Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Open thread: What advice would you give yourself on Leaving Cert results day?

Let’s travel through the mists of time…

IF YOU GREW up in Ireland, you’ll be only too familiar with the crippling, overwhelming fear that comes with Leaving Cert results day.

Your future happiness, all your chances in life, are hanging in the balance.

Your entire fate rests in the three digits that are about to be revealed to you – or does it?

Hundreds of thousands of young men and women are about to go through that ritual nightmare when they get their results this coming Wednesday, so we thought we’d test the idea that this set of exams determines the course of the rest of your life.

Imagine you could travel back in time, and for some masochistic reason you picked that day, of all days, to return to – what would say to your poor, terrified 17 or 18-year-old self?

Whether you walked away with 600 points without breaking a sweat, or missed out on your first five CAO choices, you know a lot more now than you thought you did five, 10, 30 years ago.

This question provoked an avalanche of beard-stroking nostalgia and unresolved bitterness among the team at TheJournal.ie – here’s a flavour of the responses, which ranged from the philosophical…

Embrace the art of positive spin. How you sell your results to your parents will be the impression the rest of your family get, so don’t talk about how you should’ve studied more.

Just getting into college gives you plenty of options so don’t obsess on what choice you got.

to the weirdly specific…

Don’t worry about failing chemistry, it’s your fault for taking it just because you fancied the teacher anyway.

And from brutal honesty…

Get a haircut.

…to hard-won wisdom…

Nothing is ever as bad as it seems.

Enough about us – this is your chance to roll back the years, maybe save a few quid on therapy, and speak directly to your former self.

So – what advice would you give yourself on Leaving Cert results day?

Share your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
85 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SkepticalHippoEyes
    Favourite SkepticalHippoEyes
    Report
    Jul 7th 2020, 3:58 PM

    SME’s are going under but great to see that funding for statues and “historic towns” remains untouched.

    85
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ed w
    Favourite ed w
    Report
    Jul 7th 2020, 4:07 PM

    @SkepticalHippoEyes: needed for all those tourists………..oh wait

    29
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nigel Barlow
    Favourite Nigel Barlow
    Report
    Jul 7th 2020, 5:51 PM

    @SkepticalHippoEyes: ohhhhh noooooo! Not statues. Here we go ……..

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Anthony David
    Favourite Anthony David
    Report
    Jul 7th 2020, 4:34 PM

    as someone who lives in the West, Im only glad Westport got nothing (for a change)

    75
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Mc
    Favourite Paul Mc
    Report
    Jul 7th 2020, 4:48 PM

    Not an awful lot in the grand scheme of things.

    38
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nigel Barlow
    Favourite Nigel Barlow
    Report
    Jul 7th 2020, 5:52 PM

    @Paul Mc: it’ll be enough to remove chewing gum from footpaths.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daniel Kelly
    Favourite Daniel Kelly
    Report
    Jul 7th 2020, 6:52 PM

    @Paul Mc: Turn the first sod on a monorail?

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Kelly
    Favourite James Kelly
    Report
    Jul 7th 2020, 7:43 PM

    What about the east of the country?????

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Carol Conway
    Favourite Carol Conway
    Report
    Jul 7th 2020, 9:25 PM

    @James Kelly: What about it? No-one cares about the East. It’s where Dublin is… :D (lighthearted joking…take a deep breath folks ;) )

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Billy McNamara
    Favourite Billy McNamara
    Report
    Jul 7th 2020, 7:04 PM

    What about Clonmel? Who picked these towns?

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Quentin Moriarty
    Favourite Quentin Moriarty
    Report
    Jul 7th 2020, 11:56 PM

    Pocket money for Tralee which is awash with tourist cash

    Ballydavid ?

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Thewestisbest
    Favourite Thewestisbest
    Report
    Jul 8th 2020, 2:14 AM

    Good girl Norma. Out of the blocks quick.

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds