I'm 16 years, doing my Leaving Cert in June and hope to do nursing. I think I'm too young to get on to the nurse training programme, although I hope I will get a good Leaving Cert. What are my alternatives? What subjects do I need in the Leaving Cert?
- North Dublin student
You must be at least 17 years old on June 1st in the year of application to meet the Bord Altranais regulations and you must have a minimum of two higher-level C3s (2 higher-level Cs) and four grade Ds (4 ordinary-level Ds) in ordinary-level papers in Leaving Cert to include the following: English or Irish; maths, a lab science subject (biology, physics, chemistry, agricultural science or physics/ chemistry) plus three other subjects which may include Irish or English or a lab science if not already included.
In addition you must meet the specified educational requirements set by whichever college is associated with your diploma.
NUI colleges (UCC, UCD, NUI Galway incorporating St Angela's Sligo) require Irish, English, another language, maths, a science subject and any other subject. TCD and UL require English and another language (this could be Irish, French, German etc), maths, a lab science subject plus two other subjects; DCU and the ITs in Athlone, Dundalk, Letterkenny and Waterford have no additional requirements to An Bord Altranais minimum set out above.
So, if you have or will meet the age and subject requirements set out above, you should apply to the Nursing Careers Centre, PO Box 6703, Dublin 2, by Friday, February 19th.
If you don't succeed this year, you could repeat your Leaving Cert (especially if you are too young), do a PLC or go as a pre-trainee nurse for six months or so.
In 1998, there were about four applicants for each place on the three-year college linked diploma courses. You will be called to an assessment test - about 4,000 sat this in 1998 and about 600 were then called for interview.
As I said, as an alternative while waiting you could do a PLC course in any of the City of Dublin VEC colleges colleges such as Ballyfermot Senior College, Whitehall House Senior College, Inchicore Vocational School or Marino College - or in any of the County Dublin VEC colleges where you would have a choice of pre-nursing, child care, community care, care for the elderly, social care/ social studies.
Finally, you could approach a local hospital and see if it would take you on as a nurse attendant - or you could apply to the Eastern Health Board's Director of Nursing, St Mary's Hospital, Phoenix Park, Dublin 20 - phone (01) 677 8132. This hospital is offering a six-monthly contract, which is renewable for up to one year for trainee nurse positions.
This is obviously suited to those who wish to pursue nursing as a career and who would satisfy the entry requirements but who, like you, may be too young. You must send a CV and the names and addresses of two referees.
So, this could provide a great opportunity to get very valuable experience in a hospital environment. Obviously the Eastern Health Board is not in position to guarantee entry to the nurse training programme but the experience of working in a 345-bed hospital for older people and young disabled adults would be invaluable.
Q: What are the bonus points for answering Leaving Cert papers through Irish. What about maths?
- Kildare father
Bonus points are given for different subjects for answering through Irish in the Leaving Cert. No bonus points are given for subjects such as technical drawing or art (other than the history or appreciation of art).
Then, for subjects such as Latin, Greek, history, geography etc, a bonus at the rate of 10 per cent is given to a candidate who gets less than 75 per cent of the total in those subjects.
Yet again, there is the group including subjects such as French, German, accounting, applied maths etc which also includes maths - for this group the bonus is five per cent to those candidates who get less than 75 per cent of the total.
However, there is a difference for maths because maths paper one and maths paper two will be treated as separate subjects. Also, if you answer partly in Irish and partly in English, you will get no bonus marks.
Q: I'd like to do electronic engineering in UCC or UCG. What subjects do I need?
- Tipperary student
Since both UCC and NUI Galway are constituent colleges of the National University of Ireland, they both have the same basic matriculation and faculty requirements for engineering. These subjects are Irish, English, a third language, math, a lab science subject (chemistry, physics, biology, agricultural science or physics with chemistry) plus any other subject.
You must also obtain a pass in at least six subjects to include a grade C3 in two subjects at higher level (two higher-level Cs) plus a grade D3 in the remaining four at either higher- or ordinary-level (four higher-level Ds/ four ordinary-level Ds).
Now this is where a divergence occurs because NUI Galway requires only one additional thing and that is a higher-level C in maths for any of its engineering courses which include electronics: GY401 engineering (under-nominated course) GY403 electronic engineering or GY406 electronic and computer engineering. UCC has the following requirements for its electronic /electrical engineering course CK603: higher-level C in maths or a higher-level C in applied maths plus a higher-level D2 maths but you must also have a HC in physics.
Either way, you'll end up with an NUI engineering degree which you could also get by doing the common first-year in UCD which has the same basic requirements as the other two colleges but in turn requires a higher-level B maths for its common entry programme DN003. You may then opt for electronics in year two. They are all NUI degrees!
Of course, there are degrees in electronic engineering in other colleges also and no matter which option you choose, you must also get the points required for entry in that year.
Queries can be answered only through this column and not by phone or post. Write to Sile Sheehy, Education & Living, The Irish Times, D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 - or by email to education@irish-times.ie
