Lessen the media hype around the Leaving Cert

With the beginning of the Leaving Certificate exams, so also begins the media coverage of the exam. I actually think that most of this coverage is ‘hype’ and very unhelpful ‘hype’ at that.

While the Leaving Cert is a big event, ultimately it’s just another step along the journey of life. I am now 49 years old and have completed three Leaving Certs in my time.

I did the first when I was 17 years old and to be honest, it didn’t mean very much to me at the time. I completed the other two as a mature student (in my 20s), because I decided to go to college. I might never have succeeded in my return to education, had it not been for the experience of completing that first Leaving Cert, when I was 17.