Student reveals the secret to his success

A former Gort Community School student who sold his Leaving Cert notes on Internet auction site eBay, is now collaborating on another online project in an effort to support himself through college.
Website mocks.ie, founded by entrepreneurs and brother and sister team Ailish (30) and Eoghain (33) Ryan in late 2009, has enlisted the help of two students who racked up straight As in their Leaving Certs, to provide comprehensive study notes for second-level students.
Cillian Fahy (pictured with his Leaving Cert results) from New Quay in North Clare is studying English and mathematics at Trinity College Dublin after receiving seven As in his Leaving Cert which he sat last year. He, along with Dubliner James Esses who earned 590 points in his Leaving Cert in 2010, is now collaborating with mocks.ie in an effort to provide comprehensive, up-to-date, grade-A standard revision notes.
Fahy shot to fame in August 2010 when, after receiving straight As in his Leaving, he came up with the ingenious idea of selling his study notes on eBay. Since last September the young entrepreneur has been writing a very popular Leaving Cert series in the Irish Times. In his articles, Cillian offers Leaving Certificate advice on numerous subjects highlighting where the battle for an A is won or lost.
“Since September I have been writing in the Irish Times and running through Leaving Cert advice. That has been really good fun and really well received and very popular as well. I have also been working for Mocks.ie. They approached me around the beginning of this year. They heard about me and seen my piece in the Irish Times.
“They started compiling and selling revision notes this year, prior to that I think they had been selling mock exams to teachers and students and also correcting mocks for students.
“I had heard of them myself and thought it was a great idea and to be honest I was sorry I didn’t think of it myself. They have loads of services now but my major focus with them is the revision notes. They approached me and said they had heard of me and thought it would be really good to put something together. They put me in touch with the top teachers around the country and I collaborated with them in putting together some notes so now there are notes there which have had input from teacher and student perspectives,” Cillian told The Clare Champion.
“All I can say is that if I had mocks.ie during my Leaving Certificate study, I am certain that it would have been twice if not three times easier. I hope future students take full advantage of this new, exciting opportunity. Your grades will thank you,” he added.
As well as his work with the Irish Times, and with mocks.ie, Cillian has also been teaching grinds to students sitting their Leaving Cert.
“I am doing a number of different tuition classes for students around Dublin. That is eating up a lot of my time especially at the moment. Then I have my college exams at the end of May so there is a lot of study to do as well. It has been hard to juggle it all but I think I am doing ok. I haven’t had too much time to go out though,” he outlined.
After his exams, Cillian has further plans to put his organisation and study skills to good use.
“I have something planned for the summer but I am not ready to reveal what it is just yet. Since I sold my notes last year online, I have done a lot of media and have appeared on television and radio. That has been good fun. Overall I am really enjoying what I am doing and you can do anything when you enjoy it,” Cillian concluded.