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What Leaving Cert points did you get and what path did you take?

Spider Web

... If you did the Leaving Cert of course.

Another thread inspired this, and that thread is just someone having a laugh, but it did make me ponder the way things can turn out for people after school. Namely, often not as expected at all.

I got 430 points - I worked, you have to work to get 430 points, but I certainly didn't work hard. I did the required amount but nothing extra. My best subjects were English, geography, history and languages. I did a humanities degree, learning about the political, economic, social, cultural and so on, then a communications postgrad and now I work in the area of communications. I was quite "artsy" so had no business awareness but over the years I have developed it and find myself quite suited to it. I have learned some great entrepreneurial skills and once I've the money saved I'd like to do my own thing.

So I took a pretty standard route, but I love finding out about people who take an unconventional journey education and career-wise. Of course the really out-there stories are rare, and you can't be banking on "Well such and such billionaire dropped out of school at five" type examples, but it is true that leaving cert points are not the end - as students are often led to believe.

Edit: forgot to include "I didn't do the Irish Leaving Cert but I did do the equivalent of it elsewhere".

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Bob Gray

I can remember my results but can't for the life of me remember how it equated to on points at the time ,1997, but I never worked it out cos from a young age I had planned on working straight out of school and either gaining experience or waiting til I was a mature student. The economy at the time was a lot better so it made it easier to buy a house etc but it also kept me working when I really should have gone to college. As it stands, I'm currently a technical supervisor in a semiconductor company which is pretty much the field I wanted to get in but at the same time I'd love to have seen where I could have been if I'd have gone and done that engineering course or something similar.

dudara

I got 580 in 1996. Studied Physics for my degree, went on to complete a PhD. I'm really personally proud of that part of my life as it was tough financially and mentally, but I made it through.

I had thought for a long time that I want to be a researcher / academic, and I was even teaching part time in the local IT. But by the time I had finished the post grad I knew that it wasn't for me.

So I changed completely and took a career in technology consulting. It's taken me all over the world, worked with so many different clients, including some really big brand names. More importantly, it's an industry that doesn't sit still. The pace of change is relentless at the moment and it's really invigorating.

r93kaey5p2izun

I got 600 points in 2000. I became a physiotherapist but, following a few changes in my personal circumstances, I retrained as a teacher, did a second degree in Maths and a Masters in education.

I sincerely regret my decision to go straight to college after school. I had an offer to remain in my part time job where I worked from 15 and to have them pay for qualifications and training to further a career with them. I am certain that teaching is the right job for me but my peers who took the other route are far more secure financially and tbh I would be willing to put up with a lot for more security. I am still considering retraining again in something with better prospects.

RoisinClare6

Did the LC at 17, didn't care for school at all did everything in my power not to go. If I did go in never did my work. Got 280 at the time. Went and did a PLC in sound engineering found out pretty quick it was the opposite of what I wanted. So I finished that in May. Following September I made the decision to go back to school to repeat my leaving cert and significantly improved my grades! Got into a business course in Carlow IT. Applied for a grant, apparently my dad was earning to much to qualify but there still wasn't enough to afford it.

So I spent the following year unemployed. Was driven mad by doing nothing all day so I applied for jobbridge. I got an internship down the road from me in a broadband company. so worked 39 hrs p/w for €150. After the nine months were up I was offered a full time contract. Stayed there for another 2 years after that. Moved counties got a shop job part time in Dealz and a second part time job in another broadband company.

Left Dealz last summer still part time with the broadband company. It's good money though.

Planning on returning to college next year doing a degree part time and a few courses between now and then. Hopefully then I will be able to set up my own business that I've been thinking about for the last 18 months or so.

I maybe going a longer route than if I had done well in school but I have learned a lot a long the way. Still only 25 so I'm not writing myself off yet.

Probably shouldn't be allowed to vote though

FizzleSticks

This post has been deleted.

irishman86

BrianD3 wrote: »

I got over 500 but less than 550 points, this was in the mid nineties. I think when a person states their points they should also indicate when they sat the LC. As can be seen from the below link, the percentage of people scoring 500 points has increased over time.

https://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=points

1995: 3.8% of candidates scored 500+ that year
2000: 5.7%
2005: 8.0%
2010: 8.6%
2015: 10.3%

I've had discussions with people boasting about their children's LC points who didn't like it when I pointed out that 500 points or whatever isn't necessarily as impressive as it used to be.

Leaving aside the dick measuring stuff, my primary degree is in science and I also have other degrees which I did while working. I currently work in a scientific area and based on Revenue stats for single male employees, my salary is in about the top 10% for that cohort. However, the Revenue stats include people much younger than me, people who never went to third level and, I think, part time workers. Were I to compare myself with third level graduates my age who work full time, I'd say my income would be average at best.

For a science grad I believe i'm one of the lucky ones. I would advise people starting out to stay well away from science i.e. chemistry biology physics. As a career choice, STEM (or at least the "S" part of it) is way over hyped.

Based on my experience, the correlation between LC points and career success isn't particularly strong. The most successful people from my school year (they are on incomes of 150-200k+) got solid but not spectacular LC results in the 350-450 point range and went into IT, law, business or banking. Several of the top performers did science and have underachieved in their careers. Similar story with some of my friends from third level most of whom were top people in their respective schools yet have been struggling in their careers for nearly 20 years.

Because its a utterly pointless point to make, perhaps the students have got better at studying than back in the day, your complex about being better than other students doesnt change this

BrianD3

irishman86 wrote: »

Because its a utterly pointless point to make, perhaps the students have got better at studying than back in the day, your complex about being better than other students doesnt change this

Looks like I hit a nerve there. In actual fact, you have no idea of the details of the discusssions I had with other people boasting about their children's' points, running down mine and others' points who did the LC years earlier and reacting badly when the possibility of grade inflation is brought up.

irishman86

BrianD3 wrote: »

Looks like I hit a nerve there. In actual fact, you have no idea of the details of the discusssions I had with other people boasting about their children's' points, running down mine and others' points who did the LC years earlier and reacting badly when the possibility of grade inflation is brought up.

You didnt hit a nerve i did better than most, i just have no delusions of grandeur or feel the need to show i'm better than others
I did my leaving 15 years ago so i'm not in the modern leaving so i could just as easily have your attitude alas i dont feel the need to put others down with comments such as the leaving has got easier thats the only reason your kid got 500 :rolleyes:
Pathetic attitude tbh
So what if people boast or are proud of there kids, i dont need to know the conversations you have, your attitude is easily read that you think your 500 shows you are a more intelligent person :rolleyes: when in reality thats not the case just a delusion

tomwaterford

BrianD3 wrote: »

Looks like I hit a nerve there. In actual fact, you have no idea of the details of the discusssions I had with other people boasting about their children's' points, running down mine and others' points who did the LC years earlier and reacting badly when the possibility of grade inflation is brought up.

Maybe old people are just stupider

Hence lower grades??

Spider Web

BrianD3 wrote: »

Looks like I hit a nerve there. In actual fact, you have no idea of the details of the discusssions I had with other people boasting about their children's' points, running down mine and others' points who did the LC years earlier and reacting badly when the possibility of grade inflation is brought up.

No need to say "Looks like I hit a nerve" - it's very sneery!

However you are correct - research has shown that the leaving cert has become easier over the years. There was a thread on this only recently.

The dumbed-down Leaving Cert http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057775792

irishman86

Spider Web wrote: »

No need to say "Looks like I hit a nerve" - it's very sneery!

However you are correct - research has shown that the leaving cert has become easier over the years. There was a thread on this only recently.

The dumbed-down Leaving Cert http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057775792

Has it become easier or has the ease of access to education become easier
I got 500+ 15 years ago my nephew got the same for his this year and the amount they had at there finger tips through the web is massive
Either way getting high scores in the leaving should be congratulated not used in a way to show how your better than younger generations

Spider Web

Patww79 wrote: »

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I've noticed this - thought engineering was for brainiacs!

OldMrBrennan83

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Spider Web

I guess it depends on the type of engineering? It's a broad term I suppose. Civil engineers and electrical engineers seem to need to work hard.

_Roz_

I got 390 or 395. I didn't put much effort in because I knew I was going to do Arts, because I had to go to college (thanks parents) but had no idea what I wanted to do, and also felt incapable of anything (thanks, undiagnosed anxiety). I graduated into the recession in 2009. That was fun. Long term unemployment, circularly compounding and compounded by (now diagnosed) anxiety and depression.

Then I fell into an awesome employment situation which I could have managed with no degree at all, and here I am working my way towards permanent.

GLaDOS

490 points. Did a BSc in genetics and finished my PhD last year. Currently working in research.

Still chafes that I just missed the 500 mark :pac:

Tom Mann Centuria

Four GCSE "C" grades, (Geography, History, English Language and English Literature) which might be marginally more useful than Junior cert grades, but only just. Left school at 16 and had as many jobs as Homer Simpson. Been in my current job for a Looonnnnggggg time now though.

smurgen

485.missed out on law thank god,don't think i could have have financed the profession after college.gone into private equity and funds.

BrokenArrows

I got 345 if i remember correctly . It was exactly the number of points required for my first choice for software development.

Im pretty sure i did the minimum required and seriously 15 years later thinking back its a pretty big decision to make when you're that young on what to choose for a career.

I am working as a software engineer and getting paid pretty well.
However if i was to go back and talk to my younger self i probably wouldnt pick an IT career path. Id probably choose something more financially rewarding and more stable.

In software development it irritates me that the technology is constantly changing . Anything i learn becomes obsolete in a few years.

Avatar MIA

BrokenArrows wrote: »

In software development it irritates me that the technology is constantly changing . Anything i learn becomes obsolete in a few years.

Probably good for the brain to keep it challenged.

With that said if I had to significantly update my profession every few years I'd rather eat the books.

[Deleted User]

Enough to do thphys. Had no interest in getting high points for the craic and I never wanted to do medicine or anything

Avatar MIA

bluewolf wrote: »

Enough to do thphys. Had no interest in getting high points for the craic and I never wanted to do medicine or anything

You would think that would require very high points, but all down to demand I suppose.

BrokenArrows

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Probably good for the brain to keep it challenged.

With that said if I had to significantly update my profession every few years I'd rather eat the books.

Good for the brain but bad for the stress.

At the moment i am finding myself lacking motivation to learn new stuff so im falling behind. Might have to move into management!! haha.

Avatar MIA

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Good for the brain but bad for the stress.

At the moment i am finding myself lacking motivation to learn new stuff so im falling behind. Might have to move into management!! haha.

The refuge of the burnt out... At least we have the foresight to move though :pac:

ciaradx

500 points. Did a BSc in Genetics and I'm about to finish my PhD in Cancer Biology.

I'm glad I went down this route but the PhD has been particularly tough. I'm not really sure what road to go down next but I'm sort of looking forward to having no set plans like I've had the last few years.

arccosh

255 ... currently a Telecoms Engineer with BEng(Hons)
LC means jack **** if you're willing to put the work in (mind you it make take longer, or significantly longer in my case, but hey, I enjoyed my 20's a lot more than others)

ElChe32

455 - decided to do Computer Science in DCU but after 5 months realized that it really wasn't for me. Took a year off to do a bit of work and travel. Went back to college then and did International Relations which I loved - graduated in 2010 when there wasn't a sniff of a job in my sector so went to study a masters abroad. Spent the next few years in non-profits in a few countries before coming back home and thankfully finding a job working for an NGO which I really love.

I still think I will end up working/living outside of Ireland but for now I'm fairly happy. Can't imagine I would be saying the same if I had stuck with computer science, my bank account would probably be healthier but as others have said I don't do my current work to get rich I do it because it makes me happy.

zl1whqvjs75cdy

Got 550, before this craic of extra points for honours maths too. Did a PhD and work in industrial science now. In hindsight I shouldn't have bothered with the level of work I had to do for the leaving cert, I probably would have ended up exactly where I am without it. And without the PhD too probably. Ah well.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

take everything

BrianD3 wrote: »

Looks like I hit a nerve there. In actual fact, you have no idea of the details of the discusssions I had with other people boasting about their children's' points, running down mine and others' points who did the LC years earlier and reacting badly when the possibility of grade inflation is brought up.

Grade inflation is pretty much undisputed as you say. Project maths, the whole erasing of the concept of failure. The percentage of firsts or just honours in college.

Ridiculous to suggest kids are getting smarter.

/awaits someone mentioning the Flynn effect. Eh no grade inflation is a reality outside of any insignificant effect from that.