Amongst the thousands of this year's Leaving Cert students, one is a little bit different.
Bernadette Hayden, from Co Kildare, sat the Leaving Cert Irish exam at 83 years old.
"It has been very challenging but so good for my brain," the grandmother added.
It was her work as a music teacher at the Kildare International School of Excellence at Herbert Lodge in the Curragh that first inspired Mrs Hayden to return to the Leaving Cert.
"Last year, I completed my Leaving Cert Music exam. I wanted to better understand what my students were going through and maybe give them a little help.
"And my grandson is doing his Leaving Cert next year so maybe by doing this I can help him better too," Mrs Hayden explained.
Mrs Hayden, who is originally from Co Limerick, first completed her Leaving Cert in 1958.
She admitted that back then she was "absolutely petrified" as she wanted to become a primary school teacher.
This time around, she found the support of her fellow pupils to be very inspiring.
"They were magnificent!" she said. "They couldn't be more helpful to me. They would check, 'are you sure now you have everything? Do you know the rules for this and that?' Mrs Hayden recalled.
Her advice for her fellow exam students is: "The results don't count. You have done your best. You have really tried. It mightn't be the path for you, what you had planned.
"But there are back doors to everything. And don't worry, you will realise your dreams."
When asked if she is tempted to study another Leaving Cert subject next year, Mrs Hayden response was an emphatic 'no'.
"My grandson is studying his Leaving Cert next year. It's his time to be in the sun," she explained.
Taoiseach Simon Harris phoned Mrs Hayden yesterday evening to wish her the best of luck and said, "she is an inspiration to many".
Mrs Hayden said she was thrilled to receive the phone call and "is on a high".
"The last time I spoke to someone from that echelon of public service was President Patrick Hillary," she added.
