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Should I repeat..?

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  • 20-08-2013 12:50pm
    #1
    ynwa14
    Registered Users Posts: 178 ✭✭


    Okay so I had a lot of issues with my CAO and health during the year and that's not really important, but I ended up applying for courses that I was interested in and thought I was likely to get. I honestly didn't expect to go above the 350 mark in my exams after the year I'd had and the amount of stick teachers gave me about being stupid/lazy and whatever.

    I got 550 points in my Leaving and I wasn't even happy because I realised what an idiot I was to let people beat me down about going for my dream course. If the grades I got were what I'd achieved with that going on, I can't help thinking I could have done *so* much more and even had a shot of doing well in the hpat and getting into medicine.

    I really hated school because I was in an environment where I couldn't make friends and between experiencing bullying (which was still going on in sixth year) and crippling social anxiety, I dont know if I could from the point of view of my mental health actually stand going back into a secondary school environment. I just wanted to get out of this city and have a fresh start somewhere else and try and make friends and put the past behind me.

    There's just a part of me that thinks what if I stuck it out one more year, wouldnt it be so worth it if I managed to get into medicine? Rather than spending four years on a course getting a 2:1 and then paying god knows how much for postgrad.

    I really am looking forward to (if not completely terrifed of) going to college, but this is just there in the back of my mind that maybe if I repeated and took Chemistry at HL (that and Irish were my two OL subjects) I might have a chance at getting into med next year, especially since I've got in the 190 region of my practice HPAT. Any advice? I'm kind of muddled and have to confirm course offers and accommodation and everything :(


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    #2
    aimzLc2
    Registered Users Posts: 662 ✭✭✭aimzLc2


    Hi I just repeated this year and it was the best decision I made! One year went so fast and then you can do what you actually want to do.i can't really advise you about going back , I always actually liked school so I can't really relate but maybe you just didn't like that school? And a new repeat school would be a fresh start. If you don't get med this year you could always do the course you are considering now but at least you gave it another try :)


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    #3
    OldNotWIse
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,468 ✭✭✭✭OldNotWIse


    I did my leaving a long time ago (2002) and missed out on what I wanted to do. I wanted to repeat but was talked out of it. Biggest mistake of my life so far. I took my second choice (science) and went with it. Now I have a chemistry degree that I do not need, want or use. I am now back at college anyway, doing what I love and loving every minute of it. It's never too late, but if you are certain of what you want, go for it! You'll find yourself going back to it eventually, if its what you really want. I hope it all works out for you :)


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    #4
    petronius
    Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭petronius


    Repeating is a big decision - but only repeat if you are going to do better
    I have seen a lot of people repeat only to get a similar result or minor improvement and not getting a significant change in what they wanted on the CAO

    The CAO should always be filled out as to what you want to do first and the go down. I am amazed how Career Guidance doesnt assist students doing this correctly when it is such a vital decision often costing people a year of study
    However it is only time and a year can be beneficial in many ways such as maturing or just preparing for college mentally.
    I also find the course I would have chosen at 17, would not have been the one i would choose at 20 or 25 or 30 funny that


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    #5
    syklops
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,969 ✭✭✭✭syklops


    ynwa14 wrote: »
    Okay so I had a lot of issues with my CAO and health during the year and that's not really important, but I ended up applying for courses that I was interested in and thought I was likely to get. I honestly didn't expect to go above the 350 mark in my exams after the year I'd had and the amount of stick teachers gave me about being stupid/lazy and whatever.

    I got 550 points in my Leaving (

    You got 550 points out of a maximum of 600 and you think you should repeat?

    If you want to do medicine contact the schools offering medical courses, and explain the situation to them.


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    #6
    ynwa14
    Registered Users Posts: 178 ✭✭ynwa14


    Thanks lads. I really do realise I messed up with the CAO stuff - did know the order of preference stuff but of course during the weekly "lets check on your cao form" classes with Career Guidance she'd force me to sit there and find courses that were on the lower side of 400 points to put down because I refused to apply for a PLC and she insisted I wouldn't get any offers. I did keep changing it back when I got home but eventually I started believing her and then I couldn't afford the HPAT so I guessed it wasn't meant to be.

    I will consider it, like my parents just suggested I take the Hpat this year and re apply with that but I feel like I'm cutting it very close, maybe if I'd managed to get 580 or something I'd have considered that but 550 is cutting it a bit fine, I'd be looking at having to hit the 200 mark in the test.


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