‘Early on, I knew that college was not for me’: The different routes to your career
‘I do get asked: do you feel that you missed out on the college experience? The answer: absolutely not,’ says one apprentice
Results2023
Leaving Cert Results 2023, CAO, Smart Options
Is a college degree worth it any more?
No degree? No problem. Growing numbers of companies are looking beyond third-level qualification as a recruitment requirement
Repeating the Leaving Cert: a decision not to be taken lightly
The first step for students considering a resit is it to review your scripts to see where you might have gone wrong
Cost of college: how to budget for the academic year
Q&A: What do students need to spend on? Are textbooks a mandatory purchase?
Getting to college: ‘Further education was my stepping stone, but I didn’t expect how much I would enjoy it’
Jacob Haskins didn’t have enough points to secure his first CAO choice so he took an alternative route to UCD
Accepting a CAO place is now just one option of many, from further education to studying abroad
From PLCs to apprenticeships and private colleges, there have never been so many choices for school-leavers seeking a career path
What steps to take if you didn’t get your CAO course of choice
Here are alternatives to explore when college offers disappoint - because the CAO is no longer the only game in town
CAO 2023: Waiting on an offer today? Here’s how to respond to it
Moment of truth arrives for thousands of CAO applicants as first college offers are issued
Further education: Everything you need to know about traineeships
Q&A: How does a traineeship work and am I eligible to apply?
Engineering apprenticeship: ‘I went from nearly failing maths in school to getting top marks in college’
How I did it: Shannon Kearney did an apprenticeship in engineering and now works as a metrology engineer
Q&A: How do I know if a further education and training course is the right choice for me?
Attitudes to further education have changed in recent years, and today’s students have more options than ever before
Further education resources: a glossary
New opportunities in a range of industries, supports for students with disadvantaged backgrounds and back to education allowances
‘Gamechanger’ programme allows students to attain third-level degree outside CAO points race
Focus shifting from CAO points race and the pressure it puts on students to alternative routes to third-level education
Thinking about studying abroad? Here’s what you should consider
Conduct thorough research to familiarise yourself with universities, courses and preferred locations
Leaving Cert 2023: Universities may use lotteries for high-points courses as official criticises ‘populist’ grade inflation
Norma Foley defends decision to keep results at a record high out out of ‘fairness’ for students
How to settle into college life: ‘Induction is a time to find new friends, connect with lecturers and spread your wings’
From finding out how to use the library to locating the canteen, there’s a lot to take in when you start third level
Leaving Cert 2023: Foley defends decision to inflate grades amid warning over ‘credibility’ of results
Minister for Education says move to keep grades at record-high level of recent years was out of ‘fairness’ to students
Should I defer my college place? Your Leaving Cert and CAO questions answered
Brian Mooney on students’ queries to the Irish Times Leaving Cert Results 2022 helpdesk
Leaving Cert results: Warning over ‘credibility’ of students’ inflated grades
Many celebrate CAO points haul as 2023 grades are inflated by almost 8%
Didn’t get the Leaving Cert results you wanted? Ten things to consider
Leaving Cert 2023: There are multiple options aside from repeating if you didn’t get the results you expected
Five key lessons from this year’s Leaving Cert, from inflated grades to mathematical trauma
Points are likely to remain at their 2022 levels ahead of CAO offers coming out next week
Leaving Cert: 2023 grades remain largely unchanged
How slowly can grades fall back without negatively affecting current year students?
What impact will the 2023 Leaving Cert results have on the CAO?
Leaving Cert scripts were adjusted upwards in recent weeks
Leaving Cert 2023: Is grade inflation slowing down or continuing unabated?
Unwinding grade inflation is a challenge for politicians, educators and policymakers
New options outside the CAO points system leading to a university degree
Courses available in healthcare, enterprise, ICT, creative sectors, engineering, manufacturing and construction under unified tertiary system
Looking beyond Leaving Cert results: what’s the next step?
Leaving Cert scripts were adjusted upwards in recent weeks
Leaving Cert results: How to get into college outside the CAO points race
Leaving Certificate isn’t the be-all and end-all. Most colleges have alternative admission routes not based solely on an accumulation of CAO points
How the CAO system works: How do colleges decide the points needed for a Leaving Cert course?
Widely-held belief that CAO points are determined by colleges in advance and remain relatively constant is incorrect
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
The GlossOpens in new window
Read the digital edition of The Gloss magazine now
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices