There is no point studying into the small hours if it doesn't pay off in terms of the college place you want
A mixture of anxiety and anticipation will surge through most applicants as they fill out their CAO forms. There are worries about the so-called points race, about securing a place, about securing the "right" place. Lots of competing interests will inform your course choice. You might be worried about the antiquity of the college, its location, its social and sporting facilities as well as the type and quality of education you will receive.
You might be a high achiever who feels constrained by your putative high-points score into applying for certain high-points courses only.
Or your parents may have a particular profession in mind - perhaps they had always hoped to be a doctor or dentist - and they now want you to live their dream. You may have financial worries, so a college close to home would mean no accommodation costs. Or you may wish to move away from home and begin a new, independent life so you are looking for a college at a suitable distance.
In the past, a prime motivator behind course choice was the jobs market The current economic boom makes this less of a a motivating factor. One academic told College Choice they used to boast about their employment rates, but now everyone has excellent employment rates. The latest figures from the Higher Education Authority show that almost 60 per cent of those who graduated from third-level education in 1998 were in employment in April 1999. Of these, over 86 per cent were employed in Ireland.
When you are filling out your course choices on the CAO form, you should bear in mind it is your future that is at stake. It's your ambitions and dreams, rather than those of your parents, teachers or peers, that matter. It's you who will spend the next two, three, four or more years in college and it's you who must build a career on the basis of the qualification you will receive.
Many students, beset by worries about study and the looming exams, resent the time they must allocate to CAO forms and college prospectuses. Although the resentment is natural, this is probably one of the most important things you will do this year, so set plenty of time aside. There's no point in studying into the small hours if it doesn't pay off in terms of the college place you want.
Of course, higher education is not the only option after school. A booming economy means there are jobs available immediately. Unfortunately, the fewer qualifications you have, the more likely it is that pay and career progression will be poor.
There are lots of opportunities to acquire useful qualifications outside the traditional third-level sector. Post-Leaving Certificate courses will absorb more than 20,000 students. These are primarily aimed at preparing students for the jobs market, but they can also be used as a stepping stone to third level. This is particularly important for students who take the Leaving Certificate Applied.
In addition, the construction boom means there are increasing opportunities to secure an apprenticeship. This is an opportunity overlooked by many girls who feel the trades are a male preserve. On the other hand, it is overwhelmingly girls who will apply for places on nursing diplomas.
Teagasc offers training courses in agriculture and horticulture while CERT, the State training authority, offers a variety of courses in the tourism and hospitality industry - a sector which is crying out for employees. Other avenues include the Garda and the Defence Forces.
However, January is the month when most students will concentrate on courses contained within the CAO 2000 handbook. The deadline for application, at the standard fee of £18.90, is February 1st. This is the final deadline for restricted-application courses, where assessments other than Leaving Cert (projects, interviews, tests) apply. You may continue to apply for other courses up until the late deadline of May 1st. The late application fee is double the standard rate.
The number of colleges and courses on offer continues to expand. For most students, the problem is one of choice. Research your course choice - don't make a decision based on a one-line description in the CAO handbook.
Remember the more interested you are in a subject(s), the more likely you will do well. Choose a course you will enjoy.
Points Commission
The Commission on the Points System made its final report and recommendations before Christmas. While this leaves the current college entry system largely intact, it does recommend a number of significant changes. None of these changes affects you if you are filling out the CAO form at present. There is generally a two-year lead-in for any changes. Also, the Minister for Education and Science has yet to indicate his acceptance of the various recommendations.
Changes to CAO listing
Each year, colleges make additions, deletions and changes to their listings in the CAO handbook. These changes are notified to guidance counsellors who, in turn, make their students aware of these changes. But it's easy to forget the additional sheet when you are filling out the form. Mature students and non-school candidates, who may not have access to guidance, have to be particularly alert.
New Courses
The CAO is accepting applications for 10 new courses which are not listed in the CAO 2000 handbook. The courses are as follows:
Athlone IT: AL026 diploma in humanities (languages with business administration)
Carlow IT: CW100 Degree in international business with French; CW101 degree in international business with German
DIT: DT125 certificate in technology (integrated maintenance); DT129 certificate in manutronics automation; FT228 degree in computer science
Tallaght IT: TA108 certificate in business studies (marketing); TA404 certificate in engineering (microelectronics & semiconductor manufacturing); TA504 certificate in engineering (electro/mechanical systems)
Waterford IT: WD091 degree in hospitality management
Changes in course title
There are two changes in course title: TN003 is called Information and Communication Technologies in the CAO handbook. The new title is Computing (software development); TN103 is the same course (with the same title change) offered in the college's Clonmel campus.
Cancelled courses
Carlow IT: CW002 certificate in science (applied physics); CW027 diploma in business studies (international business and French) - replaced by the new degree CW100; CW028 diploma in business studies (international business and German) - replaced by the new degree CW101; CW029 diploma in business studies (office information systems and German); CW038 diploma in business studies (office information systems and French).
LSB College: LS203 degree in arts (sociology); LS301 degree in psychoanalytic studies; LS602 degree in tourism (marketing); LS422 degree in business studies (office information systems)
Sligo IT: SG431 diploma in analytical chemistry.
Waterford IT: WD071 degree in business studies with marketing
UCD scholarships
UCD is increasing the number of scholarships it will offer this year and, for the first time, students will know if they qualify for a scholarship as soon as they get their Leaving Cert results.
At least 60 first-year students entering the college this autumn will receive a £1,000 scholarship. In the past, the 20 students with the highest points were awarded entrance scholarships. This meant scholarships were clustered in certain high-points courses. The new arrangement spreads them over the various faculties.
Certain threshold points levels have been set for each faculty and students who achieve these points levels are guaranteed scholarships. This represents something of a lottery for the college as there may be far more than the anticipated 60 high achievers.
All entrance scholars will be given priority in the application for places in student residences on the Belfield campus. About half of UCD's student population is rural.
The points on or above which a scholarship is guaranteed for entry in the year 2000 are: arts 520; philosophy and sociology 530; science 550; law 590; agriculture 500; engineering and architecture 575; veterinary medicine 600; medicine 600; Celtic studies 520; commerce 590; Bachelor of Business and Legal Studies 560.
Helpline: Students, parents and teachers with queries about colleges, courses and application procedures are invited to call the College Choice helpline between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. today. Tel: (01) 679 1915/6791919
Group orders: Schools can get group orders of 10 or more copies of The Irish Times during the college applications season (including tomorrow's College Choice supplement) at a reduced rate. To avail of this offer, call freephone 1-800-798884 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Supplement tomorrow
College Choice is the essential guide for parents, teachers and students as the college application season begins.
This 28-page colour tabloid supplement, published tomorrow, lists the cut-off points for entry to all degree and diploma courses, provides charts of essential subjects for courses, advises students on filling out the CAO form, gives a comprehensive listing of PLC courses and colleges and reviews the graduate employment market to see where the graduates of 1998 are working today.