Irish Independent/Times Exam Diaries (Should be ashamed!)

Syferus · 06-06-2008 2:12am #1

*Thread have been merged - TimAy*

Anyone else have a glance at the year's exam diaries?

Personally, The Times' choice of someone - Laura Brady - on their third attempt at the Leaving Cert, having scored 545 the last time out, instantly means they've gotten someone very few can relate to or get a real feel of the pressures and nuances of the Leaving Cert from even if the person in question is a decent person.

The Independent's choice, Mark Roche, seems more down to earth and, shock of shocks, an exam diarist who is doing Ordinary level Maths. He seems to have a good grasp of the madness of this period and it's so far been a good read.

ZorbaTehZ · 06-06-2008 2:15am

Syferus wrote: »

The Times' choice of someone - Laura Brady - on their third attempt at the Leaving Cert, having scored 545 the last time out

Those kinds of shenanigans really makes one wonder...

Syferus · 06-06-2008 2:24am

According to her introductory entry, it's because she didn't get enough points for Medicine either times. I can't comprehend repeating the Leaving Cert for any reason, least of all the 'reward' of a 6 year toture course.

Syferus · 06-06-2008 2:31am

And she is also a ''repeat'' student at the glorified grind school that is the 'Insitute' of Education. Which is doubly odd seeing as it was the Independent who partnered with the 'Insitute' for it's exam preperation booklets.

Oh, and I do know far too much about this.
I was bored.

Honest.

peachesxcream · 06-06-2008 2:34am

Anyone watch the certified vlogger on youtube?

bitterstudent · 06-06-2008 8:53am

I'm running a blog on three leaving cert students over at http://www.leaving-cert.net and yes we are just average students, but we all have own views on the each paper and the system itself. We write daily on our experiences, we have been featured in the Irish times a few times, you might enjoy.

I've read both the exam diaries from the Irish Times and the Independent. I like reading about how others are getting on, even if it is Laura Bradys 3rd time.

______________
http://www.leaving-cert.net

iFight · 06-06-2008 11:33am

Was reading her entry in today's paper earlier, she says something about carrying over Maths and Chemistry from last year. Thought you had to take all six subjects from the same year for the CAO points? Anybody know what the rule is regarding?

claire h · 06-06-2008 11:43am

For points but not for subject requirements (which would include honours in maths and chemistry for medicine).

Cokehead Mother · 06-06-2008 12:27pm

iFight wrote: »

Was reading her entry in today's paper earlier, she says something about carrying over Maths and Chemistry from last year. Thought you had to take all six subjects from the same year for the CAO points? Anybody know what the rule is regarding?

So this girl is on her third attempt at the LC and doesn't think she can get an A in chemistry but she wants to study medicine? That's... interesting. All the best to her.

Syferus · 06-06-2008 12:36pm

Haha! I was just reading your blog last night!
It's a good read, by the way.

On Laura Brady's entry yesterday - she managed to drop the fact she got an 'A in Biology last year' for seeming no reason but to quailify her talking about her broken toe.

She also apparently did not study and went to see 'Sex and the City' the night before English paper 1.
She says it's was far better for her than toiling at home studying.
Oh dear.

She also has a pet iguana named Romeo.
In all seriousness, her entries so far have presented her as someone who is self-absorbed and clearly not in touch with the 50,000 or so students who are doing the Leaving for the first and (mostly) last time.
Weather that's the case in reality is another thing, but it's certainly not what I'd like from an 'exam' diary.

I do like The Irish Times' 'Blog Watch' section, which has been taking extracts from this board and bitterstudent's blog, though.

Caoimhe89 · 06-06-2008 12:54pm

Syferus wrote: »

On Laura Brady's entry yesterday - she managed to drop the fact she got an 'A in Biology last year' for seeming no reason but to quailify her talking about her broken toe.

She also apparently did not study and went to see 'Sex and the City' the night before English paper 1.
She says it's was far better for her than toiling at home studying.
Oh dear.

She also has a pet iguana named Romeo.
In all seriousness, her entries so far have presented her as someone who is self-absorbed and clearly not in touch with the 50,000 or so students who are doing the Leaving for the first and (mostly) last time.
Weather that's the case in reality is another thing, but it's certainly not what I'd like from an 'exam' diary.

I do like The Irish Times' 'Blog Watch' section, which has been taking extracts from this board and bitterstudent's blog, though.

I second this entire post. The Blog Watch section is good, but Laura Brady's article makes me want to rip out the page.

bitterstudent · 06-06-2008 1:19pm

Perhaps she's simply too old. Although only 19, she has experienced this twice before. Time she moved on I guess. We're fresh to the whole experience of a leaving cert, so our reaction to it would be a little different to hers. I agree that it is rather hard to relate to. Her laid back approach and medicine aspirations is a humorous imbalance though!

teckoda · 06-06-2008 3:21pm

Repeating the leaving cert three times... Ehh having gone through 3 different years of people. Must be weird being older than a bunch of annoying people =/

I need sleep =.=

ciaranajl · 06-06-2008 3:39pm

Syferus wrote: »

Anyone else have a glance at the year's exam diaries?

Personally, The Times' choice of someone - Laura Brady - on their third attempt at the Leaving Cert, having scored 545 the last time out, instantly means they've gotten someone very few can relate to or get a real feel of the pressures and nuances of the Leaving Cert from even if the person in question is a decent person.

The Independent's choice, Mark Roche, seems more down to earth and, shock of shocks, an exam diarist who is doing Ordinary level Maths. He seems to have a good grasp of the madness of this period and it's so far been a good read.

Well, I haven't read the Times' diary, but the Independent one is rubbish. The writer is obviously trying to sound intelligent with convoluted and silly phrasing. And most of all... he said this:

'Unfortunately, Iago didn't turn up, but I was not disheartened as it proved quite easy to write on "the weakness of human judgement".'

http://www.independent.ie/education/features/exam-diary-no-tragic-end-to-drama-section-but-i-fear-my-numbers-up-today-1399530.html

Um, yeah Iago did "turn up". If he knew the marking scheme - and he should seeing as the Independent must have scouted him particularly for the job - then he'd know that the Othello statement (Iago's cleverness, etc.) could have been disagreed with.

LizT · 06-06-2008 4:06pm

Syferus wrote: »

Anyone else have a glance at the year's exam diaries?

Personally, The Times' choice of someone - Laura Brady - on their third attempt at the Leaving Cert, having scored 545 the last time out, instantly means they've gotten someone very few can relate to or get a real feel of the pressures and nuances of the Leaving Cert from even if the person in question is a decent person.

Have to agree with you there. Read her one yesterday and wasn't too impressed. hard to relate to as i'm struggling to get over the 500 mark.

LizT · 06-06-2008 4:26pm

Dear God....

In her article today Laura Brady she manages to mention her hope to study medicine 3 times... not only that but she believes the examinations commission to
be conspiring against her. i quote " I'm sure I've been robbed of medicine in Trinity on a number of occasions (two) because the examiner didn't like the cut of my nib"

Yes dear. That's the only reason.

Syferus · 06-06-2008 4:49pm

ciaranajl wrote: »

Well, I haven't read the Times' diary, but the Independent one is rubbish. The writer is obviously trying to sound intelligent with convoluted and silly phrasing. And most of all... he said this:

'Unfortunately, Iago didn't turn up, but I was not disheartened as it proved quite easy to write on "the weakness of human judgement".'

http://www.independent.ie/education/features/exam-diary-no-tragic-end-to-drama-section-but-i-fear-my-numbers-up-today-1399530.html

Um, yeah Iago did "turn up". If he knew the marking scheme - and he should seeing as the Independent must have scouted him particularly for the job - then he'd know that the Othello statement (Iago's cleverness, etc.) could have been disagreed with.

Not to be a Mark Roche apologist (ho ho ho..) but from his previous 'entry' I got the feeling he was hoping for a question entirely centred on Iago and not an Iago/Othello question.

For me, his diary seems to benefit from it's more compact size - there's less time for the sort of waffling that's inherrant in Laura Brady's one.

Syferus · 06-06-2008 7:59pm

lizt wrote: »

Dear God....

In her article today Laura Brady she manages to mention her hope to study medicine 3 times... not only that but she believes the examinations commission to
be conspiring against her. i quote " I'm sure I've been robbed of medicine in Trinity on a number of occasions (two) because the examiner didn't like the cut of my nib"

Yes dear. That's the only reason.

Ha ha.. first impressions seem to be holding true in this case.

D.Q · 06-06-2008 8:12pm

you know what worries me?

the fact that, in later years, my health could be in the hands of someone who took THREE attempts(possibly more) to get into medicine......

the-big-d · 06-06-2008 8:17pm

lizt wrote: »

Dear God....

In her article today Laura Brady she manages to mention her hope to study medicine 3 times... not only that but she believes the examinations commission to
be conspiring against her. i quote " I'm sure I've been robbed of medicine in Trinity on a number of occasions (two) because the examiner didn't like the cut of my nib"

Yes dear. That's the only reason.

personally i enjoy her piece, and i think she was trying to use a bit of sarcasm right there, which is difficult to convey in writing, as we can see from hundreds of posts on this site.

leave the poor girl alone.

PrivateEye · 06-06-2008 8:19pm

I was munching away on the Frosties this morning with the Times on front of me.

HOW do the lads and lassies at the Irish Times think we (the eh...vast majority of young people?) can relate to somebody doing the Leaving Cert for the THIRD time, at the expense of mommy and daddy?

She tells us she went to Sex and the City a few nights back....well wow, if I get to do the Leaving TWO MORE TIMES I would hope I'd be pretty laid back going into it too!

Some of us are, and lets be honest here, crapping bricks at the minute. This kind of lame stuff from the Times doesn't really help. Still, the paper that brought you Kevin Myers isn't going to have a reputation for picking the best ambasadors of the people.

They should go back to trying to sell EU treaties to people...they seemed to be enjoying that.

And I'm not an Independent reader, I swear.

Wonder what Laura will do next year, before sitting her 4th LC :rolleyes: Probably not need to study at all.

muffinman · 06-06-2008 8:21pm

I wonder if she reads these posts, seeing as boards.ie is cited in the Blogwatch

Alan Smith · 06-06-2008 8:25pm

Anybody read that alan smith fella in the evening echo? :-p an awful idiot

PrivateEye · 06-06-2008 8:26pm

Dont think we'll be seeing any of this in tomorrows Times :pac:

As for her reading the posts, nah...she's probably off at Iron Man or Indiana Jones now, living it up you know. Ordinary student that she is.

Those of us sitting the Leaving Cert in dingey sportshalls- bitter? Lets hope none of us ever have to go back and do it again (or again. or eh...again)

Still, I would like to write An Irishmans Diary ONCE in my lifetime, it's the best thing that ever happened to broadsheets in Ireland. Frank McNally + The Letters makes that a good page. Yis can print that, if you want.

Syferus · 06-06-2008 8:37pm

the-big-d wrote: »

personally i enjoy her piece, and i think she was trying to use a bit of sarcasm right there, which is difficult to convey in writing, as we can see from hundreds of posts on this site.

leave the poor girl alone.

While we can take it as granted sarcasm played some part, her general atttude is pretty aloof and her exam diary is far more centred on her previous attempts/scores/unrelated events in her life.

If you present something as an exam diary that is not what you'd want, let alone from what is supposedly the best quaility newspaper in our country.
It's also hard to overstate the trite nature of choosing a repeat student of the 'Insitute' of Education - this is at least the second time she has tried to brute force her way to medicine through a full-time paid grind school.
To my meagre knowledge many of these exam diaries have been made by students of the same establishment, for whatever reason.

I'm trying not to attack her person because that's not my purpose.
She simply is not the sort of person who should have been choosen for an exam diary because her situation is far to unique to be conductive of a general temperature of this year's Leaving Cert, which is clearly what an exam diary in a national newspaper should be aiming for.

PrivateEye · 06-06-2008 8:47pm

She simply is not the sort of person who should have been choosen for an exam diary because her situation is far to unique to be conductive of a general temperature of this year's Leaving Cert, which is clearly what an exam diary in a national newspaper should be aiming for.

Amen.

Going into your leaving cert, with the aspirations most of us carry (i.e to land a decent amount of points, to do something we're passionate about- or even settle for an option 2!) it's quite off putting to read about somebody whos done three paid terms in a well to do school in the hope of eventually getting into medicine. I'd rather pick up the Times tomorrow morning and find out what Joe Bloggs from AnyTown in Co. WhoGivesABalls thought about the papers to date, than read about somebody who at this rate is probably paying rent in the Institute.

third time lucky, maybe Joe Bloggs gets a say next year.

Also, the 'IRISH TIMES LUVS INSTITUTE' thing is undeniable, and they are taking the p!ss.It's a national newspaper, but sometimes you have to wonder how much of the nation can relate to it....we still buy it every morning, so don't mind me....typical Irish bloke, moaning while the hands in the pocket.

The leavingcert.net (i think i got that right?) blog is far far better, and good reading. cheers.

LizT · 06-06-2008 9:13pm

PrivateEye wrote: »

Dont think we'll be seeing any of this in tomorrows Times :pac:

As for her reading the posts, nah...she's probably off at Iron Man or Indiana Jones now, living it up you know. Ordinary student that she is.

She's probably one of those people who claims that they're so relaxed about the exams yet goes home and stays up all night studying. If it takes her three attempts to get into medicine you kind of have to question if she's able for the course.

looly · 06-06-2008 10:39pm

I read yer wan's diary every day, not much bad to say against her, she seems to be a grand girl except the first entry where she mentioned getting 545 as a "decent" LC......erm that's practically As in everything! im killing myself to get 545 for psychology and i feel really patronised that other people seem to think an average student could get that. How do all the students who are aiming for 300 or 400 feel now, if 545 is only deemed "decent"?

i know im ranting lol n its prob not that big a deal to most ppl but it really p!ssed me off

Caoimhe89 · 06-06-2008 10:55pm

What gets me is that if she had just done Science in UCD or somewhere the first time 'round, she'd be in first year medicine by now. And we wouldn't have to read about her nights out, her pet iguana and her As in biology and English last year....

Also, seeing as she's doing neither Maths nor Chemistry this year, it's not like she's actually sitting the entire Leaving Cert... so definitely not your 'typical' LC student's exam diary...

LizT · 06-06-2008 11:00pm

I don't think the times have done themselves any favours using her as a columnist. I noticed that they didn't really have many reviews from student for Chemistry. of course the teachers thought it was an easy paper. that's why they teach the bloody subject!

Alan Smith · 06-06-2008 11:04pm

I'm doing one for the Evening Echo (Cork) (Yeah the fella with the ugly head)

. Anyway if any of the posters on here are from the south munster area be sure to pick it up and let me know what you think. I promise there is nothing about nights-out etc. Just pure opinion on a leaving cert debutante.

Anyway, I agree with the majority on here. While it's quite unique to have someone doing it several times, it just doesn't seem authentic enough (her leaving cert experience). There is no exploraton involved in here writing as she's already experienced it, a few times. Should stick to people who are expereincing it for the first time to pen the diaries as it's much better.

G'luck coz I've to write up a piece on today's exams:o

Irish Independent/Times Exam Diaries (Should be ashamed!)

Comments