Sophia’s Leaving Cert Diary: A Year of Study, Stress, and Success
Hi everyone! My name is Sophia, I’m a 6th year Student in Dublin and I’m going to bring you on my Leaving Cert Journey over the next year.
At the moment I hope to go to college next year to study Biology with the intent of being a Biology Teacher for Secondary School. However, I reserve the right to change my mind, I can be fickle when it comes to this! It seems I’m always interested in everything but rarely find myself able to commit to a decision. In my defence, how am I meant to know what I want to do with the rest of my life at 18?
Right now in school I study English, Irish, Maths, Biology, Geography, Business and French. I’ve written a little piece on my first couple of weeks in 6th year, I hope you enjoy it and maybe relate to something in it. I look forward to coming on here to rant throughout the year! (lol)
When Masie Peters wrote the line “I’m doing better I made it to September I can finally breathe” there’s a large chance she was reading my diary. I’ve never liked August, to me, it’s always been a funeral for summer. I mourn all the fun I had and grieve over the things I didn’t do. In a sense I am ready to get back to routine, but on the other hand prickled with apprehension and anxiety for the school year to come.
That being said, I find that, as August is coming to a close and September is beginning, the anticipation ripens into excitement, you’ve accepted your fate, you’ve got new cute stationary, all your books are in a row and you’re looking forward to seeing your friends and that one sound teacher you really like. For as long as I can remember September has always felt more like the start of the year than even January to me. A new school year brings a clean slate, that back-to-school weather has everyone in high spirits and I have the best intentions for the year ahead.
6th Year Comes At You Fast
Of course, being in 6th year, the experience is slightly more intense. 6th year has been the finish line everyone has had in their sights since 1st Year. I can’t believe it’s finally here! Already I’m inundated with the words “Leaving Cert”, “Study Plan”, “Careers Portal” “Points”, “CAO”, “Open Days” and the rest of all the sweat-inducing terms I suppose I’ll have to get used to hearing this year.
Within 2 days of having classes, I felt like I’d never left, everything already in full swing. The hardest part for me has been trying to stay awake (haha). The summer sleep pattern has well and truly come back to bite me and the urge to nap after school is inescapable.
In other news Higher level maths has quickly resumed its post as enemy number one for me, I’ve started extra maths after school which in fairness I feel very hopeful about. Last year’s paper is being used as a weapon against me in many of my classes. French homework is being piled on and we’ve just started studying a play in Irish called ‘An Triail’ (I’d just gotten over King Lear…. ). Teachers are planning field studies for biology and geography and at the end of the month we head off to ‘Higher Options’ an education expo run by The Irish Times (I will report back if it’s any good.)
As you can see, it hasn’t taken long for me to feel very much ‘in the thick of it’.
Letting Go of 5th Year
In spite of this, in a weird way I feel kind of ready to tackle this year, more ready than I was a year ago, 3 months ago, or even 2 weeks ago. I think I’ve realised that after a long time worrying about these decisions, they’re finally almost here and I’m grateful that I have teachers and friends to talk to about it with.
My Year head came to speak to us on our first day and while I braced myself for stern warnings and overwhelming advice I was surprised with sentiment and understanding. She said her one piece of advice was, to put the past in the past and start now as we mean to go on. That if we felt we let 5th year slip through our fingers or perhaps didn’t do all we could have, that there was no point feeling bad about it. We were to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and just try our best. This was music to the ears of someone like me who felt I was already behind and the year hadn’t even begun. But she was right, there’s nothing more energy wasting than regret.
A Year of No Regrets
For me, my goal this year is to get to the end of it and not regret anything. I want to work hard and to know I did all I could and hopefully that will be enough for me. Aside from that, this year I want to take the time to be with myself because I will never be this age again, I want to spend time with my friends and lap up the numbered lunchtimes we have left. I want to go on trips, have fun playing rounders in P.E, enjoy lab days in Biology and stress about planning my Leaving Cert Holiday.
Although I’m still terrified, terrified of the October exams, the already looming Mocks and the Orals, terrified to fill out my CAO and terrified by the fact I don’t fully know what I want to do. There’s a sense of comfort in knowing there are others in this boat with me. Call it positive manifestation or ignorant delusion, but I have a funny feeling that everything is going to work out just fine.