points rise

poisonated

Hey
so Im thinking of doing this course in Galway next year...the thing about it is Im not sure if the points are going to go up dramaticaly for it or if it will stay the same...Im kind of worried because I would say I only just about got the points maybe an extra 15.Is there any way of knowing or any indicating factors??
Thanks

BLARG

poisonated wrote: »

Hey
so Im thinking of doing this course in Galway next year...the thing about it is Im not sure if the points are going to go up dramaticaly for it or if it will stay the same...Im kind of worried because I would say I only just about got the points maybe an extra 15.Is there any way of knowing or any indicating factors??
Thanks

There's a list somewhere of popular course choices so far, but I wouldn't worry about points going up. Just put what you want most as #1, and if you don't get it, so be it, worrying about it won't change anything.

pathway33

there was a link to 2009 cao applications on leaving cert boards within the last week i'd say.

it gave the rise/fall in applications from last year.

however according to cao guy on radio 90% of students will make some change to their CAO before the end of june

pathway33

http://www2.cao.ie/dir_report/content.htm

doesn't give percentages for individual courses, just various areas in general, but if you are doing architecture, engineering, built environment or pharmacy it seems you would have nothing to worry about

QueenOfLeon

Here ya go
http://www2.cao.ie/dir_report/pdf/AppStats01Feb2009.pdf

EDIT: pathway beat me to it

rainbowtrout

poisonated wrote: »

Hey
so Im thinking of doing this course in Galway next year...the thing about it is Im not sure if the points are going to go up dramaticaly for it or if it will stay the same...Im kind of worried because I would say I only just about got the points maybe an extra 15.Is there any way of knowing or any indicating factors??
Thanks

I know it doesn't help, but there is no point worrying now. You might have done far better in your exams than you think, you won't know until August. The information on the CAO website is for general study areas rather than specific courses eg: Arts, Science, Business, Engineering, Teaching etc. So you won't know about the applications for your specific course.

The one thing you haven't considered is that the points for your course couldl also go way down. It hard to say how the points will go this year with the uncertainty of jobs in pretty much every sector and the uncertainty of whether or not college fees will be brought back or not.


Enjoy your summer and wait until August to start worrying.

pathway33

Anne-Marie!! wrote: »

pathway beat me to it

think you've learnt a very important lesson there...the early bird ....

poisonated

Thanks guys I appreciate that... I suppose your right,have to try and block it out

randylonghorn

pathway33 wrote: »

but if you are doing architecture, engineering, built environment or pharmacy it seems you would have nothing to worry about

Well, architecture and built environment plummeting is very predictable, given the collapse of the construction industry, and the engineering figures are probably skewed by a drop in civil engineering ... but does anyone have any clue why pharmacy has taken such a major nosedive?

likely_lass

randylonghorn wrote: »

Well, architecture and built environment plummeting is very predictable, given the collapse of the construction industry, and the engineering figures are probably skewed by a drop in civil engineering ... but does anyone have any clue why pharmacy has taken such a major nosedive?

id assume it has something to do with the new entry method for medicine people think its easier to get ito- i think in reality its going to be a lot harder seeing as so many are applying for it

ALincoln

poisonated wrote: »

Hey
so Im thinking of doing this course in Galway next year...the thing about it is Im not sure if the points are going to go up dramaticaly for it or if it will stay the same...Im kind of worried because I would say I only just about got the points maybe an extra 15.Is there any way of knowing or any indicating factors??
Thanks

There is no way of knowing. Relax, enjoy the Summer. Even if the points do change, the exams will have been done - it will be beyond your control. Do your best in the remainder of the tests and then forget it until August!

OneArt

I'm curious... In general, when points do rise or fall, how much is it usually by? Like five, ten etc? I wouldn't imagine a course of 350 would suddenly shoot up to 500.

Fad

randylonghorn wrote: »

... but does anyone have any clue why pharmacy has taken such a major nosedive?

FAR too many qualified pharmacists in the country AFAIK.

Zonda999

I've applied for pharmacy and this is the best news I've got all day:D

Not goin to get complacent though! 300 points still to be got before by next Wednesday:)

Mallox

OneArt wrote: »

I'm curious... In general, when points do rise or fall, how much is it usually by? Like five, ten etc? I wouldn't imagine a course of 350 would suddenly shoot up to 500.

it all depends on the size of the course for example commerce and german in galway was 200 and sometin one year and shot up d next year by over 150 points .. tings like arts wont change much at all because of the huge size of the course

randylonghorn

likely_lass wrote: »

id assume it has something to do with the new entry method for medicine people think its easier to get ito- i think in reality its going to be a lot harder seeing as so many are applying for it

Emmm, if you compare the figures for the two, there does seem to be a connection all right.

Fad wrote: »

FAR too many qualified pharmacists in the country AFAIK.

Really? Not disputing, honestly have no idea, just haven't seen it mentioned.

OneArt wrote: »

I'm curious... In general, when points do rise or fall, how much is it usually by? Like five, ten etc? I wouldn't imagine a course of 350 would suddenly shoot up to 500.

Generally by small amounts, yes, but they can occasionally take major wobbles, especially with courses which only admit small numbers.

Actually, I would have expected to see a bigger jump in overall applicants this year, given economic situation / threat of imminent fees / etc. Still wouldn't be surprised to see some courses take a significant enough jump. Some of course will probably go down ... anything construction-linked for a start!

english4490

Mallox wrote: »

it all depends on the size of the course for example commerce and german in galway was 200 and sometin one year and shot up d next year by over 150 points .. tings like arts wont change much at all because of the huge size of the course

ya it was more mallox! look at the points history at the bottom of this page! http://www.qualifax.ie/qf/QFPublic/?Mainsec=courses&Subsec=course_details&ID=3990&CSH_ID=4&AdvancedKeyword=&ResetCount=1

Fad

randylonghorn wrote: »

Really? Not disputing, honestly have no idea, just haven't seen it mentioned.

I cant remember my source at all, but I do remember several people including qualified pharmacists mentioning it.

I'll have a dig around and try and find something a little more concrete, more to tell myself I'm not hallucinating than anything else!!

pathway33

randylonghorn wrote: »

does anyone have any clue why pharmacy has taken such a major nosedive?

something to do with the HSE going to reduce the drug payment scheme to pharmacists. They say 300 pharmacies will go bust nationwide and thousands of job in pharmacy lost. I just heard that on the news a few months ago. I suppose with the current HSE budget under pressure things are unlikely to be good for pharmacists in the next few years.

I'm just pulling that from the back of my brain so I may not be entirely accurate but there's something in it. More than just a rumour

pfannkuchen

pathway33 wrote: »

something to do with the HSE going to reduce the drug payment scheme to pharmacists. They say 300 pharmacies will go bust nationwide and thousands of job in pharmacy lost. I just heard that on the news a few months ago. I suppose with the current HSE budget under pressure things are unlikely to be good for pharmacists in the next few years.

Yeah, that's totally true, not to mention the embargo on recruiting in the health service.

The salary for pharmacists has also dropped hugely in the last year or two - I guess that could be a big factor?

Don't really mind all that much though, hopefully things will have changed by the time I'm finished and if not, post grad is always an option. If the points keep dropping I'll be delighted - It's going to be my 1st preference next year

randylonghorn

Fad wrote: »

... more to tell myself I'm not hallucinating than anything else!!

Pharmacists ... hallucinating ... actually, nvm! <_<

pathway33 wrote: »

something to do with the HSE going to reduce the drug payment scheme to pharmacists. They say 300 pharmacies will go bust nationwide and thousands of job in pharmacy lost. I just heard that on the news a few months ago. I suppose with the current HSE budget under pressure things are unlikely to be good for pharmacists in the next few years.

That would make sense too actually. A lot of pharmacies have posters in their windows appealing for support because they claim the HSE are dismantling the scheme.

It costs the earth though, and one reason is because generic versions of drugs are not prescribed / dispensed. That's a topic for another forum / thread though!

pfannkuchen wrote: »

Yeah, that's totally true, not to mention the embargo on recruiting in the health service.

The salary for pharmacists has also dropped hugely in the last year or two - I guess that could be a big factor?

That makes sense too.

Des23

Yeah my brother is just qualified as a pharmacist and things aren't really that rosy.
With the new course in Cork there are too many pharmacists graduating every year, for the demand that is there. Due to this influx of pharmacists wages have dropped and its only going to get worse with the HSE trying to save money with the drugs payment scheme etc.

I could never fathom pharmacy's attraction, it seems so boring.

errlloyd

What... How can you not like the idea of spending your whole life surrounded by drugs...

The attraction of Pharmacy is its piss easy but you get paid loads, which is banter.

We are the smallest year to take the leaving in the last 10 / next 10 (unless there is some natural disaster which wipes out the next few years). It should lead to a general 4% drop in points across the board. For anyone doing say Law thats like 20 points, however don't expect it, I think people going for architecture are going to get in for 50 though.

poisonated

Thanks thats great news:D

Im thinking I might get arts with women studies...That shouldnt be too popular should it??:pac:

celtic723

was there an article in the paper a while back about DIT's points plummeting for us next year? i think i heard that.

randylonghorn

errlloyd wrote: »

We are the smallest year to take the leaving in the last 10 / next 10 (unless there is some natural disaster which wipes out the next few years). It should lead to a general 4% drop in points across the board. For anyone doing say Law thats like 20 points, however don't expect it, I think people going for architecture are going to get in for 50 though.

You may be the smallest year to do the LC for a while, but it's the number of people applying for courses through CAO which is relevant, and those numbers have risen, probably because everyone knows that there are feck all jobs out there.

From the link given above:

Applicants for Level 8 courses (Hons degree level)

2008: 56,315

2009: 58,799

Increased by slightly over 4.4 %


Applicants for Level 6 / 7 courses

2008: 37,818

2009: 38,979

Increased by just under 3 %

I'm not sure if the number of available places overall has risen this year, it probably has by some small increment, but hardly that much.

poisonated

randylonghorn wrote: »

Applicants for Level 6 / 7 courses

2008: 38,979

2009: 37,818

Increased by just under 3 %

I'm not sure if the number of available places overall has risen this year, it probably has by some small increment, but hardly that much.

what
that looks like a decrease to me...sorry I know your a mod....actualy feck it..your wrong lol:p

randylonghorn

poisonated wrote: »

what
that looks like a decrease to me...sorry I know your a mod....actualy feck it..your wrong lol:p

NEVER CONTRADICT A MOD!!! WE'RE NEVER WRONG!!!!1! :mad:

Lol, I jest, obviously, mods are not infallible ... but actually my maths were right, I just fecked up transferring the figures and put them up the wrong way round. Corrected now.

(Just as well I'm not doing my LC again! >_>)

eoins2345

Is it likely that Arts in UL will go up?Points are currently 440!

JSK 252

Des23 wrote: »

Yeah my brother is just qualified as a pharmacist and things aren't really that rosy.
With the new course in Cork there are too many pharmacists graduating every year, for the demand that is there. Due to this influx of pharmacists wages have dropped and its only going to get worse with the HSE trying to save money with the drugs payment scheme etc.

I could never fathom pharmacy's attraction, it seems so boring.

Every job is suffering at this moment in time. Costs of living have dropped.

I put pharmacy down in ucc number 1 not because of the job but because of the degree. More than likely i will have to do something after it but its hell lot better than doing biochem which qualifies you for nothing.

Des23

JSK 252 wrote: »

Every job is suffering at this moment in time.

Yeah, I can't argue with that.

I would feel very hard done by though, if I got ~570 in my leaving and went through what is supposed to be deemed one of the 'top courses' (now I know that is a gross generalization and I wouldn't agree with it, but that is the perception out there) an extremely demanding course for 4 years, plus another registration year earning little more than minimum wage and still having to do more exams, and after ALL that not being able to get a job, I would be annoyed.

It is just that its perceived to be like Medicine and Dentistry where jobs are guaranteed as well as very good initial pay, which is not the case.

JSK 252 wrote: »

I put pharmacy down in ucc number 1 not because of the job but because of the degree.

Well if it is the degree you are after, with the Trinity course you also get a B.Sc. as well as the B.Pharm. , but that mightn't be viable or whatever, just said I'd put it out there.

JSK 252

Des23 wrote: »

Yeah, I can't argue with that.

I would feel very hard done by though, if I got ~570 in my leaving and went through what is supposed to be deemed one of the 'top courses' (now I know that is a gross generalization and I wouldn't agree with it, but that is the perception out there) an extremely demanding course for 4 years, plus another registration year earning little more than minimum wage and still having to do more exams, and after ALL that not being able to get a job, I would be annoyed.

It is just that its perceived to be like Medicine and Dentistry where jobs are guaranteed as well as very good initial pay, which is not the case.



Well if it is the degree you are after, with the Trinity course you also get a B.Sc. as well as the B.Pharm. , but that mightn't be viable or whatever, just said I'd put it out there.

Letters mean **** all!:pac: Its the grade of degree that matters. I know myself that if I hopefully get pharmacy I will have to work hard to get at least a 2:1 if not a 1. Jobs are becoming more scarce day by day. Sure the new mcdonalds in ennis limerick , is full of lawyers and solicitors who couldnt get jobs!http://www.independent.ie/national-news/professionals-join-scramble-for-mcdonalds-jobs-1659045.html

pfannkuchen

Des23 wrote: »

Yeah, I can't argue with that.

I would feel very hard done by though, if I got ~570 in my leaving and went through what is supposed to be deemed one of the 'top courses' (now I know that is a gross generalization and I wouldn't agree with it, but that is the perception out there) an extremely demanding course for 4 years, plus another registration year earning little more than minimum wage and still having to do more exams, and after ALL that not being able to get a job, I would be annoyed.

I agree - but if you are willing to travel to find a job, it's still a very good course to choose... It actually sounds great to me now - if I get Pharmacy, I'm thinking of heading to Australia if there's no jobs when I qualify