Question
Living in Dundrum, Co Dublin, my daughter, along with most of her classmates, seem laser-focused on going to UCD or, in some cases, Trinity in September.
Neither of us as parents attended university and are therefore hesitant to question her choices, but she does not seem to be particularly bothered about which course she secures a place on, so long as the friendship group stays together.
Answer
Stepping away from a friendship group moulded in many cases over a 14- or 15-year period from early childhood to the completion of their teenage years can be very difficult, and lead to a herd mentality, which can never be realised in real life.
The key to choosing the right option for progression beyond the Leaving Cert is to focus on what kind of learning/life experience will most suit the school leaver in question – and this differs hugely between all the various options now on offer to your daughter and her friends.
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So many influences can distract and distort a school leaver’s perspective on what is, in many cases, a three- to four-year commitment. These can include parental expectations (or their perception of such expectations), peer influences, and misunderstanding the actual content of a course.
The reality of life once a school leaver commences their studies or training in whichever option they choose is this: they must meet the requirements of the course, attend lectures, engage in tutorial groups, submit essays or papers and commute in good and bad weather to early morning lectures.
Unlike second level, there are no guard rails to support them, no teachers monitoring them daily, no parent-teacher meetings to help keep them on track. They must do it all on their own.
When the reality of that becomes self-evident as the autumn days turn into winter, her perceived parental or peer expectations won’t get your daughter out of bed on a cold January morning. The only thing that will is her genuine interest and engagement with the course.
Remember that thousands of students drop out of their courses in their first year. Many do not realise there is a heavy financial penalty if they wish to go back to college again and take another course. The State – through the Higher Education Authority – funds each eligible applicant for one funding round in each year of a student’s academic journey only. A student who is funded, for example, through the first year of a level eight degree will face a charge including registration of €8,000–10,000 for a repeat year.
Given that your daughter is facing many hurdles in the coming months, mocks, orals, project components or some subjects and her final papers in June, I would not go to war on the topic of UCD or Trinity.
You should encourage her to sit down with her guidance counsellor in school and explore how her interests and learning style align with the options open to her.
She has time on her hands as she can totally reformat her CAO course choices in the balmy days of late June up to 5pm on July 1st next, after her exams are behind her. The key over the coming months is to help her align the innate interests with the multiplicity of options available inside and outside the CAO process.
- email: askbrian@irishtimes.com
