There are still places available on courses in British colleges

In days gone by, third-level students in Britain or the North had resources at their disposal that their southern contemporaries could only dream of. Now, with the reversal of the fees structures in both countries, the situation is different.

It is now southern students who can sit back and relax as their fees are paid, whereas the Brits must pay over £1,000 sterling, have little chance of a maintenance grant, and emerge blinking into the bright lights of the world of work in debt.

In some ways, however, the harsher climate north of the border and east of the Irish Sea might prove to be to the benefit of southern students.

With many thousands of places left untaken, the British government's plans to provide spaces for half of all school leavers at college have been frustrated. Although many of these were intended for special groups, such as mature students, it is amongst these groups in particular that the reluctance to enrol has been most noticeable. This has given rise to suggestions that some colleges will have to open these places to other students and/or reduce their requirements.

This happens through a process known as clearing, when unused places are put up for grabs by colleges which want to fill them.

People use clearing for a number of reasons. Grade A students may have been rejected from highly competitive courses, like medicine, for example. Some people change their minds after they've applied, reject all their offers, and then get exactly what they want in clearing. Some do much better than they expected and realise they could aim higher. Some apply late, whilst others don't meet their offers.

A glance through the clearing lists in almost any of the British papers (although only that in the London Independent or on the UCAS website is official and totally kosher) shows the sheer range of courses on offer to those brave enough to really leave home.

Everything is on offer - from aeronautical engineering and alternative medicine to youth studies and zoology. Every second you waste could mean you miss that perfect course.

If you are serious about Britain, go through the list of vacancies.

Telephone the relevant colleges and speak to the admissions tutor for the particular course. Find out as much as you can about the course which interests you. Have your Leaving Certificate results to hand: the tutor will be able to tell you whether you merit a place, based on a discussion of your exam results.

Do be sure to make your telephone calls before you fill in the application. Experts advise that you get your offer, accept it, and then deal with the paperwork.

Back to the most important subject of all: economics. Student Union leaders everywhere are always complaining of the hardships their members have to face. It's what they do.

Despite this, the impression most people have of those in third-level education is that they still find a way to go out at least three days a week, and justify student memberships of cinemas, galleries, restaurants and the like.

The truth is some students, through accident of birth, can afford to do this and many others have to work their way through college and still depend on their families to make sacrifices.

With free fees and a roaring part-time jobs market these pressures on Irish students have lessened significantly, but they are still there. Going to Britain increases the pressure significantly.

"The public image of the idle student still remains," says a National Union of Students (NUS) spokesman, "but for full-time students, part-time work is becoming the norm."

An NUS survey shows that three-quarters of students work at some time during their course, with 40 per cent doing so in term time. The NUS also argues that term-time work affects drop-out rates as well as degree classes.

Higher education maintenance grants are available for southern students taking up third-level places. If the parental income is less than £17,804 sterling, students will be exempt from fees. However, if the income is more than £28,590, you'll have to pay the full whack. Rates in between are assessed on a sliding scale. Maintenance grants are also available from local authorities in this State.

If you are lucky enough to have a few bob behind you, or if you are simply determined, Britain can often offer better facilities and a more student-friendly life than you could have ever expected in this State.

"The union in the university has two clubs and six bars and pound a pint nights are common. There were free buses from my halls to all the big clubs and back again. Even if you do get marooned in town you can take a taxi and the union will pay for it. You just pay them back when you have the money. If that was Dublin, even if you could get a taxi you would have to pay £10 for it," says one southern student at Aberdeen university.

Societies are often better funded than their counterparts here and other "luxury" items, such as swimming pools, are more than likely to be either on campus or open to students at greatly reduced rates.

Although time is of the essence this does not mean you should rush in and take the first course you see. Tableware design and modelling, to use two more examples from the clearing list, are clearly only for the very dedicated.

Once you have decided which course you want, there is still the question of whether the college offering it is good enough to justify your going to it. In practice you could be faced with choosing between less than perfect combinations.

One college might have a less than glowing reputation or situation, while offering you the subject you love; another might not have your perfect course but be well respected. Courses which leave you the flexibility to change or transfer in subsequent years obviously have an edge at a time like this.

The decision will affect the rest of your life, so give yourself as much time as you can by starting to think about it now.