Why do we still have Leaving Cert dreams?
Why do we still have Leaving Cert dreams?
Words: Eva O’Beirne
With the Leaving Cert due to start tomorrow, we’re reminiscing on the strange Irish phenomenon of the “Leaving Cert Dream”.
Why do we get them? Why do they stay with us for so long? Why are they always about maths?
The “Leaving Cert Dream”, also known as the “Leaving Cert Nightmare”, has been experienced by 53 per cent of adults according to a poll by The Journal, with one in ten saying they regularly dream about their final secondary school exams.
Dr Vincent McDarby, President of the Psychological Society of Ireland has previously spoken about the topic, explaining that the phenomenon is “actually really common across cultures that have a similar education system to Ireland.”
“What I mean by that is there’s a lot of pressure and anxiety compressed into such a small period. There are a lot of commonalities among the same dream. For example, it’s an anxiety dream and it usually takes place just before the exam starts. Normally, the person that’s dreaming has usually forgotten to study,” he explained to the Irish Mirror.
“Many people will sit the exam but the dream usually captures the anxiety and panic beforehand. Sometimes, there are other features – like you’re in your pyjamas or naked – but what you’re mainly looking at is that it tends to happen to people at times of great anxiety and stress.”
As students gear up to sit the first “normal” Leaving Cert in two years, we’d like to wish them the best of luck. Oh and prepare yourself for the endless tweets on results day of grown men making it all about themselves. Sure be grand.
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