The End Of An Era

Now that my exams are over and I have graduated, I am officially finished with secondary school. I thought that I wouldn't be emotional or reminisce like my classmates as I couldn't wait to get out. But as a matter of fact leaving a place where you spent 6 years of your life, surrounded by the same people it's quite emotional and hard to come to terms with. 

I wasn't going to this post but I asked on twitter and the majority of you said you would love to read it. So here it is, my feelings, thoughts and emotions now that I have left secondary school.

As I said earlier I couldn't wait to be finished and out the gap. Even the weeks coming up to graduation I was so delighted that I would finally be finished with school forever. It wasn't until the day of graduation when it hit me. A great friend of mine, Niamh, made a video for my year full of pictures and memories from the six years we spent together. I realised then how many memories and great things that I forgot about. I legit was sobbing through the whole video!

On the first day of school I was a shy twelve year old who's biggest worry was what hairband I would wear that day. If you told me back then what I was going to face in the coming years and how much I would grow up I honesty would not have believed you. Over the six years I have found who I am, what I believe in and what I love to do. And along that journey I found my friends that are more like family to me. 

Even though my year has reduced from ninety to sixty students over the six years, we went through that awkward stage together, sat state exams together, we grew up together. We arrived in first year as children and are now leaving sixth year as adults, young men and women ready to face and take on the world.

It's weird to think that I'm leaving my comfort zone behind. Moving on from the familiar corridors, faces and not so comfortable uniform. It is honestly quite terrifying. But now, after the exams are over and everything has sunk in, I need to remember the amazing memories I have made over the past six years and the fact that I have met some incredible people. 

I guess I couldn't wait to leave school because my last two years there haven't been too great since I got sick. On that day of graduation I started to remember the good times, the great memories and the people who have stuck by me through thick and thin. I am so thankful for everyone, my friends, fellow students and teachers who have all helped to shape and mould the person I now am. I honestly can't believe how much I have changed and grown (as a person not in height, unfortunately) in the past six years.

 Even though I will miss the familiar place and faces, I'm ready to move on and start doing things and studying subjects that I love. I'm ready to grow more as a person and make new friends and see new places. The one thing that I don't want to change is the languages I can speak, especially Irish. I attended an all Irish secondary school and I do not regret it for a minute. Although it was hard at the start I can now say that I am so proud of our language, I love listening to music through Irish and I hope I'll still be using and speaking the language in the years to come.  

If I were to give advice to someone who is going to start secondary school or who is younger than me in school I would say three things:

1. Stay true to yourself - whether that is not going to a disco or not underage drinking, your older self will thank you for staying you. 

2. Talk about how you feel - how you mentally feel or how you feel about a certain friendship or relationship. Not everyone can read minds and more often then not it is so much better once you tell someone how you feel.

3. Boys are stupid - a little less deep and meaningful than the other two! Most guys my age still act like they're twelve and they're immature, honestly don't get too caught up with them. Someday they'll grow up and act their age and not their shoe size. 

I want to say thank you. To anyone reading this who taught me, was in my year or in my school. Thank you for putting up with me for six years and helping to shape me into the person I am today. Thank you for supporting me through the bad times and celebrating with me in the good times. Thank you for everything, I really couldn't have done it without you. 

Ailbhe x