We are all delighted in St. Mary’s Knockbeg College to hear that our past pupil, Brodie Feeney, has been awarded the Trinity College Dublin Entrance Exhibition Award as the incoming student with the highest points from their public exams from our school. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Trinity College had their awards ceremony last Thursday online. We caught up with Brodie to ask him about the past year.
What was your experience of the Leaving Cert like?
My experience of the leaving Cert was definitely unusual, especially considering how quickly we had to adjust from classroom teaching to the new normal. For me, there was a lot of hushed nervousness before leaving, especially considering we had only received our mocks within days previous to the switch. Although in reality, I found it quite easy to adjust. Once I found a routine it was not that bad to be honest. Obviously once the leaving cert was cancelled it was a relief but that brought a different sort of nervousness with it, especially in the final weeks when results and offers were coming out, considering your marks were in part up to others opinions of your capabilities rather than your own merit. Aside from the technicalities of the LC, I think the biggest let down of the entire thing was missing out on both Grad and the Debs.
How did you feel when you heard that you were a recipient of the award?
I was surprised. I had not expected to be contacted or to receive any awards so when the email popped up in my inbox it was quite the pleasant surprise.
What did your parents say when you told them?
I’m the eldest of the family and first to go through college so this is as much of a new experience for them as it is for me. They didn’t know about the award beforehand, so as well as being proud I think they were relieved that I would be buying my own books out of the rewarded voucher.
What course are you studying?
I’m studying Business, Economics and Social Sciences (BESS). I’ve always been interested in the social sciences and while I saw the Business and Economics side of the course to be simply practical, I have come to enjoy them just as much.
How has covid-19 affected your experience of college life?
Drastically, but there are silver linings. I had planned to be living in Trinity Halls during my first year but as we haven’t had a single class on campus it was probably for the best. While it is draining to be stuck at home all the time, I feel like I’ve done better in my studies since there is way less distraction. I’ve still been able to meet a few people through classes and through societies so that aspect of college life hasn’t been totally lost.
