I think I've botched this pretty badly. Advice?

RocketFalls · 19-06-2010 4:33pm #1

Apologies if the thread is in the wrong forum, but I guess this one seems to be most suited to the matter at hand.

This is probably going to make me a pariah among all you studious people, but I think I may have messed up my Leaving to such an extent that I mightn't even have the requisite 5 passes to get into a FETAC course.

I suspect it's the usual story: too little study, sporadic attendance, knowing far too little for Higher Level etc..

Anyway. I'll probably need to repeat, but there's not a chance in hell I'm going back to secondary school. That environment has killed me for the past six years, and I'm not going through the whole disgusting charade again.

Any advice for repeating outside of school?
I can't really afford a repeat college, but I want to take up Geography and maybe Chemistry in lieu of Art and History [semi-coherence of this thread may give you an idea about my essay-writing skills..].

Also, my plan originally was to accompany my girlfriend to University, but I've pretty much f*cked that chance up..Should I get a job and go down anyway?
Have a feeling that I'd resent all the people who didn't mess up their exams, but the idea of being stuck at home while all my friends go on to study at 3rd level just kills me.

So..um..General advice, I guess. This is really getting me down, and I was hoping there'd be someone who'd done something similarly stupid and has some advice. Thanks.

!!! · 19-06-2010 4:37pm

Repeat at a repeat school. They're basically college life... just sh1tter.

BarnhallBull · 19-06-2010 4:42pm

How driven are you? Is there something out there you really want to do? If so, then I'd say definitely repeat.

You can make a balls of the LC first time 'round, it's totally understandable. It's a tough exam, not everyone gets it right. If you go again next year you shouldn't make the same mistakes again. If you do, or if you don't put the work in then maybe you're not cut out for further education, nothing wrong with that either. Have a serious think about it over the summer, and whatever you choose just make sure you're 100% behind that choice.

Best of luck.

pathway33 · 19-06-2010 4:42pm

When you say go down, I presume you mean go down to Galway (as you are in Sligo). If I were you I would go to Galway with your girlfriend and repeat your leaving wherever she is. You know if you were motivated you don't even have to go to a school to repeat. You can do it externally but it takes a lot of diligence and motivation.

EuropeanSon · 19-06-2010 4:48pm

This is probably going to make me a pariah among all you studious people, but I think I may have messed up my Leaving to such an extent that I mightn't even have the requisite 5 passes to get into a FETAC course.

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

RocketFalls · 19-06-2010 4:55pm

So it's not a bad idea to resit, even if I've moved out? Again, secondary school was a pretty horrendous experience for me, so I'm not going back. Just..a bit sceptical about balancing the curriculum with work/rent etc.

That, and there isn't really a dearth of jobs what with thsi recession thing everybody is talking about.

RocketFalls · 19-06-2010 4:57pm

EuropeanSon wrote: »

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

So that's what the personification of the CAO looks like.. Part old-timey Puritan with an undertone of sexually-charged librarian.

**Timbuk2** · 19-06-2010 4:57pm

You might have done better than you think. A load of my friends are saying they think they haven't got 5 passes, but you often do better than you think you do.

BTW OP, your essay-writing skills seem perfect from your post. You write like an A-standard English student

pathway33 · 19-06-2010 4:59pm

RocketFalls wrote: »

So it's not a bad idea to resit, even if I've moved out? Again, secondary school was a pretty horrendous experience for me, so I'm not going back. Just..a bit sceptical about balancing the curriculum with work/rent etc.

That, and there isn't really a dearth of jobs what with thsi recession thing everybody is talking about.

But you'd be in the same position with regard to work/rent if you were in college. I suppose if you were repeating the leaving outside school (i.e completely on your own) you wouldn't technically be in full-time education and could sign on the dole. Is it €100 a week now for under 20s? That's if you are over 18 I think

EuropeanSon · 19-06-2010 5:00pm

RocketFalls wrote: »

So that's what the personification of the CAO looks like.. Part old-timey Puritan with an undertone of sexually-charged librarian.

Pretty much. :P
Seriously though, if you put the work in, you should be able to repeat outside school, but it all depends on how hard you work.

RocketFalls · 19-06-2010 5:00pm

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

You might have done better than you think. A load of my friends are saying they think they haven't got 5 passes, but you often do better than you think you do.

BTW OP, your essay-writing skills seem perfect from your post. You write like an A-standard English student

Guess it could be pessimism, but I've been pretty accurate so far at gauging my inability. Oy vey..

I know big words because I read things with big words in 'em. That doesn't really transfer to being able to write coherently. Thought it did, unfortunately. The Humanities are not for me. No siree.

Thanks anyway.

BarnhallBull · 19-06-2010 5:01pm

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

You might have done better than you think. A load of my friends are saying they think they haven't got 5 passes, but you often do better than you think you do.

BTW OP, your essay-writing skills seem perfect from your post. You write like an A-standard English student

I was going to comment on the level of skill in that post too actually. Repeating is not the end of the world, i've done it externally this year, it's tough but if you're determined and disciplined it's certainly doable.

RocketFalls · 19-06-2010 5:04pm

pathway33 wrote: »

But you'd be in the same position with regard to work/rent if you were in college. I suppose if you were repeating the leaving outside school (i.e completely on your own) you wouldn't technically be in full-time education and could sign on the dole. Is it €100 a week now for under 20s? That's if you are over 18 I think

Yeah, I'm 19. A hundred quid isn't too bad. I can live quite frugally. It'll keep me from buying games or books or whatever anyway. Keep me focused.

I'd get pretty nifty grants at third level because of my family's income bracket..Oh well. We'll see.

Danger781 · 19-06-2010 5:04pm

I agree with what someone above me said..

Move out with your Girlfriend and repeat your LC there (Assuming you did as bad as you say you did)

But you'd be surprised how well you might actually do when you get the results..

RocketFalls · 19-06-2010 5:09pm

Danger781 wrote: »

I agree with what someone above me said..

Move out with your Girlfriend and repeat your LC there (Assuming you did as bad as you say you did)

But you'd be surprised how well you might actually do when you get the results..

Huhm. This has cheered me right up =]. And if I mess up again, I'll sell my body to science or something. Advance the cause in a more passive way.

Danger781 · 19-06-2010 5:13pm

RocketFalls wrote: »

Huhm. This has cheered me right up =]. And if I mess up again, I'll sell my body to science or something. Advance the cause in a more passive way.

Get your girlfriend to motivate you to study! No sex unless you do at least an hour of study per day starting after the holidays

How many points were you aiming for originally? Or did you just want the 4 passes?

tracert · 19-06-2010 5:28pm

pathway33 wrote: »

But you'd be in the same position with regard to work/rent if you were in college. I suppose if you were repeating the leaving outside school (i.e completely on your own) you wouldn't technically be in full-time education and could sign on the dole. Is it €100 a week now for under 20s? That's if you are over 18 I think

This is true, but you have to wait 3 months to apply. Can't even sign up to FAS until the 3 months is up, iirc.

pathway33 · 19-06-2010 5:32pm

tracert wrote: »

This is true, but you have to wait 3 months to apply. Can't even sign up to FAS until the 3 months is up, iirc.

3 months from the last day of school / last day of the leaving?

RocketFalls · 19-06-2010 11:06pm

Danger781 wrote: »

Get your girlfriend to motivate you to study! No sex unless you do at least an hour of study per day starting after the holidays How many points were you aiming for originally? Or did you just want the 4 passes?

I was thinking around 360 minimum around September. That was naive idealism, though. Recently, I was hoping to get Herbal Science at 235 points [I know, I know. Dunce]. Then that went down the drain, I think.
It has not been a good year academically.

rainbowtrout · 19-06-2010 11:22pm

You don't have to have passed any subject to get into a PLC/FETAC course. Colleges put 5 passes in the LC in their prospectus but realistically it's about supply and demand. FETAC courses in high demand can use LC results to pick the best, but you don't need the LC to gain entry.

You probably haven't done as badly as you think either. Wait until August, you might be surprised.

I think I've botched this pretty badly. Advice?

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