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

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    #272
    La0Fruitcake
    Registered Users Posts: 71 ✭✭La0Fruitcake


    eoin2nc wrote: »
    If you cant take crictism dont write for a national newspaper


    Here Here!!!:D


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    #273
    Stevieo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 63 ✭✭Stevieo


    mac-1405 wrote: »
    Look back and you'll see I asked that ppl wouldn't insult her I didn't tell them.

    It's not the asking I've a problem with. I actually agree that, disenchanted as I am with Laura's articles, hoping she fails is a horrific thing to do and downright inexcusable. (I'm on the verge of another rant here)...I feel that insulting Laura in that sense is totally hypocritical because people looking for someone to identify with THEM, and in wishing her failure is distancing her even more from students!

    My problem was that if Laura decides to come on to this forum to see why people are moaning about her, she has absolutely no right to be upset with what she reads. While both you and I personally don't think it's right that people insult her, this forum's about freedom of expression. Asking people to stop that is just being a Nazi.


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    #274
    mac-1405
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭mac-1405


    Stevieo wrote: »
    It's not the asking I've a problem with. I actually agree that, disenchanted as I am with Laura's articles, hoping she fails is a horrific thing to do and downright inexcusable. (I'm on the verge of another rant here)...I feel that insulting Laura in that sense is totally hypocritical because people looking for someone to identify with THEM, and in wishing her failure is distancing her even more from students!

    My problem was that if Laura decides to come on to this forum to see why people are moaning about her, she has absolutely no right to be upset with what she reads. While both you and I personally don't think it's right that people insult her, this forum's about freedom of expression. Asking people to stop that is just being a Nazi.
    I appreciate what you're saying but as you said criticising her is one thing but launching a personal attack on her is another and to the other guy I'm sure she didn't foresee this happening when she applied for the Irish Times.


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    #275
    Stevieo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 63 ✭✭Stevieo


    mac-1405 wrote: »
    I appreciate what you're saying but as you said criticising her is one thing but launching a personal attack on her is another.

    Once again, I agree, but it's not a personal attack as such. People are more expressing their disillusionment with her style of writing and of how THEY feel her personality comes across in her articles. If she doesn't feel any of that is true, then there's no need for her to feel so upset about it.

    Personally, I'm in school on Leeson Street, and while I can't stand her articles, I saw/overheard her talking to some of her friends there the other day. I'm totally against the "princess" attitude she takes, but she does genuinely come across as a nice person. Equally though, I can see why many people make the assumption that she's quite stuck up...and I still maintain that belief to an extent.


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    #276
    purpleeblue
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭purpleeblue


    im sure its hard for you on a personal level to read criticism about your friends dog-walkers brothers motherzs sister-in-law or whatever she is to you but laura knew by writing for a national paper she would be judged and the end result is that she did a bad job....a very bad job and the majority of people here were looking for reassurance and advice from an experienced leaving cert student like laura and she ended up making everyone just feeel worse
    after 3 years surely she should know by now what people want to hear before exams and not how much her shoes cost.no sympathy for her whatsoever


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    #277
    mac-1405
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭mac-1405


    purpleeblue wrote: »
    im sure its hard for you on a personal level to read criticism about your friends dog-walkers brothers motherzs sister-in-law or whatever she is to you but laura knew by writing for a national paper she would be judged and the end result is that she did a bad job....a very bad job and the majority of people here were looking for reassurance and advice from an experienced leaving cert student like laura and she ended up making everyone just feeel worse
    after 3 years surely she should know by now what people want to hear before exams and not how much her shoes cost.no sympathy for her whatsoever
    firstly I never said it upset me I said it was unfair. Personally, I think its a bit sad that you're looking for reassurance from someone who you've never even met.


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    #278
    Cokehead Mother
    Closed Accounts Posts: 773 ✭✭✭Cokehead Mother


    mac-1405 wrote: »
    firstly I never said it upset me I said it was unfair. Personally, I think its a bit sad that you're looking for reassurance from someone who you've never even met.

    See now you're insulting her and bitching about people here insulting Laura...


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    #279
    mac-1405
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭mac-1405


    Cokehead Mother wrote: »
    See now you're insulting her and bitching about people here insulting Laura...
    I only insulted him because he was slagging me.


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    #280
    Alan Smith
    Closed Accounts Posts: 331 ✭✭Alan Smith


    PrivateEye wrote: »
    5) Fair play to everyone else who's been writing Exam Diaries, be it for the Independent or otherwise. I remember a guy on here who was writing one for the Echo down in Munster? Then there's the people on that leaving-cert.net blog (I hope I've got that right) and a few others too. I've enjoyed reading what normal students have made of the LC. It's big and scary when we have to walk in and do it, so it's nice to know you're not alone. Cheers. Can't help but feel they've been forgotten.

    Yeah that's me.

    Em firstly I'd like to say that her pieces have overshadowed the rest ofthe good diarists out there who have been giving honest accounts of the actual exams.

    I think it was an awful idea from the times to give this to her. She clearly has an ineptitude to refer to the actual subject she has chosen to write about and I find it disheartening that the rest of us out there writing pieces have had no interest generated about us because of the infuriations she has caused.

    It's wrong to give personal insults though and I'm not doubting at all she could be a nice person away form the articles but judging solely on her writing it paints a poor description of her as a person. Her constant referrences to material goods rather than the exams are what typifies the Celtic Tiger baby; Rich spoiled and an inability to realise there are people other than her doing the exams.

    Still though nothing against her as a person as it would be unfair for me to judge but her poor writing gives the readers a substantial amount of ammunition to criticise her.

    No need for the personal jibes though


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    #281
    mac-1405
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21 ✭mac-1405


    Well thats fair. I know what she said in her pieces could quite easily annoy ppl but all I'm asking is that you don't continue to say things like "I hope she doesn't get the points" or anything else that is really offensive. I do have sympathy for the other diarists and I don't have a problem with ppl giving out about her piece just please could you try and refrain from launching personal attacks on her.


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    #282
    Alan Smith
    Closed Accounts Posts: 331 ✭✭Alan Smith


    mac-1405 wrote: »
    Well thats fair. I know what she said in her pieces could quite easily annoy ppl but all I'm asking is that you don't continue to say things like "I hope she doesn't get the points" or anything else that is really offensive. I do have sympathy for the other diarists and I don't have a problem with ppl giving out about her piece just please could you try and refrain from launching personal attacks on her.
    Indeed, even though I've strong dislike of the articles I still thik its wrong to be wishing on her to get less points


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    #283
    Rosstafarian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 104 ✭✭Rosstafarian


    Alan Smith wrote: »
    No need for the personal jibes though

    Was there any?


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    #284
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    Alan Smith wrote: »
    Indeed, even though I've strong dislike of the articles I still thik its wrong to be wishing on her to get less points

    I only wish she gets less points than me. Is that fair?


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    #285
    Alan Smith
    Closed Accounts Posts: 331 ✭✭Alan Smith


    irishbucsfan wrote: »
    I only wish she gets less points than me. Is that fair?
    Yeah;)


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    #286
    titan18
    Registered Users Posts: 11,935 ✭✭✭✭titan18


    Alan,I really liked your article in the Echo.I think it was the best around


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    #287
    Alan Smith
    Closed Accounts Posts: 331 ✭✭Alan Smith


    titan18 wrote: »
    Alan,I really liked your article in the Echo.I think it was the best around

    Eh thanks. Much appreciated.

    Honestly though I'm not looking for attention here but it's a pretty big ask to do a diary during the hectic exam schedule as all the others can vouch for and the only thing in return I'm pesonally getting (don't know about the others) are a few well dones.


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    #288
    titan18
    Registered Users Posts: 11,935 ✭✭✭✭titan18


    Alan Smith wrote: »
    Eh thanks. Much appreciated.

    Honestly though I'm not looking for attention here but it's a pretty big ask to do a diary during the hectic exam schedule as all the others can vouch for and the only thing in return I'm pesonally getting (don't know about the others) are a few well dones.

    Do ye not get paid for it or anything?


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    #289
    Timans
    Registered Users Posts: 2,370 ✭✭✭Timans


    Well, in all fairness, you weren't forced to do it, were you?
    I would have done it for free as well, I think it would be quite an honour to be chosen, and quite a nice thing to know that many other Leaving Cert students are reading about your experiences, and hopefully relating to them.

    What more did you want from doing it?


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    #290
    The Walsho
    Registered Users Posts: 1,251 ✭✭✭The Walsho


    I think people who know Laura would be best to get off this thread and not return. It's always going to be a losing battle for you. You know her personally, meaning your view is going to be completely different to ours. The same goes for Laura. We're just a bunch of people who don't know you, and are judging you on your articles. If you're not prepared to read the judgement we draw from that, then it's quite silly to come on here.
    And for those saying Laura has been hurt by comments on here, while I feel bad for her for that, didn't she come on here and tell us she found us "hilarious"? Implying our comments really don't matter to her. If that was actually her, she really didn't earn herself any sympathy there, and gave the impression she's quite a thick-skinned individual.
    See my post two pages back for my proper rant!


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    #291
    eoin2nc
    Registered Users Posts: 688 ✭✭✭eoin2nc


    irishbucsfan wrote: »
    I only wish she gets less points than me. Is that fair?

    Fair comment


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    #292
    jeveuxtevoir
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15 ✭jeveuxtevoir


    Only just joined this.... avoiding physics study.

    Anyway I'm in the Institute (!) and I've spoken to Laura Brady a few times, and reading this thread I've been going back and forth between supporting her and critisizing her. I read one of her columns in the Times last week and wasn't impressed by it at all; the infamous pre-english Sex and the City adventure.

    After seeing all these comments I went onto skoool.ie to read her other columns, to judge for myself.

    Reading them all in a row like that, Laura came accross as a kind of fictional character, it seemed like she had created that persona to perhaps live up to her beloved Sex and the City Carrie Bradshaw. Now I'm a little confused about whether her articles are indeed a parody of herself or not? However I can imagine the effect of reading those columns day by day during the week right after the exams, looking for something accessible and relative. I have to agree that they are entirely inapproriate as EXAM diaries. Personally I don't enjoy that style of writing either expecially not at such a serious time.

    I think the elements of Laura's seemingly casual approach and her representation (whether its a joke or not) of the elite affluent Dublin minority would undoubtedly spark upset among all Irish teens, stressed and ready to snap. I just feel bad for the girl herself. I hardly know her but I know she's a friendly and polite person, and despite the common belief she does not in fact embody the "D4" style thing. I know the arguement is that she has readily put herself and her personal life out there to be critiqued, but I guess people have to remember even though 19 and repeating she's still young and obviously naive.

    Anyway this is very long. I wish I could say the same for my Othello essay. Byez


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    #293
    cartman444
    Closed Accounts Posts: 125 ✭✭cartman444


    Anyway this is very long. I wish I could say the same for my Othello essay. Byez

    lol


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    #294
    Syferus
    Registered Users Posts: 5,965 ✭✭✭Syferus


    Double post


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    #295
    Syferus
    Registered Users Posts: 5,965 ✭✭✭Syferus


    MatthewGrehan wrote: »
    Hey man i don't know if thats sarcasm or not, but i was never trying to sound above any1. I went to a public school myself, and i'm going into work in tesco now at 2, so i am on no way trying to sound superior. I just think that ppl need to lay off laura just because they don't like where she goes to school or how she spends her time. Also a strong (and my final) point i'd like to make, is that laura wrote a lot for the times and the edited it as they pleased. She is mostly upset because she feels every1 hates her, when in fact every1 is discussing the person they wanted to portray. They felt there was sufficient demand and interest for it. Laura is an amazing person, has no real-life enemies, and is the love of my life. I have to go to work now, if any1 has any further problems, feel free to address them to me at the customer service desk in tesco maynooth, i'll be there till 11 tonight.

    I'm sorry for trolling, but that's golden.


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    #296
    raah!
    Registered Users Posts: 2,629 ✭✭✭raah!


    hahahahah, yeah had a right laugh at that myself. He really lost all credibilty with that one. "If anyone else has any problems, come and fight me"


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    #297
    Livo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 47 ✭Livo


    wow, seems like this thread has gone from commentary to hatemail to a philosophical argument on what people are and aren't allowed to say.

    i think it's cool for people to express their opinions on what she writes, because it's trite. the thing is that if she wants to be a writer of some sort, she's going to have to get used to criticism, whether constructive or not.

    as for her boyfriend coming on here to defend her, that's very valiant of you, but seriously, maybe it'd be best if you didn't get involved. because to be fair, you've done the leaving cert. you know what we're going through, but you didn't have to open the irish times every day to see someone so far-removed from your own experience gloating about:

    1. money
    2. intellect
    3. money
    4. medicine

    and so on. she's just not writing what people want to read - which, i stress, is all well and good if you're a serious writer exposing some dreadful scandal, but this is neither the time, nor the place, nor the situation in which to brag about the infamous €600 shoes. it's crude.


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    #298
    Ekels
    Registered Users Posts: 462 ✭✭Ekels


    The chap in the Independent is a far superior exam columnist. My definition of an exam columnist is someone who can relate to the reader, every aspect of the exam period in a relatable and somewhat articulate manner.
    He doesn't feel the need to tell the country that he wrote 26 pages in a certain exam, that is utter gutter journalism. Not to mind the fact that Laura is boasting, the other students couldn't care less that she wrote 26 pages in an exam. She still has 45 points to add to her last results, and yet she seems to display such a sense of self-assurity.
    Reverting back to the lad in the Independent, he had a nice piece today in which he communicated his currently jaded attitude. This has been the fulcrum of his pieces since their inception: he writes about how he's feeling. And I think that each exam student in the country has rode this rollercoaster of emotions over the last few weeks.

    Anyway, it was a mistake to choose someone in Brady's situation from the start. However, as the days went by she did herself no favours. If she's such a budding doctor, she should have a sense of logic and reasoning, this logic should have provided her some direction in her journalism. It didn't, and that is why she has been so heavily critcised.


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    #299
    Livo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 47 ✭Livo


    Ekels wrote: »
    Anyway, it was a mistake to choose someone in Brady's situation from the start. However, as the days went by she did herself no favours. If she's such a budding doctor, she should have a sense of logic and reasoning, this logic should have provided her some direction in her journalism. It didn't, and that is why she has been so heavily critcised.

    very good point


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    #300
    Ekels
    Registered Users Posts: 462 ✭✭Ekels


    Livo wrote: »
    wow, seems like this thread has gone from commentary to hatemail to a philosophical argument on what people are and aren't allowed to say.

    i think it's cool for people to express their opinions on what she writes, because it's trite. the thing is that if she wants to be a writer of some sort, she's going to have to get used to criticism, whether constructive or not.

    as for her boyfriend coming on here to defend her, that's very valiant of you, but seriously, maybe it'd be best if you didn't get involved. because to be fair, you've done the leaving cert. you know what we're going through, but you didn't have to open the irish times every day to see someone so far-removed from your own experience gloating about:

    1. money
    2. intellect
    3. money
    4. medicine

    and so on. she's just not writing what people want to read - which, i stress, is all well and good if you're a serious writer exposing some dreadful scandal, but this is neither the time, nor the place, nor the situation in which to brag about the infamous €600 shoes. it's crude.

    And I'd question whether Ms. Brady does hold much of that.


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    #301
    Ekels
    Registered Users Posts: 462 ✭✭Ekels


    "Laura is an amazing person, has no real-life enemies"

    Real life? Testament to the fact that you, as well as Laura, are living in a dream world.


This discussion has been closed.
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