Leaving Cert Diary: September

Last year missy.ie writer, Sophie Coffey, kept us up to date in the run up to her Leaving Cert exams with her Leaving Cert Diary series…we all know how that turned out now.

This year another missy.ie writer, Sorcha Kennedy, will be documenting her experience in 6th Year. With a lot still going on due to the pandemic and uncertainty over the 2021 exams, it will definitely be an interesting one to follow every month.

For years, the Leaving Cert has always been in the back of my mind but it’s hard to believe that I’m finally here. And of course, this year is more different than I imagined due to the pandemic and the new set up in school as a result

Big Changes

The first day back was super strange, I’m not going to lie. I’m very lucky that at my school, the sixth year were the priority, we even got our own building away from the rest of the school. But, honestly, I still felt on edge. It was so weird to look around and see everyone wearing masks and having to sit in the same seat all day. But, as the weeks have gone on I’ve gotten more used to it and I can finally focus on “normal” Leaving Cert things, like college decisions and studying.

I’m Not Sure What The Next Year Will Bring

The main thing on my mind at the moment is what the hell I’m going to do next year. I seem to change my mind every other day and I just can’t seem to settle on anything. This, plus the chaos that is the CAO, has encouraged me to explore my options, which includes applying for UCAS.

UCAS is the application system for university in the UK. The UK has some really great options for courses and I have decided that there is no harm in applying there as well. Although, this did open a new can of worms when it came to being overwhelmed with options, but I think I figured it out.

Currently, I’m in the process of writing my personal statement, which is quite daunting. Although, I’m not quite sure if I want to leave home for college, I think having a backup plan is a good idea in the current climate.

6th Year Is A Lot…Already

When it comes to schoolwork and studying, I’m starting to feel super overwhelmed. By the time I have my school day finished and all my homework done, it’s 9pm and I’m beyond exhausted. How am I supposed to study? When am I supposed to study? I hope as I get more into it that things will get a bit easier to manage.