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-- Posted by ElephantStone at 3:57 am on May 11, 2008
I have my final exams in less than 4 weeks, I haven't done much study for them, and I do damn all in school. I'm not stupid though, and I get above average results in tests, I'm only failing one subject out of seven - physics. Trouble is, it's very hard to get motivated without having decided what I'm going to do after school. The grades I can expect are: Higher Level English B2 80 points
Physics C3 60 points
French C2 65 points
History B1 85 points
Art A2 90 points Ordinary Level Maths A2 50 points
Irish C3 20 points (not counted) Total Points: 430 As you can see from above, for each grade there is a corresponding amount of points. The Irish Leaving Certificate, which I am sitting, is based on points. You can get a maximum of 600 points, which is a total of 6 A1s. You can do however many subjects you want, but only your six best are counted. The colleges then select the students that have the most points out of the ones that have applied for their courses, so basically the more points you get the bigger the chance you have of being accepted onto the course. The trouble is, I don't know what I want to do. I'd like to study Graphic Design, but I will have to do a portfolio preparation course, which means another year at home, and I don't think I can bear that without going into detail. Also financially I wouldn't manage it. Graphic Design appeals because I met a woman on a plane who had degree I it; she was 27 and had just been accepted to work in an office just off Tottenham Court Road in London. She had a Higher Diploma, which enables her to teach art at second level. She had travelled the world when she left college, and did freelance work when she needed money. And that's what I'd like to do. I also like the idea of not being tied down to a single job for the rest of my life. I'd like contract work, where I might work somewhere for 6 months and then move on to something else. But another year at home for a portfolio prep course....I'm also looking at a History degree and a degree in Journalism. A history degree would be interesting, but I'm not sure about the job opportunities. I wouldn't mind teaching, because it's such a female dominated workforce, but then I'd be trapped into it for the rest of my working life. I could do archaeology, but then that wouldn't be the exotic archaeology everyone thinks about in the jungles and deserts digging up dinosaurs, it would more than likely end up being a shitty Time Team style thing - out in the wind and the rain digging up ceramic pots. Journalism would be interesting, I've always enjoyed writing, but I don't have a huge amount of confidence in my ability at writing. Anyway, I've ever only been good at writing personal essays really, and imaginative compositions, which Id imagine wouldn't be much use in the world of Journalism, i.e. "Communication is an important aspect of relationships". There is a slim chance that I could get into an art college in September. I applied to NCAD (National College of Art and Design), the best art college in the country, and they work separately from the points system above, and base points on portfolios out of a 1000. I didn't get accepted out rightly with my 5 month portfolio, but I've been placed on a waiting list. I got 447.5 points, out of 1000. Last year the lowest accepted was 515 points. However, this year they said that once the offers come out and people reject their offer from NCAD for somewhere else, the points will drop lower that 515, because there are more places on offer and the standard of portfolios wasn't as high as in 2007. I really don't know how you can help me. I just wish someone could come along and magically give me the right decision that will sort out the rest of my life and not leave me regretting the decision I am going to have to make. Just please leave your thoughts on my position. Please don't let this one go without any replies, because it is a major issue for me. Just knowing people have read it would help.
-- Posted by Bagheera at 5:54 am on May 11, 2008
Stick with the art college. It's what you're good at. The others are just alternatives.
-- Posted by amiee at 5:20 pm on May 15, 2008
Well, firstly, I think you need to ground yourself back in reality. It's perfectly ok and normal to have dreams, ambitions and all the rest of it - but you have to bear in mind that everything you do is going to require a LOT of work. The perfect job with the suit and whatnot won't just come to you. The reason I say this is because you won't just go off to college or uni and come out with the perfect job. It rarely works like that. You must remember that everything you do, whatever it is, is going to take a lot of work and effort. There's a chance that you won't get the job you want right away out of college or university - these things can take an incredible amount of time. This doesn't have to be a bad thing, though. Experience is necessary, y'know? It's ok that you're not sure of what you want to do just yet. It took me a long time to decide on studying history, and even with that, I'll go on and study something else when I'm done with that to open up further job opportunities and whatnot. What do you see yourself doing? What's your gut feeling about all of this? I also wouldn't worry too much right now about the possibility of having to take a year out to work on a portfolio. Honestly. It's NOT a bad thing to have to do that - it's all experience, and experience is essential in life. It's not a bad thing. Taking a year out would also provide you with the chance to work and save for whatever you go on to do after that. I can't tell you what to do. This is a huge decision for you, but it has to be YOUR decision. Have a good think about what you want to do, what you're willing to work for, and where you see yourself in the future. The answers will come eventually, and if you have to take some time out in between, or if you find that half way through a course you've made a mistake and want to do something else, that's ok. It really is.
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