logo
Leaving Cert advice

Leaving Cert advice

Irish Times2 days ago

Sir, – May I give some advice to the many parents of children starting their Leaving Cert.
Tell your children that you love them – and often. Tell them that you hope they will do their best but whatever the outcome they can come home and they will be loved just as much as ever.
Tell them there is lifelong learning and the Leaving Cert is but one, relatively small, stepping stone along the road of life. And always remember, the ones who do best do not always succeed best in life.
I sat my Leaving in 1969, and the pressure was horrific, way over the top. Of course, it did not help that school life in general at that time was a very unhappy experience.
READ MORE
I survived and learnt very quickly that there was a lot more to life than the Leaving Cert. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN McDEVITT,
Glenties,
Co Donegal.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Leaving Cert student diary: ‘I'm running on adrenaline ... Albufeira, we're coming for you!'
Leaving Cert student diary: ‘I'm running on adrenaline ... Albufeira, we're coming for you!'

Irish Times

time31 minutes ago

  • Irish Times

Leaving Cert student diary: ‘I'm running on adrenaline ... Albufeira, we're coming for you!'

Continuous assessment is supposed to take the pressure off, but you don't get a break' Day two of the exams is over, but I'm still going. I'm just out of English paper two and, as soon as I write this article, it's into study hub. I'd stay there till 10pm if I could, but it closes at 8pm, so I will pack up the books and study at home for another two hours. It's a stressful set of exams, particularly for people like me, who are hoping to get into a high-points course. Last year, engineering in UCD required 568 points, which is really high. But I am working as hard as I can, and doing the very best I can. Engineering wasn't initially on the cards for me. But I signed up to a subject called 'technology', thinking it was about computers. I didn't initially love it, but when Mr Joyce became my engineering teacher, that all changed for me, and now I love it. READ MORE I'm looking at a career in engineering because there are so many different avenues you can go down with it, including chemical, civil, mechanical and so on. There's also lots of job opportunities, as the world will always need the skills of engineers and their problem-solving skills. The engineering paper itself was, I thought, quite fair. The questions were similar to previous years, and I didn't feel that the examiners were trying to catch us off guard. One of the questions focused on the special topic, hydrogen. We all knew it was guaranteed to appear on the paper but, nonetheless, I swerved it because the special topic is not one that past papers can ever cover. Engineering students have already completed a project and a practical which account for 50 per cent of the marks. This continuous assessment approach is good for some students, if they're particularly practical. I'd prefer just the one terminal exam: continuous assessment is supposed to take the pressure off, but you still do just as much study as other subjects for the engineering exam, and you're so busy with projects throughout the year that you don't get a break. There's a surprising amount of writing on the engineering paper, because you have to explain the processes. But I finished before the recommended time, so I left and immediately started studying for English paper two. I had hoped that Patrick Kavanagh would appear on the paper, so I was glad when he did. But I wasn't happy with the questions themselves: they were very specific. The question on the poetry of Derek Mahon asked about how 'an audience's appreciation of both Mahon's language and thematic concerns would be enhanced if his poetry was read out loud'. I was very glad that I wasn't relying on Mahon, as I would not have been ready for this. Although this was a busy day, it's far from my toughest. Geography and maths paper one are on the same day, and this will be a big challenge. What I'm really dreading, however, is maths paper two, as it's a tough paper with big time pressure. For now, I'm running on adrenaline, and the prospect of earning money during the summer for that all-important Leaving Cert holiday. Albufeira, we're coming for you!

Leaving Cert English paper two: ‘Dense' questions posed a challenge amid relief over appearance of much-predicted poets
Leaving Cert English paper two: ‘Dense' questions posed a challenge amid relief over appearance of much-predicted poets

Irish Times

timean hour ago

  • Irish Times

Leaving Cert English paper two: ‘Dense' questions posed a challenge amid relief over appearance of much-predicted poets

Students were relieved that several predicted poets appeared on this year's higher-level English paper, but many of the questions were very specific in scope, teachers have said. Kate Barry, a teacher at Loreto Secondary School in Cork and ASTI subject representative for English, said that both Eavan Boland and Tracy K Smith – a new poet on the course – both featured. 'But the question on Boland, which asked about the complex nature of powerlessness, was quite specific,' Ms Barry said. 'The question on Smith, which focused on the nature of their lives, was perhaps more candidate-friendly.' READ MORE Clodagh Havel, an English teacher at the Institute of Education, said that it was a testing paper. 'It was not necessarily an arduous one but nevertheless students will feel a lot more pushed to react and grapple with the exam than they did yesterday,' she said. 'Between densely phrased questions and some peculiar vocabulary, some students will be worried that they weren't on the right path. 'Each question was precise in its scope – they had a wide selection, but a narrow focus.' Gillian Chute, head of English at , said that students answering a question on the poet Derek Mahon may have been disappointed with the question. 'It was unconventional in nature,' she said. 'It asked them to what extent they think that an audience's appreciation of both Mahon's language and thematic concerns would be enhanced if his poetry was read out loud, and this may have presented considerable difficulty for some candidates.' Ms Havel said that candidates reading the first King Lear question may have paused and caught their breath on the mention of 'duality' – or two-ness – within the text's characters. 'For those who gave themselves a moment to fully read the question they will have found lots of choice in who to discuss: Lear, Gloucester, Edmund are all very comfortable candidates for discussions and only two were required.' Both Ms Barry and Ms Havel said that the second King Lear question were more accessible. 'The second question was gorgeous in its exploration of justice, order, chaos and cruelty but again the way the question was phrased was dense,' said Ms Havel. 'In the cauldron of the exam hall, composure and a level head are easier said than done. Everyone would have material to bring to fulfil these prompts, they just might not glide through it.' In the comparative texts, Ms Havel said that students aiming for the top marks will need to pick up on the nuances of texts in order to truly incorporate the elements of the 'subtle', 'contradictory' or 'paradoxical' elements mentioned. Both Ms Barry and Ms Havel praised the unseen poem. 'It covered familiar ground about a lost relationship, which is a common theme,' said Ms Barry.' At ordinary level, Ms Barry said that there was a lot of reading and wordiness on the paper, which may have thrown some students, although the questions themselves were not too difficult. 'On higher-level English paper one, students were asked to prepare a podcast, and podcasts also appeared on ordinary level paper two,' she said. 'This is probably because podcasts are such a popular medium these days. 'The other questions, including a debate around the ending of the text, were really nice.' Studyclix subject expert Sue O'Sullivan Casey, a teacher at Pobalscoil Inbhear Scèine, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, said that the ordinary level single text questions were accessible and many students would have managed well with the demands put to them. 'Other questions on Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible' and Colson Whitehead's 'The Underground Railroad' were challenging but not unfamiliar,' she said. 'The paper was fair and straightforward. A student who had prepared consistently over two years would have been ready to handle the questions well.'

Leaving Cert Reaction: English Paper 1 & Paper 2 reviewed
Leaving Cert Reaction: English Paper 1 & Paper 2 reviewed

RTÉ News​

timean hour ago

  • RTÉ News​

Leaving Cert Reaction: English Paper 1 & Paper 2 reviewed

For the Leaving Cert class of 2025 one of the big ones is out of the way - fare thee well English! While there is no need to dwell on things, we are here to help you review the exams with experts sharing their thoughts on Leaving Cert English Paper 1 and Paper 2. Plus, you can download the exam papers for Higher and Ordinary Level below: Leaving Cert English Paper 1 - Higher Leaving Cert English Paper 1 - Ordinary Liam Dingle, English teacher at the Institute of Education takes us through Paper 1. Press play up top to watch the video and read on for more. Key points The paper reflected the world beyond the exam hall and the experiences of modern students. The layout and range of questions was consistent with recent papers. Liam says: "Hopefully, students will leave the exam hall with a sense of satisfaction. There were no artificial barriers or curveballs to startle students facing the rest of their exams. The paper advocated for optimism and the fight of the underdog; hopefully they will have taken that message to heart." Study Hub regular Clodagh Havel casts an eye over Paper 2 in the video above. She describes it as "a testing paper, not necessarily an arduous one but nevertheless students will feel a lot more pushed to react and grapple with the exam than they did yesterday." Her key points "Duality" seems to have been a hidden theme throughout. Some unusual vocabulary will have caused some to pause or feel disconcerted in their approach. Clodagh says: "Many will leave the exam hall feeling that it was a long slog, particularly in comparison to the much more amenable Paper 1. Yet underneath the sometimes excessively worded questions, there was something for everyone. Students who allowed themselves the composure to peel away the layers of the onion will find themselves tired but satisfied."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store