Thankfully, there are generally more happy students than unhappy ones when the Leaving Cert results are announced and judging by the feedback from our readership area, all our students deserve a richly deserved ‘well done’ on their achievements this year.

Students have access to many help lines and advice centres now and that is to be welcomed as it is a very stressful time for most. In the words of one scribe this week, the Leaving Certificate is but ‘one of several significant steps on the young person’s journey through life’. “It is not a make-or-break event.” How true!

His advice states, more than anything else, to get yourself into a course and a career that matches your aptitudes and your interests, as simply aiming for prestigious courses and careers can leave you marooned when the job market changes and, furthermore, when you discover you cannot cope with work that is not congenial to you.

Not everyone is made up to be a doctor, a barrsiter or a scientist – but there is a place for everyone. Taking the time to discover it brings the real reward!