Hey there everyone. Welcome to all new TCD students! I'm Bartley and I'm the Education Officer of the Students' Union here. I do be looking after your academic interests. Just to make everything a bit easier, here is a list of FAQs to do with the whole CAO process and what to do once you've accepted an offer. If you want to know something that's not on the list (I just put a brief guide to the main questions) just send me an e-mail to
education@tcdsu.org. I hope this helps. Welcome to college!
Post-Leaving Cert Chaos
Useful Phone Numbers & Frequently Asked Questions
Dept. of Education: 090 6483600/01 8896400/(057) 9324300
C.A.O.: 091-509800
TCDSU Education Officer: 01 6468439
TCD Admissions: 01 896 3664
Trinity Access Programme: 01 896 2751
Mature Students’ Officer : 01 896 1386
TCD Accommodation: 01 896 1177
Trinity Hall: 01 4971772
Websites (Exam Results & CAO Offers):
www.examinations.ie (results will be available on-line from Wednesday 17th; this service is available to all students, regardless of whether or not they made their application on-line).
www.cao.ie (You can review their Level 7/ Level 8 offers here and accept/reject them)
Websites (TCD Course/Student Life Information):
www.tcd.ie/Admissions (Contains information about courses)
http://www.tcd.ie/info/prospectivestudents/ (Information for prospective students: Admissions, Fees, Student Life, Life in Dublin. Essentially it’s a portal. Can be a bit difficult to navigate but contains virtually all of the information)
http://www.tcd.ie/orientation/ (Week-by-week guide on life in TCD for new students. Very good structured guide with a wealth of information for new students.
This site has the times of Faculty/Course Orientation Talks and Tour times.)
Websites (Accommodation):
www.daft.ie
www.studentlettings.ie
www.myhometolet.ie
www.collegecribs.ie
www.gumtree.ie
Trinity Hall:
www.wardentrinityhall.tcdlife.ie
These are POPULAR/FREQUENTLY USED by Trinity students.
Faqs:
CAO Offers – Understanding the System & The Offers:
Q. Who do I talk to if I want to have a grade re-checked?
A. You must contact your school principal for all appeals and re-checks.
Q. I got the points required for my first preference but I haven’t been offered that course. Why not?
A. You may have not met some of the other requirements of the course, such as a C3 in higher level Maths. You should consult the CAO website above. Also, some courses are marked ‘Random Selection’ which means that not all students who got the minimum required for the course will be offered a place.
Q. Why did Trinity ‘put the points up’ for my course?
A. TCD does not control the points for any courses. They are determined by demand.
Q. I’ve been offered a course quite low down my list of preferences. What chance do I have of getting a higher offer?
A. It’s difficult and dangerous to try and second guess the system, and you should always treat your first offer as your final one. There are additional Rounds but you should
never assume that you will get an additional offer. We recommend acceptance of an offer as this does
not preclude you from later offers.
Q. I accepted a course in Round One but I’ve received another offer for a higher preference that I didn’t have the points for a few weeks later. Why is this and what do I do now?
A. The CAO operates a number of ‘Rounds’ of offers for places. If the course wasn’t filled through the Round One intake, then the points will fall and offers will be made to candidates who, under the new requirements, will get in. If you wish to accept the new offer, simply accept it in the normal way.
This will over-ride any previous acceptance. You may only have one acceptance in the CAO system at a time. If you don’t wish to accept the new offer,
simply ignore it.
Q. I missed out on a course by a few points but have appealed the results. What happens if I, on appeal, get the points?
A. If there is a place in the course available, you will be offered this place. If it is within the same college then your registration details will simply be transferred. If you are moving college you should call the Admissions Office. If the course has no spaces left this year, a place
will be reserved for you next year.
Q. How do I defer the place I have been offered?
A. You should not accept the offer in the regular manner. Make sure to get in contact TCD Admissions Office as soon as you can. Their number is above, or you should check their website.
Starting College: From CAO To Freshers’ Week:
Q. I’ve accepted an offer to Trinity. What now?
A. Congratulations! Welcome to Ireland’s premier university. These next four years are going to be great fun. The first thing you will get is the Orientation Pack. This will contain lots of useful information about your course and registration.
Q. Why is college asking for me €903?
A. As part of the ‘Free Fees’ initiative introduced by the Government, students pay a Student Charge for maintenance of college facilities, staff costs etc. There is then an €8 Capitation Charge which is split between the SU and USI, the national student’s union which is Ireland’s largest representative organisation at over 350,000 students.
In 2007 a brand new Sports Centre was opened. As a result of a Referendum, the students consented to the introduction of a Sports Centre Levy of €70. This grants students full access to the Sports Centre. For cases of financial hardship you can get the fee waived. E-mail
financial.hardship@tcd.ie
Q. What is a ‘Tutor’ and why should I meet them?
A. Every student is assigned a ‘Tutor’ by college. This is a member of the academic staff who is there to provide you with advice on college procedures and point you in the right direction. They are also there to represent you to all college authorities. All discussions with your Tutor are confidential so you can discuss anything with them.
Q. What’s ‘Freshers’ Week’?
A. Freshers’ Week is the week before lectures start.
You must register for your course during this week. This is also the week you can join one of Trinity’s many societies.
Don’t forget to pick up your FREE SU Guidebook & Freshers’ Pack.
Don’t forget, TCDSU will be running the biggest and best Ents nights during the week. Freshers’ Week is great fun and is YOUR week. Get out there, join societies, meet people and have fun!
Q. I have a query about the content of the course I will be starting in October! Can you help me?
A. You should contact the department directly, or else the TCD Admissions Office.
Q. I’ve a feeling that I may not like the course I’m registered for. Can I change?
A. It is possible to apply for a Course Transfer. The deadline is Week 2 of Michaelmas Term. You need to have the CAO points for the course you’re moving into and there needs to be a place available.
You should register as normal and then apply for the transfer. For more information, e-mail our Education Officer, Bartley on
education@tcdsu.org.
Accommodation:
Q. I’ve just got my Leaving Cert results and it looks like I’ll be getting a place in Trinity next year. How do I go about finding accommodation?
A. The best place to look is a number of websites that are very POPULAR/FREQUENTLY USED by TCD students when looking for accommodation. These websites are listed above.
Q. What should I look for in accommodation? Shouldn’t I just accept what I can find?
A. You should never accept accommodation just because. There are a number of things that you are entitled to and should look for. You should always:
a. Check the landlord is registered with the PRTB (
www.prtb.ie)
b. Check the Landlord provides a Rent Book
c.
Take photos.
d.
Request an inventory.
Remember, under Residential Tenancy legislation there are many things you are entitled to. The PRTB has a series of guides for tenants. The link is http://www.prtb.ie/act.htm
Q. What rights as a tenant do I have?
- If you’ve any questions about your tenancy rights you can check the PRTB website on www.prtb.ie
Q. I have other questions about the accommodation process. Who should I talk to?
A. If there’s anything else you need help with that hasn’t been covered above, talk to our Welfare Officer, Úna Faulkner. She’s lovely. You can reach her on 01 6468437. You can e-mail her on
welfare@tcdsu.org. As we said, she’s only lovely.
Got a question about Trinity? Check here first!
