A former head girl at a Meath post-primary school was ‘thrilled’ this morning to receive 601 points - a score that should secure her place at Dublin’s Trinity College to study engineering with management.
The results, however, were bittersweet for Laura Brady from Gibbstown, Navan who almost feels cheated that she missed out on sitting the exams and proving her worth.
The competitive student, from St Michael’s Loreto College, is delighted to have beaten the results of her sister Ruth, who is currently studying Law at Trinity College.
18-year old Laura received a H2 in Chemistry, English and Maths and a H1 in French, Irish, Physics, Chemistry and Design Communications Graphics (DCG).
“I’m absolutely delighted with the result. I was always hopeful that my grades throughout school would reflect my result but I knew they (markers) would have to fill the bell curves and bring people into the middle so I was mindful that I could receive lower results due to standardisation,” she said.
“I think everyone was worried and jumping in the dark. There was a big uncertainty out there but I think most of my friends, who have been in contact, are happy enough.
“I thought I might have got a higher grade in Chemistry if I had sat the exam, but overall I’m elated.
“I have to say that I am a little disappointed that I didn’t get to sit the exams as I would have liked to have been able to prove myself.
"Myself and my sister Ruth are quite competitive so I was hoping to beat her in points, which I did,” she laughed.
“We were also a bit deflated when we got a text last week from the school to say it would be unsafe to go in.
"First, we missed our graduation, then the Debs was postponed and I think we had been hoping that we could see our teachers and other students in collecting our results but that didn’t happen either.
“I think as well the standardisation in ways takes away somewhat from the result today for some.
"If people did well, would others begrudge them and say that it was only because they were the teacher’s pet or it was because of the way things were marked.
“I feel my result was fair anyway because I did put the work in all along the years. I was hoping for 525 to get my place in Trinity and it looks like I’ll be starting there now!”
