Agh I can’t believe my time on this is almost over! I’ve been reading all the LC-ers’ blogs about finishing school and it’s crazy to think that’ll be me this time next year. Every 6th year I know has advised me to “study now. You won’t regret it!” I know I should listen but I’m far too lazy. I mean, I started my summer tests today without having done a tap of study until this morning! Every time I procrastinate, I start getting paranoid thinking I have attention disorders because I cannot focus on studying, when I know deep down I just don’t want to be stuck in my room drawing diagrams of V-shaped valleys.

Today we had the English test and the only things on it were Hamlet and studied poetry. I love English, even though I have a terrible teacher (a fact I never try to hide) and she was the one who made the test so I figured it would be easy seeing as all we did was read Hamlet, yet we were now being giving essay style questions on it. This morning, when I arrived into school, all I could hear were worried whispers of “do you think Boland will come up?” and frantic yells of “does anyone have notes on Dickinson?!” Then I started to panic, like all the other 5th years.

We study five poets out of the prescribed eight, I don’t know if other schools do the same amount? Anyway, our teacher told us that we’d have two on the test and a choice to pick one. That didn’t stop constant predictions of what was going to be coming up. A person in Class A said Frost would come up, a girl in Class B said Kavanagh would and so on… So with hints we thought the teachers were giving us, all 120 of us studied Adrienne Rich. So we were screwed if she didn’t come up. Thankfully, this afternoon a huge sigh of relief was shed when we saw her on the paper. The Hamlet questions weren’t too bad either. But next year, when we have to study all five poets, I don’t know what I’ll do. It’s so hard to study one right! And it’s not like I can leave out one because the other four could come up that we never did. Eek!

Anyways, another random thought popped up in my mind when I was reading newspaper supplements with exam hints in them. For each subject, they picked a former Leaving Cert student who got all A1’s. And it just reminded me of how, each year, the TV, radio and newspapers all interview and photograph the students who got 600 points and often, only them. Don’t get me wrong, these students totally deserve it and I know some spend every hour of the day studying and working their butts off to get those much coveted 600 points. Take that guy who got 9 A1’s though. He has to already have plenty of natural intelligence to have achieved them points because he said he didn’t spend all his time studying. I just think that there are other people who don’t get the recognition for their achievements even though they worked just as hard. What about the girl who got grinds and watched TG4 every night to secure her C2 in Honours Irish, despite the fact her teacher told her to move to Pass?  What about the guy who studied instead of going clubbing at the weekends because he needed 45o to study Architecture? What about the other guy who spent all summer on his History project? Don’t these people deserve as much, if not even more, recognition than the lucky smart cookies who don’t need to put as much as an effort in? Just a thought and I don’t mean to offend any A1 students- you know I’m just jealous!

I’ll be back next week for my last post (I won’t cry if you don’t).

Hello =)

I hope everyone is well, and not over stressing

The realisation hit me yesterday (I know, I know, only yesterday :O) that in 5 months time it’s all going to be over!! Every last paper finished and sent on its merry way……. scary thoughts, I know. For now though I’ve plenty of more important things to be thinking about; mocks, orals, 18th’s, and 21st’s!

We were given our oral dates last week (that was when the realisation dawned!). French is the first week after, and I will be on the Friday if it goes in alphabetical order (Weldon!!). So that’s not really too bad. Dare I say it, but I’m kind of looking forward to my Irish oral the following week!! Oh and I would like to say a huge “Thank You” to Ally for recommending Foinse =) It helps so much! I was always afraid to pick it up in case I wouldn’t be able to understand any of it, and would be totally disheartened, but I found that even if there’s a word I don’t understand, in the context of the sentence I could figure it out =D

Our mocks have been moved back a week, which is a major relief. At least now they run straight up the mid-term and we won’t be dragged back in for a week after them. The thought of sitting two three hour papers in one school day really isn’t going down all that well. It’s going to mean one very short lunch break! As for the subjects? Well the one I am dreading most is chemistry!! I just haven’t had time to revise everything! Hopefully, I will have enough done to get me through 6 questions. I’ll probably do the Q5 (periodic table and the atom), the question on rates of reaction (if we have it finished), both organic questions, environmental chemistry and hopefully something else I know will come up!!

With regard to the 18th’s and 21st’s, well that’s more of an “I wish” story =P I was at probably the best 21st ever last week, and then wasn’t let out for my friends 18th this week =/ Yes, I am sure I will be glad when I get a groggy phone call asking about our homework tomorrow evening @ 9. Maybe everyone has gone back to college and Kells would be deserted once again. And I know it would have been such an anti-climax to last week – the road trip was epic (it took us 2 and a half hours to get to Oldcastle from Trim – A forty minute journey :L. We tried to do a U-turn and got stuck in a ditch!! The guards pulled us out. And some poor-unfortunate mass goer will probably have found their car without a wing mirror on return!!! :O). Meh, I suppose once in a while it’s ok to use “I’m not allowed….” as a cover up excuse??

I was just wondering, what poets are you guys studying and how are you finding them? At the moment I’m working my way through Longley – and he is definitely my favourite!! I love the way he brings in the ancient legends and myths and makes them his own . Their stories do all the telling. What way do you write your poetry essays?? Do you start on one poem and dissect it, then lead into one of the same theme…. or do you mix around with all the different poems? I’ve already covered Boland, Kavanagh, Yeats, Keats, and am almost finished Longley. My teacher is only going to cover those five poets, but armed with Mr. Kelly’s notes, I think I’ll do Elliot too, and maybe leave Keats out in my revision. He did come up last year after all =D

Other than that exciting road trip, Trim has been graced with my presence (ha!) on a number of occasions recently as I try to put those New Year’s resolutions into action. I suppose throwing a ball around in a swimming pool is exercise right?? My goal is to be able to beat my brother (16) in a swimming race…. this could take some time!! I used to be a good swimmer, really I did. Then I discovered how boring swimming up and down racing the clock is compared to galloping across fields!! The only thing is you don’t get fit enough to compete at horse riding by horse riding – unless you do it all day!!

Just thought I’d pick your (considerably more intelligent) brains for a few minutes…… Yes, it is back to the chemistry, but what method of studying it works for you guys?? I was on the Allhonours website earlier and studying for chemistry seems to be a big topic for discussion!! Mostly it was just people who found it difficult to understand looking for help, but does just reading through your notes work for anyone?? It certainly doesn’t help me!!! Just curious that’s all =P

Oh yea, I knew there was something else I wanted to say :L I had my first day of HPAT practise last Saturday, and yes, you were right Ally, – the guy is a genius. I really put me at ease to know that I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t make sense of those puzzles!! I found the extra questions he gave out (the mock 2) much more difficult than the ACER ones though!! I did the whole section one this morning and that was tiring. It’s probably my second favourite section but I got a way lower score in it than I had form the ACER one =( I think I’ll put it down to needing practise though so I don’t get too disheartened!!
Anyways I had better go do some proper study instead of just pretending to =S

Have a good week…… oh and make sure those cao applications are in!!

Toodles

Katie xxx