How can I deal with disappointing leaving cert results?

Leaving Cert results can be difficult, especially when students achieve lower results than expected or maybe don’t meet a specific entry requirement for a course.

Students may feel disappointed, especially when watching others celebrate their achievements. It is completely normal to feel upset, angry or disappointed if you do not achieve your expected grades. It is important to acknowledge those feelings. With time, most students move beyond the disappointment and learn from the experience.

A true story

I worked with a student a number of years back who put together a brilliant set of applications to various physiotherapy programmes across the UK and Northern Ireland only to discover at the final hurdle that they were missing a second science subject for their dream course.

I will never forget their expression when we figured out that the physiotherapy dream was over; it was crushing. They went ahead and let the CAO dice roll, accepted their second choice which was far less familiar and a really niche direction at the time.

Fast forward several years and that student now runs one of the most successful podiatric practices in their region, is glowing and happy. I don’t know how it works but somehow, you are always exactly where you are meant to be, even if it feels awful. The key is to trust yourself and trust that life is working for you; it will show you the way, if you let it.

It may be useful to discuss your results with someone you trust. This could be a family member, a friend, teacher or school guidance counsellor.

Talk to someone

It may be useful to discuss your results with someone you trust. This could be a family member, a friend, teacher or school guidance counsellor. Many schools make guidance counsellors or year heads available to talk to students around the time of results and college offers, and they can offer advice on how you can progress your education.

Each school will differ, check with your own school regarding their arrangements. Spunout.ie is also a brilliant resource for students offering free text and web chat support in combination with youth information centres across Ireland.

Options / Alternatives

There are always options. They might not be your first choice but are worth investigating. There is still time to research alternative options and apply for them.

Some alternatives to consider:

New Degree Routes Outside of the Points Race

There is a new route to a degree in Ireland from July 2023 which does not require points. These are the newly named Tertiary programmes and they are being piloted this year through the new National Tertiary Office. It’s a joint degree: basically, you begin your degree with your local Education and Training Board and finish your studies in university.

Applications are through NTO.ie. Simply choose your course, check the entry requirements and click apply. You will begin your degree in the FETAC campus or college of your local ETB and then progress with guaranteed access to continue your degree studies in higher education. Courses range from immersive media production, to science, business, computing and more, with 23 courses in total to choose from.

Failed maths

A pass in maths or achieving a certain grade in maths may be a specific requirement for many CAO courses. What happens if you don’t meet this requirement? A lot of colleges/universities offer second-chance maths exams. Look up their websites or contact the admission office. These exams usually take place within a few days of the LC results.

Appeals

Appeals are typically made via the appeals application section on the CSSP (candidate self service portal). All the subjects that an individual student sat for the LC are listed.

To apply for an appeal you tick the appeal box beside the subject(s) you wish to appeal. Students get the chance to view their scripts before paying a fee to get a subject re-checked.

Subjects corrected online will be available to view via the CSSP. These scripts can be downloaded and printed off. Subjects corrected manually will be made available within a timeframe in the school (mobile phone, tablet or digital camera are allowed into viewing for the purpose of copying your own scripts).

If a student is awarded points and becomes eligible for a course following the appeals procedure, they are automatically entitled to a place on that course. If the process ends in time, they might start the course this year and, if not, as is common, they can begin first year the following academic year. Specific details related to the appeals process are always released closer to results week.

To conclude

There are many ways to make the transition from secondary school into the next phase of your life and there is no one perfect route. We live in a golden era of educational opportunity right now so use the supports that are available to you as they are all really student friendly and set up to help you succeed. Remember the road is long and the journey is often as enjoyable as reaching the destination.

Sinéad Delany is a guidance counsellor with over 15 years’ experience. She currently works in St Mary’s Diocesan School, Drogheda. She has a Social Science degree from UCD and the Post Graduate Diploma in School Guidance and Counselling from Maynooth University.

Useful Supports