Those who did poorly in your leaving cert - how has it affected your life?

Vito Corleone · 04-11-2013 12:44AM

Average would be around 500 points.

Duggy747 · 04-11-2013 12:45AM

Got around 270-ish in my LC, still went to college and got my degree, Fetac certs and IT certs from taking exams years afterwards and have a good IT job now as well as in the past.

Know plenty of people who did very well / shìt in the LC, did the building trade for a few years and then went to college as mature students. Either way, most people I know wound up in college doing good courses.

The LC really isn't the end of the world though when you're young you almost believe that your results will dictate the rest of your life.

creep · 04-11-2013 12:50AM

Vito Corleone wrote: »

Average would be around 500 points.

What planet are you living on? Here is a link to the figures on how people people did for 2013 on cao site
http://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=points

Fat Nav · 04-11-2013 12:54AM

I failed the inter cert badly and left school after that so didn't even get to do the leaving cert.
It never bothered me personally and definitely did not hinder me in life.
I have been in employment since I left school and run a couple of company's I have started and built up over the years and believe me when I say I never ever hire someone purely based on their education or lack of as the case may be.
None of my family ever knew I failed because I changed all my "F" and "E" grades into "B" grades and only told them years later about it.

Rayne Wooney · 04-11-2013 12:55AM

creep wrote: »

What planet are you living on? Here is a link to the figures on how people people did for 2013 on cao site
http://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=points

He was joking

tim3000 · 04-11-2013 01:04AM

tosspot15 wrote: »

Just a question to all those who failed or did poorly in their leaving cert, or just simply dropped out of school early.

How has it affected your life, do you feel like you've ever been left behind or forgotten about? People always say "theres always another way around things" be it third level education, or employment in a decent field of work. But its often not that simple.

How have you gotten on?

My brother failed it sadly. He then went to a senior college ended up with a FETAC level 5. With this he entered into a 4 year computer networking course and graduated there last Friday. So he didn't do too bad just cost him an extra year. Just started in work in a large MNC.

I passed it 365 points, straight into college doing applied Biology. Graduated two years ago, on the dole since. Went to the same senior college as my brother attended and did 3 evening FETAC level 5 courses.

So there is a nice comparison for you OP of similar background and totally different results.

PTH2009 · 04-11-2013 01:45AM

done the leaving back in 2007 and got 170 points (did foundation maths and irish) and actually had enough for my third level choice but didnt get in. In 2007/08 i done a fetac level 5 and passed it, got a part time job which i still have now. Took a few years out and then done an office admin fetac level 5 course in 2010/11 and passed it and from there i finally got to third level and done a higher cert tourism course which i finished in may this year.

So here i am with a third level qulification on my cv, almost 24 years old and dont knw what to do with my life. I have a part time job which takes up some of my time but dont want to be stuck in there my whole life. Mite go back and do a degree course in september.

Actually have an interview for a jobsbridge administration worker for WIT next tuesday so i would be pretty happy if i got that.

I wish i had done better in my leaving cert but 17 year old just wanted to be out of second level education. I have my critics saying i dont have a good educational background but im happy enough with 2 fetacs and a higher cert

College is just a piss up for some anyway

errlloyd · 04-11-2013 01:54AM

I heard this rumour years ago that almost all of a year in a certain girls school in Dublin put Jam Making down on their CAO as their level 7 (knowing that they would almost certainly get an offer at level 8 or repeat... It was that type of school) and drove the points for Jam Making up to like 400. Obviously these plummeted on the second round when they all accepted their level 8s.

Probably urban myth.

TiGeR KiNgS · 04-11-2013 01:57AM

Vito Corleone wrote: »

Average would be around 500 points.

creep wrote: »

What planet are you living on? Here is a link to the figures on how people people did for 2013 on cao site
http://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=points

i think what he was implying was he did sh.te in the leaving just from that statement alone.

Cienciano · 04-11-2013 01:59AM

The leaving cert is timed very badly in life. A couple of years after a bloke discovers fapping/women/booze they have to sit at home at read up on how the liver fluke reproduces.
I went to an all boys school in Dublin 1. No idea how a teacher could keep 29 dublin knackers and me interested in Jane Austins Emma.

TiGeR KiNgS · 04-11-2013 02:01AM

Cienciano wrote: »

The leaving cert is timed very badly in life. A couple of years after a bloke discovers fapping/women/booze they have to sit at home at read up on how the liver fluke reproduces.
I went to an all boys school in Dublin 1. No idea how a teacher could keep 29 dublin knackers and me interested in Jane Austins Emma.

lol

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 04-11-2013 02:02AM

As anyone who's done it more than 5 years ago wil ltell you, it only really matters if you have a specific career in mind and a specific thrid level course in mind.

I did a mediocre LC having a reasonably good life with two jobs, two qualifications and an occasional paying hobby, none of which have anything to do with the subjects I studied on the LC, let alone the grades.

liliq · 04-11-2013 02:08AM

I got an average LC, could have done better. Did a year in a degree course, dropped out, then moved up the country to do a different degree course and got first class honours. Did most of a postgrad and dropped out of that very close to the end.
Mneh, I enjoyed college but 10 years of it was enough and I'm doing f*(k all now that's related to my qualifications.

Rayne Wooney · 04-11-2013 02:09AM

A lot of graduate jobs these days have a minimum leaving cert points number when applying and I'm sure anything under that is just filtered out.

Kind of díckish when you've already done the course and got your degree you need to have to be able to do the job and they don't take you because of how many points you got.

DazMarz · 04-11-2013 02:09AM

I did very well in the Leaving (480 points) considering I spent most of 6th Year gambling and drinking. I was always great at just remembering shít from the classes just being able to regurgitate mass amount of information onto paper, which is what the Leaving Cert is. It has fúck all to do with actual learning; just memorise certain things, scribble it all back down and Robert's your father's brother.

I did however miss the course I wanted by a measly 5 or 10 points. I was very bitter over that. Incredibly so. I ended up doing Arts in UCD, because I had fúck all clue what else to do and I was being semi-forced into going to college anyway. Dream job was to join the Gardaí at the time, but was told to go to college first. Joke. Because as soon as I was out of college, the country was in the grip of the recession and Garda Recruitment had stopped.

That said, I'm happy enough where I am. Have a relatively useless piece of paper that I've never used to get a job. Since leaving college I have worked alternately as a barman, a poker dealer and now work for An Post. A potential future career in politics has also manifested itself. I've also applied (along with half the country it would seem) for the Gardaí this time out. Who knows.

I'm still very bitter towards the Leaving Cert and the college system in general (I was not even able to work my way towards what I actually wanted to do through the degree option I took, despite being told I could before I started). I can only imagine if I'd gotten the magic 485/490 I needed and I'd probably be happier. Or I could have hated the course and dropped out easily. Who knows.

All in all, the Leaving Cert is an overrated, overhyped memory test.

andyman · 04-11-2013 02:11AM

Hasn efekted my lyf at all.

Cienciano · 04-11-2013 02:14AM

Asking a 17 year old what he wants to do in life is also a tricky one. Something to do with football/computer games/tits is usually the answer. You wouldn't be the first person who went into the wrong college course.

FurQyou · 04-11-2013 02:14AM

First time I did it: 90 points..

After working in factories and supermarkets I went back and did it again.

Second time: 365 points!

Seeing what life was gonna be like mysteriously made me want to work at it!

chrissb8 · 04-11-2013 02:23AM

Did so bad the first time round. 170 or something dreadful. I just had no idea what school was about and put too much emphasis on social life, friends etc. Tried PLC courses. Same again, just no interest. Went back and repeated the L.C at 20. Full on intense course. Study every night and work galore. Best thing ever. Came out with 350. Was let down to be honest. Wouldn't let me drop lower level maths even though I passed it in 1st L.C and knew I hated and had no aptitude for maths. Would have tipped me over the 400 mark to do another honours subject.

Anyway ended up doing a Hcert course in marketing and took the far to easy passsed first year by the skin of my teeth. 2nd year I put more effort in and got the reward of going in to the level 8. Just as well really or I would have just failed that horribly if I had gone in after I repeated the L.C. I think basically when people think you should have done college earlier they shouldn't. You didn't want to and if you did go you wouldn't have liked it. You have to be ready to commit to education and you'll only be ready when you are ready and motivated. All this from doing poorly in the L.C happened for me.

So to wrap it up! I think doing poorly in the L.C was great. Education is so important. Opens up doors around the world and sets you up for life. Basically failing the L.C was a great thing for me. No idea why they make kids decide heavy life choices like college so quick. It isn't enough time. I was 16 in 5th year! Ask your 16 year old self where does he/she see himself in 20 years. Pfft. Take your time and think! Don't drop out of college, don't hate your course and don't waste your time. Poor L.C means nothing to a few years asking yourself "Why am I here?" and "Is this what I want?"

Mint Aero · 04-11-2013 02:35AM

Fair City covered this really well a couple of years ago. Two characters, one went to college the other didn't. The guy who didn't became the manager of Spar overnight and wore a suit everyday whilst rotating tins of beans on the shelves.

The guy who went to college dropped out, lied to everyone, started working as an apprentice henchman for a notorious gang in the soap. Got beat up and was poor as sh*t.

Moral of the fantastic storytelling and plot in Fair City was everythings opposites innit. Live your life by this and you'll be fine.

Clip · 04-11-2013 02:41AM

Did the leaving in 1990.
Loved school and had got all honours in the group and inter.
My year teacher hated me and I wanted to do honours papers in the leaving.
I should point out that this was a bit of a rough school in a rough area and I had been forewarned by my teacher that I had tought "far too highly of myself for where I was from"
I should have taken the hint

I studied for the honours papers on my own(only person in the school to do honours).
On the day of the first exams as I entered I was informed that NO higher level papers had been ordered for any of the exams.
I hadn't much of a clue of the pass paper content so failed miserably

04-11-2013 02:41AM

Did well in the Leaving but if that CAO application was graded, guaranteed fail. Three years uni for two years work.. Doubt I'll ever use it again.

PictureFrame · 04-11-2013 02:43AM

I did pretty well in my Leaving (530 points). Pretty soon to finishing my Undergraduate degree in University (Psychology). To get a decent job, i'm facing another, at least 3 years study plus voluntary work experience just to get accepted into a Training programme, which take an additional 3 years to complete.

Doing well in the Leaving doesn't guarantee anything, neither does doing poorly. I'm facing years of crippling student loans, fees and voluntary, unpaid employment before I can start enjoying the fruits of my labour and pondering how doing well in the Leaving has benefited my life

The grass isn't always greener you know!

That being said, working hard during my Leaving allowed me to obtain any one of my choices on the CAO (including 3 from Trinity College). My advice would be to put in the work and just do your best.

yizorselves · 04-11-2013 02:46AM

Didnt effect me

freelancerTax · 04-11-2013 02:52AM

Got 230 in my leaving... Was pretty bad but I didn't care (or study) at the time

Hasn't affected me at all
Went to college and graduated - got some crap jobs , then took two years out to study at home for the career I wanted (computer graphics) I earn a good salary and most the time enjoy my job. For me I didn't really need my leaving or my degree they were just filling time till I found what I wanted to do

It helps the the industry I work in is not about qualifications or bits of funny paper in general its about actual ability - nobody cares how u got there just as long as u know how to do the work correctly

Oh long Jonson · 04-11-2013 03:00AM

Chazz Michael Michaels wrote: »

I did terribly in the LC. I went to college as a mature student. I now work in a professional role which I'm happy with.

A bad LC isn't the end of the world.

+1 this. For anyone going for it.

I never listened when adults back then told me 'its good to have but its not the end of the world'.

Now I'd say the exact same thing. Its just good to have.

It is important yes, but often counts for very very little later on.

Think of it this way; its important at the start of your work life, then the further you go later (work, study) the less it important it becomes. And very quickly too.

If you're going for high paying work you'd probably cause the interviewer to break his/her sht laughing if you mentioned it. They're looking for your experience and (non-leaving cert) qualifications.

Besides just do a plc course or take part time evening study if you must.
Or go later as a mature student.

At this stage of my own life it is absolutely useless to me.

Uaru · 04-11-2013 03:06AM

Did well in my leaving. I dropped out of arts after first year. Realised I wanted to do something science related a couple years later but because I didn't do a science subject for the leaving I can do nothing. I'm an idiot.

Shane-KornSpace · 04-11-2013 03:15AM

200 points.

Unemployed. Young father. Broke.

I did go on to ITT but I dropped out because I was just too lazy to put in any effort, so I started falling behind, very quickly.
A decision I regret every day.

Oh long Jonson · 04-11-2013 03:17AM

Uaru wrote: »

Did well in my leaving. I dropped out of arts after first year. Realised I wanted to do something science related a couple years later but because I didn't do a science subject for the leaving I can do nothing. I'm an idiot.

I wouldn't go that far.

Qualifications do not equal happiness and/or success.

Oh if it were only that simple. Id be fcking chuffed.

Heres where the education system is fcked - no mention or education on the value or the importance of personal traits.

Any half way clued in employer in a general work field will take in a guy who's a savage for work with perfect punctuality, genuine interest and good common sense yet lacking in qualifications

...over an un-motivated dis-interested run of the mill employee whos just in it for the cheque but happens to have a degree.

The first guy will go up the ladder quickly - but such workers are rare.

Im not one of them

R.D. aka MR.D · 04-11-2013 04:20AM

I completely messed mine up and ended up having to do my number 10 choice on the CAO.

i was absolutely devastated at the time and couldn't stop crying for 2 weeks. i would be at work and if anyone mentioned it to me (i had worked there since i was 14 and most of the customers knew me well), I would just burst out crying. It's so silly thinking back on it now but i really thought that it was the end of my life. :rolleyes:

i'll never know what my life would have been like if i had of gotten my number 1 choice or any of the other 8 choices! But i've led a fairly interesting life in the 5 years since i graduated.

It really isn't the end of the world if you don't do as well as you had hoped.

i think it's really really terrible the pressure they put on kids. I know from the moment i went to secondary school, it was talked about like it was the be all and end all of life. There is more to life than the leaving! However, i suppose that it does teach you how to deal with massive amounts of pressure at a young age. I still have dreams about it and it's been 9 years! :eek:

Those who did poorly in your leaving cert - how has it affected your life?

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