Missing out on points didn't stop me getting where I wanted to go

My memories of the Leaving Cert are a little different from most because I was in boarding school.

I had lots of people around me in the same boat, so we were there to support each other. I wasn't just aware of my own last night jitters but everyone else's as well. People were outwardly calm, saying they had done all they could. Inside I was really very nervous indeed and woke up at four in the morning for some last minute cramming.

I was worried about how the English paper would go as I loved the subject and wanted to do well. In the end I needn't have worried - it was a great paper and I got a B1 which I was delighted with.

I was banking on history - that was the one I thought would go really successfully. On the day, it turned out to be a total disaster - nothing I was expecting came up and none of the questions were worded the way I wanted. I panicked and that made things worse. It was a real heartbreaker. I had worked so hard and it was my favourite subject. I made a complete mess of it. I couldn't believe it.

I continued to feel pretty stressed throughout the weeks of the Leaving Cert.

I would go for jogs or long walks between studying to try and calm down and work off some of the nerves. I also found chatting to my friends very reassuring. I had big plans for the summer so day-dreaming and planning for those was an effective distraction as well.

My parents were very supportive, they didn't put pressure on me or interfere with my studies. However, they didn't really have to put up with me and my nerves because I was away at boarding school.

Had I been at home it might have been a different story.

It wasn't all doom and disaster during the Leaving, however. I remember the weather was fabulous that year so when I had a few days off, I would study outside in the sun. The rest of the school had cleared off, the teachers were extra nice to you so we had great craic together in our hour of need.

As soon as the exams were over I took off to Greece and started a new life, as far away from books and exams as I could get. I spent three months working behind a bar at night and cleaning toilets all morning.

I was hoping to study communications at Dublin City University. I needed 460 points for that course, which was very popular then too. Unfortunately, I missed it by just five points. I got the 460 they were looking for the previous year and thought I was home and dry, but the course jumped to 465.

It was a real disappointment to get so close and still not make it. I ended up going to UCD instead but I didn't stay long as I left to work in TV after one year.

However, the Leaving Cert, and all the CAO drama, doesn't really have a bearing on what I'm doing now. Missing out on the points I needed didn't stop me from getting where I wanted to go.

I was a bit of a messer all through school so I'm glad I got my act together for my final year. I worked hard and was happy with my points. Working hard under pressure is something I still enjoy so I guess it was good preparation for working life in that way.

For students taking the exams today, I say relax. You have no idea where life will take you in the future so just treat the exam as another challenge to be overcome, and then move on.

If you have put in the ground work, all you can do is your best. You will face much more difficult struggles in your life so points are not the end of the world.

I didn't get my first choice in college and completed one year in UCD, before leaving to start work in TV. I think being educated is one of the most important things in the world but education comes in many different forms, living your life to the full being one of them.

In an interview with Louise Holden