Applying to the CAO & Course Choices

I will never forget the daunting pile of prospectuses that gathered dust in my room in sixth year (after many college open days) and the stress surrounding the CAO application. My school didn’t have much information on courses that I was interested in, because they tended to encourage students to study science and maths-related courses. Looking at lists of third level courses can be a minefield but putting them aside at first and focusing on your own interests can be easier. If you know the basics of what you genuinely want to be studying every day for the next few years, then it will make decisions easier for you when the time comes.

Not everyone knows exactly what job title they may aspire to, but I found that researching people whose careers and successes I look up to made the whole idea of third level much more attainable. I learned that many authors and media personalities that I admire started off their careers by doing broad courses such as Journalism or Arts. If you keep an open mind about your future and see your course as a helping hand in the right direction, you should feel less afraid to tackle the dreaded CAO.

When it comes to putting your course choices in order, I’ll tell you the advice I got that still rings in my ears: put them in order of preference and not points. If you’re likely to get high points in the Leaving Cert and your dream course has low requirements, you could be making a mistake in putting a higher points course ahead of it in your application. In the end, you will be the one going to college everyday (or most days, at least...), not your parents, teachers or friends.

Once you get into your course, what you got in the Leaving Cert is irrelevant. The leaving cert is merely a means to get into third level – whereas college is a means to an abundance of paths. If you are dying to escape from your current building of educational imprisonment (any sane school student is), then you may be tempted to take a gap year after school, to give you time to decide on what you want to do. I didn’t take a gap year but I know people who did – and I can say that it can be a productive time or a waste of time, depending on what you’re willing to make of it.

I know people who have gained amazing experience in their chosen field without any formal third level education, some who needed some extra time to weigh up their options away from the strain of the Leaving Cert – and some who have been so glad of where their course has taken them. So there is no one-size-fits-all procedure to follow!

Starting College

Thinking back, I had no idea what college would be like but I wasn’t convinced that it would be for me. I was wrong to worry, as I have ended up loving it, especially how different it is compared to school. When I went to my first DCU open day, I hated the idea of going there as I thought it was a sports orientated university with most courses being far from my interests. Now that I study there, I can safely say that I have never been forced to play GAA or sit in a science lab! I go to (most of) my lectures and spend the rest of my time on campus with friends or taking part in societies related to my interests. Your course is only a part of your entire college experience.

Getting used to your timetable, and making friends, can take a bit of time: by the end of your first semester you'll probably feel comfortable enough in your college and with the people around you. You don’t need to be the most outgoing person in the world to be able to make friends in your course and in societies. I was out sick for my second week and still managed to make friends early on, so it is nothing to worry about.

Once the awkwardness of making a group chat with new people is over with, you can use it to see who’s up for going out or hanging out between lectures. In first year, I immediately tried to get involved with the college radio station and newspaper. It was so much fun getting opportunities that you just don’t get in school. Now that I’m in second year, I have a radio show with my friend Sarah every week on DCU fm (Ireland’s Best Student Radio Station!) called ‘Top of the Bops’, and I can already tell it will rank as one of the highlights of my time at college.

Balancing a job and a full-time course can be tough, but as long as work isn’t affecting your grades or most of your social life then you are doing fine. Most work places seem to be flexible enough when it comes to getting time off during exam-study periods. If a part-time job doesn’t suit your schedule, babysitting or dog walking can be a handy way to earn some money at third level.

College nights out and general social life can be so much fun, and are a big part of your time there. Freshers week kicks things off, but I think having regular enough nights out with your friends makes for a well-balanced time at college. If you have to commute from another county to your course every day that can make nights out a challenge – but asking if you can stay with your friends who live on campus or in digs every now and then will help. Everyone finds themselves couch surfing or in McDonald’s at 4am the night before a 9am lecture a few times a semester. It’s ok.

You will learn so much about yourself no matter what course you find yourself in: you will never have a pen when you need one, you will question your diet countless times, you will forget what a healthy sleeping pattern is and you will have a really fun time.

"Best of luck in college, dude.”

• Tara Shiels is a second year Media Studies and English student at DCU.