Leaving cert and the permanent defence forces

Nano t

Can I complete my leaving cert studying and then take the test in the army? I can't stick another second of school and I want to join the army. My mother also told me today to get out of the house because I'm nearly 18 now, so I asked her if I could stay until the army's recruiting and see if I get in and she said yes, so I also need to move out of her house soon. Anyway that's beside the point, I'd like to finish my education and even further it in the army if possible. Thanks.

AllthingsCP

Nano t wrote: »

Can I complete my leaving cert studying and then take the test in the army? I can't stick another second of school and I want to join the army. My mother also told me today to get out of the house because I'm nearly 18 now, so I asked her if I could stay until the army's recruiting and see if I get in and she said yes, so I also need to move out of her house soon. Anyway that's beside the point, I'd like to finish my education and even further it in the army if possible. Thanks.

First off you have a question for everything which is good lol.

My advice stay in school and finish the leaving cert, I joined when i was 17 with only a junior cert and now i am 26 and my career prospects are limited i left the army to start a business with my brother and it did not work out.

Now i am leaving three kids behind while i head off to ITC Catterick at the end of the year to start again.

Within your first few weeks in the army you will wish you were still at school.

Nano t

AllthingsCP wrote: »

First off you have a question for everything which is good lol.

My advice stay in school and finish the leaving cert, I joined when i was 17 with only a junior cert and now i am 26 and my career prospects are limited i left the army to start a business with my brother and it did not work out.

Now i am leaving three kids behind while i head off to ITC Catterick at the end of the year to start again.

Within your first few weeks in the army you will wish you were still at school.

Is the possibility there to do it though? I'd rather leave now, without going in to too much detail my home life isn't good and she told me to get out so I have to. Id rather join the army than stick around with my family tbh.

AllthingsCP

Nano t wrote: »

Is the possibility there to do it though? I'd rather leave now, without going in to too much detail my home life isn't good and she told me to get out so I have to. Id rather join the army than stick around with my family tbh.

If the Army was recruiting right now you could be waiting months to get in, The Army is not recruiting now so you are looking at a year & more till your in if you pass!!.

My advice the army is not the answer to fix your home life right now, Try to fix the issues at home or find accommodation, Social Welfare or Social Protection in your area could offer you some help here.

Other opinions is the British Army but that too is a long joining process.

Regardless of your decision it all takes time so if your home life is bad and you have to leave contact SW /SP or i am sure others here will help you too with more help then i can offer

Nano t

AllthingsCP wrote: »

If the Army was recruiting right now you could be waiting months to get in, The Army is not recruiting now so you are looking at a year & more till your in if you pass!!.

My advice the army is not the answer to fix your home life right now, Try to fix the issues at home or find accommodation, Social Welfare or Social Protection in your area could offer you some help here.

Other opinions is the British Army but that too is a long joining process.

Regardless of your decision it all takes time so if your home life is bad and you have to leave contact SW /SP or i am sure others here will help you too with more help then i can offer

I'm hoping they'll recruit soon or at least this year, if they are I'll apply and take it from there,thanks mate.

galwaycyclist

Ok even if school doesn't suit you it is still a system whose purpose is to get you to the exams. If you leave school early it can be very hard later on to get yourself back into a structure that will let you get to the exams. If you can stick with it - and this may not be possible - then that should be your first goal. Ahead of army and everything else.

There are families and families and none of them are perfect. In some families, if a mother tells her son to leave thats nobody elses business. In other families the same event is an issue for the whole family - grandparents uncles , aunts. It has happened before that a lad might have moved in with relations for a while until he could get his exams done.

BigDuffman

Nano t wrote: »

Can I complete my leaving cert studying and then take the test in the army?

You may find it difficult getting in without your leaving cert, so stick with it.

Nano t wrote: »

Anyway that's beside the point, I'd like to finish my education and even further it in the army if possible. Thanks.

Short answer, Yes. The army is very back to education friendly, they also offer a lot of internal courses and facilitate learning very well.

However, all things considered. Concentrate on getting the minimum requirements and as good as you can in the LC. Check www.military.ie for more info. Look at the RDF for a taster of military life first. It will also help you understand the process for recruits etc

stekelly95

Just got passed on your thread by a mate of mine who seen it as 3 years ago i was in the exact position as yourself pal! i was 17 in 6th year and i HATED school, wasnt for me at all, i come from a military family so all i wanted to do was get into the army ASAP regardless of what it took! I went to england to join as a got accepted for a selection day after a few weeks/months of paper work and tests for the 'Brits' without my family knowing as I was too young at the time for the Irish Army and regardless the weren't recruiting at the time either so i thought i had no other choice then i got a call from a cousin of mine in the Irish Army and he said do not leave school and certainly do not join the 'Brits' (i've family in both, which is why i thought about it, and also i was stupid and not mature in my thinking at that age), anyway as the Irish Army is build highly on discipline he drove it into my head to stick out leaving cert because its a massive factor when it comes to your interview stage if you mention that you dreaded going into school and hated doing it because all you wanted to do was join but yet you still stuck it out and done the best you could it sets a massive foundation for how they see you! because everything you mention in that interview will be remembered if you pass your medical and it was be how they know you in the army so its a case whether you want them to see you as a drop out cause you didn't like doing something as it was to hard or just cause it wasnt your thing (lets be honest theres a lot of things you wont like to do in the army but you have to do it, i know from my own experiences!!!) so stick the school out, the irish army are aiming to recruit once a year or 16 months (as they always have a panel of 40-60 people who they call on the recruit from the previous competition) so if the army is what you want gain as much fitness as you can (press ups, sit ups, stress position holds, start running 1.5 miles they build it up slowing to 5miles and up to 10 miles). just do not drop out of school because i nearly did as i thought like you did but i'm glad i didn't due to how it benifitted myself joining at 18! sorry i know this is long but im sure it will help you

stekelly95

Also i forgot to mention earlier, if your interested in the Irish 'Permanent Defence Forces', DO NOT apply for the RDP (Reserves), i wont go into detail why as I might upset some people on this regarding that topic if their in the Reserves but anyone who's member of the Army would give you the same advice as myself, just prepare yourself for the real thing not just a weekend thing!

AllthingsCP

stekelly95 wrote: »

Also i forgot to mention earlier, if your interested in the Irish 'Permanent Defence Forces', DO NOT apply for the RDP (Reserves), i wont go into detail why as I might upset some people on this regarding that topic if their in the Reserves but anyone who's member of the Army would give you the same advice as myself, just prepare yourself for the real thing not just a weekend thing!

I was a member of the PDF and i would recommend the RDF