boxes with tin foil and explaining how solar energy can be used for powering things and cooking and all sorts of interesting components," Shannon said. "With that they learned about electricity." There were opportunities to learn about solar power, safety and battery-operated racing cars. "Grant (County Public Utility District) explained the power and explained downed power lines and walking through the safety component," Shannon said. "As well as the energy component that is found within their power lines, which was actually kind of really cool." The event was put together by BBCC, Sila Nanotechnologies, Group 14, Grant County PUD and the North Central Educational Service District. "They loved it," Shannon said. "Just some of the engagements that I had with students, they were so excited."
