The end is near. No, not global warming… well that too, but I’m talking about the leaving cert.

Arriving late for school, desperately pushing your mind to its limits in an effort to come up with yet another unique excuse for being late. Trying to exit the school a class before lunch to have an extra half hour for lunch. Challenging the school system, the teachers and their stubborn ways. Participating in a race with 300 other students to reach the canteen and indulge in those breakfast rolls prepared with Ireland’s finest goods? Or not.

Those are some of the things that I will probably miss. That excitement and buzz that seemed to grow within the school on a daily basis. Walking mindlessly in a trance from class to class.. Actually, that was one of the downsides. It really is hard to talk positively about school for so long.

Next stop, grad mass. The night where we get drag our teachers out on the town and get drunk look back on those beutiful moments of school with our parents and teachers, as we embrace ourselves for the rest of our lives.
So from now until the 4th of July, do as Barry said - ” Hit the books. Hit them hard. It’ll be worth it”

Tags: end, exams, grad, mass, school

Thats my attitude. I guess I have up and down weeks now. Though, generally lacking enthusiasm. For awhile I thought I was on an up.. But no.. no.. failure comes to mind. And not only to mind because I’m thinking it, but other people are thinking it towards me also. And I’m starting to feel careless.

I’m missing more and more classes in school. I hate the word mitching, and the main idea put behind it. I don’t think its fully understood by teachers and parents why students do it. Usually their attitude is that they have been in school and they have gotten through it. But they are done now, they don’t have to worry about it any more so of course that is going to be their attitude.

Sometimes I feel I can’t face school. I can’t sit there, and think or pay attention for a full 40 minutes of class. Sometimes its even painful. You can feel your energy falling out of your head slowly, drop by drop, because of the severe exhaustion. It also leads to me being unable to do things in the evenings because I’m so tired. Sometimes I sit in a class, and wonder why I’m even there. It feels pointless, because my brains never there, so why should I be there wasting teachers time and my own.

My next big task is my art exam on Friday and Monday. Thats going to be tough. Especially because theres only the week to prepare and I keep changing my mind for the poster idea. Also, teachers think that art doesn’t matter and they haven’t been any help, piling on other work while we have an actual leaving cert exam at the end of the week, just because it isn’t their subject.

Anyway.. I’m too tired to continue. Meh.

If you’re not already in the middle of some of the those exams then you probably are in the coming days.

• LCVP - Written
• Construction - practical
• Engineering - practical
• Art - practical

Although many of these seem very daunting at times, they’re actually not that bad. If you’re doing LCVP then it might be wise to check out the 2007 paper along with the older ones.

Engineering and Construction are basically applying skills you have aquirred over the years. So theres little that can be revised for that. And as for Art, just keep drawing!

I’d like to wish everyone the best of luck in these ongoing/upcoming exams.

Tags: 2008, art, cert, construction, engineering, exams, lcvp exam, leaving

The smell of fresh cut grass, the beams of an unfamiliar sun, the water balloons; yes the summer is truly here and the end of school is just around the corner for thousands of students. For many more this means the start of some demanding study!

Not to fear with ‘National mitch Day’ on Friday, we will get a break from the books for a short while. Seems the teachers have also picked up on this ‘national mitch day’ and decided to give us/themselves a half day… that just takes the entire fun out of the event doesn’t it!

At present I am focusing on my history research project (thing). I don’t know what I’m doing to be honest with this. Seemed easy at first, thought I would take ‘Leonardo Da Vinci’ for it as he seems to be a pretty neat guy. The whole project thing does get a little tedious after the first three pages though. I am also focusing on the art practicals these days with that exam on the horizon. It also appears that the exam papers for the practical art exam have arrived at the school… and lawfully cannot be opened. Anyone up for decent raid!

The whole thing seems to be getting a little exciting at this stage. How surprising… hello there is study to be done! I think everyone is glad just be getting the exams out of the way and moving on. I’m looking forward to the grad mass too, and the typically Irish booze up that will follow afterwards, our last moment of secondary level immaturity, our last night out (unlikely) before the big exam.

Also, can someone please get back to me on how to study?

Still looking for that winning formula,

Colin.

(*Urban Dictionary: Mitch-

Brit slang for truant. -

Teacher: Where’s Bill today?
Ben: He said he was going to mitch off.)

Tags: school, study, summer

As some of you may have seen, We were featured in Today’s Irish Times. I wont be able to show you the article here, as scanning may infringe copyright laws. So you’re going to have to go and buy yourself a copy if you wish to have a look or even pay a subscription on the Irish times website.

Basically, myself, Colin and Amy reviewed some educational websites. Two other students also did a write up, which was in the article. We all had great fun doing it as it was the first bit of media coverage the site has gotten since we launched. And we hope to see more of this in the future.

With all the excellent feedback and comments on the website, we plan some new features and changes to the website in the future. If anyone has any recommendations or would like to simply tell us what you would like to see on the website, then drop us a line at info@leaving-cert.net

I would also like to thank Gráinne Faller, journalist for the Irish Times, who gave us this great opportunity.

Happy reading,

The leaving-cert.net Crew.

Tags: irish, irish times, leaving-cert.net, media, newspaper, Press, times

Can you believe its just over 4 weeks left…?

I CAN!

Its brilliance at its best. Amazingness. A reason to live even! … Okay, so a little over the top.. but can you tell I’m excited?

One thing I’ve noticed is that I’m actually starting to enjoy school more and more as its nearly over. I found myself not wanting to leave maths class, hell yeah, I was really stuck into my Paper 2, Question 2, questions on the line. I freaking LOVE the line questions. But maybe its because its pretty damn easy?

I can’t wait for May to come. For two reasons, the finishing school, and finding out what I got in my portfolio.

For those of you who have never experienced a “Portfolio”, its usually done for colleges to get into courses for Art & Design, Photography, Graphic Design, etc.. which is submitted to the college around March/April. My portfolio was for Photography which can be seen here:http://amysdeadpeas.deviantart.com or On Bebo.

The results of your portfolio are usually issued April/May and these points go along with your leaving cert to get into the course you want.

I could have done ridiculously bad, and could fall into a massive hole of depression right before my leaving cert. But at that stage I doubt I’ll care. Theres always the option of a PLC course. Or selling my photos in galleries. Theres always more than one option, but thats what parents and teachers don’t want to make clear to you because “The Leaving Cert is the way to go!!!”.

Freedom, here I come…!

I have been a bit weirded out this week with the concept of an impending Leaving-Cert. In merely 4 weeks I will walk out the school doors for the very last time. I have been waiting for this day since I entered that spine-chilling portal of primary school as a junior infant. But have I? When we walk out that door, a thousand memories will depart us forever. School life as we know will be over, the past eighteen years will be nothing more than a memory, a past event, an occurrence, history.

In a matter of weeks, us scholars will enter an exam hall, and experience the torment of maturity. Over a period of two weeks, we will forget years of prized academia. Our social network will be substituted over the following months altered by our imminent transformation. A thousand faces lost eternally.

However, with on our parting we will take with us a respectable wisdom that will enable us to move on and become the proud heritage of the land of saints and scholars. With every step in life we gain a thousand years of experience, every advancement makes us a million times stronger. Live for today and rejoice tomorrow. Look at every single affair from every possible angle. Only when we are wise we are victorious, only when we have truly lived life to our fullest we can say we have gained what is known as wisdom. Wisdom is just an expression; award it your own meaning because the Leaving-Cert is merely one small step of our lives now to take that giant leap…

Tags: changes, college, friends, leaving cert, loss, school

As we all should know the deadlines for course work and upcoming practicals are approaching.

22rd May - Finishing date for LCVP link modules portfolio

25th May - Finishing Date for Textile Studies Elective
Coursework in Home Economics Scientific
and Social.
• Finishing Date for Leaving Certificate
Religious Education Practical
Coursework Journal.
• Finishing Date for Leaving Certificate
History Research Study Report.
• Finishing Date for Leaving Certificate
Geographical Investigation Reporting
Booklet.
• Finishing date for Leaving Cert
Music, Higher Level Elective in
Composing.

28th May - Start date for assessment of LCA Task
Work, (Session 2 Year 1) Vocational
Education and Vocational Preparation

29th May - Question papers for Leaving Certificate Art
– Craftwork and Design to be distributed to
candidates.
30th May - Question papers for Leaving Certificate
Art - Imaginative Composition or Still Life
and Life Sketching to be distributed to
candidates.
• Finishing date for Leaving Certificate
Construction Studies Project work.

Best of luck to everyone who has participated in any of the above course work. Next month will bring the start of many practical exams.

Tags: art, construction, exams, geography, history, lcvp, music, practicals, religion, research