The Exams Thread

God what a day yesterday was. I'm trying to study for God's sake; why does (s)He hate students?

Maynooth's a lovely place for lying around outside, loads of open space and little nooks.

905 wrote:

God what a day yesterday was. I'm trying to study for God's sake; why does (s)He hate students?

Maynooth's a lovely place for lying around outside, loads of open space and little nooks.

True that, Maynooth has a lovely campus. I've resigned myself to studying at home, there are less distractions staring out my bedroom window than there are if I go into college and see people with whom I can have ice-cream dates.

Tomorrow's weather...



Bit of a mixed bag, but it might help johnfás and 905 study better!

Yea, I really need to batten down the hatches and get going at this stage! First exam is Monday afternoon, so I don't think I'll be seeing much daylight until Friday week when I finish!

johnfás wrote:

Yea, I really need to batten down the hatches and get going at this stage! First exam is Monday afternoon, so I don't think I'll be seeing much daylight until Friday week when I finish!

The very best of luck, johnfás, just read the paper, take a deep breath, pray to the Holy Spirit and show them all you know. You'll do great!

johnfás wrote:

Yea, I really need to batten down the hatches and get going at this stage! First exam is Monday afternoon, so I don't think I'll be seeing much daylight until Friday week when I finish!

Good luck johnfás, 905 and anyone else out there heading into exams. The main thing is to get plenty of sleep the night before and to do a bit of jumping around before the exams to get the blood flow going through your brains before you stun them with your incisive and well substanciated response to the questions.

Good luck guys.

I split this from the weather thread. Even though I know there is a special relationship between weather and exams at this time of the year (both get hotter at the same rate), it's only fair that you have a spot of your own to let us know how they're going.

I start exams next week as well. I only have two this year so I can't complain too much. This set will also end a longer than intended stint in academia so I'm not approaching them with the usual sense of dread!

Best of luck 905 and johnfas.

Best of luck, unaligned. Do you have students for exams too? It's always a hairy time for teachers too.

Yeah I have junior and leaving certificate english and leaving certificate history. Tutoring at the weekends is actually a nice distraction and I always schedule classes very early in the morning, which gets me out of bed and forces me to study for the rest of the day!

How are the kids?

This is the first year since the early 90s that I have no exams myself and no students doing exams. I feel wonderfully serene and am looking forward to meeting all my frazzled ex-colleagues during the week to see how they're holding up. Do I miss it? Not on your life!

I have two for junior certificate English and they have been an absolute pleasure to teach. Their ability was never in doubt but the weekly sessions have done absolute wonders for their confidence. Some of the ideas and insights that they have are fantastic and I will actually miss those sessions after the exams!

The student I have for L.C English needed a bit more in the way of practical help but he’ll be fine, he is a strong candidate. The history student is struggling a bit so I'm taking an extra class with him from now until the exams. I can’t believe how poorly the new course is being communicated to honours students (in this case at least).

That's great that you have more time than usual. I had no end of year exams last year and it was an amazing feeling

tá súil agam go gheobhaidh cách marcanna maithe sna scrúdithe, nár lige Dia go mbeidh fíorfhadhbanna againn choíche... . Tá dhá scrúdithe déanta agam anois - ní bhíonn orm a bheith ag staidéar Hallstatt nó La Tène anois! (nó cúrsaí creidimh na gCeiltigh.. ach tá sé sin an-suimiúil... mar sin beidh mé ag léamh fúthú fós.... bhuel b'fhéidir.... ) Beidh socheolaíocht ar súil Dé Mháirt.. anois ní mór dom 'What in the World' a fheiceáil... staidéar croídheacair atá i gceist leis sin

Stair agus an Ghaeilge freisin - ag déanamh cac i mo bhríste...

What are you studying 905?

Mo drochGhaeilge:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
tá súil agam go... - I hope that...
cách - gach duine, everybody
nár lige Dia - God forbid
fíorfhadhbanna - fíor (adjective meaning 'true', 'real'.. or emphasising the word etc) + fadhbanna (plural of fadhb - problem)...
choíche - ever
scrúdithe - exams
cúrsaí creidimh na gCeiltigh - Celtic religious beliefs
socheolaíocht - sociology
croídheacair - croí (other than meaning 'heart' as a noun, it can be used kind of similar as 'fíor' as a adjective) + deacair which means 'hard' or 'difficult'.
ní mór dom - I have to
ag déanamh cac i mo bhríste - Probably bad Irish in the first place...

As always, my Irish comes without any guarantees of any accuracy what-so-ever!

To teachers and students alike - very best of luck.

Thanks for the best wishes guys and girls, they are truly appreciated. As you can imagine I will be fairly aloof around these parts until the 23rd of May, after which I shall provide greater depth of analysis! Best of wishes from me also to all those sitting and correcting exams. To those who are not having exams, best wishes enjoying the sunny weeks free of them!

I am just going over last minute issues at this stage... European Union Law tomorrow afternoon. On my windowsill in front of me is 2 empty bowls of ice cream, an empty can of coke, a yorkie wrapper and an empty bag of chipsticks... it is indicative of my current state of mind!

johnfás wrote:

Thanks for the best wishes guys and girls, they are truly appreciated. As you can imagine I will be fairly aloof around these parts until the 23rd of May, after which I shall provide greater depth of analysis! Best of wishes from me also to all those sitting and correcting exams. To those who are not having exams, best wishes enjoying the sunny weeks free of them!

I am just going over last minute issues at this stage... European Union Law tomorrow afternoon. On my windowsill in front of me is 2 empty bowls of ice cream, an empty can of coke, a yorkie wrapper and an empty bag of chipsticks... it is indicative of my current state of mind!

Your posts will be missed johnfás, but for a good cause. Perhaps we will be getting a travel blog from you when you are on your holidays. Good luck with EU law.

Thanks cactus flower. Just put some Chopin on and now I shall rest in slumber oblivious to the hectic week ahead, happy times.

Great idea about the prayers Ard, especially given that it is Pentecost!

Night all

Kate P wrote:

How are the kids?

This is the first year since the early 90s that I have no exams myself and no students doing exams. I feel wonderfully serene and am looking forward to meeting all my frazzled ex-colleagues during the week to see how they're holding up. Do I miss it? Not on your life!

If you count exams you have in secondary school, this is the first year since the late 90's that I don't have any exams. It's great.

Did I tell ye I passed my driving test? My experience of tests is that once you pass the test you never go near the subject again. Since the Leaving I've never attempted complicated maths or geology or any of that. Part of me thought that, once I passed my driving test, I'd never have to drive again. Whe the penny dropped it was awful; I hate driving.

Of course I'll be driving to my exams. Before I drove, I studied in pubs and arrived for the test a little tipsy, a tradition that went back to my final Leaving Cert exam (Art history). Aside from a complete lack of time-awareness, it was a great boost for the brain, and very relaxing. Alas, no more.

First exam on Satuday: 'contemporary theory and ethnography'. I have to read a book about photograhy in India, 'Camera Indica' by Chris Pinney. They don't see photography the way we see it, as a true representation of the world. To them it is simply an art-form, without any of the moral or objective significance often given to photos in the West.

Congrats on passing the test. My sister has failed it eight times but loves 'driving'. None of us will get into the car with her which is a niusance because any time one of us wants to or has to go somewhere with her, we end up doing the driving.

It's a pity you don't like driving though - why not?

Wasn't there a belief in some societies that having your photo took away part of your life or soul? Maybe we need a photography thread here...

Driving is horrible because it's expensive (motor tax, young man insurance, car prices, maintainence), you always run the risk of dying or killing someone, I never walk anywhere now, it's ruined my drinking life, I always have to give people lifts and it requires constant attention.

Those societies you talk about sound like Western societies. People spend ages trying to photo the 'real you' or capture someone's essence in some way. Indians know not to judge a book by its cover and tnhat photos are just pictures. They like to mess around with their photos in ways that would shock Westerners, destroying the 'reality' supposedly presented in the picture.

Quote :

Driving is horrible because it's expensive (motor tax, young man insurance, car prices, maintainence), you always run the risk of dying or killing someone, I never walk anywhere now, it's ruined my drinking life, I always have to give people lifts and it requires constant attention.

So it's not the actual driving you don't like - it's all the attendant stuff. It is a choice, you know... well, depending on where you live and the lifestyle you wish to have. It's a useful skill but not an essential one if you live in an urban area that's well serviced.

905 wrote:

Did I tell ye I passed my driving test? My experience of tests is that once you pass the test you never go near the subject again. Since the Leaving I've never attempted complicated maths or geology or any of that. Part of me thought that, once I passed my driving test, I'd never have to drive again. Whe the penny dropped it was awful; I hate driving.

Of course I'll be driving to my exams. Before I drove, I studied in pubs and arrived for the test a little tipsy, a tradition that went back to my final Leaving Cert exam (Art history). Aside from a complete lack of time-awareness, it was a great boost for the brain, and very relaxing. Alas, no more.

First exam on Satuday: 'contemporary theory and ethnography'. I have to read a book about photograhy in India, 'Camera Indica' by Chris Pinney. They don't see photography the way we see it, as a true representation of the world. To them it is simply an art-form, without any of the moral or objective significance often given to photos in the West.

That's really interesting 905, any examples you could post?

One down, five to go. Most things I wanted to came up, but none of them in the manner which I was expecting. Was certainly more difficult than any of the lecturer's past papers. One of the answers was the worst I have ever written, was completely stumped by it. Oh well, it could have been better, could have been worse! I had to answer 4 questions, probably 2 went well, one OK and one very bad. 20% of the mark was already accounted for on continuous assessment and that was a good mark too - so we'll be hopeful!

Congratulations on the driving test 905! I passed mine last year, was such a good feeling. I know a guy who excels at sport, got 500 odd in his leaving cert, got a top grade in Commerce, doing great in a Masters... and he has still not passed his driving test. In fact, he is normally someone with such a cool head but before his driving test the last two occasions he has thrown up repeatedly before it because he was so scared. Just shows how it can stump some people!


Anyway, back to the books. Onwards and upwards to the law of Equity I go!

Over the first jump eh Johfás? Sounds good. Head down, and over the next.