Leaving Cert Subjects
Donal Og Cusack, Automation/Energy Engineer
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
The STEM subjects I studied in school were what led me to have an interest in this area of work and if I could go back to my school days I would put an emphasis on studying these subjects more and maybe doing better in them.
Karen O'Flaherty, Science Communicator
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
In secondary school I studied mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology, as well as English, Irish, French, and History. I planned to study science at University with a view to going into the chemical industry. It just happened that I was better at physics and found myself drawn towards a degree in that subject.
Brian Howard, Guidance Counsellor
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
For my Leaving Certificate I studied the three compulsory subjects: English, Irish and Maths. I had a great interest in science so I chose to do two science subjects - Biology and Chemistry. I wanted to keep as many options open as possible as I wasn't 100% sure what I wanted to do on leaving school so I chose one business subject - Economics and I chose a language - French, in order to keep all the universities open also.
In hindsight I think this was a good selection of subjects as it kept a lot of doors open while also allowing me to chose subjects I liked and did well in. I eventually went on to do a science degree so my 2 Leaving Certificate science subjects came in handy. Once I had my degree this allowed me to teach and subsequently do my postgraduate in Guidance Counselling.