Ruth Borland got maximum points in her Leaving Cert - that's 600 to you. But it was less hair-shirt than Ralph Lauren polo. She reveals the secret of her success. Listen and learn, advises Louise Holden

'I'm not your typical 600-pointer," laughs Ruth Borland, one of a handful of students to achieve maximum points in the Leaving Cert last month. "In my 'Class of 2005' photo I'm wearing fake tan and a Ralph [ Ralph Lauren polo shirt]. "

Ruth has nurtured an active social life over the last few years but behind the scenes her academic work has always taken priority. "I went out every Saturday night during the Leaving Cert, but I never drank," Ruth reveals. "I studied for an average of 20 hours per weekend and that's not possible with a hangover."

Ruth admits to being a driven individual with a competitive nature that surfaced in first year at The High School, Rathgar, Dublin. "I came from national school with this idea that I was a strong student, especially in maths. When I arrived in Rathgar High I realised that I was going to have to work hard to be the best. My Christmas results in first year were disappointing and I swore at that point that I would not fall short again."

The High School is co-educational and Ruth was particularly keen to outperform the boys. "I can't stand the idea of a guy doing better than me," she admits. Borland studied hard throughout the junior cycle and had her heart set on becoming a lawyer. "I knew I'd need big points for law so I kept on top of my work and did a great Junior Cert. Then I did Transition Year and learned a thing or two about myself."

Ruth made the most of Transition Year and resisted the temptation to start preparing for her Leaving. She secured a work experience placement in the Law Library and later at a solicitor's office. She loathed every minute of it.

"It was a shock to discover that the profession I had set my sights on was such a bad fit for me," says Ruth. "I spent the rest of Transition Year researching other career options. I sat a mock interview with a stockbroker who agreed to show me around his office and explain his job to me. I was sold."

Ruth turned her attention to getting a place in actuarial and financial studies at UCD and stakes got higher. At 570 points this is among the most difficult courses in the State to access and the number of female students taking the programme has always been low.

"Over the course of Transition Year it became clear to me that business subjects are my strong suit," Ruth explains. "I knew that my best hope for getting the points I needed was to take the entire suite of Leaving Cert business options. I couldn't do this at Rathgar High so I asked my parents to send me to the Institute of Education."

Ruth left her friends and her hockey behind and moved to Leeson Street, where she could take business, accounting and economics. She traded sports training for more library hours and the company of old friends for that of those with similar academic objectives.

"It was good to be around people who were so focused and so prepared to work for what they wanted," says Ruth. "Even when the Institute study room was closed I was able to find people to come with me to study in the public library or wherever we could find a quiet place."

Ruth's typical day at the Institute started each morning with class at 8.30. When classes finished at 3.30pm, Ruth would stay in supervised study until 8 or 9pm - as long as she could before being kicked out. "I tried not to study at home. I would get back and watch The OC to switch off. Home was a haven."

Despite her hard work Ruth was surprised to get maximum points. "I am very good at maths and business subjects but I have never been exceptional at English, Irish or biology," she says. "I learned over the course of the year that doing well in the Leaving is about learning the formula for each exam and practising it endlessly. I got an A1 in English because I knew exactly what was required in each question. I learned off the sample answers provided by the examiners and I knew how much information was required and in what format in every section of the paper. That's how you do well in these exams."

I asked Ruth if she believed the Leaving Cert was too exam-focused and if students were being short-changed when it came to true learning. "You can't get to grips with a huge subject like biology at school," Ruth says. "You can only select a few topics and learn them really well. If you want a deep knowledge of biology, that's what university is for.

"There's no point in knowing about stuff that's not going to come up in exams. I was always frustrated by teachers who would say 'You don't need to know this for the exams but I'll tell you anyway'. I wanted my A1 - what's the point in learning material that won't come up in the exams?"

Ruth recognises that she is about to become a small fish in a big pond again. "Everyone in my actuary class has achieved 560 points or higher. I'll have to work very hard to excel in this environment. I'm very focused and competitive so I imagine I'll continue to strive for the best. I plan to enjoy college, however."

Ruth has already joined a couple of societies and plans to find her way to the best parties on campus. "I've signed up for the business and legal society because I want to go to the ball. I met a couple of guys from the C&E at the Bondi Beach party in the Stillorgan Park Hotel on results night. We were all in swimwear and the club had a pool and tons of sand. These guys gave me a free T-shirt so I joined their society too. I've no idea what C&E stands for."

Louise Holden Ruth's route to maximum points

WORK FROM THE START

Ruth admits to never falling behind in her coursework. She reviewed and summarised her class notes every single evening from the beginning of fifth year.

PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS

Take subjects you're good at. Ruth took up an extra subject - business - in sixth year because she knew it suited her abilities.

YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE

Ruth went to every open day at UCD and kept visiting the campus to remind herself what she was working for.

PREPARE FOR EXAMS

Get to know the formula of each paper. Work out in fine detail what is required for every question. "If you know the formula you can perform well in any subject, whether you're naturally good at it or not," she says.

SPEAK THE LANGUAGE

Ruth's top tip for foreign language exams is to nail the oral component. "If you can speak the language with some confidence all the other aspects will fall into place."

KNOW MORE THAN YOU HAVE TO

If a question requires a definition and three points, learn the definition and six points, says Ruth.

WASTE NO TIME

Ruth studied an average of five hours every week day and 10 hours a day each weekend. In between she socialised, went to the gym and took walks.