Diary of a Head Girl

Head Girl Mary Quill writes about her experiences in Leaving Cert so far.

The year is absolutely flying, only a week left until Christmas exams start, so serious pressure is on, between orals, projects, finishing course work and trying to get a bit of revision done in between. Needless to say, we’re stressed! Yet it seems like we’ve done so much more this year aswell. The trip to the Gaeltacht was fantastic, five of us 6th years went along with a good few from 5th year and TY, and of course Ms Troy and Ms Kelleher! We packed so much into the 3 days; playing the worst game of football ever on Inch beach, visiting the aquarium, listening to Dara O Cinnéide, enduring a céilí with one hundred 15 year old boys from Limerick (our Transition Years didn’t seem to mind though!), wall-climbing, and even survived a trip out to Fungi. The Bean an Tí’s were lovely (so were the dinners) and we definitely came home with a greater love for the language.

UCC seems to have become our second home this year, and with the CAO deadline getting closer and closer, it’s a good thing. Many of the girls go studying in the college on the weekends for free, we’ve been going to the Open Days as well as different revision seminars the odd Saturday and we even spent a Thursday night there for a Chemistry Quiz recently (what have our lives come to!). These little visits to the university, as well as open days in CIT and careers exhibitions in the Rochestown Park are brilliant for showing us all of our options for next year (although sometimes I think the more choice, the harder it is to make a decision!). Anyhow, we’re getting a glimpse into third-level life, which is both exciting and scary!

And I can’t go without mentioning our fabulous camogie player Emma Sharpe, who captained her team, Brian Dillon’s, to Minor ‘B’ County Championship victory last month. We’re all extremely proud of her! Oh, and I almost forgot, we, as sixth years with what seem like very difficult lives, have been given our own mini kitchen where we can make tea and soup and toast, vital for lasting through those long days of supervised study. What more could you want!

Mary Quill - Head Girl, St Patrick’s College Cork.