Thus far, I’ve sat 9 Leaving Cert Papers. I’ve done 2 orals, 2 aurals, and a pretty awful Geography project. I’ve also done all of this and more last year.
I’ve pretty much done it all again. Almost.
All that remains is Chemistry.
I ought to be delighted. Ecstatic. Excited. Proud.
But I am not.
I’m sure many of you can identify with me when I say that I’m getting an awful awful sense of the post-exam blues. I was reading Cautioner’s Blog and he felt much the same way- if only a little more optimistic.
Constantly, all I can think about is how many stupid little mistakes I made in these exams. I think back to each of my papers and I ask myself “Why the hell did you leave out an urú there?”, “Why didn’t you know more about the Paris Basin?” and “Surely you should have written down more for that Biology question? You KNEW all there was to know about the heart and you BLEW it!”
Come August 12th, I’ll probably be humming this tune . Throw some Ds on that Bitch!
I’m all for not dwelling on the past, but I can’t help but get an awful feeling that I’ve messed up my Leaving Cert for the second year in a row.
I’m plaguing myself with questions constantly to the effect of “What if you get less points this year Jennie?” and “What happens if you don’t get into medicine? What are you going to do now?”. It’s quite unsettling, but it’s all I can think about. I feel broody, moody, discouraged, despondent and pessimistic. There is no sense of pride. There is no sense of delight. There’s just woe and regret.
Seeing as I never got around to updating after Biology, well, I thought it was quite a fair paper. I wrote plenty, but I got a bit caught out here and there. As I am an idiot, I didn’t turn over the last page of the actual exam booklet, so I didn’t even notice the last long question until about 12.25, 5 or so minutes before the exam was coming to an end. I’m a fool. An imbecile. A right chump.
Luckily, I’d already attempted all of the other long questions at that stage, so I already had an extra one done and everything. It’s just that, well, that particular question was SO much nicer than some of the others. But whatever, it’s just another stupid little mistake I made that I can add to the list.
For the moment though, I’m really focusing on Chemistry. It’d be great to get an A1 in it, and with a few days of cramming I’m REALLY hoping this will be attainable, seeing as I’m less than happy with some of my other papers (Most notably Maths). I got a B1 in it last year, so it’s not MUCH of a jump, especially considering I’ve now got Organic Chemistry, pH and water totally DOWN, but I’m definitely not holding my breath.
Optimism is the last thing I can muster up right about now.
I’d sort of been putting the subject on the long finger for the last while, seeing as I knew I’d have a few days to cram for it after my other exams- this probably wasn’t the best of ideas.
I ventured to the library yesterday from 10am to 8pm (With regular breaks. Very regular. One could say, almost TOO regular. I learned plenty about how “Women suck” <Cough> and how knock off Gucci shoes just don’t look as good <Thank you, dear Library, for supplying trashy magazines free of charge>. Facebook also got a visit) but I’m still only REALLY happy with Chemical Equilibrium (Arguably the most enjoyable thing I learned in any course for the Leaving Cert. Henri Le Chatelier- I love you) and all of the experiments. When I arrived there today, however, there had been a Power Failure. “Sorry for any inconvenience caused”? Stupid library.
I can’t study at home!
So, anyway, I’m off to brood pessimistically for another while and think about what I can do with my life if the worst comes to the worst and I don’t end up studying Medicine. Sigh.
Might try to NAIL Rates of Reactions too- if that comes up as a question on Tuesday afternoon and I can’t fully answer it, I will hate myself even more.
Also, congratulations to all of those who’ve finished exams- I couldn’t be more jealous. Go out and have a shot on me.
Ah you’ll be grand pet, don’t worry about it. Everyone who’s still doing exams has gone into a slump b/c the immediate rush of the whole thing is mostly over but its still being dragged out, which leaves us in this weird psychological middle ground where we’re not quite sure how we should be feeling.
I bet you a solid 50 you’ve beaten yr. points for last year 😉 Don’t worry aboura!
hello…
Awh yea, I LOVE equilibrium. It just makes sense, lovely thing.
Don’t over-analyse the completed exams. It’ll torment you and there’s nothing you can do so give yourself a break!
I hate everyone who’s finished, it makes it all the harder to study..
I think I may have burned out 🙂 I’ve got chemistry and music left, and I’m incapable of studying either of them. Considering I need As in both of them…this is not good to be perfectly honest. I was banking on getting an A in maths but that didn’t happen so I’m now in the unfortunate position of having to learn the entire music course before Thursday to compensate. Not cool.
^Exact same, except I was banking on English.
Also, here Jennie, have another really awkward hug.
*awkward hug*
That was awkward…
Yeah… Unfortunately I was also banking on English and completely messed up both papers.
Anyone here a fan of organic chemistry? I know equilibrium’s great ‘n’ all, but still…………………………..anyone??
God, I’m a nerd.
Yeah Conor,I love Organic Chemistry…it’s one of those things you can really get your teeth into. I love all the mechanism reactions. My favourite part of physics is the option,and the electron chapter,I love all that. I still have 3 exams left and I’m doing nothing,it’s horrible. I feel so guilty and yet so apathetic all at once,ugh.
Organic Chemistry is the only part of the course I fuppin understand! Oxidise one of these, you get one of those, great stuff altogether. Considering just abandoning Atomic Theory altogether at this stage.
Liam,your blog is epic! 🙂
I hate all that stupid balancing chemical equations using oxidation numbers crap. I also hate Water,because it’s so mind numblingly boring. Apart from that I quite like the Chemistry course though. Wish that’d make me study it,but I have that morning so meh. Anyone else do physics,chemistry and economics?
Thanks Keri! So is yours! (?)
Yeah, no, I feel totally let down by Chemistry, personally. I found it more interesting than Biology at Junior Level but that’s totally reversed now. All those pictures of people in lab coats in Cork standing proudly beside what look like photocopiers do not make it an attractive career prospect for me either…
I don’t have one 😛
True that! I was ging to go into Chemistry,but changed my mind. Those Corkians in Chemistry Live don’t make it look very exciting… and the idea of having to actually use spectroscopy for the rest of my life is not appealing in the slightest. So I’m going into Law,hopefully. Could do with 3 As in my last exams but it’s looking very,very unlikely.
Harmony? Oh God, I haven’t done a Music question in so long… and I was just getting the hang of those pesky melodies, too!
Woah. I went to read all these nice comments. but I got dizzy. How bout everyone just goes into the rest of exams just hopin for the best? It’s the way theu should be done fo sho.. And heloo Jennie! I think i’l go vote for you in that pole thing! Purely cause I respect the ego 😉
The relative atomic mass of a substance is……………..FML.
Music and chem. Not a good mix.
I’m not burned out, I’m dead inside.
Music? A harmony in 45 mins. WHAT?
Mmm Deane.
I actually managed to concentrate long enough to study water there… Apparently edta stands for ethylene-diamine-tetraacetic acid, while dpd stands for diethyl-phenylene-diamine…Gah. I think I got those wrong…
Ok, I dare anyone who’s finished their LC to take up a new subject that’s being examined next week and see how they do!!… Japanese, anyone? Agricultural economics?? Construction??? Yarr. I’m tempted to buy a physics book tomorrow and see if I’m good enough to pass it after a day’s study… 🙂
Oh, we have to know what DPD stands for? Baaaaaaallllss…
Lol.. always water first. Always. Because it’s “easy”. I thought about taking the economics exam.. I read into macro/micro economics now and then. Latin would be a laugh. Sure english is practically latin.. eh hem.
Actually, I don’t think it’s necessary to know what DPD stands for… Oops.
Liam, I DOUBLE DARE YOU to do Latin.
See what a laugh it is when you’re knee deep in infinitives and subjunctives and all that. Humph. Might blog later complaining about it. ^-^
I might have to curl up into a ball & die if I have to listen to seachanges once more 🙁
also DPD….whaaaat..?
im stickin with th predictions for section A 😀
I have been doing this every day! I’m now at the point where I’m looking up the papers and looking over them – trying to calculate the marks I *MAY* have lost. FML, I just can’t stop. This level of obsession is fine for the lucky few who are totally finished, but not for someone like myself who still has half my exams left and, hence, half my exams to study for! It’s so difficult to keep going at this stage, just sitting here waiting for Wednesday to come!
Is it too late to sign up for Latin? I’ll give it a shot, like. I’d say it’s easy. I’ve read all the Harry Potters many times. Practically English, amirite?
Oh, saoirse, what are your predictions for Section A? [/desperate]
ugh section A…im doin
Q1. iron tabs/bleach
Q2.ethanal / ethene+ethyne(together in one Q according to an excellent source!)
Q3. rel molec mass of volatile liquid / recrystallisation / anion tests
hopefully that helps!! 😀
Excellent source?
THATS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME
:p
quite reliable one might call him!
best of luck with the latin! 😉
Excellent source = I’m sold.
Etene + Ethyne = so crazy it has to be true.
Cheers.
@ Jennie.. you got 550 last year, right? Well you can combine that with your h-pat to get into medicine..sounds high enough to get in to me..
I’m pretty sure the LC points and the HPAT points have to be from the same year, no?
mmmm institute predictions
Good God I hope those Chemistry predictions show up, because as it so happens, I’ve them all prepared.
Apart from Anions. I will never ever know them properly. Ever.
Thanks to all who’ve commented, yada yada-
And Liam.
No.
If that was the case, then why would so many people who’re already in college and crap have sat the HPAT?
Loads of people sat it that weren’t doing the LC this year.
Sorry, momentary freak out seeing as i need those 550.. I reallly do…
I will indeedy-dooo
Even if I’m horribly upset (seems likely), it’ll be done.
I did an original “My Experience of the HPAT..” post, back in the day when nobody read the blog…
http://leaving-cert.net/my-experience-of-the-hpat/
Jennie- you’re totally going a post on “H-PHAT” right?
Public interest… and the newspapers will want a response 😛 (internet celebrities the ‘lot o’ ye’ ).
Hpat.. 22nd.. I’ll be in Dublin partying.. and then it’s going to be like.. “SHIT”.
All I remember of that paper was the strange infatuation with death… “John died of Cancer…”…someone else… died of cancer… someone else… is killed by….
And the guy in front of me ran out to the loo… came back.. and EVERYONE had moved on to the next section. The look on his face was priceless. I’d say poor guy.. but he was asking for it! Galway racecourse.. well organised… clean and full of competition.
RDS was a shambles. Good times.
All I can remember is being perplexed by that orphan child and her rivalling aunties in section 2… so many of the answers were appropriate… but they made us choose one… Oh, God, I so failed.
It’s coming back to me. There were 2 orphan children. And each one went to a different Aunt. And someone got engaged, or married, or some shit…
There was an orphan child?
I bet I failed more….
Bets?
Saoirse gets blogger of the year.
Saoirse’s my favourite.
I love you Saoirse.
I actually LOVE you. <3
right bck at ye guys 😉
couldnt quite believe it myself!! :O
what pts. d’you get last year?i got 525 but wanted vetinary so repeatin called:(..easily the worst year of my life but although i wasn’ 100% happy with most of the exams,(biology:S),i cant help but feel i must get higher overall with all the work i’ve done..im sure youve done better than u think anyway!NO POSTMORTEMS!