What do the 625 point kids go on to study

Hangup · 29-09-2020 12:22am #1

Just curious.....there were approx 500 students that got 625 points this year.....what did they chose to study?
Obviously a number of them chose the outrageously high pointed curses such as Economic and Finance, MSISS, Dentistry etc but there are many more who didn’t chose these.
I know one who is studying Geography and French in Maynooth; another Biology and Chemistry in UL.

spurious · 29-09-2020 11:32am

Hopefully they study something they want to do, not just something they had the points for.

I know in the past the pressure to do the high point courses has not always been helpful. Forty years ago I was at school with a girl who clearly was going to get high points (in those days 26 was high points) and at CAO time the careers person in school racked up the pressure on her to apply for Medicine (which she would have got, no problem). Thankfully she was made of stronger stuff and her parents supported her in doing what she wanted - a course in Marketing she need just two HL honours for.

She flew through the course, was on the payroll of a very large multinational during 4th year (because they wanted her so much to come work for them). She has ended up lecturing in a number of British and US universities, happy as the day as long, still loving what she does and thanking her lucky stars she stuck to her guns forty years ago.

annoyedgal · 29-09-2020 12:17pm

I remember getting a much better leaving than expected 525 which was a lot back then.
My neighbours were horrified i was going to 'waste my points ' to study arts and not reapply for dentistry or veterinary.....mad attitude altogether!

shesty · 29-09-2020 12:32pm

My Engineering course had many students who got 580+ points.
Engineering only needed about 460 points at the time, but with Hons Maths and an Hons Science subject and the like -these people just wanted to be engineers, and the points were fairly irrelevant once they filled the requirements.

Rosita · 03-10-2020 9:03am

A guy in my school who got maximum points a few years ago is doing a Maths-related course in DCU.

Iodine1 · 03-10-2020 9:40am

A person in school with me got the points for medicine but wanted to do a completely different area. Under pressure, went on into medicine, hated it, never practiced and ended up a disaster. I felt so sorry as they were so bright and getting the points was the big mistake. Could have done anything and what they were suited to with half the points and made a fortune out of it.

Heres Johnny · 06-10-2020 8:25pm

There were a few max point guy or very close to it in my class and I know the most common route was engineering. One did primary school teaching

Dickie10 · 09-10-2020 8:36pm

when did points come into the Leaving Cert exam, or when was the CAO brought in?
I did the LC in 2001, there was no history of 3rd level in my family so nobody really had a clue what CAO or points really were. I liked school good enough but didnt really engage in any classes did as little as possible, to be honest I hadnt a clue what I wanted to be or even how to go about following up the things I was interested in. I was pretty much a Leaving Cert tourist, looked at everything as it passed me by!

Cateym · 10-10-2020 1:20pm

Back in the day (1999) I got 575. After my pre results I was hauled into the career guidance office and lobbied to apply for medicine. I'd no interest whatsoever. She actually told me 'I wash my hands of you'. The year I did the leaving six got over 550 in my class. Four others I know of are now a dentist, accountant, pharmacist, computer engineer.

Leftwaffe · 10-10-2020 4:17pm

I have to admire these students who get the full points. It's not only their ability but their application to their study that gets them there (Coupled with good teachers, of course). When I was in school I hadn't a notion what I was doing, never mind what I wanted to do.

I always stress to students that the leaving cert won't define you. It didn't define me, I've a degree, a post grad and a masters done and I genuinely got 240 points.

Looking at students now, aiming to do all the top courses. Fair play to them.

Dickie10 · 10-10-2020 6:25pm

A bit like me, for some the LC is really only a small landmark, cant remember exactly what I got points wise, i didnt even calculate it i think, went to a Level 6 Ag course then apprenticeship. I think i must have got max 220 points, did Construction and Geography higher only, got D2 and C3 respectively. I was terrible at construction, had no interest. Should have done higher English and Economics too got B1 and B3 without any real study at Ordinary. Also should have done History even on my own i would got better than some subjects like Biology i think it was D2 ordinary level. Anyway ended up first class Honours in Geography at college and 2:1 History and a masters in Ed. now so I suppose it didnt define me.

Nigel Fairservice · 12-10-2020 7:23pm

Article here from the Irish times from a few years back profiling students that got numerous A1s in the Leaving Cert. A lot studied medicine and engineering but not all. There's a linguist and an economist is there too.

Most of the high achievers from my own year went on to study medicine.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/whatever-happened-to-the-a1-students-1.533196

What do the 625 point kids go on to study

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