So while you are trying to learn all the new material that your teachers are telling you is “NB”, you are also trying to revise the stuff you have not looked at properly since September. Or is that just me? I thought so!

Once they are finally over you breathe a sigh of relief and take a well deserved break. Of one weekend. Then it’s full steam ahead when you will be bombarded with orals, construction projects, ag projects, art practicals, music and the rest. Now that is stress. On top of all that you’re tired. All the time. You won’t believe me now but trust me, you will.

I suppose what I’m trying to get is that once the pres are over, it doesn’t matter when yours are, that is it. It is one short stretch to the finish line and it will fly. Every hour counts and every hour you miss counts even more. Wow I really am a pessimist. I prefer the term realist! Doesn’t sound as harsh

My geography teacher told us last week that these next few weeks coming up to the mock exams are the most important. It’s a scary thought but in a way it scared me into being motivated. If that even makes sense. I’m tired okay! This ag science project isn’t typing itself either you know!

I feel bad now so I better get back to it. Which also means closing tabs on bookface (yes, bookface) , youtube, itunes and the likes. Sigh..

Also, hi to Anna and Eoghan and good luck in your pres

Bye bye!

I had my first exam last friday, Art. Which involved me creating a linoprint under the theme of “Plague of insects”. I managed to finish about an hour before most people, partially because of my general awesomeness…and partially because of my minor panic attack halfway through the exam when I accidently cut away about half of my locust’s face…turns out that can really speed up your progress ><

I have another art exam tomorrow, doing a still life and the ol’ imaginative composition…then I’m off until Thursday for a history exam, then Friday for English paper one.  I’m starting to accept the fact that this won’t be the fun, action-packed few weeks that I had in mind. But I digress….

Hello to Miss Anna, who is still keeping this wonderful project alive, and Miss Stacy, a fellow late person, and now I guess it’s up to four…wooo

Not a very long post today… But there is talk of getting a pizza in the other room so I find myself utterly distrac….mmmm pizza…
Must go, run, dance, eat and study(lol) I’ll see ya’ll later

I think that was one of my biggest problems. That and laziness of course. Don’t judge me! So in August when it was decided that I would be repeating that was it. No more delaying. No more putting off essays until 4am the morning before. The funny thing is I’ve been pretty good with it.. until now.

French oral tomorrow. 25% of my Christmas exam which are in the process of being returned to us as of today. Now bearing in mind french is one of my better subjects, my highest grade from last year and what I want to do at third level you would imagine I would be somewhat prepared. WRONG. It seems I have misplaced my document. Yes, I have left it to the night before to look for it. Not the brightest idea.

I sit here at the kitchen table , back to my procrastinating ways of LC2k11. I thought I’d drop a bebo stunnah joke in. Kind of regretting it now. Any way yeah, I should be finding a decent picture from French Exchange (what an experience btw) but I’m typing this up instead. If anyone reads this, you shall be receiving the blame.

Also, I’m loving being back to the exciting 12hour days. Thoroughly enjoying the constant reminder that the Pre’s are only seven weeks away. Ah how I missed the leaving cert life. Now stop distracting me!

K Bye.. or night. That too.

I feel quite guilty and have been nagging myself constantly to do another blog and to study. Neither have worked, sadly.

But I shall fill you in on what has been happening!! Well, 2011’s christmas term ended with me practically dying from sleep deprivation, it took some amount of will power to get myself up, NEVER a problem for me before! But I did it, and I admit, I haven’t gotten rid of that feeling yet!! I have a sense of foreboding that this will last until the 14th of june of this year, but who knows?! Its an intense timetable, that strikes some fear into my heart, but whatever, right? In saying all that, today, I finally started to pull myself together. I made myself open my bag, and told myself “Right, I’m not going to dive into work now, all I’m gonna do today is, make a plan for the questions set out.” And having done that, I feel soooo much better about starting, because knowing what I’m doing helps right?

I’ve also made a New Years resolution to use my studies FOR study, not doing homework. I’ll let you know how that works out hehehehe ;D. I haven’t made any to lose weight, or quit smoking (i don’t smoke anyway), just that. I cant ask myself TOO much this year

So, as for CAO, its in the same state I left it in in November, with 8 spaces filled in, and two to go. As for Level 6/7, i have no desire to fill them in, even though i know I should. But within the next two to three days I want to have the final spaces filled in.

Now, next year, or whenever any one who reads this is doing their leaving cert, I want you to remember, as I have been reminding myself and my friends, this isnt the end of the world. Just a neccessary step to where I want to be. We’re doing yearbooks in my school, and while it made things a lot more final in my mind, it also made me realize that instead of going nuts with all this stress and study, I’m going to try take it in my stride and enjoy my friends and school. I sound sentimental, but I believe this hits every sixth year at some point so don’t judge me xD hehehe
Now to bring it back to light-hearted wholesomeness, “soft kitty warm kitty little ball of fur…” no, I shan’t finish, but is it weird that I have developed a crush on Sheldon in “The Big Bang Theory”??

I shall leave now, as I am rambling and a sentimental old fool since turning 18 a couple of months ago. Hope you’re all enjoying your holidays ^^;.

I shall be back with more of the “exciting and invigorating” events that 6th year brings, Bye xD

Anna

Well I’m Stacy, I’m 18 and repeating the fabulous experience that we know as the Leaving Cert. Madness. Utter madness but here I am yet again. I will get it this time!!!

So I’m only doing six subjects this year:

French (H)

Geography (H)

Home Ec (H)

English (H)

Business (H) – taking up for the first time

Ag Science (H) – taking up for the first time

Yeah, that’s me now! So I’m hoping to do languages next year. I’m not exactly sure where I’ll go with languages but at the moment I’m thinking of law. Law with french in UCC is looking probable for CAO number one but we’ll see

I don’t mind school to be honest. Last year was a totally different story. Talk about a DISASTOR! I spent waaaay too much time in the bathroom with my best friends and not enough time in Art and Maths. We won’t get into those two just yet!

First blog completed, I really hope I didn’t bore you all too much, just yet any way.. You’ll be sick of me by the time we get to June. Which we will!

Stacy

I mean it certainly hasn’t been two weeks since my first post..

Sorry if anybody missed it, it was partially because I find myself putting things like blogs and writing until the end, mainly because of how intimidating I find a blank screen to be O.o
All water under the bridge now hopefully, I’ll try to get some kind of schedule in my head now, fit some blogs in with my study time, and maybe things will start running a lot smoother!

I recieved my ever so wonderful pre-mock (I’m convinced our school is the only establishment sadistic enough to tag it with such an unfortunite, but horrifically true name) and…ugh.

Japanese: C1
English: C2
Irish: D1
Maths: No result, probably is a fail ><
History: C2
Art: B3
Biology: C1

and these results are…pretty frightening. I really can’t complain, I barely studied for these tests and for someone who is hoping to score high for his leaving cert lets just eschew words and summarise my current hope for the future by making a very loud choking sound O.o

Ok, getting out of my personal drama…. *takes a deep breath*

I managed to wander down to the D.C.U open day this morning, a mash up of mature and younger students, free red-bull and ice-cream made from oreos and liquid nitrogen being given out… to be honest it was sometimes easy to forgot why we were even there. I got in rather late, the old 109A which usually brought me up to those parts was jammed with my fellow sixth years so I ended up waiting at the stop at 9 am, but not actually leaving my hometown until 11, on the bright side I got about half-way through a book that I’ve been meaning to start for a while so I suppose it wasn’t all that bad

In an uncharacteristically hipster turn of events, I popped into Starbucks, grabbed a coffee and went into the psychology lecture, it was fairly full, but you couldn’t help but get the feeling that a lot of them were just passing time in what appeared to be a free day, one of the girls beside me  began doodling a horse about halfway through the lecture, another began putting a little line on her pamphlet everytime the lecturer said “Uhmm..” ( according to the girl it was about 114 so…yeah, fun) I’m kinda breaking away form the point by now I think, (if I even had one in the first place. ) but overall I thought it was pretty interesting, who knows I might just start working to get a doctorate in the subject…if only just to have the word Doctor in front of my name…vain I know, but what have you

Congrats on the results Miss Anna! Feel free to post up your study guide if you find the time, I’m sure there are people out there who really would appreciate the direction.

That’s pretty much all that is on my mind at the moment alas, but I’m sure you’ll hear from me again soon…maybe…hopefully…will be interesting to see if anyone reads this xD

got my “Xmas” report, so here’s what i got:
English: B1
Irish:C2
French:B1
Art:B3
Home Ec:B2
Geography:B3
Maths:B1

was pretty happy, but i know that those are nothing to go by, i didnt think it was realistic at all!

but its given me some motivation for the mocks so i guess thats a plus!
anyway, not much else has been happening, except for the year photos (scary photographer “look at me…no NO LOOK AT ME!! CHIN UP” etc)

i’m pretty sure i’m flinching in my picture, but what can I do?

Then i got to the all important social side of the leaving cert, went to an 18th, then a halloween party, got it all outta my system!

I’m adding to my draft from this point onwards:)

had the old parent teacher meeting yesterday, and, my father said the teachers had very minor criticisms!!
great expectations of me apparently, and I’m really happy that they have some confidence in me, gives you that little bit more confidence in yourself dont you think?

anyway, it has just made me decide that if I keep what I’m doing up, there may be hope for me!!

yay!

anyway, thats all for now people!!

and as for Mr. Eóghan, the latest to join us bloggers, its better late than never!! was beginning to think we were almost alone here!! XD

-Anna

My hobbies include, reading, drawing, playing the mandolin and making study schedules that I can never seem to keep to…huh, funny that xD

I’ma doing all honors, (I’m sure there’s a pun in there somewhere)

->English
->Irish
->Maths
->History
->Art
->Japanese
->Biology

To be honest I’m still in that terrifying stage where I have no idea what I want to do with my life, hopefully I’m not the only one on this blog with such notions, and maybe over the next few months, we’ll figure it out together ^_^
I’d like to say hello to Miss Anna and Miss Caoimhe, the fellow ramblers. and any other bloggers who (god forbid) are a little bit later then me.

And that seems to be it, First post done (Huzzah!)
It’s a pleasure to be writing here, I hope that we have a helluva time.
~Eóghan

I foolishly listened, worried and stressed for months of the school year. MOCKS, HPAT, CAO IT’S ALL SO OVERWHELMING. Take a step back, flick on the kettle and calm yourself.

I’ve been there and done that. I’m a repeat student for Medicine in the Institute of Education and I’m hell-bent on not making the same mistakes I did last year. I did a good LC in most people’s eyes, unfortunately not in my own. It’s that feeling I had on results day that has motivated me to give it my all for one more year. It’s the prospect of that feeling that should make you give it your all for 6th Year. The promised land of college awaits (and judging from the daily stories I hear from my friends, it’s everything you want it to be and more).

Take each day as it comes, work and study hard and find time for yourself everyday (for me it’s running, watching Criminal Minds etc, whatever takes the LC off your mind!)

For all you Med hopefuls, the HPAT is more important than ever, you MUST give it a large portion of your time. Believe me, forget the Mocks in February, they mean absolutely nothing. HPAT takes priority!

I hope my ramblings help in some way, if they don’t they are just an ideal way for me to rant and vent. Put the effort in and it’ll all come together!

PEACE!
LC Veteran

First of all, thanks to Patrick Barry for giving me this opportunity!
makes sixth year that little bit more worthwhile
and hey to all the other bloggers

well, i guess i better introduce myself:
My name is Anna, and i’m 17 and I, am a leaving certer of 2012!! bit foreboding isn’t it?! In any case, Bring it on!
Yes, I am scared stiff, the idea of Orals and Practicals make me want to curl up under a rock and die, but I’m trying to look past that…waaaaaay past that!

My final year, in a school i have both loved and hated (mostly loved tbh) is hopefully, not going to kill me!! Its flown by so far i think, well- most of the time

the subjects I’m doing are:
Art (H)
Home Ec (H)
Geography (H)
Irish (H)
French (H)
English (H)
and of course, maths (O)!!

cant say I hate any of them yet thank god, and I’m hoping to do well in them!
Anyway, I’m doing Christmas exams (I know- eaaarly) at the moment, so will let anyone who reads these know how THAT goes O.o

Ok, my first blog- done. That was easier than i expected!!

Oh, I suppose i should say what I’m aiming for, I’ve known for a few years thankfully!

French and Business!! Now all i have to do is get it!!

ok people, that’s me for now! will get back to blog with my results of the auld xmas exams this week

Anna.

English           B3 higher              

Irish                C1 ordinary

Maths              C2 ordinary

French           B3 ordinary   

History           C2 higher

Biology          D2 higher     

Chemistry     D2 ordinary

My results were not exceptional, nor were they enough … I got 285, 95 points short of my target. Upon recieving my results, I cried … I was dissappointed with myself. I didn’t bother getting them checked or veiwing the scripts. I had 5 fails in my Mocks, and none in my Leaving. That was a major achievement! Hard work showed and I did my best. My best wasn’t enough, but I believe that what’s meant for you won’t pass you by. I got offered my 3rd choice, Legal Studies, but declined it, instead choosing to do a one year PLC in Arts, Culture and History, which I can hopefully progress from. I want Arts in Maynooth (History, English and Geography). I’ll study hard this year, I’ll work in my job, I’ll get some sleep and I’ll have some fun. August 17th, 2011 taught me not to expect the sun, moon and stars from yourself … you’ll only be forever dissappointed. Do your best and take pride in your work. One lesson I’ll never forget … Chemistry was NEVER my subject, and I should’ve picked business!

Ciao for now,

Caoimhe

P.S – I promise I won’t rant as much from now on!

First, THANK YOU PATRICK BARRY FOR ALLOWING ME THE PLATFORM TO BOAST, BLOG, TALK AND MAKE OTHER PEOPLE FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSLEVES THAT THEY AREN’T SUCH AN IGNORANT, STUCK UP, DICK LIKE MYSELF.

I woke up on the results morning a little bit nervous. I listened to music for about 30 minutes as I dwindled about my room cleaning up, putting on a bright yellow t-shirt , shorts and flip flops. I was attracting the attention of that photographer regardless of my results..

Was the first one into the school and the first one to pick up my results. Totted up by a teacher and he said 430 well done. I started to think holy shit how did I pull that one out ? Turns out I didn’t, he counted it incorrectly and I got 390. My goal was to break 400 so with rechecks that’s still a possibility. I’m viewing my scripts tonight so ten points out of nowhere would be fantastic.  I know myself had I been told 390 straight away I would have been happy however the fact I thought I had it for over an hour was a little disheartening.

Now let’s get this straight, I’m not better than you points wise, because I only got 390.

I say ONLY, because I only started to work 3 weeks out from D-Day give or take and the only way it makes me feel when I realise I’ve missed out on Multimedia is why didn’t I start it earlier.

Regardless, Multimedia went up so I was 30 points off as opposed to 10.  So I suffered up until last night with this semi attraction towards UCD after I accepted English and Drama.

Today I am making pleas to level 5 courses which have the entry route into Multimedia after a year. I would have liked the English and Drama course, I do think I would have came to like it I mean. Yet I found out through the UCD system I would have to take two other subjects. 4 subjects in an Arts degree ? This isn’t Galway mate and that’s when I realised I’m not really an Arts student.

I don’t want to undersell the degree and others love it, but the ego, the person and what I’ve came to expect of myself as well as what others have come to expect of me is that I’m not the type of person who is going to settle for that degree.

The person who is preaching constantly to follow what you want, say what you want and do what you want yet I was going to settle. As opposed to swallowing my “pride” to do a level 5 to get into the course I want.  Here is a quote from my last blog

I think the goal of close to 400 points is still on. Here’s hoping however i more than likely will be doing the PLC route simply because it’s the best course for Radio Media / Presenting. I’m just looking to go somewhere i can train a lot, that’s been said and won’t be spoke on any more.

This is a quote from my first blog

I will get 400+ points. That is what i need,

So all and all in and around the same goal has been achieved. I’m now blogging myself on this website www.starlighthysteria.wordpress.com and I would love if you read it! In fact the first post on the website is my English Paper 1 100 Mark essay which I can’t wait to see tonight. Finally I’m also on facebook for those who missed it, in fact not just bloggers please anyone feel free.

www.facebook.com/guardpuller

So this is my final sign off with a song, similar to how I felt upon getting my results, knowing regardless they were high enough to warrant not repeating and I  feel sorry for those who do and 100% Genuinely here I hope anybody who repeats, has the balls to repeat quite frankly gets exactly what they want because right now I’d probably take the job of Gadaffi’s right hand man over repeating the leaving cert. watch?v=E6Yosqms1nM&ob=av3e

I’m Andrew McGahon, It’s been a pleasure.

Currently in one of those sentimental moods, acknowledging the great events of the past. The 2006 first year Jason used to love listening to green day (hence the title), remembering when bebo was cool and facebook was for old people (how times have changed) Some of my best memories are from secondary school, from 3rd year when our maths teacher came in with a shredder and each of us wondering what he was going to do with this contraption, decided to make everyone shred their own maths theorem’s because that’s what they deserved (mine was spared of course). Me and my friends never laughed so hard when we left that class. My favourite football team Manchester United, I got to see twice due to secondary school. The first being the f.a. cup match between man u and portsmouth (not such a great match to begin with) but second year round I got to see the champions league match between Man U and Inter Milan … one of the experiences I will cherish for the rest of my life. It’s strange to think my secondary school experience is over ..

August 17 … the day I had envisioned for so long came and went. I got the points I wanted and that’s all I can really say about it. It was perhaps the strangest forms of happiness I’ve ever had. It was like receiving a botox injection … all your wrinkles had just disappeared by a single needle. All that worry and stress was worth it in the end. I now had a new face. Of course I’m not going to tell you my results, I think these results I want to keep personal. I’ve told my family and friends and I that’s all I want to say on the matter.

Medicine which perhaps was my first ever love, has taken a firm step backwards and we are now probably further now then ever, but I can’t predict the future. I’m going to keep to option of doing graduate medicine open, but I can assure you now I will never repeat that leaving cert. Fair play to anyone who decides to repeat, but I couldn’t do another year.

I wonder which candidate I will be next year,

Who knew 11 months later I would be a pharmacy student in the college I adore ??? Quiet chuffed with myself for achieving the points, I want to advise everyone doing the exam next year to sit down each evening and study, It really does pay off in the end. For the future bloggers, I wish you all the luck in the world of the leaving cert … it is certainly eventful.

To Patrick Barry, I cannot thank you enough. Like Ciara, once I discovered this site I loved it. I dreamed of writing for this website, and this year that dream became a reality. I have never regretted becoming a blogger and I had a great sense of accomplishment for getting my work published. You allowed me to record my experience, present myself to the world and that was invaluable in my opinion.

To my fellow bloggers, you both gave me motivation and inspiration. Your blogs pushed me to work harder but also allowed me to relax, realizing not everyone out there is doing a million hours study. (perhaps that was only me at times ?)

Since accepting my course on Monday, I have been sprung at full velocity into college life, with letters coming in each day with social events, the hear scheme orientation program and registration. Atleast this year, I’ll be doing something different on my birthday and yes I do expect you all to wish me one on facebook

Thank you everyone who has shared this experience with me …

I certainly had the time of my life

The night before results, I had no real sense of apprehension, stress or nerves. I got up at 7, went for a walk and arrived at school at about 9.30. I exchanged pleasantries with the school’s figureheads, signed my name and opened the envelope. No trembling hands, no tears. I scanned it quickly to make sure I had 6 As and then totted up my points! Here’s how it went. (AllHonours..)

English: A2

Irish: A2

French: A2

Maths: B1

Applied maths: D for Don’t do this subject if you don’t need it..Derp.

Biology: A1

Chemistry: A1

Music: A1

The only one I’ll consider getting checked is French, it was disappointing to come down a grade from the mock, and lots of people felt it was marked very hard.

I’ve got medicine in NUIG! 733 overall. Really very pleased, although it was my third choice. I had my heart set on Dublin, so much so that I left applying for accommodation until offers day. I said all along that if I got in anywhere I’d be chuffed, and I am. All summer, my mind was plagued with pangs of self doubt. But there were no bouts of insomnia fuelled night time walks or nervous breakdowns. I guess that can only mean I was quietly confident all along, of the work I did and how I performed on the days.

I hope everyone is happy with offers and such. I don’t, however, hope that everyone got what they wanted. That would be quite an unsustainable arrangement, and arts faculties everywhere would be bursting at the seams! But I was happy to see the ‘UCD here I come’ statuses on Facebook yesterday. Lol jk I wanted UCD..

Patrick Barry, yes! Thank you for letting me write here! Aside to the lovely comments I’ve gotten being a huge ego boost, It’s been a platform for my vanity. I’d like to say it helped me get an A1 in English, but oh well!

So that’s it. A year of gay blogs, I hope someone out there took something from them. Now I’m giving up any creative inkling I have to go save lives, good luck!

Also if you’re going to NUIG give me a shout, I hav no frnds.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/abyrne1

In the end I decided not to view any scripts or get anything rechecked. I was happy with what I got, obtained my course and disastrous episodes of Deal or no Deal have taught me to call it quits while things are going well. It’s strange that this whole Leaving Cert business is completed once and for all. People say it’s nine tough months and then it’ll all be over but between waiting for results and offers, it takes the guts of a year. At first I felt a little sad it’s over (no doubt it was some form of Stockholm Syndrome) but I really wouldn’t go back for all the cans of Druids in a fourteen year old’s schoolbag. Looking at people who were in my year and did TY, with all this ahead of them yet, makes me relieved to be finished secondary school now.

Sadly this is my last post. This website has been a great resource to me since I found it in Third Year and really helpful in getting any exam related questions answered. My remaining question is, what happens now? I read the book One Day over the summer and thought this quote from it summed up the vagueness of the future pretty well;

“‘What are you going to do with your life?’ In one way or another it seemed that people had been asking her this forever; teachers, her parents, friends at three in the morning, but the question had never seemed this pressing and still she was no nearer an answer. The future rose up ahead of her, a succession of empty days, each more daunting and unknowable than the one before her. How would she ever fill them all?”

Yes there’s a lot of uncertainty but it’s refreshing after the year that was. Instead of worrying as I could easily do, I say bring it on.

To Patrick Barry, thank you for taking a chance on me (and then another one) by letting me blog here for the past two years. It’s been a great opportunity and one that I thoroughly enjoyed, although some posts from Fifth Year make me cringe just thinking about them. It’s common knowledge that Fifth Years are blissfully unaware of the plight of Leaving Certs, so hopefully I was forgiven! It was brilliant to be given full creative leeway in all my little rants and I’d like to think my writing has improved, at the very least from the days of “hiiya hunnii wu@ luff yhoo”…yes I was that First Year. Plus it was great to read posts by other bloggers going through the same thing. I hope you all got what you wanted and have a great time at college.

To upcoming bloggers, I advise you to use this blog to your best advantage. Post as much as you can and comment regularly. While I can be accused of doing neither, in the last few months I truly appreciated having this space to vent all my stress, hopes and worries.

To the Leaving Certs of 2012, I’ll share with you a few tips that I would have found helpful starting Sixth Year. First of all, don’t go into the year planning to study every hour of the day. It doesn’t happen and by October you will find yourself slacking-I should know. Instead ease yourself into the work and then do a little bit a lot of the time. Secondly, get familiar with the marking schemes and timing from your first day back. Exam technique can be just as important, if not more, than the material itself. Again, I should know. Thirdly, enjoy Sixth Year. Yes, it’s possible! Between being the oldest in the school to getting a free pass from housework due to ‘Leaving Cert fatigue’, it actually is a nice year. Too bad the exams make you forget that. Appreciate the last few months with your year, it’s all too soon that you’ll be parting ways with some of your friends for college. With that in mind, don’t become a hermit because chances are you’ll only be at home procrastinating when you could be out having a well deserved break. And good luck! Even if you dossed in Fifth Year, I think anyone can change it around in the few months before June. Oh and before you ask, I don’t know what poets are going to be on Examcraft English Paper 2.

Thanks to anyone who read my posts, commented or helped me out in the forum. Best of luck to you all in the future. And with that I say (appropriately in French as I’m still on a high from my grade), au revoir!

Maths-C1 (I honestly thought I had failed)

Irish-A2

English-B3 (I never read the novel for the comparative #winning) :L

History- C1 (Once again I thought I failed)

Physics- B2 (Oddly disappointed :/)

French- A2 ( I have nooooo idea where this came out of! I was so shocked )

Biology- A1

Points- 485

As I said, I am delighted Woke up many times during the night to check Boards for the CAO offers, even though I knew I had my course (Galway Science) but I still wanted to be sure. I had the gooniest smile on my face when I clicked accept

So, that’s it. The year is over and overall, it was hellish in parts but amazing in others. Galway here I come

Irish A2

Agricultural science A2

French B1

Chemistry B1

English B3

Physics B3

If I’m honest I was slightly disappointed by French, English and physics.  I really was aiming for an A in French and well to drop from an A1 to a B3 in English was disappointing, obviously I knew I was unlikely to get an A again but I didn’t expect the B3. Lastly physics remained the same grade but I did find thta paper really difficult. These small disappointments however were more than made up for with Irish and Ag. I knew I was good enough for an A in Irish but I find the orals so nerveracking that I didn’t think I’d make it. Finally, a B1 in chemistry?! The sciences and maths aren’t my strong points at all so really that was a surprise. In the end I totalled on 500 points. I think someone else remarked on how people just concentrated on points tally. Although I didn’t have anything to be ashamed of I was reluctant to tell people my points, that we ‘re happy should be enough. There are people who got 300 and that was their personal best and they should have as much reason to celebrate as the person who got 600.

While I’m still 45 points outside my first choice- primary teaching with psychology – I didn’t mind in the slightest. I was so happy. I went around all day with a silly smile on my face saying ‘I’m just soooo happy’ repeatedly….annoying yes!

I knew that I had enough for primary teaching, so when I saw my offer for Mary I at 6am this morning before work I accepted straight away before it had any chance of changing!!! Since I decided on primary I knew it was the right choice and now i can’t wait to settle  into college life:D

I hope everyone got what they wanted but if not a year of repeat is nothing! It went by so fast and honestly, it did me the world of good. At the time, I absolutely despised it but I can see now that last year I wasn’t ready for college, to live on my own, etc. Now I know it’s time to go!:D  There are alternative routes into everything so if you really want something then you can get it..

I’d like to say a big thankyou to Patrick Barry for giving us the chance to blog, it was a great experience!  Good luck to all of next years bloggers and leaving certs!

and I suppose this is goodbye! I hope I didn’t bore you all..! aaand I’m going to stop ranting!!

Byee everyone!:)

Geography – A1
German – A2
English – A2
Biology – B1
Home Ec – B1
Maths – B2
Irish – B2
Applied Maths – D2
LCVP – Merit

So there they are. Apart from the embarrassment of Applied Maths, I’m okay with them. Shocked at getting on well in Irish (for me) and hopeful that 530 is enough for Law & German in Trinity. I’ll probably write an update on Monday about offers & stuff if I’m not stressing about finding accommodation, etc. Well done to all the other bloggers & good luck Monday. Massive thank you to Patrick Barry for letting me blog here for the last year, it’s been an experience!

So this was it. The moment we had all been waiting for. The product of  a year of pushing oneself to the limits, endless homework and long stressful study-orientated months.

I glanced down at the paper… and then I tallied my points up. I repeated said process three times to be sure. 555. There was no mistaking it. I had about 50 points more than I needed for my course (or so I should have, judging by entry last year). Here was my happy ending. Or perhaps, more aptly, my new beginning.

English: A1

Home Ec: A1

Business: A2

French: A2

Biology: A2

Irish: B1

LCVP: Distinction

Maths (pass): B1.

I was ecstatic. In all my months of studying, I had aimed for 525 at best. I had exceeded my own expectations and the feeling of combined relief and excitement was surreal.

To prospective Leaving Cert students- If I have any advice, it’s timing. Get it right. Whether it’s beginning a study routine, exam technique or even pencilling in a night out – it’s just a matter of finding the time to do it all. All work and no play will make you crack up. Fact. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get as much study done as you had intended way back in September, it’s never too late to throw yourself back into the LC ball game. Don’t listen to everybody else talk about their prison-like study hours… Do your own thing. It’s your life anyway, not theirs. You’ll get there. We all do. The Leaving Cert is a rite of passage and you’ll learn more about yourself in these two years than the previous four. Enjoy it.. or at least attempt to.

To Patrick Barry – Thank you for the opportunity you gave me by allowing me to blog for your website. Allhonours.ie acted as a medium through which I could vent my stress and exam concerns as well as hear from people experiencing the same thing. It allowed me to improve my writing abilities which I fully believe contributed to my A1 in English but most of all, it helped me document one of the most important years of my life.

To my fellow bloggers – I wish you all the very best of luck in college in September. We’ve heard so much about the amazing life of a university student, now it’s our chance to experience that for ourselves.

In my last post, I referred to the Leaving Cert as a domino that sets the rest of my life into action. Well, the path has been built. The momentum is present. All that’s left to do now is watch the whole show unfold… something I intend to enjoy ’til the last.

Sorcha x