Life Choices

LegacyUser

Ok so here is goes, im 15 and have been kicked out of school, no other school will accept me because im my misbehaviour.I would be starting my leaving cert this term coming, and im just confused as to what i should do with my life, i really want to do my leaving cert but most places won't let you do it till your 17 and what really frustrates me is i would have been 16 finished secondary school with a leaving cert. Im thinking of going for an apprenticeship but haven't the slightest idea on where to get one? FAS maybe? Any opinons on what i should do are welcome.

LadyJ

If you're living in Dublin,try Plunkett's College in Whitehall. They take pretty much everyone and anyone.

However,if you want a leaving cert so badly then why have you sabotaged your attempt to achieve it? I don't know what you've done to get kicked out of school but why do you want to go back if you're insistant on misbehaving?

Anyway,you could do a FAS course and then go do a degree as a mature student later on.

An apprenticeship will be tough going but it will make you a good bit of money when you're qualified.

However,why don't you just clean up your act and try,once again,to find a school that will accept you? It's worth it in the long run. But only if you start to focus on your work.

projectmayhem

first thing's first, clean up your act as LadyJ said.

second, if you're unsure of what to do, get a small job in a shop or something. earn a few bucks and while doing so, get to college open days and talk to people about stuff you're interested in. then decide what you want to do... FÁS is your best bet as far as training/career options go though.

LegacyUser

I was kicked out after my junior cert at 14, and no school wants the hassle of taking in someone that has been kicked out of school and there not obligated to after the junior.

Nevyn

Yes I suggest that you call into Fas and get yourslef into a course even if it is just a basic pc skills one.
Spend the time until you can re enroll for your leaving cert
doing a course and keeping your nose clean and getting yourself an reference for good behaviour and time keeping which will stand to you when you re enroll.

You still need a leaving cert to do pretty much anything in this country which will allow you to get on and better yourself so you don't end up in a dead end job.

Most apprentiships have a period of time in college attched to them and so you are better off having done your leaving cert, if there is a choice between taking on two people one had thier leaving cert and one doesn't which do you think will get it.

LegacyUser

Yeah i think i will go down to the fas center tomorrow, cant find any opening times... Does anyone know them?

LadyJ

Stupidboy wrote:

I was kicked out after my junior cert at 14, and no school wants the hassle of taking in someone that has been kicked out of school and there not obligated to after the junior.

Did your old school tell you that or have you looked around?

Look around more. Your education is very important.
Don't just give up on it.

Here's the number for Plunkett's college.

018371689

Call them. See if they'll take you.

They probably will.

spurious

Many of the VEC colleges believe in giving someone a second chance.

Your old school could not have kicked you out at 14, regardless of whether you had a Junior Cert. or not. They have to keep you til the legal school-leaving age, or arrange alternative accommodation for you in another school or centre. The NEWB have been quite active on this.

Are you telling the complete truth about your situation?
What schools have told you they will not take you, or are you just presuming none will?

Presuming what you have said is the truth, it would very much depend on what your 'misbehaviour' in your old school was. If you have pursued all chances of getting back into your old school it must have been something very serious, or they do not believe you have changed. It would not be very fair of you to land in on a settled class in another school and disturb them.

LegacyUser

spurious wrote:

Many of the VEC colleges believe in giving someone a second chance.

Your old school could not have kicked you out at 14, regardless of whether you had a Junior Cert. or not. They have to keep you til the legal school-leaving age, or arrange alternative accommodation for you in another school or centre. The NEWB have been quite active on this.

Are you telling the complete truth about your situation?
What schools have told you they will not take you, or are you just presuming none will?

Presuming what you have said is the truth, it would very much depend on what your 'misbehaviour' in your old school was. If you have pursued all chances of getting back into your old school it must have been something very serious, or they do not believe you have changed. It would not be very fair of you to land in on a settled class in another school and disturb them.

Well my mother seems to think i have ADHD which causes me to misbehave, I really dont know at this stage... i feel that i have matured alot in the past year and i really wouldnt want to mess up having another chance at having a proper education... i am in no way stupid, more i like i just cant help myself get a laugh or a recaction from the class.

Sleepy

AFAIK, whatever national secondary school is nearest you are legally obligated to allow you sit your leaving cert there.

That said, I'd be very surprised if you went back to your own school, cap in hand and apologised for whatever you did that they wouldn't take you back. If you're genuinely sorry for it and wouldn't screw up a second chance if you were given one, go talk to the school principal. Dress and act respectfully and go without your parents. If they turn you down, thank them for at least letting you say your piece and ask if they can recommend somewhere else you could continue your studies. Most teachers/principals want to think the best of their students.

Sometimes you have to give people reason to believe you deserve a second chance.

If you get one. Don't screw it up.

spurious

Stupidboy wrote:

Well my mother seems to think i have ADHD which causes me to misbehave, I really dont know at this stage... i feel that i have matured alot in the past year and i really wouldnt want to mess up having another chance at having a proper education... i am in no way stupid, more i like i just cant help myself get a laugh or a recaction from the class.

If you have ADHD your school should have sent you for a psychological evaluation. If they didn't, your mother should do it now, privately if necessary. If you cannot help how you behave, that is VERY different to just being a messer. Perhaps you would benefit from medication.

Your old school is really the place where realistically you have the best chance of being taken back. If you can show them you have a recognised medical condition and are taking medication to try and help with it, they might change their minds.

For any other school you really just spell trouble, since all they know about you is your old school wouldn't take you back.

derek27

EVERYTHING YOU NEED IS HERE

you're 15... you can be an external candidate when your 17. that gives you between now and then to study yourself and sit the exams... cf 2yrs. if you really want to do well, all you need is the school books and a bit of discipline and you can teach yourself everything. you dont need any teachers or school. put another way, if you dont genuinely want to do well... going to school isn't gonna force you to do so. do it yourself. you can choose to sit anything between 1 and 31 LC subjects... if u want a full LC, do maths, english, irish, and 3 other subjects... entirely up to you. choose higher level or lower level for each subject. u can also choose to do for example 3 subjects one yr and 3 another yr.

i left school at 14 before ever having done the JC. at 18 i decided i wanted to do the LC. this is how i did it. i got exceptionally high (in the top 2 percentile of the national results for the LC that yr) all based entirely on my own efforts. since then i have completed an hons degree in science and am preparing to do my doctorate this yr. if u want something... you go get it.

spurious

I think the problem is the OP didn't have a lot of self-discipline, for whatever reason.

For some subjects the SEC require that you prove you have had practical instruction in the practical elements, so depending on your subject choices, you cannot do it all yourself at home.

Jumpy

Ok theres two things that are possible here.

1) That the OP is actually the boys mother, trying to prove that there are other avenues now

or

2) That the OP seems to be a fairly intelligent post writer that doesnt fit with the profile of having standard 'scumbag behaviour problems', that to me says something like ADHD, you seem generally more intelligent than your average 15 year old poster. What behavior were you expelled for? Violence? Bullying? Vandalism?

BuffyBot

Contact your local VEC for a start...they should find you a place somewhere.

Hopefully the fact that you realise you've done wrong/had some problems will stir you into not repeating the same mistakes again.

LegacyUser

Jumpy wrote:

Ok theres two things that are possible here.

1) That the OP is actually the boys mother, trying to prove that there are other avenues now

or

2) That the OP seems to be a fairly intelligent post writer that doesnt fit with the profile of having standard 'scumbag behaviour problems', that to me says something like ADHD, you seem generally more intelligent than your average 15 year old poster. What behavior were you expelled for? Violence? Bullying? Vandalism?

Choice Number 2 please... no seriously i really wasn't that bad it was more like im very violent, i have a problem with authority and i really don't know why.
Also i was in a YouthReach center for the first few months i was out of school, i really didn't like it and wasn't comfort in that sort of environment so i decided to leave.

CaptainSmith

Very much agree; Plunkett is probably your best bet, really you have very little options these days without a leaving, the good news is, certainly from my side of the M50, you can get aircraft mechanic appreciships with a reasonable junior as long as you havent failed any of the basics, have somewhat okay disapline and are willing to learn. Have a look at the newspapers, etc for stuff along those lines, it really is one of the last high paying logical, but not over acedemic jobs left (i smile happily here), and from there it often can lead on to getting into a flying position, but if you are serious about education, don't waste it, it'll help alot more later on...

Cheers,
S

Black Swan

Straighten up and do your leaving cert.

spurious

Stupidboy wrote:

it was more like im very violent, i have a problem with authority and i really don't know why.

I'm sorry, OP, you REALLY need to get that sorted before you go near any school.

A school cannot take the chance of you with a previous history of violence going into a class where you might become violent again and the school sued (justifiably). A school has a duty of care to the students already there. You would be a risk under Health and Safety.

If the small class numbers and extra resources in Youthreach didn't work for you, I can't really see what going into a class of 24 or so in a standard school will do.

You need to sort out what your underlying problem is first.

Ayla

I completely agree with those who are saying you need to fix yourself before you can re-enter the school system.

You should seek out the professionals out there who will help you figure out what your real problem is, because in the course of your posting you've said varying things:
-First you said that you misbehave
-Then you said you just can't help yourself in getting a laugh/reaction out of your class
-Then it was ADHD
-Then suddenly you're "very violent" and have a problem with authority

So what is it really? You don't necessarily need to tell the forum, but for your own sake you need to figure it out for yourself. You're on the right road by even admitting you have stuff to work on, but honestly, quit feeling sorry for yourself and fix it. I think Derek27 had some great pointers as someone who's been there and pulled himself out.

No one's going to fix your life, you have to be the one pulling the strings and making things happen. If you want to contact FAS, look them up in the phonebook and call them. If you want to get a job, look through the classifieds and get yourself an interview. If you think you need professional help to fix your behavior, get it. If you want to sit on your butt for the rest of your life and lament the fact that the school kicked you out and ruined your chances, then don't expect anyone to sympathize.

I know you started this thread looking for answers, but I can't imagine that any of us can really change your situation. But you can. Good luck.

Gone West

Thaedydal wrote:

You still need a leaving cert to do pretty much anything in this country which will allow you to get on and better yourself so you don't end up in a dead end job.

Any college will take mature applicants (over 23 years old). you will have to do an interview, but its quite easy, acceptance rates are 75% or so, depends on the courses. If you start training to be an apprentice now(you have to be 16 to do it =officially= btw) you will get qualified before youre 22 or so(depends which apprenticeship youre going for), and then have the option of going back to college as a mature applicant.

Tbh 23 isnt that old and you'd still fit in in college just fine.

Are you interested in carpentry or mechanics or computers or what?
There are apprenticeships in all these things. I suggest getting your ass in gear and getting to your local FAS centre.

If school doesn't work for you, doing one of these courses probably will. You are earning money (which will seem wuite a lot to you) and you will be slowly getting a qualification thats nationally recognised.

Also, LC results mean much less nowadays than they used to, (outside of college applications). I dont even include mine, which were good on my CV at this stage. Im only 19, and allready my LC is a thing in the past.

LegacyUser

FuzzyLogic wrote:

Any college will take mature applicants (over 23 years old). you will have to do an interview, but its quite easy, acceptance rates are 75% or so, depends on the courses. If you start training to be an apprentice now(you have to be 16 to do it =officially= btw) you will get qualified before youre 22 or so(depends which apprenticeship youre going for), and then have the option of going back to college as a mature applicant.

Tbh 23 isnt that old and you'd still fit in in college just fine.

Are you interested in carpentry or mechanics or computers or what?
There are apprenticeships in all these things. I suggest getting your ass in gear and getting to your local FAS centre.

If school doesn't work for you, doing one of these courses probably will. You are earning money (which will seem wuite a lot to you) and you will be slowly getting a qualification thats nationally recognised.

Also, LC results mean much less nowadays than they used to, (outside of college applications). I dont even include mine, which were good on my CV at this stage. Im only 19, and allready my LC is a thing in the past.

This seems very intresting if true... about the mature student thing, i think i will go down to my local FAS center and register, I'll let you all know how it goes.

Also to the guy who said first it was misbehaviour,adhd,etc i really don't know what it is wrong with me im not hyperactive i would just say stupid stuff to get a laugh, then when the teacher punished me i would freak out and tell them to f off or something.. and maybe storm off.

spurious

Stupidboy wrote:

Also to the guy who said first it was misbehaviour,adhd,etc i really don't know what it is wrong with me im not hyperactive i would just say stupid stuff to get a laugh, then when the teacher punished me i would freak out and tell them to f off or something.. and maybe storm off.

THAT is what you need to sort out.
Will you do the same to an employer, a FAS supervisor, a future customer or client?

If you can say no, then did you actually have control over what you were doing in the first place?