COLLEGE CHOICE:MOST STUDENTS offered places in the first round by CAO have by now accepted them. Most are turning their mind to issues such as accommodation and registration. You will find comprehensive details on the accommodation offered by most third-level colleges, under the support and advice section of the student section on qualifax.ie
Regarding registration, prospective students should check on the college’s website to find details of the dates and procedures of their registration process. Many colleges allow registration online.
Arts at UCD:
The biggest third-level course – arts in UCD which has more than 1,200 students and saw points increase by five to 365 this year – has introduced a new procedure to enable students to preselect their subjects. This has enabled UCD to better co-ordinate the allocation of lecture theatres to subjects based on the demand for each subject indicated by the pre-selection process.
A student may have, for example, selected economics and politics = DN012 EPO. These students are guaranteed classes in these subjects but still have to choose and register for their remaining modules.
Students take 12 modules a stage (year) and those who opted to pre-select subjects are automatically registered in two modules in each chosen subject.
Online registration opens for first years tomorrow when students will register their details.
On September 2nd, they can begin to register for their modules. Some popular modules (such as psychology) fill up quickly so the advice is to log on early and choose the remaining eight modules. If they do not, they may find that they cannot study the subjects they want. Up to two of these modules can be chosen from outside the BA programme (subject to timetables).
Other colleges have introduced similar procedures so it is essential that you fully inform yourself of them to ensure that you get the best start possible to your academic life.
What to do if you have no offer:
For those students who have not received an offer or who did not apply to the CAO, there are different opportunities available to previous years. However, the opportunities have narrowed.
Many PLC courses are hugely over-subscribed this year. There are fewer jobs in the public service and the financial services industry. You will have to be more creative this year if you want to find an appropriate opening to launch your career.
The craft industry:
Talking about creativity there is a wide range of careers available in the craft industry. There are three primary providers of craft education outside of higher education institutions – Fás, City and Guilds and the Crafts Council of Ireland. A full list of course providers across all craft disciplines is available at ccoi.ie
Working as a pilot:
If you have really high ambitions for yourself, you might consider becoming a pilot. Pilot Training College (PTC), in Waterford has been chosen by Qatar Airways to train up to 30 pilots a year. This could provide a wonderful opportunity for those with suitable skills and aptitudes to work with one the world’s most prestigious airlines. There are no CAO points requirements.
An assessment to identify those with pilot skills and aptitudes will take place over the next few weeks. If you are interested. see pilottrainingcollege.com
Series concluded. Brian Mooney’s weekly column will resume in the education pages next month.