Q: I would love to be a dentist but I don't think that I will get enough points in my Leaving Cert. Are there any other college courses available for this type of work and how do you get into them? Are there any special entry requirements? - Leaving Cert student, Mayo.

A: Two colleges provide courses in this area - UCC and TCD. UCC provides a two year diploma in dental hygiene which is mainly in preventative and oral health care. You must apply directly and have a minimum of two Higher Cs and four Ordinary Ds in the Leaving Cert to include Irish, English, another language, mathematics, biology and one other recognised subject. The closing date has not yet been fixed, so contact the UCC admissions office.

There is also a two year dental nursing course at the Cork Dental Hospital - on a full time and also a part time basis. The next intake for the full time course will be held in October 1998 and the requirements are five Leaving Cert subjects to include biology or any other science subject. It also helps if you have done a first aid or any other paramedical course. This course is normally advertised in June of the year of entry.

Trinity College offers three different courses - the certificate in dental nursing (one year), the diploma in dental hygiene (two years) and the diploma in dental technology (three years). All three courses have the same minimum requirements: two Ordinary Cs and four Ordinary Ds in the Leaving Certificate which must include English, mathematics, and one of physics, chemistry, biology or agricultural science.

The certificate in dental nursing involves lectures and practical training in the Dublin Dental Hospital and, in addition, three months in the summer getting practical experience in a private general practice or a health board clinic. Having completed the certificate in dental nursing, you may if you wish continue for a further year and do the diploma in dental hygiene. The hygienist performs clinical prediagnostic investigations for individuals and groups in collaboration with and under the supervision of a registered dentist.

The third course, the diploma in dental technology, develops technical skills and gives an understanding of modern materials science as well as the casting of dental alloys, the making of porcelain restorations and the creation of high quality cosmetic artefacts. The first two years of this course are based in the Dublin Dental Hospital and the third year is spent in a public or commercial dental laboratory acquiring management skills.

Applications for all three TCD courses should be submitted to the admissions office, West Theatre, Trinity College, Dublin 2, by June 1 of the proposed year of entry. All of these courses provide another option outside the CAO/CAS system and are pitched at a very reasonable level of entry for interested students.

Q: I'm a mature student living in the Dublin area and would like to do a full time arts degree course in the near future. At present I'm on a community employment FAS scheme and am long term unemployed. What are my options and what will be the financial implications for me? - Dublin mature student.

A: I'm not sure from your letter if you intend going to college next September or in the following year but I would suggest that you consider preparing yourself for college by doing so me study in the months ahead. A good approach is to take one of the return to learning programmes provided by some colleges. Alternatively you might wish to apply to sit a few subjects in the Leaving Cert, especially in the type of subjects that you are thinking of taking in college. However, the deadline for applications for external (non school) candidates for the 1997 Leaving Cert application was October 31st last, but forms and full detail are available from the Department of Education, Exams Branch, Athlone, Co Westmeath (Tel 0902-74621).

You are lucky because you have several colleges to choose from TCD, UCD, St Patrick's College, Maynooth, and St Patrick's College, Drumcondra. Each college has its own procedures - and requirements for entry. Trinity reserves about 10 per cent of places in arts for mature students and does aptitude tests and interviews. You must apply to the admissions office by February 1st.

UCD has a limited number of places for exceptional cases and requires an educational equivalent to the Leaving Cert and also evidence of continuing commitment to academic achievement. UCD and Maynooth require you to apply to CAO by February 1st of the year of entry.

Maynooth does not reserve places specifically but you must submit a cv, whereas St Patrick's, Drumcondra, reserves 20 per cent of places for mature students and requires a Leaving Cert or alternative standard as well as an interview and a written test. The Drumcondra closing date is later at April 2nd; you should write to the admissions office at the college.

Because you are long term unemployed for over six months and are over 21 years, you qualify for a pilot scheme which is being run by the Department of Social Welfare. Priority will be given to those who have participated in VTOS or other second level initiatives.

You will be paid at the same rate as you have been and secondary benefits will be paid as they fall due. You can get further details at your local employment office.

Q: Accountancy appeals to me as a career but I'm not sure whether I should take the straight route into the career or go through the route of a general business course. - Kerry Leaving Cert student.

A: If you are absolutely sure that accountancy is for you, there is no need to take the scenic route through business courses. This adds extra time to your study. You should simply apply for the very many accountancy courses in the RTCs or the DIT or in universities such as UCC, DCU, UL, etc which provide specific courses in this subject.

You should apply for courses at all levels - certificate, diploma and degree. Employment prospects are so good for accountants at the moment, you may wish simply to take a two year cert and go straight into a job with the option of finishing your studies on a part time basis later.

Alternatively, if you take a business course at any of the three levels outlined above, you would be opening up a much broader spectrum of subjects for yourself. Many of these are not available at school level, but you should look at them very carefully because they may well open up a whole new range of opportunities for your career.

You would still not be eliminating accountancy as a career because many of these courses such as a B Comm. gain you substantial exemptions from the various accountancy bodies.