You think you got it bad?

AdMMM

Today many of you opened up your results envelope and anxiously scanned down the page crossing your fingers and praying that a) there were no E's or D's and b) you got a good result. The vast majority of students would have been pleased and are now merely waiting for their first round offers on Monday. Some people might feel a bit hard done by the possibility that they may not be guaranteed, or even in the running for their first choice and I think this message is mostly for you.

Over the Summer one of my best friends had been trying to put the Leaving Cert results to the back of their head as it wasn't a day that he was looking forward to. He's an exceptionally smart student but never really applied himself, he always attained decent results. I say decent in that they were good but could have done an awful lot better had he applied himself.

So today when he was opening his results he probably remembered back to the morning of Maths Paper I when he realised that he was well and truly over his head. He had managed to grind out 40% in his honours pre but was worried that maths was his chink in his armour but was only too aware that a switch down to pass still wouldn't guarantee a C3 due to the significant differences in the Ordinary Level course. He opted to stay with honours.

I was looking at him as his eyes scanned the page and suddenly opened in shock and disbelief when he saw that he had failed Maths by what I can only imagine to be an angonisingly small amount given that he got an E. What was even more devastating was that he managed to get 420 points in his 6 other subjects which was just shy of 100 points over the amount he required!

My friend now has no chance of matriculating for any of his course choices due to this and he now faces an agonising wait as he awaits a response from colleges and the SEC regarding his situation and the possibility of appealing the exam, completing entrance exams into colleges or repeating next year. I cannot imagine what he is going through at this moment and I suppose this story is one that is meant to offer hope to all those who aren't sure of their first choice. Just remember that there are people out there who won't have the opportunity to accept an offer next Monday, be it first, second, third or forth choice and for that you should feel lucky!

I know some people will say that "oh, he brought it on himself by not switching" but I think that everyone is entitled to make one mistake and I don't believe that he should be punished like this!

estebancambias

I thought this would take some sort of suicide direction..how wrong was I?

Mars Bar

I didn't work either...i was well capable of gettin nearly 400, now i'm stuck with 320, 10 points out from my course. The only course on my level 8...so i'm not expecting any letter on monday...

Nehpets

estebancambias wrote:

I thought this would take some sort of suicide direction..how wrong was I?

Me too. The guy did the same test as the rest of us.

genericgoon

Quite. Ive also got a friend who failed MAths. I hope that he will not have to repeat just for trying higher level.

PeakOutput

seen as you said all of his choices had a maths requirement i assume they were science like or engineering like.

one thing that might help him is the open opportunities in engineering in dcu

http://www.dcu.ie/prospective/deginfo.php?classname=FE

you apply direct to the college before the end of august and do an interview and basically persuade them you can handle the maths but just made a few mistakes along the way

he can then do the one year course(you can do it over 2 years if you want but why bother) and get into first year of any dcu engineering degrees. if he does very well he could get into the second year of any of their engineering degrees.

if i dont get the offers i want this is what ill be doing and working my ass off to get into the second year of the course i want


edit; also you said yourself he did not put much work in so what did he honestly expect..............if there was one subject that was a necessity for every course he put down youd think he would at least make sure he passed it

IrishKnight

If found Maths paper 2 to be horrible...was thinking of droping down to pass but I kept with it...ended up with a D2...my only D!

the flananator

I thought this was verging towards suicide...I'm mildly disapointed.

FunkZ

estebancambias wrote:

I thought this would take some sort of suicide direction..how wrong was I?

Same here man.

Mushy

mars bar wrote:

so i'm not expecting any letter on monday...

nobody is expecting any letter on Monday...they come Tuesday!

No offence OP, but this story is just a regular failed-LC subject story, its not the worst case scenario. Just like others, we were expecting some suicidal thing. Hard luck to your mate though, it is such a cruel day.

fionated7

i think there are a huge number of people that wil be disappointed on monday when they check if they were offered anything.. i know im lucky i didnt fail anything but i wont get my first choice along wiv many other people..

im gonna appeal 2 subjects but still take whatever im offered on monday instead of waiting until appeal results come out, everything happens for a reason!!

Oatesy

My friend dropped down to ordinary level on the exam day and got an A1 . :S

JC 2K3

I don't mean to be harsh, but failing maths is hardly "one mistake".