my career guidance councillor broke my heart :(

Making It Bad

Lawliet wrote: »

Once again different people have different abilities. And 'smart' is such a vague, non-specific word. Plenty of people could be described as being smart, but have absolutely no aptitude for science. So your argument there is a bit silly. It seems that your idea of being smart includes having an aptitude for science, so taking into account your narrow definition then I agree, if you're "smart" chemistry is a better option.

What term would you rather I used then? The word "smart" makes the most sense in this context.

Lawliet wrote: »

But under the wider definition of smart, I disagree. If your strengths lie in common sense and being able to learn things off easily, then it would be much more efficient time wise to do subjects like business or geography.

The person with "common sense" would still be better off doing chemistry. Honestly, chemistry isn't as abstract as something like maths, and science is "just a refinement of everyday thinking", as one great scientists ever said. I see no common sense in geography. Business on the other hand, due to sheer size, is still going to take longer to learn than chemistry if someone is taking it up in a year - for most people anyway (who aren't mindless robots who just take input from a textbook with no effort to understand).

You don't even need to be smart to do well in LC chemistry. Like most LC subjects the most important thing is how interested you are in it. Then you will remember things. There is only a very very very small percentage of people who are actually good at memorising things, as humans aren't built for that. If people seem to memorise things easily it's because they have an interest in it. Set the same person up with something abstract to memorise, like a group of numbers, and they will perform poorly, the is true for the very vast majority of people.

I'm sorry you seem to be offended but discouraging people from taking science subjects, even in a year is a bad thing to do. Ireland needs more people who understand science and less people who just give into the point system and memorise a load of **** useless information for hours and hours.

phasers

This isn't a Chemistry thread! (Alothough imo Chem is quite tricky and people should not be told it's an easy subject)

Anyway, if the OP chose to take up another subject they should play to their strengths, whatever they may be. Could be chem, could be Art, could be History.

Lawliet

Making It Bad wrote: »

I'm sorry you seem to be offended but discouraging people from taking science subjects, even in a year is a bad thing to do. Ireland needs more people who understand science and less people who just give into the point system and memorise a load of **** useless information for hours and hours.

I wasn't offended and I'm not trying to discourage anyone from taking up a science subject; I actually love chemistry and I plan on studying science next year. I'm just saying that it's is not a cake walk and if you were taking up an extra subject purely for points, chemistry is not one I'd recommend.

Kelleherqueen

Okay..First of all, Career Guidance teachers are not there to tell you what you can and cannot do. They are there to offer support, guidance and education with regards University, College and Moving Out. However, I regret to say that many Career Guidance teachers mistreat their duty intensely and instead give their input when really, it is unwanted and unnecessary.

I had to go to my C.G teacher a few months ago. I'm in L.C and she makes an appointment with each student throughout the first few months of the year. Basically, she was completely uninterested in me, my interests, my goals, my ambitions, my personality. She looked at me and she saw a number - That is all she sees. She judges students on how many points they will get in the Leaving Cert. All she thinks about is points. Whichever student can achieve 500-550 points, she dotes on. She treats them with dignity and respect. The less academic students, she treats with disgust. She is generally mean and she treats them as though they are lazy or just downright thick.

When I went into her office, she didn't greet me, she didn't even smile. She just took up the meeing pretty quick and asked me what I did yesterday evening. She took out a page and started writing all these times on it. ie. (4.00pm-4.30pm. 4.30pm-5.00pm, etc) down in a column. She then asked me what I did yesterday evening, from when I arrived home to when I went to bed.

I basically couldn't remember because I don't really keep a track of time and I'm not one to keep to a schedule. So I just sort of froze on the spot. I told her a rough outline of my previous evening, (Homework, Cleanin', etc), and she just looked at me with complete pity and impatience. "What ELSE were you doing? What were you doing between X TIME AND Y TIME?" But I honestly couldn't remember. Basically, she was trying to get at my studying routine; but, at this stage, (early on in October), I didn't really have one. She then went on to ask my my hopeful points in the L. Cert. Again, I didn't really know what to say. She wrote all of my dodgy guesses down on the page. It came out as about 345 points. She looked at me like I was a fool. "Would you be happy with that?" I said I would be. She acted as though I were an underachieving twit and just muttered something like, "Right". She told me I need to "Maximise my time". Then, with about 5-10 mins left of the "Career Guidance" meeting, she decided she would actually give me advice on my Career. She asked me what I wanted to do after the LC. Told her I wanted to do Early childhood education and care in an I.T. She took out one of her college books and told me pointless information I'd already researched.

She made me really upset because she completely undermined me and she treated me as though I was incapable of succeeding.

Weeks after my meeting, she was giving one of her Career Guidance classes that we have every Friday. By now, she'd forgotten my name..She has only remembered the names of the academically talented students; the students who will get very high points in the L.C, the students who have a disiplined study timetable. Everyone else to her is not worth her time. All she is interested in is RESULTS. Whoever gets really high will make a really good name for the school. Basically, she is using these students as bait.

My advice to you is REALLY DO NOT LISTEN TO YOUR C.G TEACHER! ! ! Seriously, many of them are narrow-minded and can only see one direct route into 3rd level - by getting high points in the Leaving. C. But there is numerous ways of getting what you want. Just, sometimes, you have to take the backdoor.

My C.G teacher advised me to do Foundation Level Maths; because I'd failed the 4th year Summer test. She didn't encourage working hard at the O.L paper. She was strongly of the opinion that I should simply give up and admit defeat.

Bare in mind that your C.G teacher just know you as a STUDENT! Not as anyone else. You can do ANYTHING you want to do. All you need is the AMBITION, THE STRENGTH, THE CONFIDENCE AND OF COURSE THE HARDWORK!!

Unfortunetly, C.G teachers misuse their duty frequently and fail to give students hope and ambition. Instead, they give the opposite.

Is it just me or can any fool become a C.G teacher these days ?

pathway33

Kelleherqueen wrote: »

"What ELSE were you doing? What were you doing between X TIME AND Y TIME?"

that C.G.T should get a job in homicide

randylonghorn

How did this thread become an argument about Chemistry?! Drop it, please.

On topic:

I have to admit that some of the examples quoted here do not reflect at all well on the profession, but having dealt with a fair few of them over the years for different reasons, my experience has been that like many other professions there are a few dire ones, a few absolutely outstanding ones, and that the bulk of them are competent if not exactly inspiring.

I have noticed a tendency among many to be more interested in the high-flyers academically, as indeed with many teachers generally; I suppose I can understand that in one sense, but at the same time I have to say my highest respect is reserved for those teachers who have the same interest in all their students, including and indeed especially those students who struggle hard against the odds.

window_licker: if your dream course is speech and language therapy, put it first on your CAO and work your hardest between now and June, and see how you get on. It will be no satisfaction to get the necessary points if you do not have the course on your CAO.

At the same time, be realistic and realise that you may not get it, and use the other slots on your CAO form wisely.

What is it about speech and language therapy which appeals to you? What other courses have some or all of those elements, and might therefore also appeal? Off the top of my head dramatherapy springs to mind as a similar field in many ways, but I'm not sure if that is available at undergraduate level. In any case, identify what you like about the area, and see what other courses might be similar and therefore interest you.

Also, as someone pointed out, there is a postgraduate option in this area in UL, so even if you do not go straight into it, the possibility is always there for later.

You might think now "oh, a Masters! Jeez, more study!" but realistically more and more a Masters is becoming the norm for employment in any professional role. And given the current economic climate, jobs in this (and indeed most) areas are going to be hard to come by for a few years anyway.

So by all means put your dream job at the top of your CAO, but research your other options, fill your Cao form wisely, and don't be too disappointed if you don't get your number 1!

H2student

Thankfully, my Guidance teacher is pretty nice and seems to give everyone who bothers to make an appointment and shows up time and interest. For example, she knows I have a very slim chance of getting Medicine so she volunteered to help me e-mail some of the British Universities to ask about possible alternative routes to it (Doing 1 year general science then changing etc.) and giving me suggestions on other careers I might be interested as well.

As many have said already, you might as well put your dream course on the top. The advantage of the CAO is that it allows you to aim as high as possible, that's why there's ten slots for lv 8 in the CAO Form.