Leaving Cert and CAO Q&A: What do I do now? A guidance counsellor offers advice
The Leaving Cert can be one way toward the future - but it isn't the be-all and end-all, says Mai Kerins. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
"The waiting and expectation are over - you have your results. For the delighted students, it's great. For those that are disappointed, it's a rough day.
"The best thing I could say to them is: take a breath, your results don't define you, you're still the same person, and no matter how they might feel at that particular moment, the sky is not going to fall in, and there are so, so many options available.
"It's a very delicate time for parents as well. Because no matter what you say, it might be the wrong thing, and probably will be, so say very little. Just let the young person be with their results.
"Reassure them that there are many options and help and support are available. Usually, schools provide the services of the guidance counsellor to students who are upset, and there will be a number of national helplines available as well."
"The most immediate thing students can do is apply to view their scripts. I would advise viewing the scripts with your teacher or parent, if possible. This year, some of the papers that were corrected online can be viewed online, and the papers that were corrected manually can be viewed in the schools by arrangement. The deadline is September 10.
"If you decide to go ahead with an appeal, it's important to remember that the results could go up or down. We don't know the exact date for that, but it will be mid-October. The State Exams Commission isn't in a position to give a deadline because it doesn't know how many appeals it will be dealing with."
For more information on appeals, visit examinations.ie
"Everything is that bit later this year. A lot of third-level institutions have opened for their existing students already. The start date for the incoming first-year students has been pushed back, with the majority starting from the middle to the end of September.
"Today, you will receive the CAO's first round of offers. We only hear in the media about the first and second round because of the large number of offers involved, but the CAO system keeps moving on, right up until October 14, and you could even have students at that late stage being offered a course.
"Even though some students might have accepted, and started a course, if they were offered something higher up their options list, they could choose to move."
For more information, visit the CAO's website.
"It's a very challenging space.
"On the radio a couple of weeks ago, there was a report on UCD students doing an information run in and around Dublin to see if people would consider renting out a room because the pressure on accommodation is so tight.
"Students would have been well-alerted to the accommodation difficulties - colleges would have made them aware of it, they would have been aware of it through their guidance counsellors, their siblings, it's in the media the whole time.
"A lot of colleges offer on-campus accommodation and would probably prioritise first-year students and those students who would be travelling long distances - different colleges have different application procedures in place to apply for on-campus accommodation. Then you would have a range of houses and so on that would be available to students in the local area.
"Link in with the college accommodation officer who will offer advice and support. First-years, in particular, often find it difficult to secure accommodation."
"They can defer a place, and if they defer a place with the CAO, they can reapply for the same course next year. They are guaranteed a place on that course, even if the points are higher for next year's entry.
"How could they best fill a year if they find themselves in this position? They could work in their chosen area and clarify that this is the area that suits them best and enhance their CV.
"They could do a course in an associated area, maybe in one of the local colleges of further education offering PLC courses, or post-Leaving Cert courses. These courses are an additional academic qualification and allow students to clarify for themselves that this is the area of their expertise and aptitude. It gives them a solid foundation in that area, from an academic and possibly a practical point of view.
"They might decide to travel, particularly if they were doing something in third-level with a language or cultural component. If they travel to a country, experience a new culture or improve their linguistic skills, that will certainly enhance their college experience the following year. Also, it's a year that allows them to mature and experience life in a way they may not have been able to, particularly because of Covid restrictions in the last couple of years.
"Another option is they might do some volunteer work, maybe combining that with travel, and that can be a rich life-enhancing experience. If they were thinking of doing something in the business area, or marketing or accounting, they could talk to their local enterprise board and perhaps set up a small business. There are many, many options out there."
"I would strongly encourage people who may be disappointed to look at apprenticeships. There is excellent information available on apprenticeships.ie, and this is a significant growth area in terms of options for some students.
"The dates for acceptance of applications into the UK or European colleges have been extended, so this option is viable. Check the EUNICAS website for up-to-date information. Generally speaking, getting into comparable courses in Europe is easier in terms of points requirements than those in Ireland.
"Repeating the Leaving Cert might be something to consider. Maybe students found last year particularly challenging; there could have been personal situations involved; they might have been used to working at home and found it difficult to integrate into the school system.
"Give yourself a moment. The Leaving Cert is not the end of the world. You are bigger than any exam result - it does not define you. Take your breath, go for a walk, come back and say, 'right, let's go to the drawing board, look at what might be the best option', and see what might best suit you."
- For more information on post-Leaving Cert courses in Ireland, visit plccourses.ie
- For more information on apprenticeships, visit apprenticeships.ie
- For more information on the EUNICAS programme, visit eunicas.ie
- For more information on volunteering opportunities in Ireland, visit volunteer.ie
"The class of 2022 haven't just been talking the talk about resilience and putting up with uncertainty and unpredictability - they've walked the walk.
"Many of these students may not have sat their Junior Cert and weren't in school for most of their transition year. Their experience was unpredictable in fifth year. And there was a shadow of Covid hanging over them all last year.
"They didn't know what the nature of the Leaving Cert would be. Was it going to be like the previous two years, with calculated grades or some additional form of assessment? It was into the new year before they knew the answer. There was a lot of uncertainty and unpredictability.
"These students have come through it all, got on with the business, came into school, did their work, did their exams, and they just kept going, they kept their focus, and that is bound to stand to them. They've learned more resilience in the last couple of years in terms of life experience than many of us would learn through our second-level experience or even third-level experience.
"Whatever uncertainty the future might throw at them, I believe they will navigate it successfully."
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