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.)

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.

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…

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

22rd April - Finishing date for LCVP link modules portfolio

25th April - 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 April - Start date for assessment of LCA Task
Work, (Session 2 Year 1) Vocational
Education and Vocational Preparation

29th April - Question papers for Leaving Certificate Art
– Craftwork and Design to be distributed to
candidates.
30th April - 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.

An overview of the past few weeks.

Today I finished my final Oral examination. My Irish and German Oral completed, along with the music practical exam completed. And the feeling is great. But what now?

Mood wise I am better than ever. I enjoy the day of school in a way I have never enjoyed it before. Which is a sure sign that it is time for me to get out of there. And by that I don’t mean I enjoy sitting there listening to the droll voices of teachers who’s own enthusiasm to teach is at the same level of the majority of students willing to learn. And I don’t blame them.

I sat there day after day wondering when it would hit me. Hit me? Yes, that burst of motivation that hits most students around this time of year all over the nation. I feel like I’ve missed that train, and was left behind. Me and a hand full of other students in the same position as myself. Surely I want to do well to get into college. And I do, I really do. But I have not an ounce of motivation inside me, to sit in a class and be told what to do.

To me the pre’s were of no benefit at all. I missed a day due to illness which affected two of my exams. I had not completed course work to be reviewed which affected a further 3 of my exams. And I got no result on one subject, as the school managed to lose my exam answer sheet. Doesn’t get any better than that.

So here I am. Laughing about the Mocks. Enjoying the weather and making the most of the last few weeks I will spend in school with my friends. Only thing left for me to do is, find the train I failed to jump aboard a while ago.

Students: Dare to relax?

Music. Music is the most common way we students study. Right? I sit here at my desk, mindlessly gazing at my heavy workload- history projects, French orals, melodies. I tune into my background music. Ennio Morricone’s love theme from Cinema Paradiso. Dare I put my pen down? Dare I listen? Dare I enjoy?

Exposition. I take a break for just a moment. For just one moment I might actually be given the chance to think, think about something that’s not Pythagoras theorem or the laws of physics. I give myself the chance. I look out the window, to the sky, the clouds, the sun. Imagination overpowers my thoughts.

Development. I imagine myself in the year to come, the near change. Life’s alterations. College. We have 47 days left before exams. Who knows what’s to come. Some of those sitting in that room, we will never see again. Others will become the failures or the successes of todays capitalist world. I imagine myself sitting in a comfortable office chair, designing the latest myspace. I challenge life’s pessimism and I win. I will do what I enjoy and no silly points system will get in my way, I will not let it.

Recapitulation. To do what we crave in life many of us will have to overcome this notorious education system. We are told it is the biggest challenge in our lives. Yes, no one said achieving our ambitions is easy, we must fight for them. Jump the academic wall, gain life’s skills for today’s world and win.

Colin Lowry.

It has all begun and the end is near. This week signifies the start of the official Leaving Cert exams… scary. With my Irish oral behind me and my music practical yesterday, I say to the Leaving cert – “Bring it on!” You’d never expect that you wouldn’t be nervous during these exams but it’s a simple fact of – over preparation. Except for that one girl I know of who puked up before her exam. Looking back on my Irish oral I really could have contributed more:

“What would you do if you were Mary Hannifan”

“Oh, I really don’t know what I would do to be honest, she’s the one in the olympics, yeah?”

It seems that what she was trying to make an opener for the conditional tense, she only had to say!

Music went relatively well too, I am not the most musical of students. It went as well as expected, examiners make great liars “good lad that was very enjoyable” – oh yes, I was only playing something completely different from what I was looking at. Thank you Dan!

My study method is working out great, cramming of course. No professional endorses the idea but it really does work! What’s left? 8 weeks? I’ll give it seven weeks before I study to make sure it all sticks.

What’s next in life for Colin Lowry? Let us see… my very late history research study has to be handed in, French orals in one week and my practical art exam in a few weeks. I feel like getting sick…