The days after the CAO offers come out can be a lonely time. While most are bidding a not so fond farewell to the ordeal that was the Leaving Cert and focusing on pastures new, for others it’s a case of a reluctant hello again, as the option of repeating the exams looms on the horizon.

Lonely it may be, but those deciding whether or not to repeat are not alone. Between 2,000 and 3,000 students repeat the Leaving Cert every year, and they do so with varying degrees of success. The key at the moment, for students who are disappointed with how things have panned out, is to figure out whether repeating might be the right option for them.

It’s a big decision because the thing to remember is that repeating is not right for everyone. Teachers can often pick out at this stage who will be a successful repeat student and who will not.

Gerry Flynn, outgoing president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC) has seen it all. He says it can be difficult for students to figure out what it is they want for themselves. "There can be a lot of voices who, intentionally or otherwise, can influence your decision," he says. "Students cannot make a decision based on what their parents want or what their friends are doing. It has to be right for them."

But how do you know what you want? Nobody has a burning desire to go through the Leaving Cert. Flynn advises students to take a good look at what they have done in the past year.

“Have you achieved your potential?” he asks. “Did you do your best? Were there distractions or upsets during the year for you or your family? Do you really think that you can do better the second time around?”

Successful repeat students are happy enough with their decision to repeat and they are focused, according to Ger Colleran of icareer.ie, a career guidance service aimed at second level students. “They will often have a specific career or course in mind and will be very focused on that,” Colleran says.

“If a student drifts into repeating, it tends not to be successful,” adds Flynn. “Motivation is crucial, and if you’re not motivated, chances are, you’ll get the same results as before.”

The prospect of repeating can be quite traumatic, especially for a student who did well and narrowly missed out on their chosen course.

When you’re on the cusp of college life, a year can seem like forever. However, repeat students often find that the Leaving Cert is a very different experience the second time around.

“Repeat students often find that teachers view them as being more mature, and that the teacher-student relationship is quite friendly as a result,” Flynn says. “It takes an independence of mind and a good deal of courage to repeat and teachers respect that. Also, in sitting the Leaving Cert the first time, students have developed all manner of coping skills so the exams aren’t as stressful the second time around.”

Certainly, repeat students seem to agree that the nine months of repeating flies by. What seems like an eternity to begin with passes in a flash.

There are a lot of decisions to be made when it comes to repeating. While the decision should be the student’s alone, that is not the same as deciding without the appropriate help and guidance.

“It is very important for students to sit down with their parents and their guidance counsellor or principal. It’s a time for frank discussion about what areas could be improved. Are there personal circumstances that have interfered with your exam performance and are those likely to change? Are the same issues going to trip you up again?” Flynn says.

If you decide that repeating is indeed the option for you, then there are choices to be made about schools and subjects.

Change school

Whether or not to stay in your own school is a very personal decision according to Flynn. “A change of school is good for some students and can be a key factor in their success. For some the prospect of repeating the Leaving Cert in the same school is not something they wish to face,” he says. “But a lot of the time it comes down to practicalities. Sometimes smaller schools don’t offer the choice of subjects a student requires. It very much depends on the individual.”

Some second-level schools have dedicated repeat classes complete with mentoring and career guidance for repeat students. There is also the private grind school option which can be very expensive but they can include extras such as revision courses or HPat (medical school entry) preparation.

When it comes to subjects, if a student has met the entry requirements for their particular course, they can choose to drop a subject in favour of another. The English course changes every year, for example, so some students opt not to study English in favour of a new subject. Some students opt to study a new subject themselves at home. Others take up a new subject in school. Again it comes down to a matter of individual choice or circumstance.

There is no doubt, however, that repeating is often not the right decision. “I wouldn’t always be a fan of repeating,” says Colleran. “I would certainly advocate students staying in education, but doing the Leaving Cert again is not the only option.”

A year out to travel or work is not advisable according to Colleran as it can make returning to education very difficult. Instead, he recommends students think seriously about what they would like to do.

“We often talk about an ideal career and then figure out how to make that a reality. Students may find that something like a post-Leaving Cert course is a really interesting start to that career.”

Repeating

Q&A

How do I know whether repeating is right for me?

Ask yourself, did I do as well as I could have done? Why not? Could I do better? In answering these questions you need to honestly examine what went wrong this time and why. Can you identify areas where you can improve? Can these areas be resolved?

Are you motivated? Are you aiming for a specific course? If you know you didn’t work hard enough the first time around, how do you know you will change your habits upon repeating? Do you want this badly enough?

While this decision is yours, be brave and ask people who know you what they think. Teachers have a good idea whether you managed to achieve your potential. They may provide some useful advice as to whether repeating is right for you.

Okay, I’m taking the plunge and I’m going to repeat. Should I change schools?

Well, that depends. If you like familiarity and you like your school, perhaps you would be happiest staying where you are. Change can be a good thing, however. A new environment and new teachers may provide that extra motivation you need to make the year a success. That doesn’t have to mean a grind school. There are plenty of schools that specialise in and have dedicated classes for repeat students.

What subjects do you want to study?

That should be a factor in school choice. Even if a school offers a subject you want to take up, will they facilitate you in doing so?

What is the story with my subjects? Can I drop maths for example?

If you have met the college entry requirement for a particular subject, you can choose not to take it again and do another subject. Remember, however, you can only count the points from a single sitting of the Leaving Cert. So while you can drop maths, English, Irish – whatever you want if you passed them the first time – you will need to take exams in six subjects in order to get your full tally of points. So if you drop maths, you need to think about whether you need to take something else to replace it.

If repeating isn’t for me, what are my options?

Did you get a CAO offer? Would you consider taking it? If not, think about what it is you really want to do. Is there another route into it? Often, you can get the degree you want via an institute of technology with just one extra year of study. Have you looked at the possibility of studying in Europe? It’s not as crazy as you might think. More and more European universities are offering courses through English and the costs are surprisingly reasonable.

What if you don’t know what to study, or whether to go to college at all? Sometimes a year out provides time to mature and decompress a little. The Leaving Cert often leaves very little headspace for figuring out what it is you want to do with your life. If you’re taking a year out however, it’s a good idea to stay focused with something like a post-Leaving Cert course.