Guess who’s back, back again (yes, that’s your cue to run and hide…)

After two years of preparation, hours of studying, even more hours trying to avoid it, exams and the like, yesterday finally brought some closure to the Leaving Cert. While the exams themselves seem like a distant memory, the summer has just been eaten up! With time being consumed by work over the last few weeks, results were pushed to the back and left little time for contemplating, thankfully. As a crowd of us gathered outside the school at 10am yesterday morning, the feeling of excitement and nerves was contagious. Trying to figure out what to expect was next to impossible. After each exam, I made a note of what grade I thought I may have got. The best I figured I could hope for about 510. As we queued outside the principal’s office, going in one by one to get the white envelope, I grew more and more nervous until I finally got mine. And then it stopped. Oddly followed by complete calmness. I went to a nearby classroom and opened it up there, praying there wouldn’t be the same pang of disappointment I got on getting the HPAT results. Here’s how it went (All honours… :L)

Irish B1
Maths A2
English A2
French B2
Biology A1
Chemistry A2
Economics A2

I was genuinely shocked when I saw the results. And even more so adding the points up. So much so I was convinced my adding skills weren’t the best (well only an A2 in Maths like!) When I arrived at 545 for the fifth time, I accepted I had done better than could ever be imagined. I mean Irish and English? It turned out to be a day of PB’s! Never before had I got anything great than a C2 in Irish, not even one B before in six years of class tests! Even though French didn’t count, I made and absolute hames of the oral, had a very dogey written paper, and still managed a B2. And then English, what a place to get your first ever A! Despite my bog-standard English and ropey comparative, with the help of bombastic vocab here and there I pulled out an A2! I genuinely would not have got that result without this blog. Six years on and not one class of English grammar, this finally gave me the kick in the arse needed to learn a few of the rules! The only one I wasn’t ecstatic about was Maths. I know an A2 is deadly, but I really felt if there was one paper I got the A1 in, it was Maths. I was happy too with Chem and Economics as despite not having wonderful papers, I managed to pull out the A in both. I know many regarded Biology very easy this year, but after the record I had with a spate of teachers, it was a relief to get the A1.

The results in my school were unbelievable this year. In a year of 110, at least 18 got over the 500 point mark, with one guy getting the 600, and another getting 580. Considering just 6 broke the 500 mark last year, it was a serious improvement. I have to admit the competitive nature of us all helped and was probably the reason we got on so well!

So for college, I’ve to await until Monday to find out for certain, but it looks like Actuary in UCD. It was 530 last year, so I have 15 points to spare, but applications for it increased a lot this year. Failing that, DCU seems a cert considering it was 485 in ‘09. When I look back at it now, 5 A’s and 2 B’s was quite an achievement. Despite the whole medicine thing not working out, I think I’m glad it happened. It appears far more glamorous than it actually is in my opinion. If I was to repeat the HPAT, I’d need 170+ points to get in based on last year. But we’ll see. I have the grade requirements for it in most places in the UK so it’s good to have that option open.

For the rest of you, I hope you’re all happy. They’re not the end of the world, but rather a means to an end. At the end of the day, it’s about fulfilling one’s potential. The guy who gets 360 but has been told his limit is 350 has done better in my view than the girl who could get 600, but only gets 500. That’s why it’s unfair to compare people on LC points I feel.

You’ll hear from me once more after Monday, this is the day that really matters. I hope the points don’t go up too much, for all of our sake’s!

Cillian

Hey everyone!

I hope you all are delighted with your results and had a great night last night! It’s all finally over after nine months of having to feign interest in subjects that you honestly couldn’t give  toss about. Although it will be really weird never going back to secondary school ever again and for many of us, moving away from home for the first time…I’m delighted it’s all behind now.

After going through the longest night of my life, I finally got my results at 10 yesterday morning. Since it was my second time getting my LC results, it really did feel like it was the last chance saloon. I was shìtting it when I got that big, horrible brown envelope and was wondering how it would go down at home if I decided to just not open it. But of course, my mother wasn’t going for it and as soon as I got back to the car, she took the envelope and opened it…..and it was the best shock of my life.

A C3 in french (I seriously thought that I had failed it!), B1 in English and Business, B2 in History, B3 in Economics and a C2 in Biology…..which means 455 points…a number I was not expecting. I was so happy that repeating had paid off, despite being so reluctant in the beginning. I’m glad I did it and I advise anyone who’s not happy to repeat if they need to. It is a lot of hard work and it’s hard as your friends go to college but it is incredibly worthwhile and if you want your course badly enough, I think it’s the best way to go.

It’s been a great year and I actually quite enjoyed it (but I know it’s easy to say that in hindsight!) I wish everyone the best for the future and hope it all works out!

Hey guys! Well, long time no see! I’m kind of all over the place at this stage if I’m honest. As your all guessing I did indeed get my leaving cert results. I wouldn’t like to say I was disappointed but I guess I kind of was. I always had that little voice in my head saying that I wouldn’t do as well as I hoped,that voice seemed to be true this morning. I went into school, 9am, was met by a happy principal and nervously opened the A4 envelope…only to reveal no sign of ANY A’s. The first thing I saw was a C1 in pass Irish, my heart dropped, it was then followed by a bleak B3 in English, not looking good. If  I wasn’t moving to Canada where I was already accepted into the science and arts course I’d tear this results up and eat it, then repeat in the hope of getting at least ONE damn A.

Irish (ord) C1,English(h) B3,Maths(ord) B2,French(h) B1,Art(H) B1,Chemistry(H) B3,Biology(H) B2.

now,i was expecting an A in at least english and biology, my top subjects in school..but no. Im also raging i wont be in ireland to see my scripts. I was pleasantly surprised though, to see that i had gotten a B1 in Art and a B3 in chemistry. Other than that,,like i said,,id so repeat.

I got 440 points…I think. Not nearly enough for medicine at ALL, along with my mere 124 points from the HPAT, that’s not going to get me an offer. I think if I were to stay here I’d get science in Maynooth, not even in UCD. In conclusion: Man is it hard to actually pull an A1 in the Leaving!

Although being photographed for local papers was flattering, you still have that feeling of regret, I should have studied that extra hour and not watched the X factor!”. But its over now, I did my best, its not the end of the world! Its a great result but just not great enough. Some of my friends barely passed so I shouldn’t be too upset.

In the end, it was an experience like any other in life.  You move forward not back. I’m just happy it’s over and i can get on with my life, and wait for Monday to see what offers I get! I’m leaving for Canada on the 25th. Start college there on the 1st of September.

Anyway, I hope everyone else did well too. I already mentioned Patrick Barry in my last post but I just want to say that you guys should really try out for these blogging spots, such an amazing experience.

We should all enjoy our day and the last bit of summer!!! best of luck with all that you do!!!!

-Ally xx

Well as the title suggests, it wasn’t exactly favourable; a measly 141/300. I kept waking up sporadically during the night, but at 3:40, I got the email. Even in a state of grogginess, I knew immediately I’d no hope. I’ll admit I was seriously disappointed, more so in myself than anything. It was the first test I’d ever scored below average on, but in fairness, that’s below average in comparasion to the cream of the crop. I really did think the test went well on the day, especially Section 3. I mean I actually drew out what I imagined the next box to look like, and most times they were there! I thought it was the one section where you could be sure you had the right answer, but I guess not. I was convinced I got more than half correct, but not according to ACER, as I only got 49. I guess whatever marking scheme they used really messed me over!

Anyway, I’m lucky in a way that I wasn’t hell-bent on doing Medicine. Althought it has forced me to change the ole CAO. I’ve put down BESS and Maths/Economics, so I wouldn’t mind doing them either. Actuary is still the goal however, I’ll be laughing if I get offered a place there. I hope the results went well for everyone else anyway, enjoy the rest of the summer!!

I’m back! I felt unbelievably stupid for not managing to sign in for months on end but after swallowing my pride here I am! I’m all for technology and progress and all that  don’t get me wrong, but when you see “password incorrect” for the 147th time it’s easy to get disillusioned. I’m happier being a neo Luddite if I’m honest.

Anyway back to the task at hand (which in my case should be my French Mock tomorrow! ) I cannot believe how fast this year is going, one minute its October Tests, then you blink and you’re in the middle of mocks! How did that happen??  From writing this sentence it is only 99 days, 16hours, 55minutes and 29seconds until English Paper One begins on June 9th….. Just thought I’d give us all a little heart attack there (don’t kill me!)

Ah all panic aside I cannot wait to leave secondary school. Im quite young at 17 in sixth year but I’m sure you’ve all looked at first and second years and thought “was I really ever that small??” (and standing at 5′4″-ishI’m hardly Goliath myself!) Seriously though, I can’t help but look at some of them with their teddy key-rings on their schoolbags and little decorated lockers and think “GET ME OUT OF HERE!!”

When CAO deadline came around on the 1st of February it was such a relief, it was like “that’s it! it’s done and I’m not thinking about it until may!” My first preference is UCD for International Modern Languages (DN069) but since it’s only in it’s first year I don’t know anyone who’s taken it. Languages at Third Level are supposed to be pretty difficult so I’d love some advice if there’s anyone out there  who’s been there?!

Anyway for me it’s back to my Jounal Intime

Bye!

Caoimhe

Hello everybody again!

Mocks have come and gone, and not quite as bad as I thought. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best I suppose. It was crazy to see the amount of people trying to find out what was coming up. And I’m not talking about the typical no hopers. Some of the cleverest people I know had seen the papers before hand. What, could they not contain their excitement to see what was coming up? That’s probably not the answer but even still, they ruined the whole point of the mocks in doing so.

For me, it was getting the timing right. I’d never sat down to do a full paper in one go before so it was great to see what timing is going to be like with the LC. I managed to time everything pretty ok, and got everything answered and usually an extra question or two (or even all eleven in Chemistry!). English paper 2 was the only exam that I was writing until the very end, I never thought it was humanly possible for me to 21 a4 pages, but with only two or three words per line, I suppose it wasn’t too difficult! The only exam that went bad as such was Maths paper 2. I started a Biology paper at 7:30 that morning and ran a cross country race in between, so by the time Maths came around I was mentally exhausted! As far as I know I had all DEB papers, how did everyone else find them?

It’s less than a week to go to the HPAT and usually I’d start getting a little apprehensive about such an event by now, but I don’t think I will be. I’m doing it in Trinity which is handy ,seen as it’s closest, but everyone else I know got UCD. As for strategies for the test, I’ve got a few worked out, so hopefully they‘ll happen! I’ve been contemplating lately the thought of if I actually was offered a place in Med school (even though there‘s ridiculously little hope!). I don’t know if it’s something that would suit me. Don’t get me wrong, I love science and the idea of helping people, but the workload I’d be taking on, it’d be like re-sitting the LC another 5 times! If I was to get in though my dream would to end up in the army, that’d be my route in!
So now for the dramatic irony, because I’m not too pushed about doing well in the exam (well of course I still want to do my best!), I’ll end up doing better in the exam than if I was hell bent on getting a place in Med school! (Nerves do get the better of me sometimes!)
So if I do get in, I’ll owe it to the fact I didn’t really mind, I kind of like that!!
It annoys the hell out of me though when you hear ‘Oh well you really have to want Medicine to get it’ comments. Absolute BS! If that was the case there would be a bloody attitude test and interviews, not an aptitude test!

That then got me thinking about my other choices on my CAO, like Pharmacy and Actuary. Frankly, all the have in common is a y of their names. Pharmacy is third and fourth, while Actuary is fifth and sixth. Being pragmatic(I hope!), I’ll end up doing one of these. I’m having serious problems deciding which one however. I went on work experience back in the good old days of TY in the local Pharmacy and really enjoyed it. I mean the guy who owns it is the nicest you’d ever meet, an inspiration of sorts. But then I sat in on two Actuary lectures in UCD and DCU during the week on economics and absolutely loved them. I met up with a guy who got 600 in his LC and he claims to love it. So I’ve been thinking, maths and economics or chemistry for the next four or five years? Hmmmm….

I have my French oral left to do later this week, and to be honest, I can wait for it. I said I’d practice for it over the midterm, but I thought I deserved the week off! I started reading Wuthering Heights again for my English comparative. And when I say again, I mean for about the 6th time, I just can’t read the bloody thing! I’ve lived off chapter summaries from the internet to find out what actually happens because I could never follow. Finally I’ve started to start comprehending what’s going on for myself! I used to love reading but ever since I’ve started secondary, sport has just taken over and I’ve never really had the time to indulge in a good book!

I’ve decided to give up Facebook for Lent, forty days I thought I could handle it. And then I discovered Lent is actually forty-seven days long, never have I felt so cheated! But it’s probably a good thing, there’s nothing worse than spending copious amounts of time on stuff like that and the feeling after. Although I’ll probably just replace it with MLIA!

I reckon it’ll be a while before any results come back, but fingers crossed by Paddy’s Day I’ll have everything back! Best of luck to all of ye doing mocks this week, and the HPAT too!!!!
Slánners!

Hey peoples!
I hope everyone’s well and, ya know, not freaking out or anything! So Mocks are here again! Everyone excited?! I’m not for one.
Is it only me that thinks the mocks are more intimidating than the actual LC? I freaked out completely last year about them and then by the time June came around, I was way past caring.
Tip for this year…save the mental breakdown ’til 9 June.
The timetable for the mocks is quite nice actually, Business and French on next Friday, mid-term and then back to it on the Tuesday…plenty of time.
It seems everyone and their mother is applying for college this year anyway so unless the Government finally decide to do something productive for this country…I’d say they’ll be fun times ahead.
So I’ve made sure that there is no space on my CAO application and have applied for every course relevant to journalism and business so here’s hoping I get into one!
I’m kinda kicking myself I didn’t do my CAO properly last year. It turns out I could have got into quite a few courses….bummer anyways!!
I’m off now to stare at my English notes and TRY to get some of it to stick in my brain!

Chat yaz!

Hello everyone =D

Firstly, I’m sorry it’s been so long since you’ve heard from me….. I haven’t even got a proper excuse…

I hope you all had a good Christmas, and that Santie was good to you! My Christmases are usually filled with racing around from one horsey competition to the next, trying to get as much in as possible. The weather put a stop to that this time! Believe it or not I’ve only been able to get out on the horse once in my three weeks off. The ground is just too hard! So you’d think that I would have had lots of time to complete all my set revision and more – not a chance!!!
Ok well since it’s been so long since I’ve blogged this is probably a distant memory to most! I found the evening focus group in Dublin on the Friday very interesting and the different tips I picked up from different people were very helpful =D It was interesting to sit and talk about different study methods and tools. You guys are all so organised! And will definitely get whatever results you need in June. Anyway it was great to get a chance to put a face to some of the blogs and meet some really sound people at the same time =D

That Sunday I did possibly the stupidest thing I have ever done, and that’s saying something! I tripped over my feet, fell down the stairs, and split my ear off the pool table….. Please laugh… it will make me feel a little less special!! One incentive not to do it again (aside from the mess to be cleaned up) is that I never ever want to have to spend a Sunday night (or any night for that matter) sitting in A&E in James’ street….. Not a pretty sight. I arrived in at about 10.30 that night wasn’t seen by a doctor until 8.30 the next morning, left at about 9 with the addition of nine stitches in my right ear. Lovely!!

One good thing came out of it though. I am afraid of injections, and I want to be a doctor. I needed lots of local anaesthetics for my ear. This terrified me. But it worried me even more to think that the one thing that I was letting stand between me and the career I wanted was a tiny piece of metal! Crazy, I know… Well, I managed to get over that fear. It was all in my head!! Since that I’ve had blood taken without a single flinch. Result. Mind over matter.

That was basically the drama of my holidays! Naturally I spent the next week lounging around feeling sorry for myself… Santie came and brought lovely red hunter wellies (I’m a culchie at heart!) and lots of other nice things and I began to face up to the reality that yes, I had chosen to cut my holiday short for this Leaving Cert malarkey, and head up to Leeson street for 5 days. I now realise how lucky I was to have had that choice to make!! I took Biology (both halves), English and Maths. The latter was probably a foolish choice since I’ve just dropped from honours, but hey, I was intent on “getting the course done in a week!!” My own naivety surprises me! Of course I was useful revision but my time (and money) could have been spent on something else.

As for the biology and english… Mr. Burke and Mr. Kelly, I bow down before you… you are proper teachers. You know your subjects and, more importantly, you know how to teach it. To anyone who says that in Leeson Street they just “throw the notes at you,” “they’re hardly teachers,” I challenge you to sit in one of the afore mentioned teachers classes and not be inspired. Mr. Burke, as old as the hills he may be, but I have never seen anyone explain photosynthesis in one single diagram – no words, just labels…. wow!! It was definitely time well spent. Trying to negotiate the buses on New Year’s day would have been fun but I got a lift home =) Only in Ireland would a little dusting of snow equate to a national emergency!! Crazy…

Over the last few days it has been such a chore to actually sit down and study while I could hear the snowball fights going on outside! I made a compromise; study for three hours in the morning and then I could whizz down the Hill of Tara on fertiliser bags to my heart’s content! Exercise combined in with fun! Perfect =DThose are days that will be remembered.

Delighted and all as I was to get those two extra days off, now I’m kind of worried about the amount of catch-up work that is going to have to be done when we eventually get back to school… Oh well the teachers can worry about that one and ill just get as much revision done as I can =D Anyway, we’ve enough to be thinking about with the CAO closing date and the HPAT all coming up.

I completed my levels eight choices on the CAO for what I hope will be the last time, but that’s doubtful! Medicine in Trinity is sitting at the top, but sure we’ll see how it goes! As for the HPAT, I’ve registered and am trying to do as much practice as possible from the sample booklet. I find the timing really difficult to stick to but I suppose it all takes practice. My Mum insisted that I enrol in a prep course so I’ll be back up in Leeson Street next weekend. I suppose doing it is better than regretting not doing it.

I hope everything is going according to plan for everyone, and if it’s not, well don’t worry. “Brick by brick my citizens, brick by brick.” (I watched seabiscuit last night!! Red Pollard you legend)
Remember its all mind over matter!
For now, there is a slippery slope on Tara with my name on it =D
Toodles
xxx

Hello Everybody!!

Since it’s been aaaaages since my last blog, you might think I’d have a lot to say….Do I??!!! Um…no, not really….

Anyhoo, how’s everyone xmas been? I hope you all had a good one and said f*ck the study! My Christmas was pretty much spent doing Sweet FA…I barely even bothered getting dressed. But I needed the relaxing break of TV, endless cups of tea and DVDs. I’m all re-energised now though with nothing to do. So, I started my history project.

I actually love history but for some reason when it comes to tests such as the mocks and the actual LC, I can’t remember a thing! I spent 10 minutes during the last year’s history exam begging my brain to think of something about dictators but my brain let me down and I practically ran from the hall with the examiner thinking I was on crack or something. The worst bit was that for the mocks, I knew every single question that was going to come up so you think, easy peasy, right? Eh….no. I managed to fail that should-a been an easy A exam because I couldn’t think…at all! So, how do you study for history? I don’t exactly know but I will figure it out….later.

But for now, I’m focusing on my project, the one thing that doesn’t want make me want to reach for a bottle of vodka whenever I think of it. I’m doing mine on The Moors Murders. Why? I don’t know…because I can’t do something normal like The Titanic or The Holocaust, I have to go for the weird stuff. But I nearly have it done so yaaaay! Downside, I haven’t slept at night in a week…aaaargh! I really enjoyed doing the project though. It took a while to research and it involved getting in-touch with a distant cousin who now thinks I’m some sort of crazy nutjob with sociopathic tendencies (I’m not though…promise!)

On another completely random note…The CAO is completely finito. I’m adamant that I’m not going to change it on a daily basis like I did last year. Even though, I can’t make a decision to save my life, journalism in UL is my final 1st choice so fingers crossed this time!! I’ve lost my CAO number anyway so I can’t change it even if I do decide one day that I wanted to do psychology or something. I do that…A lot!

So, I think I’ve blabbered on enough now. I’m going to get going on my economics and the exciting chapter of…wait for it….International Trade…woo hoo!

(I’m such a wild wan really! )

G’luck Everyone!