The Leaving

I seriously can't believe it's time for the Christmas holidays already. It could have been last week that I went down to my old school to discuss repeating with the vice-principal. Everyone told me this year would fly but I always had a sneaking suspicion that they were just telling me that to make me feel a bit better about the whole situation.
I don't mean for my first post to be a total downer, but honestly my decision to repeat was wrought with misery. It probably wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't sure I'd gotten my course. When I got my results last August I was de-lighted. I was sick a lot last year, and somewhere between all the sick days and regular hospital visits, the whole studying lark got left to the way side. The only serious study took place a couple of weeks before the exams started. No one was expecting me to do particular well, least of all me. I had tentatively aimed for 300 points, and when I realized I'd gotten 360 I spent the rest of the day grinning like an idiot. I wanted science at UCD, the points for which were 300 in 2008. 360 had to get me straight in, right?
I was obviously very wrong, the points for that particular course went up to 385. I spent a few days in denial thinking that I might have a chance of getting a second round offer before finally accepting that this was unlikely, and starting weighing up my options. After a pep talk from my older brother I decided against taking the offer of some random biochemistry course I'd only put down to fill the form, and then I swallowed my pride and rang my old school.
It was highly depressing going back and being treated like a kid again; I never thought I'd have to put up with being given out to about the state of my uniform again, or being made to stand up for being late for class. I mean honestly! I just turned nineteen, this is slightly ridiculous!
It's not all bad bad though. I do have a friend back repeating with me who shares my pain, and joins me whenever I want to rant about how stupid this year is compared to our old year (I'm just talking about sixth years at my school specifically, I'm sure the rest of you are very intelligent. Seriously though, some of these kids are so thick, this girl in my chemistry class once asked how much carbon human bodies produce. Words fail me.)
It can be a good laugh though and generally teachers seem to like repeats because we, like, know things(!) and apparently we're oh so mature now for making the tough decision to repeat. Four months in now and I can honestly say I don't regret going back, I'm learning a lot more this year than I did in the previous one and I've had time to reassess my first choice and decide that the course at TCD might be a better fit.

So anyway, I've got one full day of school left and that's it for 2009! Got an ice-skating trip planned for Tuesday and I've got some serious gift buying to do! I'll probably post again before the New Year but in case I don't enjoy your holidays everyone!