CAO 2020
Leaving Certificate Students how to proceed to the next step
By Angela Ennis
Leaving Certificate Students how to proceed to the next step
This has been a nightmare time for leaving cert students and anxious time for parents not knowing what is happening are the exams going ahead or not? It will be announced today plan B looks like predictive grades. The following are tips on how you could proceed to the next step and put certainty back in your life.
So, the certainties are:
- Students will go to college, not sure of start date yet, but they will be going to college.
- CAO system will allocate places.
- Using points system as before, although grades issued in a different way.
Now with theses certainties it’s a good time to get prepared for the next step because as sure as sun follows night college is coming…
Some tips to start with:
College Courses:
Look at the curriculum of the college course, you will find each year’s curriculum listed out on their website under that specific course. When applying for a job we look for a job description if it looks like something we can or cannot do or if we are interested in this job the same idea can be applied to college courses. Look at the curriculum which will detail which modules are covered.
College Virtual Open Days:
Most colleges have gone virtual with their open days and doing Q&A sessions with lecturers and students for you to ask questions.
Armed with this preliminary information, it’s time to begin the research. Guidebooks, the Internet using qualifax and help from us as career guidance. As you choose potential colleges
Choosing a college:
Next, you should think about and list the qualities your looking for in a college: do you want to go away to school, stay close to home, would you flourish in a big college environment or would they be better suited in a smaller environment for example?
Career Guidance/Advice:
It’s never been more important than now to get advice on what your strengths are look for professional advice and guidance.
As with how to pick a career it is the same process for when choosing a college course. By taking the psychometric testing ie Interest test/Personality Profile/Ability testing you will be armed with knowledge on your strengths.
Next is to know which college course will deliver the best options for you. How many points are you likely to achieve which colleges will give you the option of. Each college has its own core values and its own particular emphasis on how it delivers its programmes so do your research to ensure they align with your son/daughters.
Look at financial help and grants/scholarships available be prepared with knowing the application process, there are grants through Susi and other sources to ensure those who are candidates for college get there.