Okay, I’m not going to lie and pretend to sound studious- I went out drinking last night!

It can only be described as brilliant. There was so many leaving cert students out, I was gob-smacked. Today I am unregretful- something my friends find impossible to believe, it really was a well deserved break and I didn’t go over the top (unlike the grad mass two weeks previous). The music was great and the craic was forte. Us leaving cert students simply laughed it off as college friends slagged us about our current affliction.

This morning, I thankfully awoke with a clear head and away I went with another days study (or lack thereof). I remain optimistic and have chosen to completely forget about completed exams which clouded over me last week. This week will be long and daunting. From Monday morning I have two exams a day starting with maths paper 2 and Gaeilge paper 1. Things are getting easier in a way as we conform to the long and strenuous day.

We are almost over the line!

Leaving-Cert Forums!

Maths paper 1 came a with devious questions this year, many part C’s consisting of confusing symbols and figures. Question 1, arithmetic is generally the easiest on the paper- Not for me this year. Terrible phrasing was seen throughout part C where we marked-up the sale price of an unknown item.

After a bad start, I got into the game and flew through my questions only experiencing a demanding question here and there. Under the stress of the moment it is hard to remember every little rule during differentiation and functions but I managed to pull through.

Overall: Satisfactory. A few friends are very unhappy. many fear failing! If a high failure rate is possible in ordinary level subjects then it’s my opinion that the exam should be revised. Although we still have paper two to regain our optimism, paper 1 has out a dampener on many students weekends!

Discuss ‘Maths Paper 1′ in the forums!

Like a walk in the park… I think not. My primary poet did not come up, where were you Eavan Boland! But not to worry I managed to put together the few bits on Philip Larkin I strenuously put together this morning at 5am. I have been running on caffeine all day! I have to say I was a little calmer this morning for paper two of English than I was yesterday morning despite this being notorious as the more difficult of the two.

It was exceedingly predictable (despite Boland!) in my opinion, with a nice Othello question as an opener. I did the question on Othello’s foolishness and I got a great quality piece out of it, supporting it with my plentiful quotes. Next was the comparative study, I went down the theme or issue lane, I hope I didn’t waffle with this one too much switching between the 3 texts on the one theme.

The unseen poem was very straight forward and the question on a personal response was ideal for me. I was very pleased. The dreaded prescribed poetry followed, switching between Mahon and Larkin, I settled on the poet of unhappiness- Philip Larkin. I had been banking on Eavan Boland but I did my best and I am just glad to have English over and done with. The paper was very fair with no big surprises.

Maths paper 1 in the morning. This should be a doodle as I like to think I am good with numbers and figures but then again I’m taking the ordinary level paper for this one.

Join the Forums Discussion - English Paper 2

1 down, a LOT more to go. I awoke early this morning, it must have been 7am, and by no means had the Leaving Cert hit me. I drank my numerous supplements, minerals and other general remedies that we seem to indulge in at this time of the year. Who knows if they work, we’ll just pretend that they do anyway.

I arrived at the school with plenty time to spare. It was only at this moment my nerves got the better of me. But by no means was I overcome by them. I enetered the exam hall and the general frenzy that you would expect to happen was going on, running around for exam numbers, borrowing pens, etc.

The paper hit the table like a ton of bricks and I felt the pressure of it! “You may begin!”. IDENTITY, teenage society, the one I didn’t read, writers study rooms, this was by no means difficult. But we all have our weaknesses and mine was time management. I was running out of time when it came to doing only my second question of three. It was rushed. My composition was a race against time, but I finished what I began, definitely not the length or quality I imagined but we all make mistakes. Let’s hope to rectify these in the coming days!

I left the exam hall neither happy nor unhappy, I just don’t know how I did. Tomorrow I will be doing my second English paper, I am nervous. It is predictable but what if it’s not as predictable as expected, just how many poets, what poets! It’s scary, I haven’t started studying for this paper yet and it’s only hours away!

I must go study!

oh the stress of it all,

Colin.

Join the Forums Discussion - English Paper 1

Years of preparation- useless! Nothing has prepared us for this, life altering experience, a test of strength, ability and endurance. After months of training we are thrown into the battlefield, no, the mocks were nothing like this. The supervisors give us our commands and we sit anxiously waiting for the go-ahead. Tick-tock, tick-tock… with a perplexed look on our faces we look around for familiar faces, seeking comfort. But nothing. There’s no going back now.

We begin. Advancing through the wild trenches of our inner mind we seek answers, we seek help, we seek success. Peering over every corner we hunt for a comfort zone, something recognizable, some thing we can relate to. But nothing. Feeling helpless, we do what we can. But in the end we will survive and we will experience the sheer pleasure that we, we did it. We accomplished the ‘Leaving Certificate’!

Best of luck to everyone!

Hours, only hours left to go! When I started this blog I never saw it coming but here I am, sitting outside in the merciless sun practising paper 1 for maths. Finding myself to be still struggling on questions I am getting anxious, I try and remain positive. The pressure begins on Wednesday. I have a few hours to regain my confidence.

The English papers being spread across two days has taken away a lot of pressure, I am still scared, worried about what I will do for my composition, wondering if I’m leaving my study for paper 2 much too late. I break down in utter fear and anxiety at the prospect of poor results, internal failure. I’m sure 8 hours of study for a full paper will get me a promising result, I’m sure… I hope! I pray!

Looking back I really never saw this day coming, thinking about it I was so sure that I would be doing so much more work, but it’s not easy, is it? I must head back to my studies…

Colin.

The Grad Mass

This week has seen the end of school life; Thursday last I spent my last school day unproductively. End of year pranks had been executed the night before consisting of a large penis being artistically outlined onto the main pitch in line marker. My final day was spent practicing music for the grad mass that night. I would be singing at the ceremony.

The mass felt like a ten minute event but lasting more like 2 hours, as a tribute to our year, the school president gave a well performed speech followed by our final song ‘You’ve Got a Friend’. Absolutely touching!

School was over and it was time to celebrate our coming of age, we ventured to the pubs. Here I practiced my final moments of youth, yes; I was the idiot that got inebriated. I was the one that took teenage drinking to the highest level. Being my last school day I celebrated with teachers that I found in the night club. God help them, as shameful as it is to say, I have no idea what I was saying to them! I was assisted out of the night club at the end of the night by my very obliging friends. And to my friend- I apologise about your shoes!

The following days saw the road of recovery from a hazy night and an opening to a whole new plane of studying. Since Thursday I have been experiencing study like never before, sitting down for hours at a time eating books as if a famine was approaching. Today sees me practicing my new business skills, testing myself on years of past papers (I only took up business 3 months ago).

Pre Grad Mass

The last few weeks of school included my art practical exam. I was anxious about this exam, I am not the most creative by nature but my doodles might just pass for the new abstract style. I am relatively pleased with my masterpieces work and with this exam completed I become apprehensive of nothing more but hours of written exam material lying just weeks ahead.

The Long and Winding Road

In 9 days thousands of students will be entering their exam centres, after a long 6 years we will be proving ourselves as scholars. College is just few months away; I smell the sweet life of a college student. Who’s coming accommodation hunting? Anything to avoid study right now!

Art. 4 days to my leaving-certificate art exam. Today I took the day off school for a little preparation. I am here googling images for the theme of the poster, I like what I see and fear getting caught for plagiarism completely by accident. Anything that may compromise my exam scares the life out of me.

The art exam confuses me. What can I do, what can’t I do? Someone please reply! I’m getting images for my research page but I’m not allowed copy them onto my finished design. Am I allowed bring in lettering I have printed off the computer? so very very confused.

History. I recently handed in my research study report and I am satisfied, quite pleasing to get a fraction of the exam out of the way before June.

June is quickly approaching and I must admit I have not been studying as much as I planned with the interruptions of an unplanned social night or a game of GTA IV. I try and try but sometimes it’s hard not to give into temptation, in fact impossible.

With just 3 weekends left before the exams, approximately 534 hours or so. I hope to spend long nights in cramming for hours at a time, sleep as little as possible and guzzle as much caffeine as imaginable. Colin Murphy plays town on Thursday… shall I attend?

“A temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual. It is usually used to describe acts with negative connotations and as such, tends to lead a person to regret such actions, for various reasons.” - wikipedia