Editorial: Exams are just a small part of life 

Yesterday, almost 4,800 Donegal students began their Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations.

Examinations are a part of life, but they do not define the individual that wants to fulfil an ambition or has a goal. 

In such circumstances tenacity, determination, a willingness to learn from challenges and mistakes as well as a little bit of luck can often be equally if not more important determining factors in how one succeeds on the journey that is life.  

For older generations, it's fair to say that they had to wander a path in life that in general, was far less complicated, than when their generation sat examinations.

Information and communication were in the hands of the few as it is equally recalled by those of a certain age that free education for secondary school students did not come to fruition until 1967.

Today, students are quite literally bombarded daily with truths and mistruths. 

And while poverty is still very much in evidence, for an older generation, it was experienced a lot closer in many more homes and a good education was often the freedom key that unlocked a whole lifetime of potential.    

Teachers today are equipped with skill sets that were not available to their predecessors, so students receive a more empathetic education, with a knowledge that hopefully prepares them for life, not just their next set of examinations.

Equally, examinations cannot simply be dismissed as some sort of necessary empty formula that moves you onto the next stage of life.

Preparing for examinations, having plotted out study schedules and time allotments are just as important in preparing students for life’s journey ahead.

As we wish continued success to all Donegal students, remember that while it is not always possible to be the best, it is good in trying to be your best.

But if it does not happen on the day, there will always be another as Rome was never built in a day!