Learning points: There are many routes to one destination

richard hogan This has been a very long week for nearly every young adult and their families on this island. Tuesday revealed the results of the Leaving Certificate, and today will reveal whether or not those results have yielded a place in a desired college. So last night was protracted and restless for many families, as they worried about what this morning would bring for their son or daughter, and how to manage their disappointment should they fall short.

This has been a very long week for nearly every young adult and their families on this island. Tuesday revealed the results of the Leaving Certificate, and today will reveal whether or not those results have yielded a place in a desired college. So last night was protracted and restless for many families, as they worried about what this morning would bring for their son or daughter, and how to manage their disappointment should they fall short.

And yet, in life, we all fall short at times, and we all have to pick ourselves up and keep going. So, today is an incredibly important day for parents, as the advice they give their teenager on coping with adversity will stand to them long into the future. In a utopian society, everyone would get what they want — however, the reality of the points system means that is impossible. There are only a certain number of seats in each lecture hall.