I'm 21 And Want To Do My Leaving Cert! But Whats The Best Route To Take

ArthurGuinness

Hi All.

I am 21 and never reached my leaving cert, as I dropped out when I turned 16. I am a full time professional musician and I have been since I left school. I do fairly well finacally at this meaning I have no real need to work a day job thus have all day long free as the majority of my work is at night or weekends during the day, and as of late have been seriously considering going back to do my leaving cert. I am gutted I made the mistake of dropping out. I know that there are plenty of other courses out there that I can avail of and I can do most degree courses in most colleges within the next few years as a mature student. However I really want to do my leaving cert. Can anyone out there in internet land suggest the best way of doing so. I am aware that I can do it via distance learning with Kilroys College and other such organizations, but I would rather not. I am also aware that there are a few private schools which cater solely for the leaving cert like Yates in Galway and Waterford but these can be quite costly (6,000+ per year). I am not against paying this but if there was another way all the better. Is returning to mainstream state education a no-no. As funny as it would look and the jeering I would get from my mates aside its some-thing I would do. Or if you have any other suggestions fire em' this way. Cheers

implausible

First of all, fair dues to ya for considering going back to do your LC! Your first step is to get in contact with your local VEC; they are the usual providers of Adult Ed. There should be no exorbitant fees and you'll be surprised how many people are in the same boat as you. Good luck!

ArthurGuinness

Thanks for the positive comments. Ill give em a call tommorow and see what they say. Cheers:D

Jayeire

Hi Arthur,

I'm just repeated my leaving cert last year, I'm 19 now and have to say it was totally worth it. When you want to repeat, you know that you're going to put the effort in , so I totally know where you're coming from.
Whilst I was in 6th year there were two 27 year olds repeating , so being 21 is nothing to worry about in my opinion. The fact that yer a pro musician is also to you're advantage, assuming that you'll do LC music.
More power to you.
Contact local secondary schools to see what the story is.

ArthurGuinness

Hey All

I phoned my local V.E.C today and the the feedback I got was'nt very helpful. The options they gave me are as follws:

1. V.T.O.S - Which is an adult education scheme for over 21's. However to apply for this programme you must have been claiming Social Welfare for a minimum of 6 months. (I have been lucky enough to never have a need to claim socail wefare) Also they offer a limited number of subjects.

2. Ditsance Learning

3. Private Schools Such As Yates Collage

4. There is no set scheme in place for returning to a mainstream state school, but I can phone around schools in the county to see will they take me but the V.E.C said it would be very unlikely that they would. So its worth a try. Ill get on the blower and post what kind of a response i get. As i am sure there are people out there in the same boat as me.

Thanks for all the positive comments. Cheers!

rainbowtrout

i don't see why a school wouldn't take you. we had a 20/21 year old in the school i teach in a couple of years ago repeating. it didn't cause any problems. you might find it hard to catch up on courses at this stage of the year but it might be worth getting yourself organised for next september

ArthurGuinness

Also, Taking into account that I have been out of full time education for a considerable time. Would I be better of starting from 5th year or going straight into 6th and just repeating if i didnt reach my own expecations. I have been getting some conflicting advice on this.

rainbowtrout

well if you were to go back now and start in a school before christmas it might be worthwhile going into fifth year so it isn't so overwhelming next year. on the other hand if you start next september and go straight into 6th year you could spend the rest of this year doing a bit of work yourself, eg if you take english find out what novel and play, poetry is on the course and start familiarising yourself with it.

a lot might depend on what subjects you want to take, some are easier than others to complete in a year

i would say find a school first that is willing to enrol you, see what subjects they have on offer and if they recommend you start in 5th or 6th year.

One other thing to consider is that if you decide to use the LC to go to college it might be worth taking a range of subjects that would meet entry requirements, the other side of that argument is that you can apply as a mature student when you are 23 anyway so that wouldn't be as important.

one other way of approaching it if you are not interested in college/points etc would be to take 3 subjects this year and 3 subjects next year, you should have plenty of time to study 3 subjects each year without having too much pressure and still get a full set of results

ArthurGuinness

Points arent really an issue its more of a personal thing for me. However if I did well I would look at perhaps going onto to college. Pharmacy was always an ambition of mine. I am aware the points needed for this would be very high and that I would have to take science subjects which would more than likely be a challenge to pick up at this time of year. I should also point out I have an exemption from Irish so that would be one less subject to worry about. Thanks for the advice Rainbowtrout it is very much appreciated

Well first I have to say well done and good choice in deciding to go back to repeat, I'm repeating this year (I'm 19, will be 20 just after the leaving cert) and I know it's not an easy decision.

I'd recommend that you would go into 5th year asap, unless you were willing to put in an unreal amount of work in one year. If you are, just enroll into 6th year next september. As someone above said, find out what poets and novels are prescribed for English for the leaving cert in 2010, and start reading them now. Another thing you could do is decide on what subjects you'd like to do (and what ones the school you wish to go to offer) now, and start learning them yourself and/or going to grinds during your free days, that way you'd have an advantage come next september.

As to where to repeat, I'd say go to a public school, grind schools may be great and all (I don't think they are), but you seem like you're willing to work hard, so a public school would be fine.

And 21 isn't too old at all, it's only a few years older than normal LC's, so don't worry about it!

Best of luck!

leesmom

im 21 and have a baby and im repeating my leaving this year in a local vec,as far as im aware there are a few people older than me there,its not really an issue. you may be better off getting yourself organised for next spetmeber though,even if you decide what subjects you want to do, get some revision books and have some kind of idea what youll be in for in september, best of luck

blue-army

ArthurGuinness wrote: »

Points arent really an issue its more of a personal thing for me. However if I did well I would look at perhaps going onto to college. Pharmacy was always an ambition of mine. I am aware the points needed for this would be very high and that I would have to take science subjects which would more than likely be a challenge to pick up at this time of year. I should also point out I have an exemption from Irish so that would be one less subject to worry about. Thanks for the advice Rainbowtrout it is very much appreciated

Hi,

I'm 17, and I'm repeating the LC this year.

Just a bit of advice, I wouldn't say you will get enough of the course done between now and June, to make it worth your while doing it in 2009.

If I was in your position, I would pick your subjects now, and go out and buy the books etc... ASAP.
I'd start doing a bit of work at home yourself this year in your own time, maybe get a few grinds.... and then try and get a place in a local school for next September.


I'd highly reccomend you doing Geography and Business by the way. Both courses are fairly short, and are probably the 2 easiest LC subjects. You will easily get them done in just over a year.

bythewoods

Congrats- it's really hard to go back. I'm only 17, but I'm repeating so I know it sucks going back after you think you're finished.

Anyway, 21 isn't too old to go back at all. I'm just repeating in a public school but there's lots of other people repeating some of which are at least 20. Think there might even be some turning 21.
So yeah, you're definitely not too old.
My cousin's 22 and she repeated last year- now she's finally able to do primary teaching like she'd always wanted.
I'd recommend spending this year teaching yourself some stuff, as others said and starting next September so as to sit the Leaving in '10.

Best of luck!

laurashambles

I'm in a similar situation at the moment. I'm 18 and I left school about a year and a half ago and I just started back into 5th year last Wednesday. It's a little weird being older than everyone else, but you forget about that pretty quickly.
What the VEC said about state schools not accepting you isn't really true. I asked online if people thought it would be odd for someone my age to go into 5th year, and got a lot of replies telling me about people far older than me (and yourself) going back into 5th year in a normal school.

Anywho, best of luck! =]

Heisenberg1

ArthurGuinness wrote: »

Hi All.

I am 21 and never reached my leaving cert, as I dropped out when I turned 16. I am a full time professional musician and I have been since I left school. I do fairly well finacally at this meaning I have no real need to work a day job thus have all day long free as the majority of my work is at night or weekends during the day, and as of late have been seriously considering going back to do my leaving cert. I am gutted I made the mistake of dropping out. I know that there are plenty of other courses out there that I can avail of and I can do most degree courses in most colleges within the next few years as a mature student. However I really want to do my leaving cert. Can anyone out there in internet land suggest the best way of doing so. I am aware that I can do it via distance learning with Kilroys College and other such organizations, but I would rather not. I am also aware that there are a few private schools which cater solely for the leaving cert like Yates in Galway and Waterford but these can be quite costly (6,000+ per year). I am not against paying this but if there was another way all the better. Is returning to mainstream state education a no-no. As funny as it would look and the jeering I would get from my mates aside its some-thing I would do. Or if you have any other suggestions fire em' this way. Cheers

hi im looking to do the same myself try pearsecollege.ie or plunketcollege.ie
they do great full time two year leaving cert courses good luck

RandomIrl

http://plunketcollege.ie/vtos.php#adult

apparently..they do a very good repeat course! and at a fraction of the price of places such as the institute and yates etc

yourmano

Your VEC are incorrect, you are entitled to be taken on. Hope it all works out, fair play. My brother repeated in Galway a few years back and there were lads in his class from the army who were in their 20s so can be done. It was a VEC school that took them on. Best of luck

flynnser19

there was a girl who repeated with me and she was 21??she had to wear the uniform too though???

donovan467

im 17 and left school 2 years ago,ive had a full time job with the past 2 years bu am relly kicking myself that i did not do my leaving cert and relly want to go back and get it just i do not know what way to go about it if anyone has any information or advice on what the best thing for me to do would be could they please let me know because i relly want to become an electrical engineer

Gavin "shels"

donovan467 wrote: »

im 17 and left school 2 years ago,ive had a full time job with the past 2 years bu am relly kicking myself that i did not do my leaving cert and relly want to go back and get it just i do not know what way to go about it if anyone has any information or advice on what the best thing for me to do would be could they please let me know because i relly want to become an electrical engineer

Presume you could just apply to a secondary school, and go from 5th year. Just tell them your situation, couldn't see there being much of a problem tbh.

spurious

Some secondary schools might have a problem with it on Health and Safety grounds. Some parents will complain (there are always some) about an adult man being in a class with 15/16 year olds in 5th year.

You're really best off going to a school/college that specialises in courses for adults. There are many of them. Contact your local VEC.

Piste

Well he is 17 years old so he's hardly a "grown man" he'd be the same age as most people in 5th year sure! Unless you were referring to the OP that is!

spurious

Piste wrote: »

Well he is 17 years old so he's hardly a "grown man" he'd be the same age as most people in 5th year sure! Unless you were referring to the OP that is!

Sorry, yes, I referring to the 21 year old.

The later poster should investigate all possibilities - there may be centres close by him that would pay him a training allowance while doing the Leaving. Once you're not a 'standard' student, lots of possibilities arise.

ArthurGuinness

spurious wrote: »

Some secondary schools might have a problem with it on Health and Safety grounds. Some parents will complain (there are always some) about an adult man being in a class with 15/16 year olds in 5th year.

You're really best off going to a school/college that specialises in courses for adults. There are many of them. Contact your local VEC.

The only thing my local VEC was able to offer me was VTOS but I did not quailify for this as you need to be claiming social welfare for a minimum of 6 months before you apply and I have never cliamed social welfare, which to me is a serious flaw in the system. The only other option they gave me was to contact schools directly.

X__LISA__XX

haya my names lisa ..im 19 wel 20 in march an im reali looking to go bak and do my leaving cert..i left wen i was 16 jus after my jc...is dare any1 out dare dat can give me advice an let me no how to go bout at doin it..an dose fas help?

tank u to ta ppl dat reply...xx

mufc4lfe

X__LISA__XX wrote: »

haya my names lisa ..im 19 wel 20 in march an im reali looking to go bak and do my leaving cert..i left wen i was 16 jus after my jc...is dare any1 out dare dat can give me advice an let me no how to go bout at doin it..an dose fas help?

tank u to ta ppl dat reply...xx

Hey there!!Contact one of the secondary schools in your area.Your not that old to be doing the leaving as there are many 19 year old repeating the leaving cert.The only thing is you will be starting from scratch and proberly will need to do both 5th and 6th year as theres a lot to cover in the subjects.You could also think about private schools which could cost up to 6000e a year.But listen hear...between you and me if your not aiming for 500+ pts which I wasnt when I did it,I think 250-300 pts is manageable with a decent amount of study in one year(I got 275).This amount of pts would give you an amount of different courses to choose from!So pick your 6 subjects wisely and really knuckle down for the rest of the year and get yourself a decent leaving.
Hope this helped babesxxx

X__LISA__XX

hay tanks 4 da reply mufc4life..

i only wanna do my leaving to join da gardas..or dental nurse...

tanks anyways x

randylonghorn

X__LISA__XX wrote: »

haya my names lisa ..im 19 wel 20 in march an im reali looking to go bak and do my leaving cert..i left wen i was 16 jus after my jc...is dare any1 out dare dat can give me advice an let me no how to go bout at doin it..an dose fas help?

tank u to ta ppl dat reply...xx

Lisa, welcome to Boards.

Just a gentle nudge ... txtspit is unwelcome on this site, thanks.

FAS are unlikely to be of much help, better to talk to local schools / VEC.

For you, the OP and others, a visit to the local Adult Guidance Service may be helpful.


(@ Candystripes, "lol" is not a helpful comment in a serious thread - deleted and next time round I'll be infracting ...)

Condoms

I did my leaving at age 18 and again at age 20 , school first time around and home study / Library the second time,

Enjoyed the exam much more second time, and did better, no distrations you see.

kenon

Colaiste Ide does a one or two year leaving cert course under the BTEA scheme.

Link

Daragh101

you could just go to school like everyone else?