At 2.18 am this morning I got one of the most important emails of my life. I wasn’t awake for it-I was going to get up at 5am to start monitoring it but I figured results aren’t going to change, no matter how early I get them so I set no alarm. Throughout the Leaving I never really had any of those “freaky dreams” like losing teeth and stuff. But last night I did, crazy stuff, and I woke up more tired than I went to sleep-and still woke up early.
I immediately flicked the computer on and logged in. My scores are:
Overall Score (/300): 164
% Ranking: 72
Section 1: 64
Section 2: 57
Section 3: 43
I’ve been following this all day, from fellow applicants to the massive topic over on boards.ie. A lot of repeat applicants (apparently) have moved up, and quite highly too. There seems to be a consensus that prep courses for the exam help. I didn’t do one. I only did the practice paper. We can all see how Section 3, my BFF, turned out- no surprises there, coloured squares send me into convulsions. I was surprised that Section 1 overtook Section 2 though. Bittersweet surprise.
I didn’t want to blog straight away. I wanted to think it over… and I think I’m okay with it. I haven’t told anyone really apart from my fellow Medicine applicants from school. Initially I was really disappointed and that’s because I’m not that happy with how my Leaving went. I think I needed to hit the 90 mark on this and I didn’t. With a score of 164, if last year’s points stay the same, I’ll need 550 points. I can only cross my fingers, but after Chemistry and Irish, I don’t think it’s happening. This morning I felt pretty crap…numb, when I first got them.
I’m not that sad now. Of course it’ll suck if I don’t get Medicine this year but, to be honest, I’m okay with repeating. I know what I want to do and what I have to do. The uncertainty I had during the past 2 years is gone. I’m sure that this is what I want to do. Most grown people don’t know what they want to do every day. I’ve got that.
So either I get there this year, next year or after another degree because it’s just a question of time. I’m sure as hell not done yet and neither should you be if you’re feeling down. Yeah, these results are important but they’re not the be all and end all of everything-that goes for every course, every exam.
To all of you, I hope you are happy with this morning’s results and even more happy come August. Now I turn my attention to picking courses I might or might not take up this September. Remember, CAO deadline this Thursday July 1st, 5.15 pm- and don’t give up on Medicine on today’s results, keep it there and cross your fingers a grinds school explodes on results day! (joke!!!)
Mister X.
Hey, that’s not a half-bad score at all, I wouldn’t put Medicine completely out of the picture if I were you.
You’re willing to go to NUIG/RCSI, yeah? I’d say you still stand a pretty good chance, but I’m definitely with you on the repeating thing, if I have to I will. 🙂
And just think, only one more panicky night this summer!
August 17th, I await you in anticipation of interminable, incurable insomnia 🙁
Completely willing, I’ll do it anywhere. The only one I’d apprehensive about (for the first 2 weeks anyway) is Cork. No no-one going there and it’s pretty far from home. But sure after a few days it’d be grand.
August 17th. Funny enough I sleep fine generally but wake up ridiculously early, a bit like Christmas, on days like these. Good luck if you’re out celebrating and we never hear back again Orla!! 🙂
Out celebrating continuously til August 17th?
…A vague possibility but highly unlikely 😉
I wouldn’t be all too sure about Cork either, not because of the uni, just because of the general foreign-ness of there 🙁 Took RCSI off my CAO though! NUIG, UCD and UCC in respective order. If I don’t get any of them, looks like another year of frequenting Leaving-cert.net for me, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, right?! 😀
I wouldn’t agree with you on the prep courses necessarily helping; I too only did the practice paper and came in one of the top percentiles, so definitely don’t beat yourself up about that!
where can you go to find the percentage result?
thanks
ur percentile is stated on the result form
i didn´t get my form im on holidays. woo
ive just seen it on my cao applications page. so no other way, no?
u get it through email dude
prep courses are crap! i did them this year and my score was the same aaaaaall the way through!!! section 1 and 3 40percentile and section 2 70-90 depending…. pretty much the same thing i got in the real thing id say cept a slightly higher section 3 and slightly lower section 2, my score is similar 2 yours! i need exactly 550 ta get galway (on last years points 🙁 ) so dont waste your money on practice… you dont get better… play the wii a lot and use your brain in that sort of fast thinking logical way …. do sodukos and shit… nd dont stress out and know your timing thats the best thing you can do! forget about the practice courses… they change your score veeeery little! they just make you less nervous and give you false confidence!
A lickle birdie told me that Mister X was spotted at Oxygen…and guys, he’s definitely male!
Seriously, I couldn’t believe it when my friend told me she met you! What are the chances?! 😀
It’s true. I hope she got her inflatable bed up? Tell her I meant to come back and say hi, I just forgot! Haha I also ran before the inevitable digital cameras came out to ruin the anonymity. I’m sure she filled you in on my unbelievable handsomeness though.
Haha the blue campsite really is a small world. 🙂
i knew Mister X wouldnt be able to keep the secret for too long, somewhat like superman
Oh no, a girl from Ballina knows who I am! The cat’s out of the bag everyone…
Nawt. 🙂
I hope you’re not abandoning your goal so easily zzz! 🙂
You yung ones are terrible suckers
1. The HPAT test is a complete fraud and also a rip off with preparation courses…dont see why you and your parents dont challenge it in court….it says nothing more than the leaving cert about wheteher you are competent to study for or to finally perform a medical career…..it’s a whole load of hogswash, the kings new clothes..challenge it and see it fall….
2. Cork is a great place to study anything (except hurling at the moment!)
so how yall feeling? only a few days left?
I wouldnt agree with you about the prep courses at all meanie! the one i did, MedEntry, was brilliant! I got around the 52nd percentile last year, but after doing the MedEntry course this year, i got 98th percentile! delighted altogether! I also did another prep course but it was poor, nothing compared to MedEntry!
Can I ask James which medEntry course did you do please?
Hey, I’m in 5th year. tryed hepat practice test. Timed myself etc. I’ve got 27/22/23 questions which i suppose 61/61/77 or 199 points. it all seems very easy, but… is the actual test similar to practice one?