News
Taking the stress from exams
It’s the exam that still brings adults out in a cold sweat, years after they sat their final subject – and in less than two weeks, it is the turn of another generation of second-level graduates to sit their Leaving Cert.
It all starts on Wednesday week, June 8 – but already expectations and pressure are at fever pitch. So how do you manage and deal with all of that?
Loughrea-based Marie Barrett is one of the most respective careers guidance advisors in the country – and she knows how to deal with this pressure in a practical way.
Her first tip to students is to ‘make sure to use this last bit of time well – stay in school until it finishes’.
“Some students stay at home thinking they can study better there – but often they get distracted or nerves and anxiety take over. You are better off going to school and being amongst peers who are going through the same experiences,” she says.
At school, there is also the added benefit of having a teacher readily available to answer questions or queries which may help restore confidence and steady nerves.
Next, she recommends students ‘keep the body clock in time of school’ – that means going to bed at an appropriate hour and not staying awake trying to cram work in.
“It’s preferable not to burn the midnight oil; that can work against them and lead to blocking of information due to fatigue,” she explains.
Breaking the day into manageable blocks is a positive and productive step. Marie recommends two-hour blocks of study followed by a half-hour break and a good one and a half hour break during the day.
English is first up for Leaving Cert students on Wednesday week – and Marie Barrett says this ought to be treated “as a court of law”.
“In other words, everything you say, every opinion you give must be backed up with evidence. Find a relevant quote or passage to support your theory,” she expands.
For students taking ordinary level maths she advises, that – if it’s possible – they should still get two or three grinds, because it can still make a difference, particularly in terms of boosting university requirements for that subject.
When it comes to higher level Maths, she simply says: “Grinds have become synonymous with the honours maths” – and the majority of honours students are already receiving extra help.
Another very practical piece of advice is to ‘really look at the subject you’ll be studying’
“It may seem obvious, but many have faltered, even dropping out because they didn’t realise they would have to study X, Y, or Z as part of the course.
“Many students choose to do a business course, for example, without realising they will have to take accountancy as part of that course,” says Marie.
Reading the prospectus carefully and considering your subject choice is of paramount importance.
As for the step up to third-level, students have until July 1 to change their mind, make amendments or add courses to their CAO application.
All of this can be done online and Marie urges students to consider not just plan A, but plan B, C, and beyond.
“For now, it’s all about calmness and confidence,” she says – and as always; preparation is key.
“Know your timetable, have everything ready the night before, take breaks – go for a long walk, swim or gym. Have a massage to slow and calm you down – treat yourself,” she says.
And expect the unexpected.
“Every year, there are nearly certainly one or two papers tougher than anticipated. The upset from that can do damage to deal with the next subject,” she warns.
“When you look at a paper and you’re thrown, stop… count to ten… step back from it and read the question again. Highlight key phrases and avoid rushing in,” she adds.
Parents, for their part, can help by creating a calm environment, conducive to study at home – a healthy environment makes for a healthy mentality.
Marie also suggests parents should consider their words carefully – are they positive or negative?
Or as she puts it: “Do something nice for your stressed out child. An act of kindness can have a positive effect.”
Marie Barrett is founder and a director of MBCS, Marie Barrett Career Services in Loughrea. Email info@mbcs.ie
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
On the eve of completing his 150th marathon, an odyssey that has taken him across 53 countries, Loughrea’s Marathon Man has announced that he is planning to hang up his running shoes.
But not before Jarlath Fitzgerald completes another ten races, making it 160 marathons on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
“I want to draw the line in 2026. I turn 57 in October and when I reach 60 it’s the finishing line. The longer races are taking it out of me. I did 20 miles there two weeks ago and didn’t feel good. It’s getting harder,” he reveals.
“I’ve arthritis in both hips and there’s wear and tear in the knees.”
We speak as he is about to head out for a run before his shift in Supervalu Loughrea. Despite his physical complaints, he still clocks up 30 miles every second week and generally runs four days a week.
Jarlath receives injections to his left hip to keep the pain at bay while running on the road.
To give his joints a break, during the winter he runs cross country and often does a five-mile trek around Kylebrack Wood.
He is planning on running his 150th marathon in Cork on June 4, where a group of 20 made up of work colleagues, friends and running mates from Loughrea Athletics Club will join him.
Some are doing the 10k, others are doing the half marathon, but all will be there on the finishing line to cheer him on in the phenomenal achievement.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
From the Galway City Tribune – An impassioned plea for a ‘masterplan’ that would guide Galway City into the future has been made in the Dáil. Galway West TD Catherine Connolly stated this week that there needed to be an all-inclusive approach with “vision and leadership” in order to build a sustainable city.
Deputy Connolly spoke at length at the crisis surrounding traffic and housing in Galway city and said that not all of the blame could be laid at the door of the local authority.
She said that her preference would be the provision of light rail as the main form of public transport, but that this would have to be driven by the government.
“I sat on the local council for 17 years and despaired at all of the solutions going down one road, metaphorically and literally. In 2005 we put Park & Ride into the development plan, but that has not been rolled out. A 2016 transport strategy was outdated at the time and still has not been updated.
“Due to the housing crisis in the city, a task force was set up in 2019. Not a single report or analysis has been published on the cause of the crisis,” added Deputy Connolly.
She then referred to a report from the Land Development Agency (LDA) that identified lands suitable for the provision of housing. But she said that two-thirds of these had significant problems and a large portion was in Merlin Park University Hospital which, she said, would never have housing built on it.
In response, Minister Simon Harris spoke of the continuing job investment in the city and also in higher education, which is his portfolio.
But turning his attention to traffic congestion, he accepted that there were “real issues” when it came to transport, mobility and accessibility around Galway.
“We share the view that we need a Park & Ride facility and I understand there are also Bus Connects plans.
“I also suggest that the City Council reflect on her comments. I am proud to be in a Government that is providing unparalleled levels of investment to local authorities and unparalleled opportunities for local authorities to draw down,” he said.
Then Minister Harris referred to the controversial Galway City Outer Ring Road which he said was “struck down by An Bord Pleanála”, despite a lot of energy having been put into that project.
However, Deputy Connolly picked up on this and pointed out that An Bord Pleanála did not say ‘No’ to the ring road.
“The High Court said ‘No’ to the ring road because An Bord Pleanála acknowledged it failed utterly to consider climate change and our climate change obligations.
“That tells us something about An Bord Pleanála and the management that submitted such a plan.”
In the end, Minister Harris agreed that there needed to be a masterplan for Galway City.
“I suggest it is for the local authority to come up with a vision and then work with the Government to try to fund and implement that.”
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
