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.

The midterm break has come to an end and apparently the pre’s start on Thursday. While sitting in a cafe yesterday my friends and I debated what day our pres were starting. One of them figured it was Tuesday or Wednesday and I was almost sure it was Thursday. So we settled on Thursday. My friend then turned to me and said “I think i forgot my bag in school actually..“, and before I could say anything he said, “I’m actually raging! I think there was a fiver in the front of it“- Which cracked us all up.

Today I sit here in the comfort of home dossing working on my LCVP modules and Construction Studies folder. I figured it was important enough to require a day off school, don’t you? Keeping in mind that both of these projects were to have been completed before the midterm break for evaluation and marking for our pres. Due to unforeseen circumstances, naturally enough, I was unable to hand them up.

However, after a week of immense study, or should I say - lack thereof, I am facing the pre-leaving cert exams someday this coming week (by now word on the street is Thursday) and I am in no way prepared whatsoever. It will more than likely result in a complete disaster, like the US invading Iraq to borrow their oil rebuild their infrastructure. Such genuine people. Another friend of mine came up with an excellent suggestion the other day, “let’s see how well we can get on without studying” and he was right. I mean, we wouldn’t want to do too good in the Pres, that might make us think too highly of ourselves and result in a lower result in the actual leaving cert. And then there’s that issue, what’s it called.. oh yeah, stress. We wouldn’t want to suffer from such a horrible disease. I have a hunch it will spread like wildfire in the coming months.

Now if you don’t mind, I have some ‘Study’ to do. :-]

~Kevin.

It’s Sunday evening and I have just woke up. In less than 15 hours I, along with my fellow suffering leaving cert students, will be trudging into an exam room to sit the first of our mocks.

Why am I not panicking? This is not good, after a full week of nothing, I find myself glancing over study notes and browsing Bebo… at the same time. I’m tempted to switch off my phone but it’s harder than it seems. What can I say? I’m in demand!

So these are the harsh realities of a 21^st century student. Personally I blame technology. It wasn’t too long ago that students had to make do with skipping ropes, spinning tops, or if they were really lucky perhaps a piece of chalk for hopscotch!

But we are cursed with televisions, computers, mobile phones and social websites. So parents, please do not blame us for poor school concentration, but instead the likes of Bill Gates (send him an email), or other such tech geeks.

You did not have the distractions we have today, except maybe a hard day’s work on the bog. We have an excuse, unlike you who did the leaving cert a hundred years ago in the typewriter days.

Take it easy,

Colin.