Hey Allhonourers ,

So I’m not to sure how to start off something about the leaving cert since I’m only starting it myself this year . Yes I did do TY and yes I agree with what most people say about it (It was the best school year I have ever had) but it didn’t exactly help me with my subject choices like it was supposed to , honestly it confused me even more :/ But that doesn’t stop me telling everyone younger than me to do it

I’m kind of inbetween feelings about sitting the leaving atm :/ In one hand I’m not that bothered but in the other I am completely freaking out about it . I mean why can’t it be like the junior cert where A1s , B2s and C3s didn’t exist ?? Why can’t it be where nobody has to know the exact result you got and just be “Oh I got 8honours and 2pass ” ( My results btw ) Points just annoy me

Soooo … I want to be a primary teacher . For that I have to go to Mary Immaculate in Limerick , need 480+ points and have to do Higher Level Irish . Nothing I was worried about last year but now that we know the teachers we’re going to have for the next two years , I must admit I’m a tinsy bit scared :/

I am a very strong believer that the teacher you have affects the grade you get . I myself have two very good examples of this . Numero Uno … English , My best subject all through primary school up until first year . Then second year came , along with a new teacher and I was failing every test Now fifth year , new teacher again and it’s my best subject yet again . Example two … Irish , Again one of my best subjects since starting school . Now fifth year , new teacher again and well now one of my worst subjects .

Another thing that everyone seems to be stressing about . I mean come on like … Its the start of fifth year and we’re stressing about something that won’t be happening for at least another two years that doesn’t affect our lives in anyway :/ People I know are actually more stressed about this than the leaving cert . I think it’s crazy but I have got to admit I am one of those people myself . I don’t think it’s just the students in my school are nervous about their deb’s but I think our principal might be a tad bit too … Remember a few weeks ago ?? There was a school from Cork on the news about how they put out condoms on the tables at the deb’s ?? Well if you do well then you know my school If you don’t google it I don’t see what the big deal is … You’re finished school , you will probably never be in the same place with all of the people you have just spent the last six years ( or even more ) of your life together and you want to have a good night with jokes and fun . And I can publicly say that’s all it was – a joke

So that’s all for me for now … I have to go ’study’:P Fun stuff

Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday”, or so said Don Marquis. Well, Mr Marquis, story of my life. I spent the better part of sixth year mastering the art of procrastination. I could put off anything -homework, housework, study – like a pro. Bad idea. Procrastination and the Leaving Cert go together like Fianna Fáil and the Green Party – seems like a good idea to some at the time, but in the end this combination just doesn’t work out.

Hello, I’m Sinéad and, as you may have guessed, I’m repeating the Leaving Cert. I’m also taking it seriously this time. My last attempt at the Leaving Cert didn’t work out very well (and I’m not referring to the Paper Two fiasco!). I failed to comprehend the basic ‘formula’ that best represents this exam: success = study x time. There is nothing, let me tell you, that will engrain that formula onto your brain like sitting in a state exam not knowing how to answer any of the questions in front of you. It’s horrific.

My experience of sixth year was slightly odd. It never really hit me that I was doing the Leaving Cert. I felt no panic or need to study/work. Not in the run up to the mocks, not during the orals, not even the night before the English Paper One. Therefore, the two weeks I spent sitting my exams were, for want of a better term, a period of self-preservation. It was too late for dazzling results, so I opted to try not to fail anything. Intense cramming and 5am starts were involved, though I spent more time doing most of my exams then I spent studying for them. Not something I’m proud of.

I suppose now I should tell you what this last-minute approach resulted in. Well, 450 points*, actually. Not a score to be ashamed of at all. It got me my fifth choice in the first round offers – Law and Business in Maynooth. Looking back now, I didn’t put my CAO choices in the right order. My seventh choice, Economics and Politics in UCD, appealed to me more than numero five. (Ain’t hindsight grand?)

How many people have you heard of have repeated their Leaving Cert because they were five points off? I was five points off. Not five points short, mind; I had five points too many. Bitter pill to swallow.. Anyway, mistakes were made, lessons learned, etc, etc. I now know not to take the Leaving Cert too lightly. Yes, it’s not the be-all-and-end-all it’s made out to be at time, but it is important. Just as important is the CAO, which coincidentally I’m now totally unsure of, but perhaps there’ll be more ranting on that at a later date.

I’m a week into sixth year take two at my new school. It’s actually an all boys’ school (though obviously they let girls repeat there, I didn’t just wander in). I have become one of my good friend’s personal heroes because of this small detail. I don’t really see how it’s a big deal, but then again I went to a mixed school before this and she went to a convent all girls’ one. I offered to trade her for her college place and I’m pretty sure she was very nearly tempted..
I’m doing the same seven delightful (does sarcasm come across well in print?) subjects again: English, Irish, Maths, French, History, Economics and Physics. Repetition coupled with some courses changes and a new history project await me. Bring it on, I say. This time next year, hopefully both you and I shall be off in the big sch-moke, having the time of our lives. Here’s hopin’..

*Luck and generally jammy-ness played a significant part. I do NOT recommend following my hideous example! Besides, getting good points from cramming came back to bite me..karma’s a beach.

Hi, so my name is Emma Lynch. I’m seventeen and yes, I’m in sixth year, a leaving certificate student. When I say I’m doing my leaving cert to people, it is usually met with a sympathetic “oh god really?” or an encouraging “hate that”. So basically people feel pretty sorry for me. I don’t feel sorry for myself, really. I mean I knew this was coming and I knew I had to do it, so here I am. Doing the Leaving Cert.

The Leaving Cert is not the worst thing in the world. It is just an exam that everyone has to do and I just gotta put my head down and study. Oh god, I sound like my mother. But how hard can it be just to learn off everything and then just scribble it down on paper? Clearly the stress hasn’t kicked in yet. I mean, it is only October so maybe you can use that as an excuse for my laid-back approach. Just check in with me again in six months time and we’ll see how laid-back I am.

But in all honestly, I want to do well in the Leaving Cert, I really would like to. Bbbbbbbuuuut I’m not the brightest bulb in the light shop. What I mean to say is basically there is no way I will be like that genius child down in Cork who got nine A1s. Maybe there is something in the water in Cork…or maybe there is just nothing to do in Cork except lock yourself in your room and study. No offense Corkies, I’ve never been to Cork so I don’t really know what its like there.

The subjects I’m doing for my LC are…. English, Irish, Maths, Spanish, Physics, History and Biology…..all at higher level. It hasn’t killed me yet but just give it a few weeks. I’ll let you know if I crack up from doing yet another circle question in maths or writing another essay on the wonderful…*cough, cough* King Lear.

The hardest thing I think I’ll find about this year is getting a balence between studying and my social life. I’m just hoping my social life won’t disappear and my Saturdays nights won’t be replaced with mountains of homework, a million and one cups of tea and stacks of toast. Well I’ll guess I’ll find out soon enough.

On a positive note, I know I’m not alone. All my worries, my fears, are pretty much the same worries and fears as my friends and the 60,000 or so other students sitting the LC next June. We’re all not alone and it’s nice to know we have somewhere to vent our frustrations while at the same time avoiding Biology homework:)

Hello allhonours users,

Ally (astatinee) here…ok so blogging? doesn’t sound too difficult…but I suppose with me being so busy studying this year I shouln’t even have time for this kind of thing..oh yess..I know I’m not alone people. You’re probably sitting there giving out to yourself, “why the hell didn’t I study like I said I would over summer! now I’m definitely screwed for chemistry!” either that or your taking it easy until Christmas. Just let me remind you the mocks are too close after that.

Its so weird..fifth year seemed to just fly by and now its all about the CAO, make sure you know your course codes, what’s your aptitude? Are you going to the debs? Start revising! Same old things the same teachers say.

For most of us we are hoping and praying to god that we get into the course we want because we don’t really have an alternative..but for those lucky few who are expecting 600 points I suppose I can only say congratulations. I didn’t do Transition year. My Parents were sticking to their idea that TY was pointless, I obviously revolted and am reluctant in saying they were right. So TY was apparently fun and you did tons of projects and went here and there but I mean, how many of you who did TY actually took the extra time to go over your weak subject……thought so.

I promised my self that I’d try to get all As in my Christmas and summer exams….I ended up getting 2As, Bs and a D. Then I made a time table to study over summer but of course, invitations to this and that..next thing you know its September already.Why is it that the goals we make we rarely ever stick to?

Well i got a wake up call over summer. Well…that’s what I call it. So I’m hoping to get into RCSI for medicine, lets pretend I’m an optimistic A standard student. I found out that a girl in my school got into RCSI and I felt,almost jealous. Then, my friend’s brother also got into the same college for the same course. I thought to my self what was I doing over summer that I never gave any time to the subjects I needed to improve on? I kept saying I’ll do it tomorrow etc etc…so now my parents (and Dr. Dad) are expecting me to get medicine and I have no idea what to do if I dont and I really do want to get into medicine myself because I love the whole science-biology-helping people aspect of it and its something I would love.

Points are really high, I’m doing pass maths, I hate chemistry (remember now, I’m an optimistic A standard student ) so I decided that I would start studying a few days ago. And I’m proud to say I’ve stuck to my plan, although today it was chemistry’s turn and I gave up on it after half an hour,but i’m getting there. Basically if I don’t feel like studying I remind my self that I NEED 500+ points so if I want what I want I NEED to make an effort. Quite honestly,thats all you need to get enough points. If you make the effort of learning the subjects you dont like and improving on them, if you have a goal (as in “I need such and such points”) and if you have faith in yourself that you CAN and WILL improve …then you will.

so thats my new plan of action…keeping my goal in mind.. sometimes its hard , with being friends with ‘the girl who got 11 As in her Junior Cert.’ who is sure of getting her favoured career choice.

Fact is even when you get into third level education you’ll have to work hard since its new material. Put in the effort now..I turned down an invitation to go see Dorian Gray (that new Film) and im hoping I wont regret this but..I said I wouldnt go the paramore concert in december either because I have a study session planned then. Im not going to completley isolate myself from the world. Just prioritise. It’s the last year of secondary school and the last year you’ll probably see your friends so take lots of photos and do enjoy it but have your limits.

So that was my attempt at life coaching, psychology is my second choice ha, ( I can see you shaking your head saying “this one’s mad, God help her anyways..”..yeah thanks).

Oh yes, to try and boost my points, my parents have enrolled me in a revision course in Dublin. Last weekend was my first day. I swear i checked the train time table and a train was going from Carlow to Dublin at 6.30am. 6.15am…train station is locked. So i end up driving to the place with my mother and taking the Luas and then a taxi to St. Steven’s Green. My god ive never been so cold in my life! But the actual place itself was good enough. I’d say I’ll improve on my Biology anyway.

Well its about 11.35pm and like i said, I was meant to be studying chemistry…I’ll shove that in with Irish tomorrow (does anyone else think those 500 poems are unnecessary? Well, thats another story). I should be going to bed now so ill talk to you all tomorrow. Study after school at 4.15pm…brilliant. Orthodontist appointment at 5.00pm…lovely.

Excellent things await me.