Students are under so much pressure when the CAO application opens in February that they don’t often always give themselves enough time to go through their college options thoroughly.
The ‘Change of Mind’ facility is open from now until 1 July, and it is important that students review their application, ensuring their Level 8 courses are filled in with the correct order of preference. Also pay close attention to the Level 6 and Level 7 section – there are a lot of excellent courses, often with lower points, and they can provide a pathway into Level 8 degrees. It’s important to have options.
Eight years ago, I was the student who had a completely different course picked out as my first preference on my CAO. It wasn’t until after the exams were over and I had time and clarity to look at the list of courses again that I changed my mind.
When I took time away from the books to realise what I was passionate about and what course excited me, it was agricultural science that stood out
With the exams over and a bit of time on my hands, I went through the full course booklet with a highlighter and picked out courses that I had an interest in.
Before the exams, I was doing nursing and got into the Adelaide system, all I needed to do was pass each subject. But when I took time away from the books to realise what I was passionate about and what course excited me, it was agricultural science that stood out. Since then, I have never looked back.
Students should log into their CAO portal and ensure their course preferences are based on genuine interest, not predicted points.
And remember the order matters. Always list courses in genuine order of preference, not likelihood of getting in, because if you are offered your first preference, you won’t be offered another.
To make changes to your course choices during the ‘Change of Mind’ period, students need to:
Log in via the ‘My Application’ facility on cao.ie and go to ‘add/change course choices’.Introduce all of your courses on the ‘New List’ in your preferred order of preference, remembering to click ‘Continue with course changes’ to save the information.Check the acknowledgement email sent to the email address you supplied when making your application. Make sure to check that your changes have been recorded completely and correctly.Research the course
Deciding what you want to do next can be confusing, so the most important thing is to do your research.
Ensure that you know what type of course you’re signing up for, if there is placement during the programme or professional work experience. You might also like the option of studying abroad for a semester on an Erasmus programme.
Each college website will allow students to look up a course code and find out exactly what it entails. This includes what modules they will be studying during the duration of the degree programme. It also outlines what career opportunities there are after college and where you can end up down the line when you graduate.
Further education
Not everyone has a clear pathway or idea of what they want to do, and it is perfectly OK to take some time to decide.
You can defer courses and take a gap year, or try a Post Leaving Cert (PLC) course to see if you want to further your studies in that area.
Another thing that students might not have looked into is higher and further education courses, and sometimes schools and guidance teachers don’t highlight them as much.
If anyone found the exams challenging, and are worried about their results and questioning if they want to go straight into a college course next year, it is a good idea to look up your local Education and Training Board (ETBs) and further education colleges to see if they offer any courses you’re interested in.
Not everyone has a clear pathway or idea of what they want to do, and it is perfectly OK to take some time to decide
Along with this, there are 77 national apprenticeship programmes available in Ireland, where students can earn as they learn and gain a qualification practically.
These pathways can take the pressure off students as they can register and get accepted on a course before they even get their Leaving Certificate points.
It is advised, however, to look into these courses over the next two months and apply before August because the phone lines and applications get particularly busy during the exam results and CAO windows.
Results helpline
The National Parents and Students Leaving Certificate Helpline (1800 265 165) is open during the Leaving Certificate results period from 22 August. It is staffed by fully qualified and dedicated guidance counsellors who are ready to help students.
This free confidential service will provide support and information relating to the results and on all pathways including CAO, Further Education and Training (FET) and more. It is provided by the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, the Department of Education, ISSU and National Parents Council.
See npc.ie
Students are under so much pressure when the CAO application opens in February that they don’t often always give themselves enough time to go through their college options thoroughly.
The ‘Change of Mind’ facility is open from now until 1 July, and it is important that students review their application, ensuring their Level 8 courses are filled in with the correct order of preference. Also pay close attention to the Level 6 and Level 7 section – there are a lot of excellent courses, often with lower points, and they can provide a pathway into Level 8 degrees. It’s important to have options.
Eight years ago, I was the student who had a completely different course picked out as my first preference on my CAO. It wasn’t until after the exams were over and I had time and clarity to look at the list of courses again that I changed my mind.
When I took time away from the books to realise what I was passionate about and what course excited me, it was agricultural science that stood out
With the exams over and a bit of time on my hands, I went through the full course booklet with a highlighter and picked out courses that I had an interest in.
Before the exams, I was doing nursing and got into the Adelaide system, all I needed to do was pass each subject. But when I took time away from the books to realise what I was passionate about and what course excited me, it was agricultural science that stood out. Since then, I have never looked back.
Students should log into their CAO portal and ensure their course preferences are based on genuine interest, not predicted points.
And remember the order matters. Always list courses in genuine order of preference, not likelihood of getting in, because if you are offered your first preference, you won’t be offered another.
To make changes to your course choices during the ‘Change of Mind’ period, students need to:
Log in via the ‘My Application’ facility on cao.ie and go to ‘add/change course choices’.Introduce all of your courses on the ‘New List’ in your preferred order of preference, remembering to click ‘Continue with course changes’ to save the information.Check the acknowledgement email sent to the email address you supplied when making your application. Make sure to check that your changes have been recorded completely and correctly.Research the course
Deciding what you want to do next can be confusing, so the most important thing is to do your research.
Ensure that you know what type of course you’re signing up for, if there is placement during the programme or professional work experience. You might also like the option of studying abroad for a semester on an Erasmus programme.
Each college website will allow students to look up a course code and find out exactly what it entails. This includes what modules they will be studying during the duration of the degree programme. It also outlines what career opportunities there are after college and where you can end up down the line when you graduate.
Further education
Not everyone has a clear pathway or idea of what they want to do, and it is perfectly OK to take some time to decide.
You can defer courses and take a gap year, or try a Post Leaving Cert (PLC) course to see if you want to further your studies in that area.
Another thing that students might not have looked into is higher and further education courses, and sometimes schools and guidance teachers don’t highlight them as much.
If anyone found the exams challenging, and are worried about their results and questioning if they want to go straight into a college course next year, it is a good idea to look up your local Education and Training Board (ETBs) and further education colleges to see if they offer any courses you’re interested in.
Not everyone has a clear pathway or idea of what they want to do, and it is perfectly OK to take some time to decide
Along with this, there are 77 national apprenticeship programmes available in Ireland, where students can earn as they learn and gain a qualification practically.
These pathways can take the pressure off students as they can register and get accepted on a course before they even get their Leaving Certificate points.
It is advised, however, to look into these courses over the next two months and apply before August because the phone lines and applications get particularly busy during the exam results and CAO windows.
Results helpline
The National Parents and Students Leaving Certificate Helpline (1800 265 165) is open during the Leaving Certificate results period from 22 August. It is staffed by fully qualified and dedicated guidance counsellors who are ready to help students.
This free confidential service will provide support and information relating to the results and on all pathways including CAO, Further Education and Training (FET) and more. It is provided by the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, the Department of Education, ISSU and National Parents Council.
See npc.ie
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