The full gamut of emotions were on display at hundreds of secondary schools yesterday morning as students nervously collected their results.
The private and more clinical option of getting the results via the Internet was available to candidates, but most opted instead for the traditional approach of sharing the pain and pleasure with their classmates at the school gates.
With honours grades more plentiful than last year, the number of students slipping away quietly from school with tears in their eyes was small.
For most students, the predominant emotion was relief. Relief that strange and often downright perplexing papers in biology, English, physics and maths did not scupper their chances.
However, there was disappointment for students doing ordinary level papers, particularly those doing history, maths and some of the science subjects.
Marginalised students more than likely failed key subjects such as English and maths, and now their options are very limited.
However, if you managed to at least pass these two subjects and secure a few points from the others, your options are broad and varied.
Next Tuesday you will find out how broad the options are. The CAO will publish its first round of offers (on www.cao.ie) and we will get to see how points have gone this year.
But for those who fear that next Tuesday will be a virtually meaningless day for them, there are a few things well worth remembering.
Re-checks
Firstly, the results slip you have in your hand is not a permanent record of your Leaving Cert performance. That is sent to you by the Department of Education later on.
That precious slip is subject to change. For a start, you can go and use the re-check system and see if you can improve your grades.
This system kicks into life on Friday August 30th and Saturday August 31st. On those days you can go and inspect your exam scripts at your school.
You must return an application form before August 21st to be able to do this. Your school principal should have this application form and it is very easy to fill out.
On August 30th or 31st you have considerable time to look over the scripts and see if the examiner has treated you fairly and given you an adequate grade. It is one of the few times you get to examine the examiner's work.
After viewing the scripts, decide whether to have the papers re-checked or not. This involves a wholly new examiner taking a look at your work and you would be surprised at the number of grades which are altered after this re-checking process.
Last year, for example, almost 8,000 grades were appealed at higher level and 2,170 were upgraded. At ordinary level, 1,028 grades were appealed, and there were 243 upgrades.
These figures are a cause for hope. So, if you genuinely feel that you have been shortchanged, follow your instinct and use the process.
A lot of students wonder what will happen if they are upgraded? Can they still get the place they earlier missed out on because of a lack of points?
The answer is yes. If the Department upgrades you, the CAO is informed, and you should be offered whatever place you are entitled to.
This may happen a few weeks into the academic term, but colleges usually try to accommodate students.
Repeating
If you believe that even the re-checking system cannot do anything for you, repeating is another option.
The numbers repeating have been falling steadily over recent years (although there was a slight upturn this year), with students apparently taking the view that the extra year is simply not worth it. But if you crave something very specific, you may want to consider it.
Students who have their hearts set on courses like medicine tend to repeat a lot, the Commission on the Points System found a few years ago, but only the very commited should take this route.
This is because each year this column hears quite a few sad stories from repeat students who managed to do even worse the second time around.
So be careful, only repeat if you believe you can truly improve those grades.
On the plus side, you do NOT have to repeat all your subjects. If you passed English, maths or Irish this year, you do not necessarily have to do them again, but can simply repeat another set of subjects.
So when it comes to college entry next year, you can present your pass or honours grade in English, maths or Irish from this year, and that will satisfy the matriculation requirements. You can then present the six subjects you did during your repeat year for points purposes.
Also, if you repeat, you can choose entirely new subjects. For example, just because you did physics or chemistry in your school career does not mean that you cannot drop them and take up something new, such as geography or business.
Of course, you will have to fit a two-year course into one year, but that is what repeat schools are there for.