2nd Level: Top tips for new college students

Hi there and welcome to The Irish Times’ 2nd Level email digest! So much has happened since Higher Options 2018 - the Leaving Cert is over - as is the nerve-wrangling wait for the results and subsequent CAO offers. Hopefully you got the course you wanted and are starting in college any day now- or in the event you didn’t get the course you wanted, you might be looking at other options that are available to you. Whether you are looking for a course in further education or tips on saving money or how to study at third level, we have articles below that might be of interest to you. Don’t forget also that when you register with Student Hub as a third level student, you can avail of a free @irishtimes digital subscription!

Top tips for new college students: Don't smoke, get on your bike, track your spending and learn how to cook! It doesn't matter if you got exactly the course you have been dreaming of since you were watching In the Night Garden 16 years ago or have found yourself unexpectedly studying classical civilisation because your points weren't quite as high as they might have been. You are where you are and, no matter where that is, the years ahead can still be brilliant. Read more here.

Free digital subscription for third-level students! In the coming weeks, thousands of students will start third-level. There are exciting times ahead and as you find your way around campus, the next few weeks will be a whirlwind introduction to college life. Read more here.

Didn't get what you hoped for? Nine choices to ponder: What if you didn't get the results you hoped for? It can feel like a crushing disappointment and a waste of hard work, but the class of 2019 have more options than ever before. Read more here.

How to survive life in college without going completely broke: At the risk of sounding like a poor man's Monty Python sketch, times were hard for students back when Pricewatch were a lad. Read more here.

The ultimate guide to college life in Ireland: So you're going to college. But where? "Dublin" might seem like one city, but there's a big difference between attending Trinity or one of TU Dublin's campuses, where students can step off campus into the heart of the city, and going to DCU in the suburbs of Glasnevin or UCD out in Belfield. Read more here.

School is behind you and as the first taste of college freedom beckons, there's a strong temptation to kick back and really enjoy student life. However, while studying might be the last thing on your mind, it's what got you into college in the first place and to get what you want out of the next few years, you're going to have to keep it up. Read more here.

Brain food - how to boost brain function: The student lifestyle can be hectic and the brain needs good-quality fuel to keep concentration throughout the day. Read more here.

How did this year's Leaving Cert class fare? In 2017, a new marking system ditched 14 different grades (A1, B2, C3 etc) and brought in just eight, ranging from H1 to H8 and O1 to O8. Now that it's firmly bedded in, it's clear that – as with the old system – grades tend to stay largely the same from one year to the next. Read more here.