To repeat or not to repeat.....that is the question!

d4gurl

I never thought in a million years that I would be contemplating repeating, but I did say to myself never say never! I got Science in Trinity but still have to accept it! Im very confuse atm! I just turned 18 so I am very young and repeating a year is only really 7 months.....but would it be worth it?! I thought I would at least hit between 480-500 this year but I failed! I got 460! All my friends well most of them did better than me! I have a niggling feeling that I deserve at lease 20 points more but who is to say the bstrds will give my points to me!:( Do I want to be left behind while everyone else grows up? I don't know if Science is even a good degree - sure its trinity but thats not everything! also I know I should not think about what others think of me but I do! A lot of people thought I would do brilliant - people in my old school, parents, teachers etc.... I feel I have not only let myself down but all those people! I think they would sneer at me for having to repeat in the institute having just completed a year there! I never ditched classes or slacked of - yet the people I know who did this - did better than me? Basically I know that is a lot of waffel - but it would be cool if anyone was kinda going through the same dilemma and if anyone could give me some advice? Please!!

c m

i thought id get 480+ too and only got 460 aswell i took a different course but theres roots into everything and theres no way id put myself through that again

d4gurl

Yes that is definitly true! Tomorrow I am ringing the Science faculty and finding out if I can get transfered into another course after one or two years! If I can do that then i'd defo not repeat!

smemon

thats life. get up, get on with it. nobody cares how you did (apart from close family and friends). So my advice is blank out the general public, give them the two fingers and do what you want to do.

i'm taking a year out, and i'm 19 now, i'll be 20 hitting college and i don't give a bleep. anyone wants to have a pop at me, i'll sort them out it's my life, my body, my brain... i'm doing things MY way.

d4, do the same :cool:

d4gurl

but would i not be doing things your way then and not my way?!!hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I wish it was as easy as that for me!

GrumPy

smemon wrote:

thats life. get up, get on with it. nobody cares how you did (apart from close family and friends). So my advice is blank out the general public, give them the two fingers and do what you want to do.

i'm taking a year out, and i'm 19 now, i'll be 20 hitting college and i don't give a bleep. anyone wants to have a pop at me, i'll sort them out it's my life, my body, my brain... i'm doing things MY way.

d4, do the same :cool:

Another typical smemon post :rolleyes:

Tak3n

hahah, you think you're young!?

Im going to be 16 going into college

Faerie

I can completely see where you're coming from. I didn't do as well as I would have liked and I contemplated repeating to get better results. Honestly, though, the more I think about it, I realise the points don't matter - it's the course that matters and if you think you'll be happy doing it, then do it. I know it's a bit late but you still have a while to accept the offer, so you should research it thoroughly now and ask your career guidance teacher to find out everything he/she can. I'm sure they'd be happy to do it!

I also don't think you're particularly young to start college, but you could always defer for a year if you want to wait.

d4gurl

d4gurl wrote:

but would i not be doing things your way then and not my way?!!hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I wish it was as easy as that for me!

D4gurl:

I am doing Science in Galway.I just did first year.I have the opportunity to move into biomedical science next year(well like in two weeks,have to make my mind up tomorrow:\).Science degree leaves you open to so many things.You can do postgrad in pharmacy,medicine,dentistry,Medical science.Pay is improving in every science related degree.

What course did you want to do?Might I add that a degree in science from Trinity is no better than a degree from ucd,ucc and NUIG.Its the research done by postgrads that has trinity in such high esteem.In my course I could do anatomy if I wanted to.No other uni offers anatomy for its general science degree.

Gangsta

Deleted User wrote:

D4gurl:

I am doing Science in Galway.I just did first year.I have the opportunity to move into biomedical science next year(well like in two weeks,have to make my mind up tomorrow:\).Science degree leaves you open to so many things.You can do postgrad in pharmacy,medicine,dentistry,Medical science.Pay is improving in every science related degree.

What course did you want to do?Might I add that a degree in science from Trinity is no better than a degree from ucd,ucc and NUIG.Its the research done by postgrads that has trinity in such high esteem.In my course I could do anatomy if I wanted to.No other uni offers anatomy for its general science degree.

Good post.

EdgarAllenPoo

Repeat if you feel you need to. What I found is that once you've done the LC you see it as just another exam and some of the stress is taken off. You could do a plc but since you got so many points to begin with I wouldn't go that route. Though my brother's ex did and she went from 515 to 545. I would have repeated if I thought I could have done any better, maybe if I had gone to a grinds school to repeat but if you think about it, you've finished second level. There's always more than one way to skin a cat.

Scraggs

d4gurl, get your papers checked first of all!

What course did you originally want? Science is a great degree and can open you up to many different areas... have a word with your guidance counsellor. It might be possible to transfer into another area afaik 1st yr science is common.

But of course theres no point in accepting what your not happy with.
Any other course you could reapply for instead of repeating? Take the year out and travel/work....Or you could just repeat:)

Do what you want don't let others influence your decision.

Best of luck with what you decide!

EdgarAllenPoo

I would actually say go out and work for a year it matures you a bit more and prepares you, as many people will tell you college is nothing like secondary school. Also nothing stopping you working full or part time for the year and still repeating next June.

JC 2K3

d4gurl wrote:

I never thought in a million years that I would be contemplating repeating, but I did say to myself never say never! I got Science in Trinity but still have to accept it! Im very confuse atm! I just turned 18 so I am very young and repeating a year is only really 7 months.....but would it be worth it?! I thought I would at least hit between 480-500 this year but I failed! I got 460! All my friends well most of them did better than me! I have a niggling feeling that I deserve at lease 20 points more but who is to say the bstrds will give my points to me!:( Do I want to be left behind while everyone else grows up? I don't know if Science is even a good degree - sure its trinity but thats not everything! also I know I should not think about what others think of me but I do! A lot of people thought I would do brilliant - people in my old school, parents, teachers etc.... I feel I have not only let myself down but all those people! I think they would sneer at me for having to repeat in the institute having just completed a year there! I never ditched classes or slacked of - yet the people I know who did this - did better than me? Basically I know that is a lot of waffel - but it would be cool if anyone was kinda going through the same dilemma and if anyone could give me some advice? Please!!

This post is a classic example of how the leaving cert is flawed, overhyped, overrated, too competitive and shows also the pressure people doing it are under.

My advice: Calm down, take science unless there's another course you REALLY want(Which from that post I'm guessing there isn't) and as for caring about what others think/others doing better than you; don't dwell on it, wait a month or two and you won't care anymore. Remember it's your life and all that.

Dancing_Priest

Look buddy, if you dont want do do science then that may be a fair reason for repeating, however if its an issue of proving yourself by getting a better grade in the auld LC, then youre barking up the wrong tree altogether! 3 years ago, I applied for law in trinners as my first choice, however I got 425 points and ended up doing arts in Galway with legal science, I'll be starting my LLB in a couple of weeks. followed by a research masters in epistemology, and with a bit of luck ,a PHD after that. If I had got the points I wanted I would have had law degree by now and a life of small town practice ahead of me.... Thing is, I dont really want to do law at the moment. Now on foot of an arts degree I have a chance, albeit slim, of entering acedemia. My point being, well, a rather illogical one, dont panic! even if things dont go to plan, dont worry, unless youre a very exceptional person, and youre probably not you dont have a bloody clue what youre going to want to spend your life doing at the moment (I certainly didnt) your future employer wont give a damn about your LC results. Case in point, I got more points in my LC than my flatmate, thing is, he's the darling of the law faculty, he's the one organising the visit of a US Supreme court judge, the visit of the Chief Justice of The Irish Supreme Court and not too far from now will be doing very important things for very important people in even more important courts. Me, Ill be a small town with a comfortable income or perhaps lecturing somewhere, either way, neither of us saw where we were going, still dont, but Im sure we'll both be happy whatever happens:cool:

Aoibheann

d4gurl: I decided straight away, last Wednesday morning, that I would be repeating. I want to do medicine and I knew I hadn't enough points for it right off. Sure, I got offered a course that I would find interesting, hey, I'd find most of the courses the CAO offer interesting, but I knew that I didn't want to do any other course but medicine. I also knew that I didn't put enough effort in last year, hell, I barely did a tap all year and I know if I had, I probably wouldn't be in my current situation. As it is, I reckon that I have a pretty good chance of getting medicine when I repeat.

You really have to weigh up your options, and the two things to be taken into consideration really are:

1. How much you really want the course that you didn't get. You could end up doing science and absolutely loving it, y'know? Then again you might not. Sure, you could switch two years or so in, but a repeat takes just the one. A science background though would do you no harm.. There's all that to think about. Just take a step back and look at the situation. If you really want that course and nothing else, I'd suggest repeating.

2. Did you put enough effort in last year? If you put in as much work as you could have possibly managed, there's probably not much point in repeating. However, if you know that you really could have done more in the year, there's every chance of getting more next time around with a little more motivation!

From the point of view of a person just about to repeat the year, I don't find the prospect all that daunting. If you've met the matric for the course you want, you can do whatever subjects you want. I'm dropping English and Irish for App. Math and Accounting! (Keeping Maths, the three sciences and German because I'm insane, clearly! ) And if you do repeat, you'll have me for company as the oldies on the LC board.. well, veterans I guess, I'm no oldie yet, most of the new crop are probably older, I'm still 17. But 18's still quite young for college anyway, I know a girl from my school's going to be 20 starting, she had illnesses and was forced to repeat some years. There's loads of time for us to get to college, we're still only ickle!

whassupp2

Tak3n wrote:

hahah, you think you're young!?

Im going to be 16 going into college

I thought I was young at 17 and a half

Lord Oz

Don't repeat, once was bad enough!

Aoibheann

Lord Oz wrote:

Don't repeat, once was bad enough!

To be fair, I thought the same thing. Not getting the course you really want though is motivation enough to repeat. And once you meet matric requirements for your course, you don't have to do the same boring subjects again! I'm switching english and irish to app math and accounting, as I said, and with the loads of english and irish off my mind (they are two long courses, tough enough too), I can allocate my time in a better way, which will leave things easier on me as regards study and the like. It's honestly not that daunting a prospect!

Gangsta

Aoibheann Brady wrote:

To be fair, I thought the same thing. Not getting the course you really want though is motivation enough to repeat. And once you meet matric requirements for your course, you don't have to do the same boring subjects again! I'm switching english and irish to app math and accounting, as I said, and with the loads of english and irish off my mind (they are two long courses, tough enough too), I can allocate my time in a better way, which will leave things easier on me as regards study and the like. It's honestly not that daunting a prospect!

That's true although I feel repeats have an unfair advantage because of this, ah well:D. Where are you headin to repeat?

d4gurl

Woah guys!Thanks a million for all the advice! I have since this first post had a grand old chat with the parentals! Tomorrow I plan to book an appointment with my guidance couniclor and find out all my other options! Pharmacy was my first and second choice but I was not expecting to get the points for it! I really loved the course "biomedical health and life sciences" - 545 new course! I also have Law and politics down which is 510 so im hoping if I miraculousy go up 40 points that their is the slight chance that I might get that! I understand that all science degrees are pretty much on the same level - defo agree on that aspect! The Dazzler are you sure you can do a post grad in pharmacy? Will have to look into that tomorrow! I have not accpeted anything yet and thanks to all your advice am definitly not rushing into things! I think science is a good broad degree which I would be interested seeing as I have always been inclined to be interested towards the sciences! I know my rant seems very childish and immature but you know what - Im not the only one who feels the pressure of preforming infront of a load of people! Thanks again guys! I feel a lot better!

Aoibheann

Gangsta wrote:

That's true although I feel repeats have an unfair advantage because of this, ah well:D. Where are you headin to repeat?

Staying with the same school here in Cavan tbh, there's good teachers, I'm not bothered heading to Dublin or wherever to pay fees to a school and accommodation only to come out with the same points I think I can get here. Far too expensive for my liking! And I'd like to save that money for college itself.

Kurtosis

One thing I would have to say that would be of benefit in doing the trinity science degree (or a science degree in any college, more than likely) is:

1. Very broad for the first 2 years so no need to make decisions about what area of science to specialise in.

2. You can take language classes and study abroad for part of one of your years there, which only broadens the experience even more.

You have to consider, would you like to spend another year working as hard as you did last year (or even harder) or would you like to do a year in a college course and try to top your class there. Either way you will probably get into pharmacy or one of your other options after the year, just depends how ya spend it!

smemon

as someone has mentioned earlier look at the financial side of things.

1 year full-time work @ minimum wage = €300 a week, €15600 for the year.

if you only repeat 1 or 2 subjects, you could easily pin down a full time job at the same time. That cash could fuel your college fee's for the following year and you'd have a pretty comfortable standard of living in college, provided you save most of it obviously.

plus that 1 year work experience looks good on the CV and gives you more confidence and knowledge of the working world.

dcarroll

d4gurl wrote:

Woah guys!Thanks a million for all the advice! I have since this first post had a grand old chat with the parentals! Tomorrow I plan to book an appointment with my guidance couniclor and find out all my other options! Pharmacy was my first and second choice but I was not expecting to get the points for it! I really loved the course "biomedical health and life sciences" - 545 new course! I also have Law and politics down which is 510 so im hoping if I miraculousy go up 40 points that their is the slight chance that I might get that! I understand that all science degrees are pretty much on the same level - defo agree on that aspect! The Dazzler are you sure you can do a post grad in pharmacy? Will have to look into that tomorrow! I have not accpeted anything yet and thanks to all your advice am definitly not rushing into things! I think science is a good broad degree which I would be interested seeing as I have always been inclined to be interested towards the sciences! I know my rant seems very childish and immature but you know what - Im not the only one who feels the pressure of preforming infront of a load of people! Thanks again guys! I feel a lot better!

you can certainly do pharmacy as a postgrad in the uk, and i'm fairly certain you dont even have to pay fees for it

d4gurl

Im feeling more confident guys thanks! penguin really great points!! I think ill get a good night sleep! cheers! oh smemon - working is not what I want to do right now - i'll get a part time job somewhere - ive already worked in a pharmacy (two summers ago) great experience and also worked in a nursing home and general hospital! I want to go to university or perhaps repeat! My options with Science are looking up!

I think I may have got my post grads mixed up.You can do one in Pharmacology(and variations of this ie toxicology,immunology effects on neural systemspharmaceutical analysis etc.)You could also do a masters in biomed after your undergrad degree which will have you earning the same as or more than the average pharmacy graduate.Companies will take your masters over undergrad in pharmacy(although most pharmacists will go onto to work in pharmacies.)

You are in trinity.I would recommend you take biochemistry with immunology for your 3rd and 4th years.Then either go to scotland and do Pharmacy or do a masters/postgrad in Pharmacology.

.You can do it in scotland without fees.The scottish universities are very welcoming to Irish students.

Rockerette

d4gurl wrote:

-"All my friends well most of them did better than me!"

-"sure its trinity but thats not everything!"

- "I think they would sneer at me for having to repeat in the institute"

im sure you're a lovely girl, but catch a grip!

The fact it bothers you your friends did better?!??????
did we all not get over that in like.. 6th class...



In however many months time you probably wont even be talking to most of your "best friends ever!" from school, you'll have moved on.. (aah dont try fight it.. it just happens! we all know it will ) so do whatever suits YOU!
your family? they'll deal with it..
If you think you should repeat, do it.
If you think you'll be happy in Science, do it.

Youre an intelligent lass, so use your head. By now, whether youre 16/17/18/19 you should be able to think for yourself..


And dont get my started in my Trinity's "prestige" rant..!





I dont mean to come across as mean or rude or agressive or anything, but d4gurl you're living your own life like, do what you think will genuinely suit you best. ignore other peoples "opinions", they'll only bring you down, which they already seem to have done..!




Hopefully it'll work out well at least, whatever you decide




(Personally, i wouldnt repeat. NOT. A. CHANCE. Maybe defer for a year, reapply to CAO with other courses that maybe interest you more than general Science.. but repeat? nope.. you did brilliant!)

nedward

One thing they hammered into me in the CBS was that you can do Pharmacy in Ingerland after one year in Science.

Aye, and I'll probably repeat too.

Edit: Should this thread be in PI? jk

Shrimp

As far as I am aware you can transfer within the sciences. I may be mistaken, however I think it is possible.

When you planned to do pharmacy, after you graduated, did you plan to go on to work in a community pharmacy or in the pharmaceutics industry?

nedward

I was looking for Meds. I wasn't too close. Anyway, I've an offer of TCD Science lying somewhere around the house.


And hey, if you're not sure exactly what you want to do, defer. Travel. Or work. Or laze for a year. You probably have enough points to do most things. You just have to be more selfish. It's your life. You don't have to go to college. Watch the Simpsons for ideas on careers. Six months ago, you couldn't have made me touch the inside of some stranger's mouth. Now I would love to be a dentist. Imagine all the diamond-toothed saws and stuff.