How did your points affect how your life panned out?

zuroph · 18-08-2010 06:27PM #1

So, all the talk today about points and courses got me thinking. How different would your life be if your points had been different, either better or worse?

I got my results this time 10 years ago. I got 380. I wanted to do arts in Mary I, and needed 385. I checked my papers, and was 1% short in Geography and English. got both checked, and got no improvement. No joy. Did not want to repeat, I hated school, so ended up in a business course in Limerick IT, dropping out two years later. I went and worked in a Tile showroom for a few years, before getting a customer service rep job and going on the road. 2 years ago I bought my house, and am still lucky enough to have my job, even though I hate it.

That 1% in Geog or English, would have put me in the course I always wanted to do. My sister has gone on to do that same course, and this year is doing a PHD in Psychology, she will be a Dr. within a year. Me, I fix people's broken shower doors. FML

So, how would your life have been different?

UglyFuc · 18-08-2010 06:31PM

cant be all bad..

a mod on boards!

starlit · 18-08-2010 06:33PM

Don't think it would have made much of a difference, might have done a different course maybe if my points had been higher. The only factor is trying to get into certain graduate work placement programms where you need to have a certain number of a points achieved in the leaving cert to get into them which is a pain!

Mint Sauce · 18-08-2010 06:35PM

i dont have any, i obey the rules of the road

KeithM89_old · 18-08-2010 06:36PM

No difference probably - got what i needed and headin into 3rd year in Sept

starlit · 18-08-2010 06:37PM

irish-stew wrote: »

i dont have any, i obey the rules of the road

I think you are missing the point not the points!;)

NTMK · 18-08-2010 06:37PM

Failed accounting 2 years ago so i missed my first 4 choices but went with my 5th and i couldnt be happier i know people in the 4 i didnt get and i would have hated all of them

Royal Irish · 18-08-2010 06:39PM

I needed 390 and only got 370. Life didnt turn out too bad. I got a great job handing out paper towels and aftershave in a niteclub toilet.

WalterMitty · 18-08-2010 06:40PM

Got 485 12 years ago. did business type degree. Got sick. Decided didnt want to do business career. Wish i had done psychology or philosophy or something. Now reassesing what i want to do in my life.

The Big Red Button · 18-08-2010 06:41PM

I didn't really study a whole lot for the LC, but somehow got very lucky and got points in the 500's. I got my first choice, but chopped and changed courses and colleges a few times over the next couple of years. The course I ended up graduating from last summer had a points requirement of around 200. But I got a great degree, and a very good job from it.

Thing is though, if I had gotten 200 points back then, it would never have occurred to me to do the course that I did end up doing - I had zero interest in that particular area back when I was in secondary school. I would always have wished I had gotten the points to do the course of my choice - the one that I hated and dropped out of within three months, despite being so certain that I wanted to do it all through secondary school!

As a matter of interest OP, if you could go back, would you have repeated? Just think that your answer might be of interest to any students who got their results today and are in a similar position to the one you were in!

KyussBishop · 18-08-2010 06:44PM

Crap points, never went to college, but self employed now working with games and doing well.

Life lesson: Spend your time screwing around with games instead of studying, and you'll be fine :pac:

Mint Sauce · 18-08-2010 06:44PM

GCSE's and A-levels for me, was about the number of A-Cs you got, although hasn't really affected my life, no employer has asked about my school grades in the last 10 years, it's all been about my experience

snuggles285 wrote: »

I think you are missing the point not the points!;)

*groans*

:eek:

anniehoo · 18-08-2010 06:44PM

Got 440..needed 550...miles off. No point moaning about that i was nowhere near. In fairness i couldve tried A LOT harder so only myself to blame.In a great job now so happy out. Always wonder "what if" though.

Jesus Wept · 18-08-2010 06:44PM

I got 40 points which was more than enough for my top choice of 'Mod on boards'.
Happy enough.

FearDark · 18-08-2010 06:45PM

Went to college as a mature student so points meant diddly squat. Mind you they werent that bad anyway

needhelpguy · 18-08-2010 06:45PM

I went into the LC in 2003 without knowing what I wanted to do with my life. As such I felt no pressure in the exam, I really didn't care for it. Had been an A student up to Junior Cert but lost interest after that. I came out with 325 points and it had no affect on my life.

After a year out, I did a 2 year PLC and went working after that.

So points didn't affect me at all.

Sugar Free · 18-08-2010 06:47PM

I had an excess of about 200 points so it made no difference.
I did science but if I could go back I would have done a business degree.

I did my LC in 2004 before any entry tests to medicine. I feel sorry for all the people who got 580 or so but missed out on a medicine place because they only got a B1 in French or some other irrelevant subject, load of balls.

zuroph · 18-08-2010 06:49PM

chatterpillar wrote: »

As a matter of interest OP, if you could go back, would you have repeated? Just think that your answer might be of interest to any students who got their results today and are in a similar position to the one you were in!

Good question! um, probably. My head was in no place to be doing those exams at that time, or to be deciding what I wanted to do with myself. I think there should be a year between exams and deciding on college. The problem is that I could have gone back to do it as a mature student, or other courses, where I'm sure I could get through the interview process, but either your in college, or you're working. I went into work, and next I needed a car, and next i needed rent to live closer to work, and before I know it, I'm in debt, and cant afford to go back to college. I know I could put much more effort into it now, but financially, there's no way to even contemplate it.
If I had gone straight back and repeated, sure its a ****ty year, but it would be out of the way before the debt starts, and give you more time to consider your options, and really think about what you want to do. If I was to really plan it out, i'd have gone back, repeated, then taken a year out, THEN gone to college.

Sanjuro · 18-08-2010 06:50PM

The points system had absolutely no bearing on my life, or what I wanted to do in college. The course I took was portfolio-based, so all I needed was 5 ordinary level C3's, or 25 points.

And I couldn't even manage that.

Copper23 · 18-08-2010 06:51PM

Royal Irish wrote: »

I needed 390 and only got 370. Life didnt turn out too bad. I got a great job handing out paper towels and aftershave in a niteclub toilet.

What were the points for that?

starlit · 18-08-2010 06:52PM

Copper23 wrote: »

What were the points for that?

You sure it wasn't 'Pints!'

18-08-2010 06:59PM

I got 460 and did a course that was 420.. If I had got 600, I'd have still done the same course so points were never an issue. I would do a different course though if I could go back.. It's annoying to be 22, be working at the job for 2 years and already know that it's not what I want to do.

starlit · 18-08-2010 07:02PM

I had a enough points to do the course I wanted so I was happy with that. Once I got the grades I needed I was more concerned about that really. Would probably have chosen the same course unless I got higher points I'd chosen a different one but something similar to what I did go for alright like.

artanevilla · 18-08-2010 07:07PM

When I opened up my results it added up to 350, it meant I missed out on my first two choices. It's was only then I'd realised they weren't my results, BUT THE GODDAMN LOCKNESS MONSTER!

GrumPy · 18-08-2010 07:09PM

Had enough points for my first choice on the CAO, but missed out on a C3 for maths.
Could have not put myself through another year of school. Ended up in a PLC for 2 years before I got into my desired course. It affected lots of variables, people Iv'e met, things Iv'e done, but I still ended up where I planned to be, albeit 2 years later!

Can't say the 2 years were wasted, I kinda glad the way things turned out so far afterall is said I done.

I was devastated with my result though. The "wtf do I do now" shock feeling is fairly scary.

RedXIV · 18-08-2010 07:12PM

The only effect my points had was on my folks telling me I didn't work hard enough! that and my sister studied like crazy to beat me. so I helped her! i'm a great brother

mariaf24 · 18-08-2010 07:12PM

zuroph wrote: »

So, all the talk today about points and courses got me thinking. How different would your life be if your points had been different, either better or worse?

I got my results this time 10 years ago. I got 380. I wanted to do arts in Mary I, and needed 385. I checked my papers, and was 1% short in Geography and English. got both checked, and got no improvement. No joy. Did not want to repeat, I hated school, so ended up in a business course in Limerick IT, dropping out two years later. I went and worked in a Tile showroom for a few years, before getting a customer service rep job and going on the road. 2 years ago I bought my house, and am still lucky enough to have my job, even though I hate it.

That 1% in Geog or English, would have put me in the course I always wanted to do. My sister has gone on to do that same course, and this year is doing a PHD in Psychology, she will be a Dr. within a year. Me, I fix people's broken shower doors. FML

So, how would your life have been different?

You do know that you could apply for almost any course as a matue student? My best friend in college was a mature student who worked in something similar as yourself (except she never did her leaving cert).
She is now doing her Masters

There were quite a number of mature students in my class (Arts UCC). Points need NOT determine the rest of your life!

Herb Powell · 18-08-2010 07:20PM

zuroph wrote: »

So, all the talk today about points and courses got me thinking. How different would your life be if your points had been different, either better or worse?

I got my results this time 10 years ago. I got 380. I wanted to do arts in Mary I, and needed 385. I checked my papers, and was 1% short in Geography and English. got both checked, and got no improvement. No joy. Did not want to repeat, I hated school, so ended up in a business course in Limerick IT, dropping out two years later. I went and worked in a Tile showroom for a few years, before getting a customer service rep job and going on the road. 2 years ago I bought my house, and am still lucky enough to have my job, even though I hate it.

That 1% in Geog or English, would have put me in the course I always wanted to do. My sister has gone on to do that same course, and this year is doing a PHD in Psychology, she will be a Dr. within a year. Me, I fix people's broken shower doors. FML

So, how would your life have been different?

or you could have repeated?

zuroph · 18-08-2010 07:23PM

mariaf24 wrote: »

You do know that you could apply for almost any course as a matue student? My best friend in college was a mature student who worked in something similar as yourself (except she never did her leaving cert).
She is now doing her Masters

There were quite a number of mature students in my class (Arts UCC). Points need NOT determine the rest of your life!

I do, but they affected it indirectly, as by the time I was old enough to apply as a mature student, I couldnt afford to go back to college.

Wagon · 18-08-2010 07:27PM

I only really studied properly hard for maths because that was what i needed to get into my choice of course. Got a D which wasn't good enough. Gave up on studying, decided to go with the next best choice on the CAO form and spent the next 4 years drinking and actually doing things i wanted. I'm an IT engineer now! and a web designer! **** you ordinary level maths. **** you and horse you came in on.

mariaf24 · 18-08-2010 07:27PM

zuroph wrote: »

I do, but they affected it indirectly, as by the time I was old enough to apply as a mature student, I couldnt afford to go back to college.

I'm sure there are plenty grants available and things like back to education allowance. Sorry if I sound pushy, it's none of my business!

I just strongly believe that if your heart is set on something you can definitely do it.

How did your points affect how your life panned out?

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