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Choosing the right college course: a handy tool called CourseHub.ie
“Deciding whether you want to pursue higher education is an important, life-changing decision. If you do decide to go ahead, you face the daunting task of choosing which course is right for you …”...
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Don’t make the same mistake I did when choosing your college course
“I picked the wrong course in the wrong college. Sixth year was hectic. I could focus only on getting the points and, with some luck, getting into college …” (more) [Independent, 23 May]
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The early morning specialist
“For reasons I won’t bother you with, I recently looked at the degree courses on offer at a respected English university; I won’t name it, this isn’t about that university …” (more) [Ferdinand von...
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Students: pick IT or business language courses, says IDA
“The head of IDA Ireland has called on students filling out their CAO forms to prioritise courses with the best job prospects: information technology, digital media and language-based business …”...
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31% of students would change courses
“Just under a third of students would change their course if they could fill out their CAO application again, according to a new survey …” (more) [Conor McMahon, Campus.ie, 18 June]
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The Future of Third Level Education in Ireland – 2. Duplication
“The Minister has mentioned the problem of duplication on a number of occasions and has confused it with the proliferation of courses available through the CAO system …” (more) [educationandstuff, 16...
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Moves to slow down CAO points race
“Most universities have reduced the number of courses available to Leaving Certificate students through the Central Applications Office (CAO) in a first significant move to help slow down the college...
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‘Don’t knows’ may be lacking support they need
“Some 6,000 CAO applicants have registered with the centralised college admission service, but have not indicated their course preferences. They represent 8.1% of the record 74,424 CAO applicants, a...
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CAO students bank on boomtime careers
“School leavers are putting their faith in economic recovery as this year’s CAO applications reveal a bounce for courses in business, construction, engineering and technology. Traditional professions...
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CAO statistics show increased demand for construction courses
“Law, dentistry and business courses also see a significant rise in the number of applicants. That well-worn political slogan ‘it’s the economy, stupid’ seems to have been taken to heart by this year’s...
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Number of college courses continues to rise
“The number of courses being offered by third-level colleges continues to rise despite plans in 2011 to cut them and help end the Leaving Certificate points race. For more than 74,000 people who have...
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UCD only college to significantly cut course options
“Latest figures on CAO entry-level courses show the slow pace of change, but should not come as a shock. A similar comparison a year ago by the Irish Examiner, which counted only courses open for...
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O’Brien calls for closer examination of cuts and impact on CAO choices
“Following news that 6,000 applicants have registered with the CAO but not indicated preferences for a course, Sinn Féin TD and Education Spokesperson Jonathan O’Brien said that there was a clear...
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Reforms for Broader-entry Degrees as IUA Pressure
“Trinity College Dublin is under increasing pressure from the Irish Universities Association (IUA) to reduce its number of course codes, documents from a meeting of Trinity’s University Council...
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Universities should offer broader course choices for students
“The Government has established an expert group, chaired by Peter Cassells, which is ‘to identify and consider the issues relating to the long-term sustainable funding of higher education in Ireland...
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The fallacy of broad course choices at third level
“A few years ago the then Minister, Ruari Quinn, got it into his head that there were too many programmes within the CAO system. The basic idea was that institutions were deliberately manipulating the...
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Colleges fail to cut course numbers
“Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan is satisfied with third-level colleges’ changes to entry systems, despite most having failed so far to significantly reduce course numbers from which Leaving...
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Demand for engineering and technology degrees grows
“College applicants are opting in greater numbers for engineering and technology degrees but science courses are waning in popularity, latest figures show. The Central Applications Office (CAO) has...
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Wrong course choice by half of drop-outs
“Half of students who drop out of their college course do so because they have made the wrong choice. A lack of career guidance in school and general pressures on students in sixth year have been...
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Why are girls not choosing IT courses at third-level?
“With fears that we won’t be able to fill tech vacancies unless more women start studying engineering and IT, Áilín Quinlan went to a girls’ school to ask young girls why they aren’t putting these...
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Would we be Better Off Specialising as Graduates?
“For every Irish student, the CAO represents a confusing and mildly terrifying set of choices, determining the rest of your life. ‘What’s your first choice?’ was the refrain of sixth year as we all...
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Colleges criticised for using small-intake courses to drive up CAO points
“Many colleges are still manipulating the CAO system by offering courses with very few student places in order to drive up the points requirements for them, a university president has warned. Colleges...
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Fewer courses a boon for Maynooth
“Maynooth University claims that having fewer entry courses for Leaving Certificate students is the reason for its increase in popularity this year. A limited number of courses, rather than very...
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More subjects may get bonus CAO points
“Leaving Cert students could receive bonus points for subjects relevant to the courses they are applying for under new proposals being drawn up.The introduction of 25 bonus points for higher level...
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Time for colleges to slow down points race
“There are far too many college courses on offer through the Central Applications Office. And it can often be hard to distinguish between them. How many of us could tell the difference between computer...
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Colleges are fuelling the points race, warns university president
“Third-level colleges have not done enough to take the heat out of the CAO points race, according to a university president. Professor Philip Nolan says school-leavers still face too confusing a choice...
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Just because everyone else seems to be going is not a reason to attend college
“A new study has found that one in three Leaving Cert students targeting 550 CAO points when they returned to school last September didn’t know what college course they wanted to study …” (more)...
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Colleges creating ‘elite courses with small numbers’ says Limerick principal
“Increased demand for courses is ‘reflective of the ongoing recovery of the economy’, according to local third level institutions, in light of the CAO figures this week. A significant increase in...
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University course flexibility ‘working’
“A university which has reduced the number of specialised entry courses says the positive response shows it has been a good move for students. Maynooth University (MU) offers arts students a wider...
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Third-level courses should be radically overhauled, says university president
“Traditional third-level courses should be radically overhauled to allow students choose whether to specialise early or pursue a much broader range of study, according a university president. Philip...
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Education journalism and entry to college
“It won’t make me popular to say this but we have a problem with education journalism in this country. This morning there have been two articles, one in the Irish Times and one in the Examiner in which...
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Are parents to blame for the lack of women in Stem?
“Blame the parents. They may want the best for their children, but many end up directing them away from certain areas of study based on outdated notions of ‘acceptable’ careers. A major...
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Students reject science in final college choices
“Science, engineering, and technology degrees are proving less popular with this year’s college applicants, but law and some health courses are among the most appealing. The data showing the final...
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Are school-leavers rejecting science?
“They are according to this article in the Examiner. However, let’s look at the data. The table below gives the number of first preferences for each ‘discipline’ after the February and July deadline....
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Bruton urges colleges to help take pressure out of exam points system
“Education Minister Richard Bruton has urged more colleges to take pressure out of the points system by reducing the number of courses from which to choose for students. One element of the college...
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Irish parents blamed for high rate of overqualified workers
“Parents’ ‘obsession’ with ensuring their children progress to third-level is a key reason why Irish workers are among the most overqualified in Europe for the jobs in which they are working, it has...
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Subject quotas for third level courses proposed by Bruton
“The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton announced plans for the creation of subject quotas in certain courses being offered by third level institutions, in an effort to double the number...
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CAO course choices: Health sees largest cohort of first-choice applicants
“Figures released by the Central Applications office (CAO) that reflect applicants’ final course choices as of 1st July indicate an increase in applications from 77,813 in 2020 to 84,526 (up 8.6%) this...
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