Repeat Leaving Cert or Not???????? HELP

ghaleboy

Hi there. I am studying now in LIT. The course that I am studying in LIT is Renewable Energy and Electric systems (Level 7). Lately, I have been having second thoughts about repeating leaving cert just to go to University to apply for 'medicine'. The thing is I am 20 now and I don't want to loose a year if I am rejected for that course. I don't know what to do? Guys any suggestion. I don't know anything about this renewable energy course, dnt know abt its scope and what can i be in four years time so plz help

Lostmymam

Repeating, i think, is the hardest decision to make, but i think its worth it if you get what you want in the long run. I suppose you should talk to a career guidance counsellor and ask any questions that you have, don't bypass this step.

You say you want to do medicine, but is it possible to get the points that you need if you repeat? I myself am repeating and i know what i can achieve and what i can't.

Also, check to see their subject requirements, you need 2 science subjects and a 3rd language for most medicine courses, this might mean that you might need to take up another subject. (but maybe your subjects are fine the way they are)

There are level 7's though that can lead into medicine, if you could look into that.

How did your original leaving cert go? look at that and be realistic, could you out perform that in just a year?? Remember there has been an irish course change and maths too. English changes every year and subjects like home ec, history and geography etc need projects to be re submitted.

Before any major decisions, talk to someone doing medicine, you may find out that it is either a) not what you want to do at all or b) your calling.

The worst thing would be to make a sudden poorly thought through decision, or you could well be disappointed and looking back in regret.

With your course, could you branch off into a different, but related area, if you are unsure of it? Because maybe thats all you need, a different angle on the course you obviously wanted at the time you filled out your cao.

Repeating is not that bad. Less stress and its like revision in certain subjects. you don't have to do all the subjects that you did first time (i dropped history). Fitting back in is not as impossible as you'd imagine, teachers and most students do their best to help, they're not monsters, they understand. Besides, it's just a year and really, it flies by.

Any other questions?

I hope i've helped.

Good luck.

Chuchoter

I could be making wild assumptions here, but considering you're doing a level 7 course I'm going to say your points in the leaving were quite low. Compounding that will be a new maths course, new Irish course not to mention a whole new set of people for English P2 AND the HPAT, I really think its unrealistic to aim for the 560 min you will need and I think you could be wasting your time. It might be a better idea to finish this course, maybe continue to a level 8 in medical product design or biomedical science or something of that nature (theres one in DIT I thought looked interesting) and see where you could go from there perhaps?

jumpguy

ghaleboy wrote: »

Hi there. I am studying now in LIT. The course that I am studying in LIT is Renewable Energy and Electric systems (Level 7). Lately, I have been having second thoughts about repeating leaving cert just to go to University to apply for 'medicine'. The thing is I am 20 now and I don't want to loose a year if I am rejected for that course. I don't know what to do? Guys any suggestion. I don't know anything about this renewable energy course, dnt know abt its scope and what can i be in four years time so plz help

How was your original Leaving Cert?

If you got less than 400, or even 450 points, it'd be an absolutely momentous task to get that up into the range (550+) you need to do medicine in only 1 year of repeating. If you didn't have the subjects required (one science subject is a must), then it's even more daunting. Technically, you can get into medicine with only 480 LC points, but that's unheard of. As far as I know, the lowest amount of LC points that has ever gotten someone into medicine is 520 or something near that - and that'd require an unbelievable HPAT score.

On top of that, with the HPAT it means that it's not guaranteed that a good Leaving Cert will get you into medicine, so there's also that increasing the risk (unless you have another course you'd like to do).

If your first Leaving Cert didn't make it over 400, then a better choice in my opinion would be to continue your course in LIT (unless you absolutely hate it) and continue on to get at least a 2:1 (you must get at least a 2:1 to apply for postgraduate medicine - what you'll have to find out though is whether that is a 2:1 at Level 8 or can it be a 2:1 at Level 7 too). You can then sit GAMSAT and if successful you can do postgraduate medicine. It's a much longer, more expensive option, but the advisable one if your LC was nowhere near the 550 mark and you haven't improved much in any of the subjects you sat in LC whilst in college.

Just Like Heaven

Yeah what everybody is saying is what it is. You can definitely repeat the leaving cert and get into medicine. Just don't expect to do it in 1 year. You might, but. Don't count on it.

Togepi

Great advice guys but the OP hasn't been online in the last three months, and this four-month-old post is his only one, so chances are he won't even see these posts. Just pointing it out before people go to the trouble of replying with loads of tips and advice.

jumpguy

Togepi wrote: »

Great advice guys but the OP hasn't been online in the last three months, and this four-month-old post is his only one, so chances are he won't even see these posts. Just pointing it out before people go to the trouble of replying with loads of tips and advice.

Feckit anyway! :pac:

Chuchoter

All our helpfulness gone to waste! I hate zombie threads.

Lostmymam

look at how much i wrote!!!!

spurious

Even though this is a zombie thread, the information is useful and anyone searching will find it.

Celly Smunt

ghaleboy wrote: »

Hi there. I am studying now in LIT. The course that I am studying in LIT is Renewable Energy and Electric systems (Level 7). Lately, I have been having second thoughts about repeating leaving cert just to go to University to apply for 'medicine'. The thing is I am 20 now and I don't want to loose a year if I am rejected for that course. I don't know what to do? Guys any suggestion. I don't know anything about this renewable energy course, dnt know abt its scope and what can i be in four years time so plz help

go for it,if you're having second thoughts now how would you feel leaving with a degree in something you really don't like?

Repeating is a hard decision,but for the sake of a year it's most certainly not the end of the world.

It's better to go back for one year than continue with your current course and lose two more and then decide to repeat.




EDIT: Jesus christ i didn't realise the thread is that old,he's probably retired by now.

BOHtox

No real need for a need thread. I got 335 with no studying last year. This year I'm doing a course in IT Tallaght. I'm thinking of repeating it next year (meaning I'll be 19 sitting it whereas I was 17 originally) would I be weirdly old in repeating it or is it definitely worth it in the long term. I want to do economics which is in the ranger of 385 to 460 depending on the college. Is it Achievable? I did practically no studying for the Leaving so I think I could definitely do a lot better.

Cheers



additional information:

I studied Economics, Business, Geography and English at higher level and Irish, Maths and French at ordinary. I did LCVP too.
What subjects would be best for repeating?
I'm thinking
Accounting, Business, Economics, English, Geography and History is what I'm thinking. Although leaning 2 new subjects completely in a year could be very tough, especially Accounting and History

Togepi

It's definitely achievable if you knuckle down and work hard. Bear in mind that a couple of courses have changed for the Leaving Cert so you'll have to learn a lot of new material as well as revising old stuff.

And there's nothing wrong with sitting the exams at nineteen. Loads of people are that age when they do the exams, I even know a couple who'll be twenty doing theirs.

I don't know anything about your subjects but if you're suggesting that you take up history in one year, that definitely won't be a barrel of laughs. It would be an okay subject to do by yourself, but in one year it would definitely be challenging.

Togepi

Most degrees aren't 2 or 3 years though, they're normally 4.

And sometimes the best option is to repeat. It could easily save you 4 extra years of college.