‘Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out’ {John Wooden}
Firstly, congratulations to all who have achieved what they desired and commiserations to those students who fell short or are disappointed by not reaching their expectation.
Career choices will recur many times over your lifetime. The options at the end of second-level education are the first significant career choices you will make, but they are by no means life-determining. Eradicate the unhelpful feeling that your choice will clearly define your entire life. Your choice without doubt will put you on a path, however in my experience students can take alternative routes during their college life and very often change direction completely.
There is an old saying ‘smooth seas don’t make skilful sailors’. In my experience of working with students ‘things’ have a way of working out, primarily if you add in the vital ingredient of ‘perseverance’. ‘We don’t always get in life what we want or even deserve. A common question I often ask at interviews is, ‘have you ever had to cope with adversity in your life’? For disappointed students, this present difficulty could form the basis of an excellent answer in years to come, depending of course on how you deal with your present disappointment
Below are a few positive options to consider:
Next Move
Applying for a re-check {appeals process}
Accepting an alternative CAO course offered
Repeating the Leaving Cert
Looking at vacant CAO places
PLC Course
Independent Third Level Colleges
UK alternatives
Direct employment
Note for Parents
The Leaving Cert is seen as a milestone in most young people’s lives and so the arrival of the results can be a highly charged event for you and your son or daughter. Hence the need for a calm head is required; if things haven’t turned out as planned take valuable ‘think time’.
Give your son or daughter time to deal with their own disappointment. At first, it’s bound to be upsetting, – and rushing in with ‘Well what are you going to do now?’ would not be advisable. Consider your response carefully.
Try and offer support and remember your tone of voice will be critical in how your son or daughter respond to you.
Viewing of Examination Scripts and Appeals Process
The application process to view exam scripts and appeal any results is being conducted online this year via the candidate self-service portal. It is important to remember that the time window for viewing and appealing exams have much tighter time-frames this year so make sure you are aware of the deadlines. Applications to view scripts open 9am on 14th August and close at 5pm on 16th August. The Appeals application is available online from 5pm on Friday 16th August and closes at 5pm on Thursday 22nd August.
Appeal fee is €40.00 per subject in the case of the Leaving Cert and €15.50 in the case of Leaving Cert Applied. The fee will be refunded if your result is upgraded.
For more information on this process log on to www.examinations.ie.