21/08/2025
Wishing everyone the best outcome for their leaving certificate results today. As the post below says, results aren’t the end of the world. Your path is there for you.
Many students are awaiting important examination results tomorrow. I always post some advice each year. It is a very unsettling time for them. There will be celebrations but also tears. Some students will get a passport to the course of their dreams and others will experience immense disappointment. Here are some truths and advice on how to handle matters after the exam results are received:
1. After having been totally obsessed with exams for nearly two years, when students get to college, no one will be asking about them. Life moves on very quickly. It’s important not to become obsessed by the results (good or bad).
2. It's an overrated process in any format. Many people achieve great results but fail to find their feet in life. There are so many more important aspects to our lives than exam results.
3. Often, people who fail to get the points they wanted still pursue their careers of choice. The road might be a bit longer, but there is a back door into everything. I know loads of people who recorded very disappointing results and still planned a successful route to the job qualification that they wanted. Seek advice from a guidance counsellor when the dust settles.
4. Life is full of challenges, and you need to become better at managing them. These exams represent one of the challenges that you will face. There is no student, no human being, who can avoid disappointments or setbacks. They are part of living.
5. You may have coped better than you thought you would and are happier than you thought you would be. Take this as a lesson and never underestimate yourself or worry excessively again!
6. There will always be people who are more successful than you. Some people find it easier to motivate themselves by their very nature. Others are very organised and disciplined. Often, students receive extra help because their parents can afford it. There are also very lucky students who left themselves very limited with their revision plan but struck gold by sheer good fortune. Suitable questions turned up on the paper.
For these reasons, it’s important not to build your own self-esteem or self-worth by comparing yourself to others.
7. Be a well-wisher and never let envy complicate your approach. Congratulate others and wish them happiness. You will find happiness too. In fact, you may have so many treasures in your life that you take for granted.
8. Leave yourself open to good advice. Some people have more life experience than you. Don’t panic. When we are emotionally distressed, that’s when we tend to make the worst decisions. It is never too late to make the right decision. Consult and be open-minded.
9. Being healthy and truly happy in life is not dependent on academic results but on much deeper traits and spiritual connections.
10. If you have faith, pray for strength and wisdom and surround yourself with the people who love you unconditionally.
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(C) Shane Martin
