“One down, half-a-dozen or so days to go.” That was the line catching the mood across Ireland as Leaving Cert exams got properly under way on Wednesday. After English Paper One and Home Economics, students could finally say the waiting was over and the run had begun.
There was relief in that. Maybe not celebration exactly, but a loosening of the shoulders. The first papers are now behind them, and for thousands of teenagers that matters. The build-up is one thing. Sitting down, opening the paper and getting through it is another.
The first stretch of the Leaving Cert exams is done
The opening day brought a mix of nerves, focus and, by evening, a bit of hard-earned perspective. Students, parents and teachers shared their thoughts as the exam season moved from anticipation to reality. Among those featured was Grace McNamara from Co Clare, who spoke about using a laptop in her exams and receiving an extra 10 minutes because of dyslexia — a small detail that says a lot about the different ways students experience the Leaving Cert exams.
That human side has been central to day one. Not just papers and predictions, but real students trying to steady themselves and keep going.
- English Paper One is finished
- Home Economics is complete
- Next up: English Paper Two for many students
- Engineering follows for some candidates
For Junior Cycle students, the week is moving too, with English and Religious Education set aside after the first day, and Irish and geography on the horizon.
As the Leaving Cert exams continue, the mood is likely to keep shifting — relief after one paper, worry about the next, then another fresh start the following morning. That is the rhythm of exam week.
Still, day one is day one. It is the barrier everyone wants to cross. Now it has been crossed. And as students head into the next round of Leaving Cert exams, the line of the day still holds up nicely: one down, a handful more to go.
Image Courtesy: The Irish Times
