Colleges are not the only route on the road to career success

There were pleasant surprises, sighs of relief and some bitter disappointments with the issue of first-round offers a fortnight ago. Almost three out of four students received at least one first-round offer this year. Unfortunately, this proportion is lower than in previous years: 15,946 students received no offer to go on to third level, and some of those who received offers are unhappy with them.

Some of those students will have got offers this morning. They may have become eligible for a course higher up their list of preferences or received a first offer in the second round. Others will still be concerned by a lack of offers or may feel that the course option they have received is not one they could devote themselves to.

If you want to continue with your studies and gain some more qualifications before you enter the workplace, there are still a great many opportunities and options available.

There is still some availability on CAO courses. Vacant places are listed on the CAO website at www.cao.ie. The list is regularly updated, so check what courses are coming up - particularly today, after the issue of second-round offers. You may be eligible for a course that you hadn't considered doing before or discover that a course of study you wanted to do is available in a different location.

When looking at vacant places there are a number of things to consider. First, you must fulfil the matriculation requirements for courses on the vacant places list, so you should check carefully that you have the necessary matriculation criteria and essential subjects requirements.

Second, ask yourself some hard questions. Make sure that you really want to study this subject. College is fun and rewarding, but it is also hard work so you must really want to study a particular course or you may well waste time and drop out.

Droves of students used to sign up to repeat the Leaving Cert during the 1990s. At one stage up to 8,000 students who hadn't achieved the points they wanted chose to repeat. Last year, only 2,743 students enrolled to repeat.

Choosing to repeat exams that you've sat already may seem like an easy option, but make sure you're going to be motivated enough to sustain the required level of effort throughout the whole year. Only you know how hard you really worked this year, so be realistic about how much you think you can improve your points.

For some, poorer results than expected can be a real wake-up call which makes them determined to give repeating the Leaving their all; for others it can be a time to re-evaluate what they really want to aim for. You must also remember that there is no guarantee that points requirements for the following year won't change - they could jump beyond your reach, even if you do improve your results significantly

It's not all doom and gloom however. The majority of those who repeat say that the experience was worthwhile.

Post Leaving Cert courses are more vocational in nature than the majority of university courses. They can last between one and three years and successful students will receive a qualification validated by the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC - formerly awarded as NCVA qualifications). There are over 240 locations around the State where you can do a PLC course and the choice covers areas like tourism and travel, construction, equine studies and teleservices.

A PLC qualification will give you skills to take into the workplace or, if you attain the equivalent of NCVA level 2, you can proceed on to a third-level degree course through the Higher Education Links scheme.

If you have missed a third-level college place in a State institution, you could consider studying at a private college. Entry points are fairly low for most of these colleges, and students with minimum third-level entry requirements have a good chance of gaining access. You should contact individual colleges for details of courses and fees. One of the good aspects of a private college is the individual attention they can offer students. Class sizes tend to be smaller and tutors can devote more personal attention to students.

If you narrowly missed the points for your preferred course, you could consider the large number of vacancies available through the UCAS clearing system in Britain. Although courses in England, Northern Ireland and Wales are now means tested for tuition fees (up to £1,075 sterling), Scotland has abolished tuition fees. Furthermore, certain courses run in conjunction with the NHS, such as nursing or radiography, do not charge tuition fees.

The breadth of courses still available through UCAS clearing will surprise you; if you can afford to go to college in Britain, you should contact UCAS to obtain a clearing entry form (CEF) and then look at the courses on offer at the UCAS website (www.ucas.com).

When you have found something suitable, contact the relevant college admissions office, ask to speak to the course tutor who will be able to give you an idea about what the course involves and then you can make a considered decision.

The final UCAS clearing list is released on September 21st, so make sure you start looking straight away. For a CEF contact UCAS on 0044 1242 223 707 or contact Angela Crean at the British Council for information on 01 678 4088.