Those poor Leaving Cert students are sitting their final school exams this week and our hearts really go out to them. Many of us still have the fear from those days and occasionally wake up in a cold sweat with memories of the exam room, but it wasn’t all bad. In fact, there are a lot of us who would rather go back to school...

1. The Nightmares

Most of the time you scoffed at the teachers when they continuously reminded you that the Leaving Cert was the most important exam of your life. However, at the last minute, the night before your exam, you have terrible nightmares where various teacher’s talking heads pass through your dreams. Go away Mrs. Haugh!

2. The Sleeplessness

Partially because of the nightmares, partially because you live in fear that you will not hear the seven alarms you have set or your mother screaming at you to get up, you decide it is just a better option to get up at 4am.

3. The Exam Timetable

Close your eyes and try to remember what your exam timetable looked like. We guarantee if you think about it for long enough, you will remember the entire thing. On the other hand, you checked it every 25 seconds when you were sitting your exams.

4. The School Bus

Ah, we were the special ones. No other students from other years were allowed to get on the bus with you for this time of the year, mainly because they were off enjoying their lives. You planned to use this valuable time to revise your notes, but realistically, you had the chats.

5. The Panic

This can’t be, can it? You learned everything from that book. You wrote it all down over 100 times and memorised it but suddenly, it’s all gone. GONE! PANIC!

6. The Red Pen

There were quite a few dilemmas with stationary, rulers would often go missing as would the odd calculator but your red pen was the most valuable tool in your pencil case. WHERE IS IT?!

7. The Special Lunches

Seeing as you are now the special one, your mother prepares luxury lunches for your very stressful days during exams. Once a week, you will receive a small fortune to go have lunch in a local cafe. Exams aren’t so bad really, are they?

8. The “why the hell did I do this subject” problem?

Why did I listen to my Dad and do biology when I am clearly better at physics? Bloody parents, why do we listen to them?

9. The Weather

Sun: “Oh, it’s Leaving Cert week? Hello World! I’m Back!”

10. The Realisation That It Is The End of an Era

Although you made countless promises to people you went to school with, ten years later you realise not only have you not been in contact with some of them, you can barely remember others.

 

11. The Relief

That last exam ended and you walked out of school with a huge sense of relief. Honestly, it felt like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders. You are free!

Can we go back?