English - #JC2017 - Luke Casserly
Luke Casserly - St. Mel's CollegeMy first State Exam ever!! I've been pretty nervous about the English exam since the mock, as it was a massive disaster! I left four whole questions unanswered, while my last answer was not much more than a few illegible scribbles.However, I feel very happy with how the exam went today! I managed to get all questions completed and this time around, my frantic scribbles were a tiny bit readable! I flew through the first two questions on the documentary and poster. They were a nice easy way to start. After that, I was nervous about time so went through the questions very fast - So fast I'm struggling to think what questions actually came up. I was happy to see the nice poetry question pop up. I used Lovers on Aran which I had just studied the night before so I was delighted. I spent a good bit of time doing a good dialogue on the last question, which asked you to write about a confrontation between an adult and a teenager.I feel this went a lot better than the mock and am looking forward to seeing the result!
Women in Leadership- If She Can Do It, So Can I.
Sarah Harte is our ISSU Regional Officer for the West of Ireland.She was recently elected at our Regional Council in Galway this year. Here, Sarah shares her thoughts on women in leadership.As today is International Women’s Day, it is the perfect time to celebrate and highlight the importance of role models to young women and girls. The power of role models often goes unrecognised but they can have an immeasurable effect on the lives of young people, particularly girls. It is important to be able to see someone who you can identify with in a position to know that you can make it there.Historically, the vast majority of leaders in this country have been men. This often meant that women and their achievements were not acknowledged or written about leading to a lack of women that girls could look up to. That is not the case anymore as more and more women rise to the top of their fields. The playing field is becoming more equal but there is still hurdles facing many women. For example, just 22% of all TD’s at present are women and this is a record high. There are always certain challenges facing people who aim for power but men and women tend to face different attitudes and challenges. Having a lack of self-confidence can hold you back as it is the fundamental basis of any good leader. If you do not have faith in your own ability it becomes difficult to expect others to. This is something that is learned from early on in life. Putting yourself forward to head up a project in school may reflect into putting yourself forward for election in the future. This is something that some of my friends struggle with, some of the most intelligent girls I know underestimate themselves and therefore hold themselves back. As children, we emulate what we see in others and this does not end as we age. If you see self-confidence you will learn to mirror it. We mimic these behaviours without ever realising it from the people we watch. That is why it is important that there are women we can look up to. Another behaviour that we learn is the different ways in which we talk about ambitious men and women. Often, men are commended for taking the leap and putting themselves out there, while women are penalized. There are certain words and phrases that are reserved for strongly opinionated or outspoken women and I have been called a few of these in my time.Personally, I have always been drawn to strong women as people that inspire and motivate me. Films, TV shows and books with women at the helm have interested me since I was a child and in the last few months I have read books by and about Mary Robinson, Malala Yousafzai and Hillary Clinton. I admire these women greatly for their resilience, perseverance and sheer mental strength despite different adversaries. One thing that the above-named women have in common is that they all have varying levels of a high profile, political or otherwise. This is not the case with all role models or even most of them. They do not have to be the first female President of Ireland or the first woman with a real shot at winning the White House. They can be a local politician, a teacher or a Foróige leader. Someone who takes an interest in your future, who wants to see you get on well because maybe someone did the same for them. Their words of advice are the ones that you remember and they are the people you don’t forget.That is why it is just as important to have role models as it is to be one. I know that my 14-year-old sister learns more from me than she’ll ever admit. I feel like I owe it to her to set as good an example as I can. I know that she is watching me. I have had so many people look out for me and I know that they are there for me if I need them and that is something I will always be grateful for.
Why I wish I celebrated on Junior Certificate Night
As anyone who knows me will assure you, I aim high.Growing up I had Bible verse 6:7 from the Book of Galatians drilled into me, the words "You reap what you sow" being quoted at every opportunity; Christmas dinner, birthday parties, Sunday lunch. It was made very clear to me at a young age that if I refused to work hard I would never make anything of myself, and it's with this instilled logic that I have always tried desperately to realise my full potential, whether it be inside or outside of school.Now, I enjoy learning immensely. I loved my Junior Certificate subjects. I adored my teachers. I got on well with my classmates. But I would be lying if I denied that Verse 6:7 is what motivated me to work during the three years of Junior Cycle. "The Pursuit of Excellence" is what my father would refer to it as, but perhaps a more honest label could be "Fear of Failure". I was hyper-aware of the successes of others, and cripplingly self-aware when it came to my own flaws. To this day I refuse to ask for help in class when I don't understand something, in the fear that I be seen as unintelligent. I study up on chapters before the class covers them so that I might impress a teacher when I can answer their questions on new material perfectly. I'm constantly worrying about the possibility that I may not succeed, that I won't have an amazing job, that I won't be able to have a beautiful house, that I won't see the world, because I was lazy as a student. This is my biggest fear, and this fear is the reason I pushed myself with my work the way I did.The three week period of the Junior Certificate was indeed the worst three weeks of my life, and I still get unsettling nightmares where I can't answer questions or I forget that I have French in the morning and History in the evening.Thankfully these incidents didn't happen (now I know that even if they did, it wouldn't be that big of a deal!). I did all the things that the ISSU exam tips advised me against... I didn't exercise, didn't take study breaks, didn't sleep well. During two hour breaks between papers I told my friends I was getting lunch with my mother but revised my notes erratically in a toilet cubicle instead, writing out definition after definition, trying desperately to retain everything, despite already having studied everything a hundred times before.My coping mechanism for this miserable time was to imagine myself in a parrell universe, on a island surrounded by turquoise water and bright white sand. This is what essentially got me through those sleep-deprived, stress filled days, pretending I wasn't actually in the real world. Not a very healthy state of mind.At the end I was practically sub-human. I hadn't had a proper conversation with another person in weeks, hadn't relaxed, hadn't gone put with my friends to the cinema or gone on sleepovers .It took me about a month to get back to normal, where I felt as good as I had before my Junior Cert pres, before I had the constant worry of state exams on my shoulders.Results week came around, and everyone was planning outfits, venues, which restaurant to go to, which house to get ready in. I firmly declined all offers, despite my friends pleas. I was so worried about not doing well that I made sure there could be no one around me to ask me what I got, because telling them I did badly would be mortifying. I planned to isolate myself rather than be with the girls I loved on such a special night, because I couldn't risk feeling like a failure.On the day of results, I got the grades I had fantasised about, and I achieved the highest marks in my school year. I cried as soon as I saw the neat row of letters... Not from happiness as such but I was relieved. In my mind, anything less than the highest would have been a disappointment. As I recall it, i realise how twisted that was, to be more relieved that I didn't fail than happy that I succeeded.And as I had planned, I spent that night at home, on my own. I had ruined a few months of my life to achieve the grades I wanted, and now that I had them, I didn't even celebrate my hard work. I didn't feel the need to either, because as everyone had told me, "the Junior Certificate doesn't mean anything". I was informed that even though my grades were great, the Leaving Certificate is the only thing that matters anyway. I spent that evening on social media, looking at all my school friends enjoying themselves, and feeling rather empty.I wish I had spent time with my friends during the lead up to exams and on those breaks between papers. My best friends are there to confide in, and to trust, and they have the ability to make me think about things logically and calmly.I wish I had spoken to my family during the weeks of the Junior Cert, when I was just a few inches away from a potential breakdown. I didn't have to treat my mind and body the way I did, I placed results above my wellbeing.And I really wish that I could have pushed away my fear of failure, which still permeates my attitude to school, and celebrated an achievement I should have been very very proud of.In Irish society, getting your results means a lot. Even if the Junior Cert isn't the be all and end all, (and it definitely is not) finishing the Junior Cycle is significant. you are moving on to your last years of secondary school, you are getting closer to coming of age, you're growing up. You're not some little girl or boy straight out of National School anymore, and the next few years will be full of change, of new influences, of new people, and of new beginnings.Perhaps if I measured my "success" in moments of happiness rather than credentials on paper, I could have made that occasion a night to remember.The day you get your Junior Certificate results is not the day to "chill on the sofa and watch some TV". Take it from someone who's done it, you will regret it so much.Whether you are happy or unhappy, or even if you feel completely ashamed of your marks, my advice is that you should still do something. Something which is special to you, something different, something which you will remember and which will landmark this special day. Jane M. Hayes Nally is the President of the Irish Second-Level Students' Union. Jane is a 6th year student in St. Mary’s High School Midleton, Co. Cork.The Irish Second-Level Students' Union is the national union for second-level students in Ireland. The ISSU works towards an education system in which the views, opinions and contributions of students are respected in which students are recognised as an official partner in creating an education that is centred around and caters best for students.
Be Heard! Student’s it’s time to get signed up to vote
With a referendum on Voting @ 16 just around the corner, now is the time to get out and have young peoples opinions heard loud and clear! If you are 18 now, or will be 18 before February 15th you will have the opportunity and right to vote in next year’s upcoming referenda on everything from Marriage Equality to ensuring Gender Equality takes shape in the future of Ireland!Students and young people often are only considered as advisors; but with the prospect of a lower voting age and a high turnout of young people across Europe in recent elections and referenda, that’s all changing; Young People are having a big impact on the way their country is run! Studies show that Young People, when they get signed up and engaged in the discussions at hand, get out and vote! And the best part is, they vote in a progressive manner that tends to move the country towards more positive decisions!The bigger the turnout of young people in this referenda, the more positive the campaign for Vote@16 will become! Everyone deserves a say in democracy, including you! For example, young people are the driving force of the Marriage Equality campaign , and it will take more than convincing conservative minded people to support the changing of the meaning of the term ; “marriage”, it will take votes, and plenty of them, and many of them should be people like you and I! I’m not asking you to vote YES and I am not asking you to vote NO, but I am asking you to vote, and November 25th (This Tuesday!!) is your deadline to be heard! So? If your turning 18 before February 15th or already in the stages of early adulthood, now’s your time to make sure your voice is heard!Voting in elections and referenda are what drives this country forward, and you have a say in just what direction we go in! Don’t miss out! So many get caught at the last minute, and go to apply for the register a week before polling and find they can’t use their democratic right to have a say in issues concerning them. As a student activist, a secondary student, and a fellow young person who turns 18 this February, I want you to join me and thousands of other new voters in moving this country in our direction, because getting young voters out means giving young people a say in their Ireland, because after all it’s our generation that’s going to be really involved in the aftermath of this; be it positive or negative; it’s going to affect us; so I say: Let’s be Part of it! Signing Up to vote is so easy and you might be signed up already Click Here to check the register and Here if your not on the register to make sure you are on it in time! Remember you don’t have to be 18 now or before Tuesday to vote next year, once you meet the voting age by February 15th it’s your democratic legal right to have a voice in matters concering you! So get out and get voting, it’s time to be heard!
Leaving Cert History
Aoife - Higher Level
Well, where do we start. I was happy enough with the documents, they are always the easier question and I do enjoy the Belfast Blitz. It was a nice question.I was a lot less pleased to see Sunningdale show up with the Anglo-Irish treaty, considering I only studied the first one in school in detail, but I still tried my best. For dictatorship and democracy, I was heart broken to see I had the choice between Jarrow Crusade (a short topic) or Hitler and Mussolini's relationship with the church... That one was just bizarre.I was happy to end the paper seeing my old friend Lyndon Johnson come up at the end of my paper. Overall, I have very mixed emotions over this paper and will have to wait til August to see how it went.
Brendan - Higher Level
This is definitely one of the toughest exams. 2 hours and 50 minutes of non-stop writing to such an extent that you can barely afford to take a drink of water. Belfast during World War II appeared as the document question and was reasonable enough, although I like many, would have preferred to have seen the Treaty or the Eucharistic Congress.For dictatorship and democracy I answered on church-state relations which was a nice question. LBJ, the moon landing and race relations appeared for US and the world, however I answered on the development of the economy from the end of the war until 1989, an incredibly long and varied period of time. It was a very broad, but approachable question.My final question was on Northern Ireland and I chose the question on the Sunningdale and Anglo Irish Agreement's. It asked which was more successful and although I would have preferred a stand alone question on Sunningdale, it seemed approachable. Unfortunately, due to a combination of poor eye sight and miscalculation of time I ran out of time when 10 more minutes would have allowed me to really complete the essay. Overall it was a challenging paper. In parts essays which were predicted came up, others were impossible to call, In reality, I believe, it is such a broad course that it isn't really possible to cover every aspect.More time should be allocated for a subject that takes up a very considerable amount of students time. Students who had worked very hard would have found the paper fine, otherwise it would have been very difficult.
Declan - Higher Level
History paper was actually quite decent. When I first opened it I was praying the Anglo- Irish treaty would be there. Belfast during world war 2 came up in the documents. I felt it went fine.For my first essay, I did the topic of "Movements for Political and Social reform, 1870-1914", the question "What did Parnell contribute to the movements for Home Rule and Land Reform. I was delighted with this question, as I had it covered really well. I got over 5 pages on it, so i hope it is fine. I was glad this question came up, because I would of been badly stuck with the other questions.My second essay went well. It was Europe and the wider world; Topic 2. It was the section Nation States and International tensions, 1871-1920. I felt there were two nice questions on this section. German Foreign policy development under Bismarck and Wilhelm II and the social & economic developments in Europe during the period 1871-1914. I did the German Foreign policy, I was really happy with this question.My third section was "Dictatorship and Democracy in Europe, 1920-1945". I was banking on a good Mussolini question. I did the question on church state relations develop under Mussolini and Hitler. I felt this went only ok. I didn't really revise Hitler went (I know, how stupid), but knew a lot on Mussolini. I probably didn't write enough with this essay though.It's pretty reassuring that you have a project done with this project. I did mine on the Belski Brother, jews defying the Nazi occupied Belorussia, they created a jewish settlement in the middle of the forest. It's a quite interesting and inspirational story. They saved hundreds of lives.
Please note: blog posts reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union.
Junior Cert Maths Paper 2
Alex - Higher Level
I found this to be a very fair paper. It was challenging but I was still able to do it. Like Paper 1 I found it to be easier than the Mocks but still relatively hard. I'll admit I was finished earlier than I thought I would be but I was happy with what I got done. Some questions, for example, the theorems question I found to be quite difficult as I couldn't remember the diagram... Until I saw it on the next page. The next question was literally the answer to the one before it. I was grateful for that. Overall I found the Paper very doable and fair. I finished the exam a little early but that gave me enough time to have a good look over the whole paper. Thanks for reading!