KEEPING COOL is very important when going through a testing time. Hard work usually pays off, but confidence and not allowing pressure to get to you are essential at exam time.
Some 200 students were being put to the test at Malahide Community School in Co Dublin yesterday morning, when they faced Paper II of the English Leaving Cert exam, which, at three hours and 20 minutes, is one of the longest tests.
Paper II often causes problems for students due to the unpredictable nature of the poetry section but, as with Wednesday's English Paper I, there were few complaints as students emerged from the exam hall.
"It could have been a lot worse," said one girl.
Another group of students took shelter beneath a bicycle rack outside the exam hall and waited for a shower to pass.
"That was the easiest thing I have ever come across in my life," claimed confident Malahide student Conor McCormack.
At exam time a schedule of steady preparation is the key, or so students are lead to believe, but McCormack begged to differ.
"I hadn't really studied anything properly, so I woke up at half five in the morning, started making notes on certain things, and then everything just came up. It was so easy."
With maths and geography on his plate this morning, would McCormack be taking a gamble on what comes up again?
"Eeeh, well I'm a pretty lucky guy, but no, I think I'll have to do some work. I'm going home now because I'm knackered, and then I'll worry about studying for them later on."
Patricia McDonagh, deputy principal of Malahide Community School, said most students were pleased with the papers and handling the Leaving Cert experience well.
"We just tell them to do their best. I disagree strongly with all the emphasis people and the press put on exams because I just feel it puts far too much pressure on them. It's all hyped way out of proportion. It's an exam, not the end of the world, and we just tell them to do their best."
Malahide student Emma Boyne said although the poetry question was tricky, she was pleased with the paper overall. "Eavan Boland didn't come up in the poetry - everyone expected her to - but what can you do? I had studied someone else too, so I was grand."
