1. Going to college 2013 Welcome 6 th Years and Parents Presentation Secondary School Thurles Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

2. 1. Assess yourself, who you are….. Likes/dislikes/What I’m good at – School Subjects – Interest profiler – My skills: people, task, personal – Experiences e.g. sport, transition year, hobbies, achievements Ask the opinion of those who know you well – E.g. Parents/Guardians, Brothers/Sisters/Relations/Friends, – Teachers, Guidance Counsellor

3. Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor) 2. Which course(s) ? Content: what will I be studying? Broad (eg business) or narrow (eg accounting) Continuous assessment (takes pressure off final exams) Length of course: 1,2, 3 or 4 years Class size: big or small College and Subject entry requirements Student experiences….facebook, twitter etc Course reputation Work placement/experience/study abroad Make a note of the advantages/disadvantages of each course

4. Types of course & entry requirements NFQ Level Qualifica tion obtained Course Duratio n Entry requirementsCollege Type Apply to 5FETAC Cert 1 year5 passes LCE, LCA with distinctions, interview, some subject entry requirements. PLC CollegeDirect to PLC College 6Higher Cert 2 years5 OD3 LCE, FETAC Cert, college/course subject entry requirements, CAO points Institute of Technology CAO 7Ordinary Degree 3 years5 OD3 LCE, FETAC Cert, Higher Cert, college/course subject entry requirements, CAO points Institute of Technology CAO 8Honours Degree 3 or 4 years 2 HC3 & 4OD3 OR FETAC Cert, Ordinary Degree college/courses subject entry requirements, CAO points Institute of Technology or University CAO Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

5. 3. Which college? Facilities eg library Accommodation on/off campus? Transport to/from college/home Sports, clubs, societies Disability supports Local or away from home Scholarships Social life City or large town? Costs?? Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

6. 4. College Application Vast majority go to University/Institute (=CAO) – Most Leaving Certs have started their application Some do PLC course (= FETAC) e.g. 10% You can apply to both to give yourself every choice come August 2013 Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

7. 4. PLC/FETAC courses 1 year courses Done after Leaving Cert Can be used : – To train for a job e.g. hairdressing – As a stepping stone for a cao course e.g. art portfolio course for cao art course Academic requirements: usually 5 passes in Leaving Cert, some specific subject requirements Apply direct to the FE college, can apply to many Apply by end Jan Attend open days Examples include: Thurles VEC, St Sheelans, Limerick CFE, Waterford CFE, Ormonde College Kilkenny, Portlaoise College, Cork College of Commerce Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

8. 4. CAO Application Cao administers the University and Institute of Technology application system It is your responsibility to read the cao handbook They are strict about deadlines Apply online/on-time is cheapest and safest

9. New CAO App (all smart phones) “mapping your future”presentation Important dates inc calendar reminders How to apply Application checklist Points calculator Points College names/contact details Fees How to communicate with CAO Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

10. 4. CAO Timetable From Nov 2012 start application Nov 2012– 1 st July 2013 decide courses & preferences 1 st Feb 2013 enter all restricted entry courses e.g. medicine, art, music, drama 1 st Feb 2013 HEAR/DARE application started Feb/Mar/Apr 2012 HPAT, auditions, portfolios, 1 st Feb- 1 st May 2012: view CAO application only 1 st May- 1 st July 2012: CAO ‘change of mind’

11. 5. CAO: Genuine Order of Preference The courses in GENUINE ORDER OF PREFERENCE!!!…………….This means your favourite first, your second favourite second and so on… Your course list should be based on your interests and a realistic chance of getting an offer based on your expected results Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

12. 6. CAO August 2013 Offer & acceptance of places/rounds “You will be offered a place in the highest of your course preferences to which you are entitled (if any)” “You are automatically excluded from all lower preferences” “Even if you have accepted your first offer you may subsequently be offered and accept a higher preference, if it becomes available” Rounds 0, 1, 2…………Vacant places Some examples……………………

13. Special Access Routes: HEAR and DARE HEAR : Higher Education Access Route – Students from socio-economic disadvantaged background – Income, medical card, social welfare, under-represented group, DEIS school, disadvantaged area DARE: Disability Access Route to Education – Students with disabilities/learning difficulties – E.g. Dyslexia, significant ongoing illness, physical disability, mental illness Enter course on reduced points, must meet minimum entry requirements Apply via your CAO Application Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

14. Scholarships Can be based on – Academic performance e.g. entrance awards – Academic performance (but has had social or economic disadvantages) plus economic/social assessment and interview e.g. Ciaran Patak (Pharmacy RCSI), Irish Tax Institute – Sports performance (e.g. county/national/international) How to apply …..direct to awarding body/college When to apply – Some before LC, some after you start college Refer to College websites and Guidance Counsellor Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

15. Some general advice…… The quality of your degree (e.g. 1 st class honours) is more important than the name of the college If you are not sure about career broad-based degrees are better than more specialised ones e.g. do business now and specialise in accounting later Many students are choosing broad degrees first and following it with a specialised post graduate course

16. Accommodation On campus is recommended for first years There are a range of other types eg House-sharing, part-board, customised off campus etc Some can be pre-booked, with a part-refundable deposit eg UCC Some start booking in Dec 2012 eg Mary I Others cannot be booked until after you are offered a place in college eg TCD (Aug 2013) UCD you can make a provisional booking from early May 2012 Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

17. Accommodation things to watch out for….. Cost? Are bills included in the rent? Nearness to college? Public transport nearby? Location in safe area? General standard, facilities, utilities etc Broadband Get advice from friends, relations etc Contact college accommodation office for all types….they are generally v helpful and informative Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

18. Cost of going to college per year? Discuss with your parents – Costs e.g. 7-10 thousand euros per year – Grants/Scholarships? – Bank/Credit Union Loan? Include – Accommodation – Transport – Food – Clothes – Books – Day to day expenses……..Social life? – Course trips – Registration fees 2750 euros Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

19. Student Maintenance Grants Means tested and different levels of grant Citizensinformation.ie SUSI………………Studentfinance.ie – City of Dublin VEC administer SUSI for the whole country for new applications – Lot of documentation, evidence of income etc to be gathered….start now! – Late applications may be = getting grant late! – Application starts June 2013 (tbc) Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

20. Jobs and Careers Doing a third level qualification gives you a major advantage: you learn many personal skills such as organisation, problem solving, independent thinking, analytical skills etc Broad is better than job-specific, gives you more choice later e.g. arts, business, science, technology, engineering Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

21. FAS/ESRI Job Trends Forecast 2015 Growth areas – Science, engineering, food and information and communications technology – Business services e.g. IT, Accountancy, Legal, Advertising, Insurance, Technical sales etc – Consumer services: e.g. hairdressing, beauty therapy, security etc – Managerial/professional ( excluding healthcare & education) Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

22. FAS/ESRI Job Trends Forecast 2015 Decline – Agriculture – Skilled manual work eg construction – Clerical – Some Retail sales Mr. Niall Murphy (Guidance Counsellor)

23. In conclusion……… Do your research: – On yourself – On courses – On colleges – On careers Consult with parents, teachers etc Be 90% sure of your courses before 1 st Feb 2012. Make minor changes, if any by 1 st July 2012 GENUINE ORDER OF PREFERENCE !!!!!!