A Study In Despair

at

Tomorrow.

More than 120,000 students will start their Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate exams

Teresa Bell, Deputy Regional Director for Samaritans in Ireland, writes:

“The exam season can be an incredibly stressful time for students, their parents, other family members and even teachers.

…We appeal to anyone who is feeling overwhelmed because of exam pressure, or who is worried about someone else, to contact Samaritans for free from any phone on 116 123.”

Samaritans

Rollingnews

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26 thoughts on “A Study In Despair

  1. eoin

    You might also consider contacting any one of the following* 250+ state-funded charities which provide counselling on mental health issues. Remember, even if you feel like talking to someone, you have plenty of choice. Shop around. It’s your money.

    *it’s in a recent comment, it nearly destroyed a few scroller wheels so I won’t be repeating them.

    1. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

      Failure is not an option in the House of Frilly, you should roar.
      Give them something to write about in their English essay.

  2. SOQ

    I’ll give two examples of people and exams, computer science as it happens.

    The first was someone who never studied and came out with a 2:1 degree because of memory retention. One week before, the cramming started, and then the regurgitation. But, ask him about a subject one week after and he was absolutely clueless.

    He ended up working in HR.

    The second got kicked off the same degree and had to do a HND instead. He tried, he really did, but without going into too much detail, he later became a major player within Microsoft. Now this wasn’t a mickey mouse degree, it was and is, within its field, placed first in the Island of Ireland.

    Surely to God there has to be a better way of measuring people’s knowledge and abilities than this highly stressful memory dump called exams?

    1. Mickey Twopints

      There is. It’s known as continuous assessment, and it’s becoming the norm for the very reasons you highlight.

      1. SOQ

        Continuous assessment has been in place for as long as I remember. At third level it means an ‘ordinary’ degree rather than an ‘honours’.

        Correct me if I am wrong?

        1. SOQ

          My old granny used to bonce me on her knee and tell me that if you don’t understand it then you should teach it.

          I was 14, I still miss her.

      1. SOQ

        No but social snobbery is? The biggest critics of academia are those who come out the other side of fifth level.

        I know one who now drives a bus for a living- genuinely.

        1. italia'90

          hah I know a bus conductor who left Ireland in the 70’s and came back as the MD of Microsoft Ireland. He moved in up the road from my parents house. True story.

          1. Papi

            I know a swan that took the arm clean off a bus driver who went on to become God. FACT.

  3. Iwerzon

    Our thoughts should be with all the students sitting their exams this week.
    They are under far more pressure than we ever were… because we weren’t molly-coddled snowflakes with an over inflated sense of entitlement.

    1. Lilly

      My niece is starting her junior cert today – a bright, soccer-mad musician – she’s cool as a cucumber today, so ease off on the assumptions.

    2. millie st murderlark

      How nice of you.

      I’m sure you know better than the kids who are actually going through the exams. It was better back in your day, was it?

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