Failure Again!

HouseHippo

So I found out today that I didn't get into any of the college courses I wanted. No matter how hard I try I always fail!
I worked so hard on my portfolio,doing two after school courses and fecking up my Leaving to finish It and i got in nowhere!I spent so much time and money working on it and now am totally disheartened. All my friends will be off to college in September and I wont.
I always thought if I worked hard enough I could stick it to all the people who doubted me. COllege has always been my new start what gave me the strength to carry on through all the school crap.
What do I do now???
Should I try again
Should I just do a course i'm not that interested in and keep art and music as hobbies.
Should I do my leaving and get a job???????
HELP!

I'd ask my family but they have been very unsupportive,my grnadad was more concerned about the fact that the dinner was going cold as I opened my letter and recieved the bad news despite me being a quivering wreck.

pierrot

Art and music are things which will never leave you, so no matter what course you do, they will still be part of your life.

HouseHippo

pierrot wrote: »

Art and music are things which will never leave you, so no matter what course you do, they will still be part of your life.

But what do I do now??

5uspect

Why not start a broad course like an Arts degree and transfer into a more suitable course in time? The leaving cert isn't the end.

HouseHippo

5uspect wrote: »

Why not start a broad course like an Arts degree and transfer into a more suitable course in time? The leaving cert isn't the end.

None of the subjects offered in an arts degree interest me

Gummy Panda

Can you not do PLC after your leaving to improve your portfolio and attempts to get into that college course?

HouseHippo

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Can you not do PLC after your leaving to improve your portfolio and attempts to get into that college course?

Thats what i was thinking however what If I don't get in again! Which is a high possibility and then i'm left with no degree or options

5uspect

HouseHippo wrote: »

None of the subjects offered in an arts degree interest me

You can't have it all from day one. If it takes a year before you can transfer then that's time better spent than repeating the leaving. You'll be in college enjoying college life, getting involved in clubs and societies which will help you improve your portfolio far more than another year in school.

Granted you may not like the subjects but Arts is not difficult and first year is probably a walk in the park.

EDIT: Also don't forget that you can always do a postgrad in this topic.
There's nothing wrong doing a boring, yet safe, undergrad like Arts and then moving onto something more specialised.

Gummy Panda

HouseHippo wrote: »

Thats what i was thinking however what If I don't get in again! Which is a high possibility and then i'm left with no degree or options

You can still apply through the CAO for a different course if even the PLC doesn't get you in.

HouseHippo

Gummy Panda wrote: »

You can still apply through the CAO for a different course if even the PLC doesn't get you in.

Can I apply using my 2009 LC grades?

dudara

I do feel quite bad for you. It must have been gutwrenching getting that news.

I do want to ask you a few questions though. You are a regular poster here, and we are fairly familiar with the ups and downs that you've been through.

HouseHippo wrote: »

I always thought if I worked hard enough I could stick it to all the people who doubted me. COllege has always been my new start what gave me the strength to carry on through all the school crap.

Was this your motivation for doing a portfolio, or did you have a genuine interest in art. It doesn't sound quite as if you did. College etc should not be about 'sticking' it to people, it's all for your benefit.

Should I do my leaving and get a job???????

Most definitely. As other posters have suggested, apply for an Arts degree. Don't turn your nose up at it; Arts degrees are one way of opening up the college system.

I'd ask my family but they have been very unsupportive,my grnadad was more concerned about the fact that the dinner was going cold as I opened my letter and recieved the bad news despite me being a quivering wreck.

Try not to be so sensitive here. Not everyone is out to hurt you or ignore you. For whatever reason, he didn't know or realise how important this is to you. Don't let stuff like this bother you. Focus on you and your work, not on others.

HouseHippo

dudara wrote: »

I do feel quite bad for you. It must have been gutwrenching getting that news.

I do want to ask you a few questions though. You are a regular poster here, and we are fairly familiar with the ups and downs that you've been through.



Was this your motivation for doing a portfolio, or did you have a genuine interest in art. It doesn't sound quite as if you did. College etc should not be about 'sticking' it to people, it's all for your benefit.



Most definitely. As other posters have suggested, apply for an Arts degree. Don't turn your nose up at it; Arts degrees are one way of opening up the college system.



Try not to be so sensitive here. Not everyone is out to hurt you or ignore you. For whatever reason, he didn't know or realise how important this is to you. Don't let stuff like this bother you. Focus on you and your work, not on others.

How dare you ever say that art is nto a genuine interest.It is my life and I worked my arse off on that portfolio,art isn something you can just do you have to love it,you cant just do a portfolio cause you want to.

How can the fact that my grandparents don't support me not upset me i hardly think that is oversensitive honestly now come on like

Gummy Panda

HouseHippo wrote: »

Can I apply using my 2009 LC grades?

Actually you might want to check that. The person i know who did it deferred their acceptance for a different college but had to do another CAO application the following year.

HouseHippo

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Actually you might want to check that. The person i know who did it deferred their acceptance for a different college but had to do another CAO application the following year.

hmm...I don't really want to repeat my LC my grades aren't that bad like and I hate absolutely deplore school and studying lol.

I'm still on the waiting list??!!! So I cant make any drastic decisions

JC 2K3

Yes, you can use your 2009 LC grades on next years CAO, or the year after etc.

You sound very sensitive, judging by your reaction to dudara's helpful post. Take a deep breath, you neednt be so defensive.

If doing art is college is what you really want to do, then focus on the reasons why your portfolio was rejected and maybe work on a new one for next year.

You should also consider whether doing art in college is really the right thing for you. Plenty of people are very into art, but don't study it.

Pherekydes

HouseHippo wrote: »

...I hate absolutely deplore school and studying lol.

You won't like college, then. I would advise you to get a job; you can always go back to college at a later date.

You've started a number of threads in a similar vein last year. You were advised then not to put all your eggs in one basket (i.e. the art portfolio) but you went ahead and did it anyway.

Your reaction to Dudara's post leads me to believe you're only looking for sympathy, but with that reaction you won't get any.

Sinall

Dudara wasn't saying that art isn't a genuine interest, but was asking if your interest in art is genuine. Which is a fair question when somebody is trying to build a fuller picture in order to give you the best possible advice.

Definitely go ahead with the Leaving, you still have time left and you might surprise yourself. Your results will always stand to you in the future. Maybe have a look to see if any colleges offer art programmes as part of an arts degree - I'm not familiar with the college system anymore so I don't know if that's the case.

smileyhappy

HouseHippo,


If you were so concerned about "sticking it to them" (whoever them is), why not try this. Finish your leaving cert. Throw yourself at it and get really good grades. Go and work in the real world. Spend 5 years building up a savings fund and an amazing portfolio. Go to art college and do well. THAT is genuinely working towards something you want - not a brief sprint over about a year and despairing when you're knocked back. So pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep at it and THAT WAY prove to everyone firstly how much you want it and secondly how determined you are to get it!

LegacyUser

i didnt get accepted either. i know how you feel..and i took a year out to do my portfolio. i actually feel like someone has ripped my heart out...its everything ive worked for and its just heart breaking..but whatever will be will be and if you really really want it you should consider doing a PLC. if you dont get it after that it wasnt meant to be but at least you tried

dont worry darlin , we're only young yet

dudara

I think that you said that you are on the waiting list, which is good. Not everyone who is offered the course will accept.

Don't give up on your Leaving Cert now. Good grades will always stand to you no matter what you do. Make that your priority for now, because if you don't make an effort here, then you will be closing a lot of doors for yourself.

Good luck for the future (and trust me, there is always a future, even when things seem bleak).

Reflector

Hi House Hippo,
There are loads of other courses in lods of areas, have a look on the net. You could do an add on course for a year or two and then reapply. believe me there is no rush.

A friend of mine went back to do film and media at 27 and now he is in london doing a masters in film direction.
Take your time plenty of things to learn and do outside college.
Good luck

beth-lou

Ok so you weren't accepted into art college first time. No big deal. Neither was I. While I was disappointed, I just looked at my other options and moved on from there.

Do your leaving, study hard and get the best grades you can. That leaves your options open for the future. Apply for PLC courses now. I went to Ballyfermot and did Art, Design and mixed Media. Most people getting into art colleges are getting in from PLC courses, especially for the likes of NCAD.

After my year and getting my portfolio together I got offered a place in Vis Com in Mountjoy Square and in Classical animation in Ballyfermot. So it was definitely worth it for me.

One word of advice though, if you are considering getting into art you are going to have to harden up a bit and learn not to take critiscm so personally. No matter what field you go into, you are going to have people tearing strips off your work and your ideas, so you need to learn to listen and learn and take a deep breath sometimes, and not take every slight and quip to heart. Otherwise you will find it soul destroying. It is a very rewarding field, but everything you do is there for all to see and not everyone will like your style or your idea or your use of colour etc. Accept that sometimes they're right, sometimes they're wrong, but try not to take a defensive position so quickly. It will hinder your development and your relationships with people.

As for your Grandad, he's from a different generation, it's not as big a deal to him as it is to you. Let it slide.

Nevyn

HouseHippo wrote: »

Can I apply using my 2009 LC grades?

I can reapply to the cao with my 1994 LC grades so I am sure you will be grand.

It is only a failure if you don't learn from it and you let it stop you moving on.

I took two years out after the LC got a full time job and worked and saved
for two years and did evening courses in the area I was interested in and
then waltzed into the college and course of my choosing.

It is so much easier when the pressure is off and you know how many points you have already, so don't get wound up by the rat race it will stress your head and leave you unable to think or feel straight.

IF you really want this you will find a way to make it happen.

Amazotheamazing

OP, be honest with yourself, why did you not get in? Was it your portfolio was too small, not good enough or that you don't have the required ability to complete a course in Art college?

I'm not knocking you, it's great you know what you want to do, but now you have to work out why you didn't get to do it and fix it.

Dudess

HouseHippo wrote: »

No matter how hard I try I always fail!

Lose the victim mentality and quit focusing only on the negative. I know you've had a lot of very hard knocks in life - you can either let them batter you further and further into the ground (the easy option, but ultimately makes life harder) or you can view them as the makings of you: a strong, resolute individual. This is the harder option but definitely the more beneficial one. Look at your experiences: that's some **** you've been through. Be damn proud of yourself for being here still, working hard, looking to the future. Don't drag yourself down with all these negative thoughts - you've a lot to celebrate about yourself.
Something like this feels like a rejection and it's hard not to take it personally - but it isn't personal. Sometimes luck comes into the equation too. There is a quota - and you weren't rejected completely, you were put on the waiting list. So why don't you focus on that? It's a great achievement. Art college is really hard to get into so getting on the waiting list means you're doing something right.
But you didn't even mention this in your opening post - it's a positive and you only focused on the negative. I know it's not easy for you to be positive but it's something that has to be worked on. Not all the positive people you know are "naturally" positive - they choose to be.

I always thought if I worked hard enough I could stick it to all the people who doubted me. COllege has always been my new start what gave me the strength to carry on through all the school crap.

Thinking like that sets you up for humiliation. Don't think "I'll show 'em", think "I'm determined to show 'em and I'll do whatever it takes"... although that shouldn't be your sole motivation for getting into art college.

You have two months left before the leaving. Start studying your ass off - you can get a huge amount done in that time.

HouseHippo wrote: »

But what do I do now??

Ah look, neediness is a dreadful trait. That is up to you - nobody can answer it for you.

HouseHippo wrote: »

None of the subjects offered in an arts degree interest me

History of Art?

HouseHippo wrote: »

Thats what i was thinking however what If I don't get in again! Which is a high possibility and then i'm left with no degree or options

Not doing a PLC course in case you won't get into art college after it is frankly ridiculous. Do a PLC course - you've got to. PLC colleges offer art portfolio courses. Anyone I know who did one in Cork got into the Crawford Art School (Cork) or Limerick College of Art.

Pherekydes wrote: »

You won't like college, then.

I disagree with that (as a response to the OP's statement that she hates school and study). The Leaving Cert is so unbelievably boring and tedious, and secondary school is so regimented. College is completely different - ok, you've to work on assignments, but at least they're interesting; at least the student has chosen to be there. And at least the students have a bit more freedom than school pupils, in terms of it being left up to them.

Unregistered wrote: »

i didnt get accepted either. i know how you feel..and i took a year out to do my portfolio. i actually feel like someone has ripped my heart out...its everything ive worked for and its just heart breaking..but whatever will be will be and if you really really want it you should consider doing a PLC. if you dont get it after that it wasnt meant to be but at least you tried

dont worry darlin , we're only young yet

Good attitude. Of course, it's gutting initially, but you have to dust yourself off and get on with it. Wallowing is easy and more comforting but very damaging in the long run...

OP, develop a thicker skin also - as beth-lou said, art college can be quite tough in terms of expectations. All of my friends who went to Crawford/Limerick (don't know any NCAD heads) have said the same. In fact, some of them dropped out... so learn not to take things personally from teachers etc.

Jack Sheehan

All you can do is work with the options you have now. All is not lost if you didnt get your ideal course. The sky is not going to fall. All you need to do is figure out the next step to where you want to go, whether that be a different course or whatever.