5 Things Your Child Should Remember About the Leaving Cert | Parent Centre

It's not all the hype everyone gives it

Students often hear that the Leaving Cert is "the hardest thing you'll ever do" and "you'll remember it for the rest of your life". It's important to remember this is not the case; the Leaving Cert is just a stepping stone towards the next chapter. Your child is young and has their whole life ahead of them. If they are stressing about the exams, they need only remember that after all of it, when they are graduating college or working in their first job, they won't even be thinking about the Leaving Cert.

As for remembering it for the rest of their lives, it's not likely. My advice is this: once an exam is done, don't think about it any more. It's over so there is no point in stressing over something they have no power over. I know it’s tempting, but dissecting the exams with friends or family afterwards usually makes people feel they did worse than they actually did.

They're not alone

During the Leaving Cert, it can sometimes feel like it’s too much to handle. Students should remember that they're not the first and definitely not the last to sit these exams. Students have felt exactly the same before and made it through okay and so can your child.

If students are struggling, they should reach out to someone, an older sibling or friend perhaps, someone who can tell them how they managed to conquer the Leaving Cert, just like every other Irish person.

Putting in effort and studying hard does not make anyone a loser

Some people like to pass off that they are doing "nothing at all" for the Leaving Cert; not studying and barely doing the homework but still getting high marks. I can assure you almost all of these people are putting in effort and work and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

There seems to be a social stigma on studying, that if students do it, they’re sad and have no life. This is just ridiculous. Studying will get your child better marks and it shows they are determined and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

It affects some people more than others

Everyone’s Leaving Cert experience is different. Some people are very lucky and they sail through it with ease, others don’t. It’s important to consider this amongst friends. Is everyone coping OK? I would recommend students sit down with their friends and ask them if they’re all doing alright.

Some people may feel really alone if they’re struggling while none of their friends are, others may feel pressured to do well by their family and others may worry about their CAO and whether they can get the points - everyone is different. 

If your child is the one struggling, like I said, they should reach out to someone. The worst thing is holding back all worries and emotions because they build up and cause even more stress, the last thing anyone needs in the run-up to exams.

It's not the end of the world if it doesn't go well

Although many make it out to be the biggest event in their lives, it's not. It's possible that the exams just won't go the way your child expected them to and they might not get the results they were hoping for. These things happen, that’s life.

What’s important to remember is that it’s not the end of the world. If, on the day of the results, your child doesn’t get the points they were hoping for, don’t lose hope! Remember, there are 2nd and 3rd round offers from the CAO too.

I have also heard countless stories about students unconventionally getting into their preferred course: by doing a pre-course for a year or by getting a place instead of a drop-out, etc. There’s a way around everything and if your child is truly determined, they'll get there.

Sometimes, it’s important to just take a step back and put things in perspective. Is doing badly in the Leaving Cert the worst thing that could ever happen to them? No. Life goes on and a bad result is only a tiny little blip in the run of their lives. There are more important things in life.

Remember

A big part of success in the Leaving Cert for students is having a positive mental attitude and reminding themselves that the points above are essential to having a healthy, optimistic Leaving Cert. Our message to students is this: make sure to breathe and relax. You'll do great, you just need to be confident and focused. We wish you all the best in your exams.