THE FORSAKEN - Burning Bridges
POSTED BY: PhoenixRose
UPDATED: Friday, August 18, 2006 14:24
VIEWED: 9220
PAGE 4 of 11
ok so a leaving certificate would be like a GCSE or like a GCSE 6th form?
I choose to rise instead of fall- U2
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It's more like the SATs. It's a set of exams that everyone must take in their final year of secondary (high) school. You sit exams in at least five subjects (some subjects like English, Irish and Maths have two exam papers) and receive points based on your grades. Colleges and Universities give all their courses point levels, and if you've applied for that course you have to achieve the set number of points in order to be accepted.
There aren't usually interviews or anything like that as most colleges and universities are run by the department of education, so they handle all the applications through something called the Central Applications Office. When students apply to university here they basically fill out one form listing all the courses they're interested in applying for. Third level education is free in Ireland. Well, mostly free. Your first degree or diploma is free, except for administration fees which, while pricey, are nothing like actual university fees, and of course you have to buy your books and materials too.
If you go to a private college or if you go on to postgraduate level then you have to pay your own way. But it's still a heck of a lot cheaper here than in the US.
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wow that's a wonderful system. We have so many kids here who don't bother to take advanced classes or even to work their hardest in school because they know there is no chance they could afford college. Such a waste of potential. Of course as an example if you'd like to be a teacher and you work really hard in school you can take out a large student loan ( average of $35,000 usd) and go to college. In order to graduate you have to student teach which requires you to spend 3 months unpaid working as a teacher ( and you'll have to quit whatever job you did hold to do it) then you get hired by a district who will send you to trainings all summer ( so you can't work then) and then you start teaching. Now the way the pay system works the first paycheck a teacher gets is on the first of October. So this poor new teacher (who has been unable to have any paid job for 6 months) has to wait a further 2 months for the first paycheck..making a grand total of 8 months with no source of income what so ever... now to add a bit of insult your health coverage ( no universal health remember) starts in Novemeber and you only have 6 months after you graduate before student loans come due so big bills are piling up during this 8 months without any income..
OK this is a long post. I am just feeling really sorry for the newly graduated teacher we hired. She and her husband have been surviving on his tiny part time job income ( he's still in college)for 8 months and they went on about needing new clothes to be "professional" and she sat down and cried because she can't even afford to eat meat more than twice a month.
I choose to rise instead of fall- U2
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so of course we took her shopping ( we may not get paid much, but we all had a bit to spare) and got her a few basics ( nice suit, nice skirt, nice pants, and a good pair of shoes)to tide her over until October.
I choose to rise instead of fall- U2
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Chocolate and beer.
Thought I was the only one.
Any other takers.
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The Irish system is not perfect by any means - the points race puts terrible pressure on teens, and there are still issues with many students that simply can't afford third level education - but it is much, much better than the American way of doing things. And the UK way recently, since they ~had~ free third level education and then scrapped it! Unforgiveable, in my book. Free education and free healthcare are my biggest soapboxes. I just cannot stomach a system where whether you go to university or whether you get treatment when you're sick is based on whether or not you have money. It goes against everything I believe in. 
Oh yeah, we have free healthcare too. You get these things when your country is run by wacky liberals 
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yeah imagine a government that thought it's people were all deserving of medical care no matter what was in their wallets...or that their children deserved as much schooling as they were capable of handling...It's almost like your country values people over money ( you little commies :)
I choose to rise instead of fall- U2
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And on that note, 'tis time for me to retire to my nice comfy bed 
See you tomorrow 
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good night sleep tight:)Slan go foill ( sorry my comp won't do the accents, but you get the point:)
I choose to rise instead of fall- U2
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I had no idea, but apparently, "The Forsaken" were originally a group of hell-bound heathens chosen by TheRightStuff. I was on that list. What do I have to do to get my Forsaken badge?
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I wish I had a magical wish-granting plank.
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