We may be in Navan, but Sharon Dunne is browsing around Galway IT - virtually, that is. Thanks to the ingenious work of their fellow student Nathan Phillips, the sixth-year students of Beaufort College, Navan, Co. Meath, have a pretty comprehensive online set-up, with information on a range of careers, courses and colleges. Like most sixth-year students around the State, Sharon isn't exactly sure what she wants to do with her life yet. "I think I'd like to do something with management," she muses, "but if I don't get that I'll do child psychology. Most of the courses I'm interested in, you just need to get general entry requirements, but it's very hard to get your head around the idea of studying. At this stage of your life you want it all: you want to go out; to work; but you also want to make sure you get the Leaving Cert results you need for the job you want in the future."

There's still time to make a few decisions though. CAO forms don't need to be in until February 1st. Still, it's one of the most serious decisions a teenager will have to make, and for weeks now the sixth years at Beaufort have been flicking through brochures and clicking through websites. Their careers library, set up 18 months ago, is impressive. Guidance counsellor Pat Marley is pleased. "We have the brochures of all the colleges in Britain and Ireland on file - careers information in 224 ring binders, with all the information indexed for easy reference and the whole system is also colour coded for quick access," he says.

About 60 per cent of the students doing their Leaving at Beaufort will go on to third level, he says. "Many do apprenticeships or go straight into jobs. The students filling out CAO forms have spent the last few weeks looking intently for information on the various courses. Computers, business and electronics are the most popular these days. We've the Internet system set up about a month now, which makes life easier for them, although it does crash now and again."

Busola Ola is glued to her screen, checking out lists of diplomas, degrees, points, course codes, and colleges. "I've pretty much decided on a choice of five diplomas and eight degrees. My first choice is accounting and finance at Dundalk IT; next up though would be marketing and French at Waterford IT. I don't mind where I go to college, it's the courses that appeal to me, but Dundalk IT is nearest to home so that would probably be best."

With so many courses to choose from, the usual points pressure isn't weighing too heavily on the students at Beaufort. "I need 325 points for my first choice," says Busola, "so I'm not under too much pressure to study." The real pressure at the moment is coming from that all-important decision that has to be made. David Dungan has been working on his choices for the past six weeks - he's begun to slump into his keyboard at this stage. "It's just overwhelming," he groans. "I've a couple of courses in mind. I'm half looking at journalism, but I'm not sure. It's all just so daunting. If I'm interested in a course, the points are really high, so it's really hard to choose."

Jim Byrne has a clearer picture of where his life's going. "I've a list of eight diplomas and eight degrees I'm interested in," he says. "I'm most interested in model-making, which you do in Dun Laoghaire. My other choices are interior architecture and architecture technology. Ideally I'd like to go to college in Dublin. I'm not that fussy though. I'm not that nervous about the exams. I never really get nervous about them, although I know I'm not doing as much studying as I should be!"

Meanwhile Chris Mathews has resorted to an online personality test to facilitate him with his decision making. "It says I'm artistic and enterprising and social," he giggles. "It doesn't tell me what job to do though. But I'm interested in music production, so it confirms my feelings about my choices. I'd like to do music management or production and both are in Ballyfermot Senior College. I reckon I'll handle the exams. I don't feel under much pressure, but I'll get into gear - I hope."

Jim scrolls down the screen checking the courses he's filled into his online CAO practice form as he chats. "This is really handy. It tells you if you've made any errors and it's a great help for filling out the real thing."

We may be living in a brave new millennium, but even for the young, old habits die hard. "I could actually submit my form online, but I'd rather do it by post," he says.

Over in Finglas, Dublin, the students at Mater Christi secondary school know what they want, and they know it's not going to be easy to get there. "At the moment things are pretty tough," says Helen Brosnihan. "I want to do primary teaching, which you need 455 points to do. Keeping that in mind keeps me on track if I get sick of studying. I'd study until about 9.30 p.m. on the weekdays and over the weekend as well. I'm the one putting myself under pressure, my parents see it as my life and it's up to me. If I want to go to college, I have to study, it's as simple as that."

The fact that the school went on fire last September doesn't make things easier. According to Margaret Butler, the school principal: "All the specialist rooms, the lab, the art room, the home economics room, and the library were burned down. There is a great school spirit here, so the girls were very shocked by the damage. We've managed to get through it, though with a lot of help from local schools. The library is missed but the teachers' are managing to make life completely normal for the students, despite the adverse conditions they have to work under."

"The teachers have been so determined that we won't suffer in our exams because of the fire," says Claire Kearney. "We're all working really hard. I'm deciding between doing science and business, either at DCU or Blanchardstown IT. I'm interested in science education. I did work experience teaching in a primary school in Transition Year and I really liked it."

Deborah Kelly hasn't completely made up her mind yet. "Either science at DCU or Blanchardstown IT or business and languages at DCU. I'm finding it hard to choose because I like both."

Alison Croft is interested in journalism, either at DCU or the DIT. "I like to get around, I don't like being confined in an office, so I think journalism would suit me," she says. "And she's nosey," throws in Claire.

All four girls have been working hard since last year, but still they feel they haven't enough time. If they could change anything, it wouldn't be the points system - it would be to have a longer Leaving Cert cycle. "You just don't have enough time to revise," says Claire. `I think it would be better to have a three-year Leaving Cert course. As it is, the exams just come up too quickly after the Junior Cert."