My Leaving: I’m close to the finish line – but what course will I do?

There was a girl doing the Leaving Cert but she got into drink and drugs. She went to London to become a model, but she was still addicted to the drugs, so she become homeless. Luckily, a friend found her on the streets and brought her home.

That was what I wrote for my Leaving Cert Irish essay on Tuesday, so look out for the book next year!

All joking aside, I am wrecked. It’s been a heavy few days with two papers each in English, Irish and maths as well as the biology paper. And that biology paper was much tougher than I expected – far harder than our mocks.

Another surprise today was a question on the film Cáca Milis instead of the much-anticipated story, An Gnáthrud. Perhaps that's one that the class of 2019 can bank, but we were all a bit miffed.

Leaving Cert biology: all the bankers appear but smaller topics feature heavily

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Junior Cert CSPE: More challenging than in previous years

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Junior Cert Irish: Paper 1 ‘very much in line’ with previous years

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Marked for life – An Irishman’s Diary about my Leaving Cert English shame

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I’m very glad now that I have five full days before the next exams, with accounting on Monday and Spanish and chemistry on Tuesday.

I won’t spend all five days studying. I’ve a great plan for a well-earned lie-in on my first day off in ages, and I’m planning on heading to the beach near my home in Malin Head to clear my head before ploughing back into the books.

I’m so close to the finish line but, once I’m done, my brain pivots to a new question: what course will I do? I’ve put down general entry science in UCD on my CAO form but I’m still wavering.

Because of the change-of-mind facility, I have until the end of June to make up my mind, so that will dominate the last week of the month.

Then ... freedom? Well, the summer will be all about work and getting money together for college, wherever that is.

If not UCD, I’m looking at Sligo and Galway, but either way is too far to commute, so I will be moving out of home.

Wherever I end up, I hope I don't find myself travelling through a daunting hard border with Northern Ireland.

Sarah Monagle is a student at Carndonagh Community School in Co Donegal