So it’s Halloween evening and I’m sitting at the computer. Don’t I sound great? Like someone who has spent the last week studying away, preparing for pre-mocks and making sure every bit of homework has been completed. How I wish that was true.
This is actually my first night home all week. Every other night has been spent at house parties or birthdays, catching up with friends in college, visiting friends in college, just celebrating life in general. Which now leaves me in a situation where at ten o clock at night the eve of my return to school I have two english essays, every maths exam question on the circle, an irish essay, a history essay, a section of my ag project, experiments to be written up and oral notes in french and irish to be written up. This is just the written homework. For some random reason I did manage to get all ten of the biology questions done. My brain simply could not handle any more after that.
While many of you be thinking that I’m a lazy tosser. Truth be told I’ve just overworked myself in the first few months of school. I firmly believe anyone can achieve 600 points in the leaving cert, with a hell of a lot of work. But I have come to realise that my outlook on the leaving cert has completely changed, and no this is not a result of excessive alcohol abuse. This is just my own individual wake up call. Don’t get me wrong I’m still going to work my ass off for the leaving cert, I’m just not willing to completely destroy my self esteem by letting it rule my life. This week I actually got to enjoy myself without letting the thought of “I can’t wait for after the leaving cert…” which seems to be a common phrase on everyones lips nowadays. I’d also like to clarify I’m not just waiting for the leaving cert to be over so I can live the college lifestyle, late night partying and moving away from the ‘rents. My own thoughts are closer to lectures and assignments. To be doing work that I enjoy and is relevant rather than work that is part of an out of date syllabus.
This blog may seem to be confusing to many but what I’m trying to say is I’ve realised early enough that if I keep pressurising myself the way I have been I’ll be burned out by Christmas. My advice is to set goals(reasonable ones) for yourself and to just try and forget about the immense pressure that we are all under. This may be more for some and less for others but for everyone sitting the leaving cert it’s there. I do of course realise I’ll be up for most of the night getting work done for tomorrow but I know now how to get the balance right.
I better be off the work isn’t going to disappear and I’m really missing my bed!