Leaving Cert Results and CAO Offers

Hey Everyone!

I have been so incredibly busy as of late that I haven't had the opportunity to post here lately. I'll be writing several updates throughout the next couple of weeks. If you follow my Twitter or Instagram, you probably know why I have been so erratic this month.

On Wednesday August 12th, a day which I had waited for and feared eventually arrived. It was the Leaving Cert results day. To say I was nervous was an understatement. The sun may have been shining yet, as I walked into my school, it might as well have been a cold, dark morning in Winter. The walk, one I travelled everyday for six years, was excruciatingly long. I kept my head down as I passed screaming friends, phones in one hand and ripped brown envelopes in the other.

My heart was thumping in my chest, I genuinely felt the world spinning as my hand pulled the handle of the door into Reception. I feared the worst. Recalling my emotions after every exam, I was relieved and happy with my performance in all of them, except German. The niggling doubt had set in a few days previously and reached it's all time height as I saw the stacks of brown envelopes that awaited me.

Taking a deep breath, I joined the queue for my long-awaited and feared results. The envelope with my name was quickly found by the Principal, handed over with a handshake and a smile. I can recall thinking, ''If the Principal is smiling, I hope to God that the hard work paid off.''

Hands sweaty and shaking, I fled outside to open my results, terrified of prying eyes, judgemental stares and smirks. With cool hands, I ripped open the seal of the envelope, slowing revealing the results which I had worked, studied and crammed for two years to get. Saying a silent prayer to anyone listening, I peeked at the results.

''Irish - Honours - A2
English - Honours - A2''

I didn't look at the other five results for several seconds, gulping with delight and shock. Yet again, my hands shook. Inhaling deeply once more, I whipped the paper out entirely. Two further A2's in History and Ag Science, two B2's in Business and even German (an exam I nearly cried leaving) and finally a B1 in Maths (I dropped to ordinary, which ultimately was the best decision despite what my peers thought)

I grabbed my phone from my handbag, calculating the points. 90... 90.... I kept pressing the buttons until, with another deep breath, I clicked 'calculate'. The number 520 appeared on screen.
''Surely this can't be right,'' I whispered. ''I must have calculated this wrong''

After several recounts by myself and The Sibling, it was confirmed. I had just gotten 520 points in my Leaving Cert - without the 25 bonus points craved by so many. The texts and copious phone calls by my Mam and Dad to my relatives began.

All I really remember is whispering to myself, uttering the words, ''I did it, I actually did it'' several times. If I'm honest, it didn't really sink in for several days. I was on a high. I met up with my friends, who were all also delighted with their results. We had all achieved more than we needed for our courses.

The atmosphere was filled with laughter, relief and elation. All the hard work had actually paid off. We all succeeded. With an adrenaline filled giggle, the realisation that our dreams were starting to come true, hit us hard. The photos began, speaking to our teachers and our other friends.

In true celebratory style, the girls and I went for cupcakes and pink lemonade. In between discussions of the debs, CAO offers and finding accommodation, our phones beeped and pinged continuously, receiving texts and phones from relatives in true Irish style. The Leaving Cert consumes the nation as practically everyone knows someone who sat the gruelling exams the previous June.

Grace being the ever supportive friend! Note the lamb with the flower crown - amazing. 

The following Monday the CAO offers were released. CAO basically process all the results and give you an offer based on the courses you applied for. I have wanted to study primary teaching ever since I was in primary school, so primary teaching in Mary Immaculate College was my first choice on my CAO. 

The CAO opened at 6 am on Monday. With baited breath I logged into my account to see an offer from Mary Immaculate College for primary teaching! In that moment, I knew all the hard work and struggles were worth it. I could feel all my worries from over the years lift off me.

Here's my acceptance of my CAO offer - at four minutes past six. I had run into my parents room, shaking and screaming with happiness at 6.02 before I accepted my offer. 

So that's all about my LC results and CAO offer! I'm genuinely still on a high, to know that all of my study paid off is the most wonderful and liberating feeling I have possessed in a long time. If you got your results and an offer, congrats and I wish you the very best on the next stage of your life. We'll walk this new road together. 

The next blog post I'll be writing will be about my debs! Keep an eye out!

Stay Strong, Happy & Fearless!
Aveen xx

''And The Sky Turned Black Like A Perfect Storm''

Hey Everyone!

Another week has come and gone. It's startling how fast time has been going by as of late.


My life has mainly consisted of waking up, school, homework, study, food and sleep. It's alright I suppose, yet I crave more meaning in my life. I find I'm constantly reminding myself that the Leaving Cert will be over in June and I just have to deal with these next six months of pain until then. I saw someone compare it to ''A year of pain for extra gain.'' Which is startlingly accurate in my opinion.

Enough with my existential crisis and craving for substance and meaning to my existence! I went to the Open Day for Mary Immaculate College on Saturday morning in Limerick. It's a two and a half hour-ish drive from where I live (Aka The Sunny South East) so I was equipped with my music and earphones. I'm used to driving to Limerick occasionally as my brother is in UL so the city doesn't seem like an alien concept to me.

We left early on Saturday morning as the Open Day started at 11am and we wanted to be there on time. The weather was utterly treacherous. From Stradbally onwards, it was a winter wonderland with snow covering the cars. I have to commend all the road gritters from the various counties we journeyed through, all the roads were gritted. We were on the motorway just before Moneygall (The place obsessed with Obama with the Obama Plaza and all sorts!) and it was a really, really dangerous bend. We saw a lane was closed with ambulances and fire brigades with flashing lights.

The bend was horrifically slushy and a car was overturned and flipped on its roof in the ditch. It was genuinely terrifying, especially as when the firemen were directing us and the other cars, we all starting slipping in the slush! However, luckily we were fine and took even more care on the way to Mary I.

At 10.50 we parked outside. We knew the way as I visited the campus briefly in the Summer on another day. We walked to the building where the Open Day was being held and attended one of the talks about the courses at Mary I. To say that I fangirled when I noticed the lecturer had an Orla Kiely bag was an understatement! (Mine was standing proudly on the desk too)

The talk was extremely informative and soothed any concerns my parents had about different aspects of the course. Afterwards we went on a tour of the campus and the accommodation available on-campus. There was a strange mix of people at the Open Day, the majority were girls and some lads. On the tour of the campus a mother and her son (A TY we presume as she asked him if he wanted to go to the college ''when his time came'') were horrifically pushy and literally shoved me into a wall in a bid to keep up with the tour guide! (Bit eccentric, especially as the child isn't even doing his LC this year)

Apart from that, I had a brilliant morning in Mary I and learnt lots about the course I'm considering. Afterwards we ran some errands in the city, had lunch and headed back onto the treacherous roads whilst counting 'Eddie Stobart'' lorries as they passed (We saw 16)

This week will be exciting, I think. On Monday myself and three others from my History class are representing the school at the Senior History Quiz. The lads were on the team last year (and won) so I am determined to contribute my best effort!

I finally caught up on all of my homework and now have the time to study for the mocks! I am feeling relieved that I now have the opportunity to study and actually prepare for the exams. There's a Strike Day on Thursday so I can catch up on sleep too! *Parties in the corner*

*Title: Lyric from Taylor Swift - Clean

 Photos from my week

''Hey Aveen, how's your life these days?''

On the road home from Limerick, the scenery was breathtaking!

All my snaps as of late.

So that's about all from me,

Stay Strong, Happy & Fearless!

Aveen xx