Sixth Year Update: Finishing School, Yearbooks, Hoodies, Grad Night and Voting!

Hey Everyone!

I realise it has been a while since I last updated here and my YouTube series, ''Letters to the Leaving Cert'' so here is what has been happening in Sixth Year. This post is quite photo heavy but I hope all you visual people enjoy it.

Last week was our last week as Sixth Year students. The week really and truly flew by. On Tuesday we were given our hoodies, Wednesday was our awards ceremony, yearbook day and last official day of classes. Thursday evening was our graduation. I still find it difficult to comprehend that six years have passed in the blink of an eye. I still remember my first day as a First Year back in 2009, fill with excitement and wonder at the idea of a fresh start.

The awards ceremony was an absolute blur. All I can really remember is lots of clapping, music and smiles. I ended up winning four awards, an unexpected shock to me. I won an award for participating in the Senior History Quiz Team (we came second - by a point) an award for my history RSR (Research Study Report) an Academic (for my mock results) and a medal for having a 'Star Journal' ie a tidy journal.

After the awards, we all went and had our ''Last Supper'' together at lunchtime. We moved all the benches into the centre and all ate together. We had 3 last classes which we attended, giddy, hyper and excited for our new adventure. We all went to collect our Yearbooks and got as many friends to sign them before inevitably leaving. It was emotionally charged to say the least. I can recall sitting on the grass, gazing at everyone smiling and laughing, thinking how this will be one of the last times we'll see each other as one whole group.

On Thursday evening, we had our Graduation mass in the gym. We were all given a tree (mine was Hazelwood) which I planted on Saturday afternoon when the sun was beaming down. Afterwards we all got changed for the obligatory grad night out. We all spent ages taking photos (I have so many notifications of being tagged in photos over the past few days, it is hilarious) and headed off to the local hotel and then into town. I won't go into details but it was a brilliant night and everyone was in such high, flying spirits. It was a fabulous night filled with lots of fun and laughter.

On Friday, I went and emptied my locker and returned the key. It was strange saying goodbye to the locker. It was originally my brother's locker but I given the locker when he finished. I have 'before' and 'after' photos down below. I used to get many compliments and funny conversation starters due to some of my posters, mainly Dan and Phil fandom members spotted them!

I also voted for the first time this week! If you've been living under a rock, Ireland had a referendum on marriage equality (also one on presidential candidate age - which was rejected) It was quite exhilarating being a part of democracy. On Saturday in between study breaks I checked the counts, literally whooping and cheering when I heard that the referendum passed! I'm so proud to be Irish, especially as we're the first country to pass gay marriage by popular vote.

The Squad on the last day!

Sending snapchats to Jane

One of my articles in the yearbook! I have to say I'm quite proud of this article.

Some lovely messages from my friends at the back of my yearbook! 

Before I emptied the locker.. 

After the locker was cleaned.. sad times..

*credit to Robyn Burton for the photos below*

Post-voting selfie!

So that's all from me, hope you enjoyed this post. Next time I write will most likely be after the Leaving Cert. Next week I have revision blocks in school then it's the exams - scary!

Stay Strong, Happy & Fearless!
Aveen 

The Worst Enemy To Creativity Is Self-Doubt ~Sylvia Plath

Hey Everyone!

This week was an utterly crazy and surreal week! I've been studying every night as my Summer Exams are starting next Tuesday *shaky laugh of fear* Due to studying I've been very quiet on the interwebs, my laptop wasn't used from Sunday until Friday evening! I guess it's good that I'm 'weaning' myself off the internet for when I'm in the Gaeltacht.

My awards ceremony in school was on Monday during school time. Basically it's awards from the school for good grades, attendance, sports, music, art, drama, public speaking and lots more. The Principal and Year Head give inspirational speeches about next year (Leaving Cert) and hand out awards whilst everyone else awkwardly claps.

It's quite difficult predicting if you'll get any awards, especially as there's over 250 students in my year all 'competing' for a limited number of awards. I was thrilled to receive 5 awards, it was a total and utter shock! I received two awards for public speaking, as I was a member of the school public-speaking team during the year. One was a little trophy from the school and one from Mental Health Ireland for participating in their public speaking competition. Another was for having a 'Star Journal' basically my journal was very tidy, another was an 'Academic' given only to the top 29 academically in the year, (I was so shocked because there's over 250 in the year) and the last award was being nominated for Student Of The Year, only ten people get nominated each year so I was screaming internally.

I was absolutely thrilled with my awards, I usually get a couple of awards each year but I felt absolutely ecstatic afterwards! Congrats to the boy and girl who won Student Of The Year (Won't name you as I didn't ask permission) you both genuinely deserve the award :D

I had some exams during the week, I had my German and Irish orals (a speaking test) during the school week which were quite stressful. It went well though, I learnt off my sraithpictiur so it went okay! My German teacher even gave me an A for my test so hopefully my written test on Tuesday will be okay.

Today I spent the morning studying, in particular Sylvia Plath for English. I only revised three poems in detail because I felt if I studied more I'd want to put my head in an oven like she did. (Bad pun I know) In honour of Plath and her poetry (which can be quite interesting but depressing)

Afterwards I went to my Cousin's Communion which was brilliant fun. There was two bouncy castle's so guess who went on both? Me, naturally. We all  had a brilliant time. My lovely Aunt gave me the Wi-Fi password so I spent the majority of the time sending snapchats and occasionally socialising.

 I titled this blog post using one of her quotes. I felt that it's a very accurate quote, self-doubt can destroy everything. It's something I suffer from a lot, worrying that I won't be ''good enough'' I feel that it's a huge problem within this current generation. We're all made to feel inadequate in all aspects of our lives, which isn't right. Even a simple awards ceremony like the one I was at this year made me worry about whether I was ''good enough'' to get any awards. I actually couldn't eat my lunch before the awards, I was that worried I'd end up with no awards and was anxious about how I would be perceived because of that.

 I think it's wrong that a girl should feel ill because she's scared she's going to fail. Why are we all trained to believe that we have to be the best and if we aren't the best we're ''failures'' or ''nothing''?  I was lucky, the odds were in my favour, but imagine my self-esteem if I didn't receive any awards? I don't like the feeling or opinion that because you didn't receive an award or the grade you desired that you're a 'failure.' I don't agree with it, especially as it's so prominent in school life. Everything is competition and you're 'inadequate' if you don't receive the best grades or if someone else gets a better mark.

 It feels like I'm in a constant rat race, everyone tries to be the best, but nobody is perfect. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. Nobody is perfect, it's an impossible expectation which we are all expected to reach, and feel inadequate because no matter how hard we try, we can't be perfect. Something's got to give. The ideology that we all have to perfect is ridiculous and causes further stress and anxiety, in particular to students. It's a marathon, not a sprint which is something everyone needs to remember.

So that's about it from me this week, I'll be spending the rest of the weekend studying, thankfully my exams begin on Tuesday and end on Thursday, then the summer holidays begin then I'm gone for three weeks to speak Irish in Galway, oops. 

 If you're doing exams, best of luck! You'll be grand!

Stay Strong, Happy & Fearless!

Aveen xx

Photo's from my week!

Selfie with my cousin..

I stole my brother's phone and sent snapchats to all his friends.. 

Selfie with The Sibling. I hope I got better genes.. ;)

Beside one of the bouncy castles!

My awards from the awards ceremony. *cries because shock*

One of my snaps

A random selfie with Dad. I think he'll have to practise the whole selfie thing.. 

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