Repeat Leaving Cert? Family etc. :/

Whatsernamex33

I'm 19, in college and pretty much really dislike my course. There's one course I've wanted since I was 14, journalism. I'm thinking of repeating my Leaving, but it'd be the 3rd time doing it like. I missed out last time by 10 points. And I can't see myself sticking 4 years in the course I'm in now.

Think what I'm asking is, it just feels stupid saying I might be doing it again. My family will go crazy, because I already got shouted at last year for repeating. So I don't know what to do there.

Basically, I wanna give the Leaving one last shot. Am I stupid? There's no set age for going to college I know, but I feel stupid saying I might be doing it again.

DeltaWhite

My family will go crazy, because I already got shouted at last year for repeating.

Ok.. that is not fair! You are 19, you're an adult! WHY would they be shouting at you for wanting to better yourself??

Listen, the way Ireland is at the moment, you are much better off going to college doing what YOU want to do, get your education and hopefully by the time you are finished you can either stay in Ireland and look for work or emigrate! The point I'm making is you have to do this for you!

If you think your parents/family are going to give you grief, then quietly go about your business and remember: it is YOU that has to be educated to obtain the career YOU want!!

Good luck OP

LegacyUser

Are you sure you need to repeat your leaving cert to get the course you want? It might be better to go speak with someone in your college regarding your options as you might find you can do a once year FETAC course or similar rather then repeating your leaving again. I didn't get what I wanted when I did my leaving but I went and did a year course at a PLC college and was able to get the course I wanted then and I just felt I'd used that year better then if I had just repeated my leaving cert and it stood better towards me in the long term.

Esoteric_

If your parents are financing your studies, or supporting you financially so that you can live at home while studying, I can totally understand them getting angry if you chose to repeat again, because if you consider that's one year to repeat already, one year of college, one year to repeat again and then another 4 years of college, they really should not have to be supporting you for seven years just to get a degree!

If they are not supporting you in any way (ie, you live alone, work and pay your own rent), then you have nothing to lose.

However, there are other ways. You could do a PLC course in journalism. Aside from giving you what you'd need to progress to a degree in journalism, it'd give you a lot of insight and knowledge as to what is required in the degree course, which could be helpful if you just 'want to do journalism' but don't know what it entails.

Aside from that, re-apply for it on the CAO this year, because points go up and down by 5-10 points every year. There's every chance that you could have enough points if the points drop.

woodchuck

To be honest I think it would be a waste to repeat the leaving cert again. As people have said here there are always other ways to get into the course that you want (the leaving cert isn't the bee all and end all; despite what we're told in school!!).

If there is a career guidance councillor in your college go speak with them to find out what your options are.

Gumbi

DeltaWhite wrote: »

My family will go crazy, because I already got shouted at last year for repeating.

Ok.. that is not fair! You are 19, you're an adult! WHY would they be shouting at you for wanting to better yourself??

Listen, the way Ireland is at the moment, you are much better off going to college doing what YOU want to do, get your education and hopefully by the time you are finished you can either stay in Ireland and look for work or emigrate! The point I'm making is you have to do this for you!

If you think your parents/family are going to give you grief, then quietly go about your business and remember: it is YOU that has to be educated to obtain the career YOU want!!

Good luck OP

In fairness, his parents are likely the ones out of pocket for this.

ElleEm

I agree with the other poster that says doing the Leaving again is a waste.

You are in college now, you could finish that up and then apply to a journalism course as a mature student (at 23), or try to do a one year FETAC course to get you in to a journalism course the year after that.

I didn't get the points in my Leaving for the degree I wanted to do, so did a related FETAC course for a year and got into my degree course that way (I was 19 too).

Roisy7

Hey OP, I'm a journalism graduate (masters) and I really would advise you to go down the PLC/Masters route rather than repeat your Leaving Cert.

I was talking to a girl today doing her undergrad in journalism and she said "there's not enough in it to drag it out into 3 years" and I would have to agree. It's a practical skill, not an academic discipline.

Don't dismiss the FETAC course, they're usually brilliantly run. I'm doing one in community radio at the moment and it's better organised than my masters :rolleyes:

Perhaps you might have to accept that college is simply not for you. I do wonder if you like the idea of going back into the security of school?!

In the meantime, if you want to get into journalism, volunteer in your college newspaper and radio station if there's one. Write for websites and anything else you can find.

Here's a facebook page that might interest you: https://www.facebook.com/groups/journosireland/?fref=ts

Good luck OP

Whatsernamex33

Thank you for the replies everyone, much appreciated.

I've been debating whether college is for me or not, yess.. I always felt alot more comfortable in school, I like the whole social side of college and the modules that's about it, well I think just the thoughts of assignments and stuff gets to me too...

I'm taking into account FETAC route aswell yeah, but it's another year unfortunately as they're not accepting any more applicants... I just know the course I'm doing atm, I really don't want to do it for another three years. That's why I'm kind of leaning towards Leaving Cert., again. I have the books, notes and enough money for the year to pay for exams and stuff. And like if it didn't work out again, FETAC route. Just determined to get it at some point. I could've done all this a year or two ago. Awwwh well. :rolleyes:


But I am going to talk to a guidance councillor, before I make any decisions.

pragmatic1

OP after the age of 23 you can go back as a mature student and do practical any course you want. If I was in your position I'd get work, travel and enjoy myself as much as possible and then go back as a mature student and seriously put the head down.

bef

cant log in right now wrote: »

Are you sure you need to repeat your leaving cert to get the course you want? It might be better to go speak with someone in your college regarding your options as you might find you can do a once year FETAC course or similar rather then repeating your leaving again. I didn't get what I wanted when I did my leaving but I went and did a year course at a PLC college and was able to get the course I wanted then and I just felt I'd used that year better then if I had just repeated my leaving cert and it stood better towards me in the long term.

Good advice to consider

Siuin

Of all career choices, journalism isn't a profession you need a particular degree to get in to. Have you been actively trying to get published in newspapers? Have you applied for internships? Have you started writing blogs and contibuting to websites to get your name out there? Have you developed a niche and gained expert knowledge in a particular subject matter on which you can write? Journalism requires you to be extremely proactive and self-driven; you won't find that in leaving cert points or a college degree.

Siuin

Whatsernamex33 wrote: »

I've been debating whether college is for me or not, yess.. I always felt alot more comfortable in school, I like the whole social side of college and the modules that's about it, well I think just the thoughts of assignments and stuff gets to me too...

Just worth keeping in mind that journalism, like your assignments, is heavily based on writing for a specific deadline.

Roisy7

Whatsernamex33 wrote: »

I'm taking into account FETAC route aswell yeah, but it's another year unfortunately as they're not accepting any more applicants... I just know the course I'm doing atm, I really don't want to do it for another three years. That's why I'm kind of leaning towards Leaving Cert., again. I have the books, notes and enough money for the year to pay for exams and stuff. And like if it didn't work out again, FETAC route. Just determined to get it at some point. I could've done all this a year or two ago. Awwwh well. :rolleyes:

Look OP you can tell me to get stuffed if you like but I really advise you against repeating your LC again. I've bolded something that really stuck out for me in your post- repeating your LC is basically another year gone out of your life too.
Look having the books, money and experience is not a good enough reason to repeat again imo. Personally- and I know everyone's different- but nothing could ever induce me to relive the horror of state exams and I find it hard to understand why you're so daunted by college exams and assignments and not by the thought of doing more than seven exams in two weeks.
I stress that that's just me, I still have nightmares about the thing five years on.

You seem determined to repeat this chapter of your life instead of leaving your schooldays behind you and you really need to understand why that is. College is a massive change and like it or not, life needs to move forward. It's called the Leaving for a reason.

As for journalism, I agree with what Siuin said, harsh as it may sound, there is no scope for missing deadlines and you have to be prepared to work under pressure. I cannot comment on whether this is applicable to you, perhaps it's just because you really hate your course you're struggling with assignments?

Whatsernamex33 wrote: »

But I am going to talk to a guidance councillor, before I make any decisions.

Please do, and go with an open mind.

Siuin

Roisy7 wrote: »

As for journalism, I agree with what Siuin said, harsh as it may sound, there is no scope for missing deadlines and you have to be prepared to work under pressure.

Aw, sorry if I came across as harsh- it wasn't my intention. It's just that it's very important to be practical here and acknowledge the fact that every year is costing time and money. I'm saying this as someone who started studying law originally, hated it, left after 3 months (yes, my parents shouted at me too lol) and went travelling in the Middle East instead to try and get my mind straight and decide what I wanted from life. I can fully appreciate the stress of not knowing whether it's the right choice to go back to education or not.

I'm now almost finished a degree in English and history which I loved. However, one thing I did learn is that you shouldn't see a degree as the key to a career in journalism. Ultimately it's what you do outside of your degree in terms of internships, getting published in newspapers and writing online which will get you into the journalism world. I didn't start my degree til I was nearly 20, at which point I had already published a book and was freelancing for two national newspapers. My degree has so far done little or nothing in terms of improving my career prospects.

Roisy7

Siuin wrote: »

Aw, sorry if I came across as harsh- it wasn't my intention. It's just that it's very important to be practical here and acknowledge the fact that every year is costing time and money. I'm saying this as someone who started studying law originally, hated it, left after 3 months and went travelling instead to try and get my mind straight and decide what I wanted from life. I can fully appreciate the stress of not knowing whether it's the right choice to go back to education or not.

I'm now almost finished a degree in English and history which I loved. However, one thing I did learn is that you shouldn't see a degree as the key to a career in journalism. Ultimately it's what you do outside of your degree in terms of internships, getting published in newspapers and writing online which will get you into the journalism world. I didn't start my degree til I was nearly 20, at which point I had already published a book and was freelancing for two national newspapers. My degree has so far done little to nothing in terms of improving my career prospects.

Not saying you were harsh at all Siuin, it's kinda a harsh truth! Yes exactly, out of my masters class of 16 only 1 is full-time employed, so when you're up against those stats you kinda realise that is experience, not the degree, and certainly not the LC, that makes a difference.

I'd also like to point out that by the time you hit your mid-20s the LC doesn't matter a damn. I don't even have the full thing listed on my CV, just what points I got and even that's optional. No-one I know has it listed. It really counts for nothing beyond getting you into college- again- experience, experience, experience!

woodchuck

Whatsernamex33 wrote: »

Thank you for the replies everyone, much appreciated.

I've been debating whether college is for me or not, yess.. I always felt alot more comfortable in school, I like the whole social side of college and the modules that's about it, well I think just the thoughts of assignments and stuff gets to me too...

I'm taking into account FETAC route aswell yeah, but it's another year unfortunately as they're not accepting any more applicants... I just know the course I'm doing atm, I really don't want to do it for another three years. That's why I'm kind of leaning towards Leaving Cert., again. I have the books, notes and enough money for the year to pay for exams and stuff. And like if it didn't work out again, FETAC route. Just determined to get it at some point. I could've done all this a year or two ago. Awwwh well. :rolleyes:


But I am going to talk to a guidance councillor, before I make any decisions.

Hi OP, glad you're going to your guidance councillor; hopefully they can point you in the right direction.

I just wanted to say to make sure not to fall into the trap of doing what is the easiest or the most comfortable. You're at a stage where you need to push yourself outside of your comfort zone to achieve what you want. Having the books, notes and money to do the leaving cert again is convenient, but that's all. I don't think you've anything to gain by going back down a road you've already done twice. College can be a daunting experience, but often the thoughts of the assignments etc are worse than actually doing them. Change is always going to be hard, but you'll get into the swing of things if you give it a chance.