leaving cert ...

LegacyUser

Long time poster on boards, but i'd rather remain unknown....

i got my leaving cert results today, and i severly didnt get what i hoped for...

needless to say i failed two subjects... one of them a important one,

now my total marks come to between 100 and 200....

i feel i cant look people in the eye, i feel people in my year think i'm a waster and a loser...

the only people that know my real result are my school and my parents, everyone else i lied to, which i find upsetting to have to do...

but i'm ashamed to tell people my real result.... has anyone got any advice?

munkeehaven

well it's hard to think of something to say....my friend failed a lot of her subjects and just ran away and wouldn't even talk to me..i did well so saying anything to her sounds a bit contrived coming from me...but i have to ask this...did you study?? you have to ask ''why did i get these results?''. i studied hard so i was expecting to do reasonably well...i don't know what advice to give you..just try to swallow your pride and think of what options you have next year,talk about it with your parents and your teachers.

LegacyUser

I failed my LC too, much to my embarrassment. I did absolutely no studying and what I regret most about this episode is that I didn't push my parents more to let me repeat, instead I was shoved into a secretarial course and have since ended up doing jobs that I've no interest in. I'm now planning to go back to college and get out of this rut.
My advice?? distance yourself from the embarrassment, give yourself a couple of days to accept how you did and then honestly ask yourself if you would do better by repeating or indeed if college is what you really want to do. Don't get pushed into doing something you don't want to do because others think that's all you're good for.
You're worth so much more than results on a poxy exam that is certainly not representative of your capabilities.

GuanYin

Failed the LC wrote:

Long time poster on boards, but i'd rather remain unknown....

i got my leaving cert results today, and i severly didnt get what i hoped for...

needless to say i failed two subjects... one of them a important one,

now my total marks come to between 100 and 200....

i feel i cant look people in the eye, i feel people in my year think i'm a waster and a loser...

the only people that know my real result are my school and my parents, everyone else i lied to, which i find upsetting to have to do...

but i'm ashamed to tell people my real result.... has anyone got any advice?

Well first off, there is no shame your in LC results.

If you did your best, then thats your result, it doesn't say ANYTHING abut you, or your potential. The LC is a really high pressure stressful exam, that is probably the worst indication of a persons potential, out of all the exam systems out there. All it means is that the exam system, probably didn't suit you. So don't read into it in the sense of "your worth".

If you didn't really work at it, then well, lesson learnt, maybe if you apply yourself and try again, you will do better. A second time round is often a good thing, you'll be older, you'll know exactly whats requried of you and perhaps it'll give you more motivation.

The thing is, what do you want to do exactly. Do you want to go to college or start a job? Neither door is closed to you by any means. PLC courses are often referred to as "back doors" into college. If you're unsure, my advice is to go see a professional carrer guidance councellor. It costs about 50 quid but it will be well worth it as the advice will be realistic, professional and objective.

To paraphrase Fight Club, you are NOT you're LC results. Sit down and decide what you want. If you know where you're going and are determined, you'll get there in the end. No matter what any piece of paper says.

Good luck man.

Beruthiel

Failed the LC wrote:

but i'm ashamed to tell people my real result.... has anyone got any advice?

no need whatsoever to be ashamed
there isn't one of us in here that hasn't failed at something in our lives, in fact failing and getting back up again is what makes us all stronger people.

the sky hasn't fallen in, nobody died
just pick yourself up and get on with repeating, you're real friends will think nothing less of you, they are not your friends because of a LC result are they now?
relax, take a deep breath and carry on, you'll be grand
a

seamus

It's not the end of the world. In 3 month's time, no-one will even ask how many points you got.
Sit down with your parents. Write down all your options on a piece of paper.

And don't panic. The LC is one insignificant piece of worry in a long, long life.

keu

there are so many succesful people who weren't great achievers in school, (richard branson of Virgin)
Do a google on it, will make you feel better.
You can still be succesful, pick up your spirit and know your life is only beginning, you have everything to live for.
Freinds of mine who failed their leaving cert (because of personal issues) went back and did repeat and they have become the most succesful people out of our graduation year.
no worries.

seamus

Actually, as much as you might not feel like it, go out tonight and get pissed. You'll feel a lot less **** tomorrow. Trust me.

AngryBadger

If you wanted to do better then repeat the leaving cert this year. Make that decision in your own head right now, and accept the results you've got, then dismiss them, and start planning for the repeat year. Once you've done that, go out and celebrate with your friends.

ravenhead

I know exactly how you're feeling.. the same things happened to me when I did my LC but one of the subjects I failed was maths so I had no choice, I couldn't go to collage to do what I wanted to do..(At least what I thought I wanted to do) - So I repeated, It was the longest year ever or so I thought, but by the end of it I was more sure of what I really wanted to do & infact ended up choosing a completely different field & I'm very happy with my choice.

Try to forget about it for the moment - there isn't anything you can do about it now.. Go out with your friends tonight & have a ball!! You won't get this day back so enjoy it - even if it's a little bittersweet .....

Best of luck in whatever you decide to do

Idbatterim

I got 350 and considered that awful, i did next to no study for any exam. You should go out tonight and try and forget about it regardless, at least you now know what is required now, you should weigh up your options, but if i were you id have another go at it. Think of it this way, exactly one year from now do you want to have a leaving cert and college options or ..............

ThreadKiller

You obviously feel that you have to do well in exams to do well in life. Personally I can't understand this attitude.

As mentioned there are a load of people out there who did well without doing well in school. I failed my inter-cert & didn't sit my leaving. I earn €40k a year. Not bragging & obviously an education is important for the likes of doctors or solicitors, but it's not for normal things.

I've only been asked once what I got in my leaving cert when being interviewed, I lied & got the job anyway - ended up staying there until they closed (moving up through the ranks), the next job I doubled my salary on.

Exams are the wrong way to find out someone's potential, the sooner people realise this the better. Qualifications aren't worth zip if you can't step up & do the job.

ravenhead

ThreadKiller wrote:

You obviously feel that you have to do well in exams to do well in life. Personally I can't understand this attitude.

As mentioned there are a load of people out there who did well without doing well in school. I failed my inter-cert & didn't sit my leaving. I earn €40k a year. Not bragging & obviously an education is important for the likes of doctors or solicitors, but it's not for normal things.

I've only been asked once what I got in my leaving cert when being interviewed, I lied & got the job anyway - ended up staying there until they closed, the next job I doubled my salary on.

Exams are the wrong way to find out someone's potential, the sooner people realise this the better. Qualifications aren't worth zip if you can't step up & do the job.

Very true threadkiller! but there's nothing worse than some snottynosed kid coming straight from collage into the same job as you doing the same work as you & even though you have more years put into the company & more on-the-job experience then them, & they are still getting paid more then you! ... I've seen it happen, maybe it's just the industry that I work in but in a lot of jobs you do need that little piece of papers - that's when it all comes down to what you really want out of life

Idbatterim

Threadkiller is right, theres a big difference between practice and theory!

flogen

when I got my results I was under everything I applied for.. needless to say I was seriously pissed, didn't know what to do.
My results wernt bad, just not good enough, then I looked into PLC's, something I never even considered (I'll admit I childishly looked down on them). Sadly (at the time) I missed out on the PLC course I wanted.. and things were looking really crap..
I ended up working in a shop for the year (my planned career, journalism, isn't something you can just get a job in!) and started the next year.
Thinking about it, my life would have been so different had I gotten the points I wanted. And maybe for the worst. There are so many friends I have I would never know, so many things I wouldnt have had the chance to do, and so much stuff I wouldnt be doing if I was in "proper" college now.
I know its hard to believe now, but things will work out. If you want to do something (whatever that is), there are so many ways to get there. Whatever can be said about the Irish education system, it certainly isn't all up to one day or one set of exams. You could repeat, go to PLC, get a job in a related place and try for a night course with their money, go back as a mature student... so much stuff.

And PLC courses are so much better than some people think. Sadly they can be underfunded, but the staff in my experience are second to none.

flogen

ThreadKiller

ravenhead wrote:

there's nothing worse than some snottynosed kid coming straight from collage into the same job as you doing the same work as you & even though you have more years put into the company & more on-the-job experience then them, & they are still getting paid more then you!

Not for me, I'm their boss

I fired a guy last year after four weeks on the job - four years of college, degree & qualifications coming out his ass. Didn't know how to F/Disk. Too bad, so sad, bye bye...

mycroft

I was in a similar situation about (oh sweet jebsus it was ten years ago)

I did bad. Couldn't get the points for anything I wanted. Not helped by the fact that my girlfriend got near perfect points and most of our mates did really well.

Frankly I was gutted. Comtemptable a last minute place in the UK, it was one of the worse feelings in the world going back on my first day in school, while all my friends started college. Miserable for months in fact.

But I spoke to my guidance councillor, I had hoped to do communications in DCU or DIT, I talked about wanting to be a filmaker. He suggested I try one of the Diploma courses in DunLaoghaire or Ballyfermot, which required a portfoillo more than grades.

While the rest of the school sat mocks I made some (terrible, I mean woeful) sort films, took some bad photos and wrote some dire scripts.

But it got me into Ballyfermot, and I now work in my choosen field. Ultimately having to repeat my leaving cert was the best thing that ever happened to me.

But god I hated it.

I'm still friends with most of the people I was with then. Talk to them. More than anything they'll help you through this. Look at your options, and decide what you want to do.

Good luck and keep us posted.

knifey_spoonie

I know You've heard it a hundred times before and it seems like total bull , but it really aint the end of the world. I got the very last course on the list and I've just had the most unbelievable year of my life , it was feckin great. I can only imagine what would happen if I got what I wanted and went to Dublin.
Well what I'm saying is that if you work at whatever you end up with you will be able to turn it to your advantage. Be that putting the head down for another sh*tty year (and it is a sh*tty year, noone will argue that) and getting the points you want. Or doing something mad , a guy I know just fecked off into the merchant navy for a 15 month stint when he ditnt get what he wanted.
oh and even if you did doss and smoke your brains out during the year , you still neednt be guilty!

BuffyBot

As others have said, at some stage in life we all fail at something. No need for shame on guilt

Take some time, think it over - do you want to repeat, was it because you didn't put the work in, what you can do now - and then dust yourself off and go from there.

It isn't the end by any means.

Sleepy

You'll be grand. It happens thousands of people your age every year and most people I know that have repeated found the process good for them.

emertoff

Don't worry. The reverse is also true. I got a great LC, went to Uni, and am now slugging it out alongside all the other wage-slaves in this world.
Repeat if you want to, but you can also do something more practical. Even if you had a particular career in mind, you can always work your way up. I know lots of guys that benefitted from having practical experience as opposed to 4 years of college. And there are so many people in adult education now, you can get into a course as a mature student in a couple of years if you do want a degree. The rest of it is just pure academic snobbery. I would have much preferred to get a trade behind me, such as plumbing or something. A decade ago, I would have sneered at the idea. You have your whole future ahead of you. The LC is just one hurdle of many. Ignore it and move on.

Headshot

im doing my LC in the ist week in june next year any one have advice
lets just say i hate school but one of those thing you have to do if you want a good job lets just say i didnt really bother doing any study in 5th year
need a little help

LegacyUser

Man if you failed from doing **** all, then I would not worry. I imagine that is the case to be perfectly honest seeing as you can type just fine not that it is anything to go by. But if you are seriously bothered and know you can do better and feel the need to prove to yourself you can, then repeat. The question is how badly do you want it?

Good luck either way.

Moonbeam

*hugs*

U passed 5 subjects didn't u? Then u passed ur leaving cert.

I found the leaving cert traumatic and did pretty crap too.

I couldnt face the thoughts of repeating either and there is no need to if what you want to do is available as a plc course or in an institute of technology.

Work really hard in life and be what ever you want to be.

Sarn

Lots of sound advice above. You need to sit down and really think what will make you happy. So many LCerters have these idealised dreams of what they want to be, not realising what they are actually getting into (medic friends of mine often go out of their way to convince people not to do medicine!). University etc. places are not the be all and end all.

Also don't try getting into something because it's the current flavour of the year (excluding medicine, physio etc.). Make a choice based on interest, not what can my points buy me. Remember computers back in the late 90's. Everything has it's highs and lows. Just because something is down at the moment doesn't mean it won't be important by the time you finish your course.

Next week poor people will be missing out on medicine or some other high placed course by a handful of points thinking that that is the end of the world. Sometimes it can be a blessing, it gives you a chance to stop, weigh up your options, take a new direction.

If you really feel bad about your points you can always repeat, as has been suggested. That was a decision I made many moons ago and have never regretted since. Sometimes you need a shock to the system to get yourself in gear. You're still young, plenty of potential.

rainbow kirby

*hugs original poster*
Tonight? Go. Get hammered. Don't even think about the actual results. Tonight's the night to go and get drunk with your classmates one last time.
When this hangover wears off, that's when the thinking starts. Trust me, I know about this. I failed all 3 subjects in college this summer. That messed me up really bad. I hadn't a clue what I was going to do because I was half thinking of just resitting 2nd year with different subjects, and even starting to think about other courses altogether. I decided to repeat the exams anyway. It's been the crappiest summer of my life, but with 3 exams to go i think I've managed to dig myself out of this mess. I've decided to go into 3rd year of my course, with a few slight changes. I've also kinda come to see that I've been a waster all year and how screwed up my head was in the summer.
So that's enough ranting about myself, back to your situation.
If you've failed a major subject, maybe repeating is the best option. If you work hard, your results should be much improved next year. And also sometimes the extra time concentrates the mind, and it helps you to think about what's really right for you. And remember: you're still young. Loads of time to decide what you want to do with your life.
*hugs again*

cormie

The leaving cert is not a test of intelligence. The more you study it, the more you will succeed in it. It's quite a stupid test and there is way to big a deal made over it.

Personally I knew nothing I ever wanted to do would be impacted by how well I do in the leaving cert which is why I didn't study it. I got less than 200 points. I passed on general knowledge you could say.

I'm currently doing an apprentice in carpentry. Great career to get if that's what your into. Takes 4 years, but you get paid whilst doing it and you can travel the world with the qualification. You don't even need the LC to do it. I knew this is what I wanted to do so I didn't bother stressing over the LC. I was sent to my room to study but it just wasn't for me. I'd just sit there doodling and sketching various things. I don't want to do this for the rest of my life. I want to try loads of different things but to have this as a back-up and to always have it behind me is going to be great. www.poker.ie is my side project. Doing pretty well considering we haven't even started properly. I'd also like to chance my arm as a pro poker player. My friend is doing well at it. You don't need a leaving cert for that. Totally different type of intelligence involved in such a subject.


If you do know what you want to do and it does need a good leaving cert I can only suggest repeating and knuckling down as they say. Or maybe there is a different route to take for it? Private college maybe?

Just be sure you know what you want to do, think about the future whilst contemplating. Do you want to do it as a full time job for what will probably the next 40 years of your life etc.

One thing you should know is by repeating, you will not be behind any of your "intelligent" friends. They will be so pleased with their high results they may go for the course that requires the highest amount of points, just because they can. This time next year they will have probably dropped out. Have a part time job waiting for the next year for enrollment. Have a good think about what it is you want.

There are plenty of successful people who don't have such results in whatever test they may have done at our age. The reason for this is based on intelligence. There are so many different forms of it, there are so many different ways you can succeed. Make sure you choose the right path.

Good luck

DerekD Goldfish

I got 350 and considered that awful

I disagree in fact anyone that got exactly 350 points are scientifically proven to be the most intelligent in the world.

Original poster don’t worry about it too much its not as important as all the hype.

whosurpaddy

like many have said its not the end of the world, i was dissapointed when i got my leaving cert results (i didnt fail, i just didnt get what i wanted.)

i was very depressed with the prospect of repeating but had a chat with a family friend who is a guidance counsellor, he took me through all my options and in the end i saw repeating was the best option for me. once i had that decision made i became focused on doing my best. in the end it was the best year, i had a ball and did much better results wise.

i ended up doing a differant course, and wouldnt change a thing looking back at it.

lisa.c

dont worry to much. if you did your best then what more can you do..

Grimlock

I did the very same thing 5 years ago, (jes, feelin old now).
Failed 2 subjects, Maths & physics.
So even though I had enough points to get my 1st choice diploma place, Having failed maths means my points stood for nothing.
I was in a daze for days, felt numb. But then I thought about what I had done, nothin, I got arrogant and felt, I was smart enough so deserved a good LC.
But it was the best thing to happen me, I went back & repeated, it wasn't hard because I had done no work the previous year. I got what I wanted, I've just graduated with an honours degree from university where I met some great friends whom I would never have known had I passed.
One thing which helped me was that I dropped subjects which I hated such as physics to take up subjects which I preferred, engineering, which I could not do 1st time due to timetabling, I know a subject in 1 year is a big ask but if you like it, it makes a HUGE difference.
I also think, had I passed my lc by doing nothing I would undoubtedly have flunked college.

So figure out what you want to do, and put your mind to it, there is much more to life than the LC.
Just pick yourself up and take sometime and figure your next step.
Supportive family and friends are a big help.
Good Luck