Important things to consider before accepting a course

COLLEGE CHOICE: MANY STUDENTS who did not receive their first choice through the CAO application process on Monday still have much to ponder – chiefly, should they accept a lower preference?

Applicants have until 17:15 on Monday, August 29th, to make up their mind. If you don’t accept the place by then the offer will lapse and there is no guarantee that you will receive another one this year.

How should you decide whether to accept the place on offer to you or not?

Firstly, realise that the college place on offer to you is a very valuable and expensive commodity. You will be paying €2,000 towards the cost of your education each year and the Government will be paying the college at least €5,000 for each year of the course on your behalf.

In the present economic circumstances the taxpayer is making a huge commitment to your education so be very careful in deciding if this course is one you are really prepared to commit too for three or four years. If for any reason you abandon your course during first year or later in the programme, or if you fail your examinations and have to repeat that year, you will have to bear the cost of this year.

For many students and their families, the prospect of paying a minimum of €7,000 in fees on top of accommodation and living costs, even for one repeat year, will make a return to education impossible.

How can I ensure that the course on offer to me is a viable option and one that will make a positive contribution to my career development?

Study every aspect of the course you have been offered on the Qualifax website at www.qualifax.ie. Look at the subjects on offer and assess if you would be genuinely interested in studying them. Thousands of students who drop out of courses each year do so on the basis that they did not like the subject matter of lectures.

If you are studying the details of two offers, one on a level 8 higher degree and the other on a level 6/7 higher certificate/ordinary degree programme, be very careful not to be swayed by what your peers or family will think if you accept the level 6/7 course. Most higher certificate/ordinary degree programmes offer students the options of progressing onwards to level 8 if you secure a minimum of a 2:1 grade in your final examinations.

If your preferred choice is a level 8 programme, for which you have not secured the points, but for which you have been offered the level 6/7 alternative, you should always accept this offer in preference to a level 8 offer lower down your list of preferences if it does not suit your long-term interests.

Other tips:

– Visit the college you hope to attend before this weekend. This will help you experience the reality of the college itself. The college staff will be more than happy to talk to you and answer any questions you may have. Explore all aspects of what the college has to offer. Talk to current students of the course. There is a new website which contains reviews by current students of their courses. www.coursehub.ie. Read it!

– Check out the cost and availability of accommodation in or close to the college you are considering. Can you afford to pay the costs associated with accepting this place? A full register of all college accommodation is available on the Qualifax website in the student support section.

Having done a thorough review of the options on offer to you, you can then make your final decision before Monday’s deadline in the sure knowledge that this is the best choice for you.

Brian Mooney is guidance counsellor at Oatlands College, Dublin.