Momin Bari is studying seven higher-level subjects and also French at ordinary levelMomin Bari: 'My dad didn’t go to college. He wants me to live the college life that he couldn’t do when he was younger.' Fri Jun 05 2026 - 06:01 • 2 MIN READSeventeen-year-old Momin Bari from Dublin is the first in his family to sit the Leaving Cert – and that brings a very particular kind of pressure.He’s young by today’s standards to be sitting the Leaving, having opted to bypass Transition Year, but that’s not stopping him from putting in a serious number of hours with the books. He’s hoping to study either Economics and Finance, or Commerce, and he’s certainly feeling the intensity of the whole thing. “Especially because I skipped [TY] as well – so I haven’t had a proper break. And also I need to put in a lot of hours of work every day.”His parents have pointed to the importance of the exams. He’s heard from them also that UCD is a good college. “UCD is probably the main college I’m trying to get into for business,” he says. “My dad didn’t go to college. He wants me to live the college life that he couldn’t do when he was younger.” Bari is studying seven higher-level subjects, and is taking French at ordinary level, outside of school, so as to meet his desired course requirements. Business and history are his favourite subjects. He’s worried most about maths. “I’m doing higher-level maths for the bonus points. Other than that, I’d probably do ordinary level. But those extra points really mean a lot.”[ Does the Leaving Cert prepare you for life? Singer Mary Coughlan and a school principal debateOpens in new window ]He has been taking grinds in maths, which has helped with his confidence. “Before, I was pretty weak, but you need to put in the hours obviously if you want to get better.”So how many hours is Bari putting in? “I’d say anywhere between six to 10 hours” per day, he says. “I make sure I wake up early, and I’m sleeping well and eating well,” he says. He enjoyed going to the gym regularly over the last number of years, but he’s frozen his membership since May so as to focus on his studies.“I played football and I did boxing last year as well, but I stopped both for the Leaving Cert.”He sees his friends at the library, and will play the odd game of football. “Also, I study with one of my friends on a call. We have the cameras on, but we mute the microphone and then we study together. That’s a big motivation as well.”His is a double-exams household, as his younger sister is sitting the Junior Cycle exams. As the eldest, he feels he needs to set an example. “If I don’t do good, then it maybe sets a tone for the rest of my siblings.”IN THIS SECTION