REPEAT OR DO A PLC

DeynnaSt

Hi all, (I wrote this threat before, but for some reason it never got published)

I am finishing my Leaving Cert in a couple of days, and so far the bitter truth is that I'm doing ultimately ****.

My main dilemma and biggest reason of concerns is - should I repeat my leaving or should I do a PLC? (Brothers and Sisters of boards.ie, I hope you could help me with this one)

Now, quite recently I've been stressing my ass out and I emailed over 30 messages to Dublin Colleges, random people on Internet, FETAC courses, I've read over **** load of articles about PLC's and I hope that at this point I know all the pros and cons.
If you're considering doing a PLC course please don't read any further as I don't want to offend anyone or start a war or make someone change their mind, alrighty? Go.

Now, here is what I have: the college I want to get in, which is DIT, (I can only study in Dublin due to personal circumstances, so Maynooth and the rest is not an option for me :-() , so DIT offers only 3(!), 3 places in its courses to people with a FETAC qualification. Damn, right.
Then, DCU statistics is that only 10% of places are allocated to PLC students. So, I can not afford to take this risk, I cannot go, complete a PLC and end up with no college course, useless PLC certificate, and bad school grades. I'd probably kill myself if that will ever happen.
People say, go do a PLC, but why do they act so calm, they feel like the place is already secured for them in college, when it's really not, even if you do super duper good in your Plc course, get five distinctions and will be the best in your class, you can still loose the game and never get to college, as colleges will rather take Leaving Cert students.

Now, if you ever did a Plc and got into a course and have your Phd and live in a mansion, I have absolutely no intentions of offending anyone, if you did that, I congratulate you, but knowing that I'm a completely unfortunate loser my story my end up just as I'm telling you if I consider doing a PLC.
So, I talked to my principal, she seems fine and may let me back into school. What a pleasant lady.

But here, another problem arises, I'm 19 (never repeated before) and if I repeat LC, I'll graduate school at 20 (so what?), my fear is, what if my sick brain decides to suddenly get depressed, so I have to take the meds again that complete screws up my memory and academic life, and there I am, 20 years old, graduating, failing Leaving Cert again, and again and again and again.

I do Ordinary maths and English, just so you guys know.

Oh, so far I actually have no idea of what to do, I mean what course. I applied random ones on my CAO applications as I always knew I'll never get that far and will probably not even survive until the leaving, but I did, and now I'm kinda stressing.

It's weird, going to school knowing that you'll be dead by the time of Leaving, but here, you didn't die and have to do something about the **** that piled up while you were hibernating due to depression. (Sorry for moaning palls, I know we all got our problems, and I hope you all are doing fine)
Hope you understand what I'm trying to say there.

All I need is people to tell me that repeating is the best option, (or not) , and just a few good words.

My hands are sweating and heart is beating so fast, parents say I should go and clean bathrooms for living instead of repeating. So I'm like "hm... What if I do a Plc and don't get into college, hmmm.. Maybe I should repeat, but what if I repeat and get 35 points, again .... Hmm hmm.)
The end.

Thank you, people who read it this far, if there's any. You're cool.

If I can get into third level education by selling one of my kidneys, message me.

TSMGUY

CALM THE F*** DOWN. WHY DON'T YOU WAIT FOR YOUR RESULTS BEFORE YOU STRESS OUT ANY MORE ABOUT REPEATING? YOU'RE GONNA GIVE YOURSELF A HEART ATTACK! JUST READING THAT STRESSED ME.

spurious

Calm down - seriously.

DeynnaSt wrote: »

People say, go do a PLC, but why do they act so calm, they feel like the place is already secured for them in college, when it's really not, even if you do super duper good in your Plc course, get five distinctions and will be the best in your class, you can still loose the game and never get to college, as colleges will rather take Leaving Cert students.

You are mis-informed there. PLC (FETAC) places are RESERVED for PLC (FETAC) students - LC students cannot get those places. You seem to have a big downer on PLC courses without actually knowing much about them. Colleges do not 'prefer' LC students. They 'prefer' people who have a clear idea of what their course entails and have chosen correctly.

Who cares if you are 20 or 25 starting college? You certainly won't be the oldest in your class.

I think you should concentrate on your mental health for the moment and forget about the Leaving. If your exams are finished there's nothing more you can do now anyway.

DeynnaSt

'

spurious wrote: »

Calm down - seriously.



You are mis-informed there. PLC (FETAC) places are RESERVED for PLC (FETAC) students - LC students cannot get those places.''

Hi, I didn't really get what you've meant there. So, my DIT college has 3 reserved places in a course for FETAC students, sooo, and there's about how many, 1000? people that do that specific PLC course, so the competition is totally high, and even if I do great there's no guarantee I'll get it.
Leaving Cert is done and there's so much I can do about it, I can choose to repeat this hell and get better results.
Cheers

I CAN'T KEEP CALM, MATE.

user53

DeynnaSt wrote: »

Hi, I didn't really get what you've meant there. So, my DIT college has 3 reserved places in a course for FETAC students, sooo, and there's about how many, 1000? people that do that specific PLC course, so the competition is totally high, and even if I do great there's no guarantee I'll get it.
Leaving Cert is done and there's so much I can do about it, I can choose to repeat this hell and get better results.
Cheers

I'm no expert on PLCs but I don't think there is 1000 people eligible for any specific course through PLCs. Also for entry to a science course you need a science PLC, for nursing you need a nursing PLC so this would spread the numbers more evenly. And finally it's not that competitive because not every single person of that '1000' will be trying to get into the same course as you.
What area of study do you want to get a degree in?

DeynnaSt

user53 wrote: »

I'm no expert on PLCs but I don't think there is 1000 people eligible for any specific course through PLCs. Also for entry to a science course you need a science PLC, for nursing you need a nursing PLC so this would spread the numbers more evenly. And finally it's not that competitive because not every single person of that '1000' will be trying to get into the same course as you.
What area of study do you want to get a degree in?

Hi!
Yes, I know that there are specific PLC's for specific college courses.
Well, I've been thinking of doing a Law course in DIT which only offers 3 places to students with a FETAC qualification, I got an offer for a Pre-University Law (PLC), but now am thinking of just repeating the Leaving Cert instead.

TSMGUY

DeynnaSt wrote: »

I CAN'T KEEP CALM, MATE.

As a guy on anti-anxiety meds I can tell you from experience you'll achieve nothing being anxious/frenetic. Get on some SSRI's before you do any course or make any decisions. If you can't personally regulate your anxiety levels, get some meds ASAP. That level of anxiety is probably what's holding you back. You'll only make stupid decisions if your thought is this clouded by stress. Your writing suggests you're deeply troubled psychologically right now.

DeynnaSt

TSMGUY wrote: »

As a guy on anti-anxiety meds I can tell you from experience you'll achieve nothing being anxious/frenetic. Get on some SSRI's before you do any course or make any decisions. If you can't personally regulate your anxiety levels, get some meds ASAP. That level of anxiety is probably what's holding you back. You'll only make stupid decisions if your thought is this clouded by stress. Your writing suggests you're deeply troubled psychologically right now.

Thank you for your thought on this one, but I am not going to follow your advice and engage myself with chemicals again, never. My stimuli is strong enough and I guess I wasn't quite careful with formulating myself last night.
The question still remains the same, Plc or repeat?... Hm..

everesteduc

DeynnaSt wrote: »

I got an offer for a Pre-University Law (PLC), but now am thinking of just repeating the Leaving Cert instead.

You may not feel like it but with an offer you are already ahead of the posse. The key thing for now is to keep your options open. I know you are limited to staying in Dublin and you have done mega research into your options but keep having a look at CAO options till July 1 in case you do a little better than you think in the Leaving Cert. Like are there level 6 options that can lead to the same qualification you want?

If in August after the results come out, you think you are going to be anxious in the PLC because you would be unsure if it will lead to anything, then you should think about repeating then.

And if you repeat and don't get your number one choice, then you have the PLC or another course to fall back on.

If you want to look a little further ahead to when you are 23 you can enter college as a mature student without Leaving Cert points or a PLC. So your goal may take a little longer but you can get there. Best of luck.

randylonghorn

DeynnaSt wrote: »

Oh, so far I actually have no idea of what to do, I mean what course. I applied random ones on my CAO applications ...

Would you consider taking a year out altogether, see if you could get even a part-time job to bring a few bob in, and use the time to sort your head out and decide what you REALLY want to do?

So what if you're 21 starting college, you'll enjoy it all the more at that age, and without a lot of the minor annoyances younger students have, like being refused entry to places because you are or look too young.

DeynnaSt wrote: »

If I can get into third level education by selling one of my kidneys, message me.

Believe me, you'll need your kidneys far more than you'll ever need a third level education!

neil123

Hi DeynnaSt,
i have a cousin that was in the position as you (last year), he found it very difficult in school because he didn't enjoy where he was going to school... anyway.... he did a PLC course which was in limerick and he found it brilliant because he said he didn't want to go through the stress of the Leaving cert because he didn't receive the points he wanted, as someone mentioned above places are reserved for student (with the essential results required). my cousin is now in UL studying Psychology and just passed his first year... my point is relax if you feel like you want to repeat the leaving cert again do!!! but wait until you have your results you may have got on brilliant. He would personally highly recommend a PLC as it is a different style of learning and he thought it was such a brilliant year (with alot of work required).
Enjoy your summer
You be fine