REACTION: Leaving Cert students across county Waterford receive their results
Teacher, Joan Martin with Steven, Jimmy, Robbie and Bobby. Photo: Joe Evans
The anxious wait for leaving certificate results ended last week, as students across the county received their grades.
On Leaving Certificate Results Day last Friday, 65,444 students across the country gathered around family, friends and teachers, following the culmination of years of hard work, dedication and commitment.
During results day at De La Salle College, students returned to the school for one last time alongside peers and staff.
Whilst there, students gave us insight into this year's exams, with many saying they were pleasantly surprised with how the Applied Maths paper was graded.
Student, William Fan said: "I was very happy. I went from a H7 to a H2 in the Applied Maths paper. I don’t know how they corrected those but I’ll take it!'
Sabastian Obico added: "Applied Maths is definitely the biggest shock.
"I thought I really fumbled that paper but I got two grades higher than I thought I would get. So overall I'm happy."
Receiving the results not only opens a new chapter, but it also marks the culmination of six years of secondary school life.
Saying goodbye to life at De La Salle, Darragh O'Dempsey said: "It's weird to be on the other end of it, and it’s a sense of relief when you open up the results this morning, no matter what you get.
"It will be weird to move onto the next chapter, but I'm ready at the same time and it's been a long time coming. An exciting new chapter, new experiences, and new adventures are coming, so I'm excited for what's next."
Meanwhile, student Caoilan Walsh offered advice to students who may have been disappointed with their results.
"At the end of the day, it's not the be-all and end-all," said Caoilan.
"We were all worried about our results and everything, but looking at the courses, all of them basically have a backdoor into them.
"It's not the end of the world if you don’t get the points you need. You haven’t missed your opportunity, and there's a million different ways to get into your dream course."
It was also a proud moment for Sixth Year students in Presentation Secondary School in Waterford City, who, after six years of hard work and educational upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, received the excellent results they all worked so hard to achieve.
On results day last Friday, many of the students visited the school to celebrate with members of staff and discuss their hopes for the future.
The day held special meaning for two students in particular, Hannah Cummins, who achieved the highest grades in the Leaving Certificate, and Jodie Foley who achieved the highest grade in the Leaving Certificate Applied.
Meanwhile, a local boarding student achieved a perfect score of 625 points this year.
Luke O'Brien Peterson, a boarding student from Waterford who attends Rockwell College in Co. Tipperary, secured seven H1s in his exam.
Overall, Rockwell students performed strongly, with 10% of the year group achieving 600 points or higher and 50% attaining 500 points or more.
The National Parents and Students Leaving Cert Helpline and text support service will operate from 10am to 5pm on weekdays (August 22, 25 - 29) and 10am to 2pm on Saturday, August 23 and 30.
Locally, SETU'S, 'Chat to SETU' service will run from Friday, August 22, to Friday, September 12, offering guidance and answering queries from students during this important time.
A range of wellbeing resources developed by the National Educational Psychological Service is also available.
