Having a job during Leaving Cert.

Maidhfinden

Are people still working at their part time jobs? I'm working in a hotel and I've asked to be put down to two morning shifts (usually 8-1 or so) a week, which suits me alright, just not sure when I should completely stop working!
What have the rest of you done?

belcampprisoner

I would not work unless you have to

decisions

5th or 6th yr?

Maidhfinden

decisions wrote: »

5th or 6th yr?

6th year, as in, 34 days from the Leaving Cert haha! Worked all through 5th year.

decisions

I'd stop working. What do you want to do after school?

Maidhfinden

decisions wrote: »

I'd stop working. What do you want to do after school?

Thanks, you're probably right, I always be tired during the week and not having the odd lie in at the weekend doesn't help! Irish and French at DCU most likely, points won't be too high I'd imagine as it's a new arts course. And I got 480 in my mocks, so I don't need to kill myself with study. My other choice is a conditional offer from Queen's, 4Bs and 2Cs!

davedanon

If you can get a good few hours study every day after work then it should'nt be a huge problem. If you find work burns you out and it takes you a couple hours at home again before you start the days study, it's probably lead to better finances in the future if you ask for the entire exam period off.

decisions

I'm wrecked and I'm not also working

user.name

I find it fairly manageable!

stephenjmcd

I work at weekends , taking 1 weekend off during the lc that's all

thegreatescape

My boss wouldn't let me work after Christmas, because my mocks were in a few weeks then the orals a while after that etc. I think it's better because I get way more study done, and if I was making any money I couldn't spend it until after my exams anyway!

HistoryKitty

I'm just gonna give you my advice. I worked all through 5th and 6th year. I did about 25-30 hours a week during 5th year and 16 hours a week in 6th year. I found it really stressful and tiring and yeah I think it had some impact on my grades but I also think it helped me get away from study and take a break from it all. I ended up not getting my first choice but like I got 530 in the end and I love what i'm doing now.
I can't tell you what to do, but like I do think a job helped me in ways, like it kept me sane I took some study leave, so maybe ask for that ? It was so nice to go back to work and normality after the LC was over and it made those awful summer holidays fly by. But tbh if you're worried bout points etc, maybe its best you quit but like you know your own abilities more than me or anyone else for that matter, so it really is up to you

SeaDaily

HistoryKitty wrote: »

It was so nice to go back to work and normality after the LC was over and it made those awful summer holidays fly by.

Why would you want to go straight back to work after the leaving cert? Did you not want a break?! Also "awful summer holidays", really?

HistoryKitty

SeaDaily wrote: »

Why would you want to go straight back to work after the leaving cert?

Because after two years of trying to balance work and school, only having to balance one for a while seemed really nice. Plus I had time off from work during my study leave and I couldn't wait to get back because for the most part I like my job.

SeaDaily wrote: »

Did you not want a break?!

As much as the next person :P But I had to go back to work sometime.

SeaDaily wrote: »

Also "awful summer holidays", really?

I don't know if you've done the LC yet, but the summer waiting for the results is torture. I constantly tried to predict what I got etc I was dying to find out how I did. On top of that, I still had to formulate a back-up plan because my LC hadn't really gone the smoothest so I had to figure out stuff on my CAO. A job took my mind off all of these worries and I did get the odd few days off to enjoy my summer. I also had money, which I saved for college and spent on myself during the summer.

SeaDaily

Fair enough, thanks for explaining. I'm doing my LC this year and to be honest nothing seems more appealing to me at the moment than a whole summer of no work. I also don't think I'll be thinking too much about the leaving when its over I'll just be enjoying the freedom I hope. Anyway each to their own I suppose, especially considering our circumstances are totally different. I've never had a job im just lazier than you in that respect I suppose!

Speaking as a Mum, whose daughter did her Leaving Cert last year. She worked Fri, Sat nights and Sun lunchtime in a restaurant. From Easter, she cut out the Sunday. She took her Holidays from the week before the exams started, for one month. Like another poster, working, while tiring, got her away from the books and when she had to study, it was more focussed. She got what she wanted and still has the job on Friday and Saturday nights, with hoidays taken at exam time.
Good Luck!

CatEyed92

The one thing I regret about this year was working.

I HATE MY JOB because of it. And, I think I'll be lucky to get my course.

Lads, it's not worth it.

Slow Show

I know people that worked during the LC and got on grand. Me, I lasted until Christmas. I don't think it's affected me greatly, like I don't think I'll do any worse really because I worked every Saturday and a few days over the holidays from September-January. But if I had to choose to do it again, I wouldn't, I found it really horrible not to be really able to properly relax at the weekend (as opposed to a break from studying, really didn't find it to be so for me, but different strokes for different folks!). I also found my school performance, for example class tests, mocks (did pre-mocks in October), to be a lot better when I wasn't working but it's not really a fair yardstick for comparison, a lot changed in other ways too.

I, like Historykitty, am looking forward to heading back to work after the LC tbh, provided I get a few days off to blow off some serious steam in the aftermath. :P But yeah if any 5th year is reading this I wouldn't really advise a job but if you think you can manage it, good luck, it's definitely possible!

stephenjmcd

dont see why people say dont get a job, sure its grand, few hours at the weekend

The green and red

i have worked in a shop for the past two years and still am. i only do about 6 hours a weekend now and i find it grand. I didnt take a break for the mocks and i was happy enough with 450 points. i plan on taking a break in about two weeks time until after the exams. its up to you i suppose. Having said that, it can be frustrating trying to balance study, work , football and time to relax so it depends how busy you are!