How does PLC differ to college?

arsenallegend

What are the differences?

is it worth doing a PLC course and then doing the same subject in college?

spinandscribble

arsenallegend wrote: »

What are the differences?

is it worth doing a PLC course and then doing the same subject in college?

It is often used as a means to get into a course you couldn't otherwise enter in college. Say if you haven't the points of don't meet the requirements.

Some plcs offer courses colleges don't. beauty and hair courses come to mind.

They also act as feeder courses in subjects such as art and design.
They can sometimes be seen as on par with a first year course in some disciplines, in my experience though that might only be art as it was the case for me.


The plc course will not be an award of as great importance as the same subject in college because a degree is worth more then a fetac. The subjects in college are studied in greater detail and are generally longer then the year and as far as I know most plc courses are one year.

looksee

It does depend on the course and your situation. As spinandscribble has said they can be used as a route into college. If you have a college course in mind (usually IT colleges) you should check how this will work, as some PLCs and ITs work together to some extent.

Many students do the fetac courses as a kind of practise run for college, and many that have done it have said they found the first year of college was much easier because a lot of the work had been covered. You have to get level six though to be allowed to skip first year college, and 6 isn't available everywhere.

Vinoveritas

arsenallegend wrote: »

What are the differences?

is it worth doing a PLC course and then doing the same subject in college?

A PLC course (or any course of study @ FETAC Level 5 either fulltime/part-time) is a really good option especially if you are someone who struggles with the world of academia - and get's psyched out by end of term exams. It acts as a really good foundation for the area that you hope to study.

N.B.: PLC courses are particularly useful in the following circumstances:

1. Not sure what you want to study in college - and need a year to explore a subject area before commiting to it Full-time
2. Need to put a Portfolio together i.e. Art; Media Studies
3. Too young and/or not ready to move away from home - opportunity to stay linked into education, and get a feel for independent, self-directed study in a more supported environment
4. Mature student entry (over 23) - this is suitable for anybody who did not get enough of points and/or the opportunity to go to into further education straight after school. Mature students are accepted on a case by case basis, and need to demonstrate an interest in and the ability to work at FETAC Level 5.

How they work: most PLC courses offer accreditation through FETAC (www.fetac.ie). Basically you take a course of study in an area that you are interested in i.e. Childcare. You study 8 modules (subjects) over the course of the academic year. A Work Experience element if offered as part of your course.

Most modules are examined by a process of continual assessment i.e. assignments, journal, diary, project. One or two have a small exam element (nothing too daunting). It is relatively easy to do well (obviously presuming you put in some work) - if you pass all your subjects - the points gained can be used to access college places through the CAO system - for courses in a related area.

For example: A learner who successfully passes all 8 modules (including mandatories) and receives 5 distinctions @ Level 5 in Childcare earns the equivalent of 400 CAO points (this is the maximum that you can earn)- can use these to apply for HETAC Level 6, & 8 places in a range of IT Colleges.

Word of warning - even if you do really well and get 400 points - you are not guaranteed a place at 3rd Level for courses were there is a high demand i.e. Nursing; Media Studies and Art and Design! In some cases you may be better off repeating your Leaving Certificate(if necessary) in order to maximise your chances of gaining access to certain courses.

Hope the above helps. You should be able to get extra advice/help from your local Vocational Education Committee (VEC) - they are the Education Service responsible for running PLC courses.

Cheers

arsenallegend

Thanks for the replys guys

i'm doing film and tv production for 1 year
and i'm using it to build up a portfilio so i can use it when i;m getting interviewed for a bigger college
i'm a mature student and hope a good portfilio could at least give me a good chance of getting a place on a bigger film course in 2011.

spinandscribble

Vinoveritas wrote: »

Word of warning - even if you do really well and get 400 points - you are not guaranteed a place at 3rd Level for courses were there is a high demand i.e. Nursing; Media Studies and Art and Design! In some cases you may be better off repeating your Leaving Certificate(if necessary) in order to maximise your chances of gaining access to certain courses.

just to expand:
for art and design the main thing is your portfolio, for example NCAD doesn't require LC points, they require a certain score each year for the portfolio and basic lc pass requirements. also you need to check that your plc will offer help with the brief for ncad.
other colleges require a mix of portfolio and lc points. the portfolio is the most important part as unless you get a certain score you won't get into art and design even with 600 LC points.

A_M

i have a question...

many PLC courses are full time, does that mean i have to be there from like 9 to 4 ( like school ) or is it like college were full time courses are like 20h a week

LC2010HIS

I put down Nursing Studies
If I didnt get the points for it or the arts, would I be better off repeating?

die.Kat

Vinoveritas wrote: »

A learner who successfully passes all 8 modules (including mandatories) and receives 5 distinctions @ Level 5 in Childcare earns the equivalent of 400 CAO points (this is the maximum that you can earn)- can use these to apply for HETAC Level 6, & 8 places in a range of IT Colleges.

Ok my Question may sound a bit stupid, but does that just apply for Childcare? Coz I've done a PLC Course in Media Productions and would need the 400 points, but I am 100% sure that I will not pass all 8 subjects with a distinction.

Vinoveritas

die.Kat wrote: »

Ok my Question may sound a bit stupid, but does that just apply for Childcare? Coz I've done a PLC Course in Media Productions and would need the 400 points, but I am 100% sure that I will not pass all 8 subjects with a distinction.

You need to pass all the modules required with a minimum of 5 distinctions in order to achieve 400 CAO points. However, you should check the minimum requirements for the course you wish to apply for on www.cao.ie - in case you need to have achieved a minimum standard in certain modules for the course that you wish (or have) applied to. Further information on the Higher Education Links scheme can be found by following this link:

http://www.fetac.ie/fetac/documents/Prog_HEC_2010.pdf

Cheers
VV

Vinoveritas

It depends on each PLC college. The timetable will vary depending on the course and venue, however, you should check with the PLC you hope to attend for further information regarding same. In line with FETAC QA learners are generally required to meet 80% minimum attendance in order to submit for assessment, and because numbers are smaller - attendance is more closely monitored than at 3rd Level.

die.Kat

Thanks Vinoveritas
I've done 9 modules but only 8 will count for the CAO. They'll take the 8 best, hopefully.
I've had an attendance record of over 80%. So that won't be a problem.

Vinoveritas

A_M wrote: »

i have a question...

many PLC courses are full time, does that mean i have to be there from like 9 to 4 ( like school ) or is it like college were full time courses are like 20h a week

LC2010HIS wrote: »

I put down Nursing Studies
If I didnt get the points for it or the arts, would I be better off repeating?

That really depends on you...are you someone who is passionate about studying nursing...the fact that you have arts as your second choice lends me to believe that you are still not sure. Are you someone who would consider studying in Scotland (easier to access)?

For what it is workth, I believe that if you are passionate and very definite that nursing is the only area that you would like to work in than maybe you should consider repeating in a grind college. However, if you do - you should definitely link into some really good guidance counselling with regard to exploring all your options fully, and taking their advice on the subjects you should choose to help you gain maximum CAO points. Good luck with whatever option you decide on!

Vinoveritas

die.Kat wrote: »

Thanks Vinoveritas
I've done 9 modules but only 8 will count for the CAO. They'll take the 8 best, hopefully.
I've had an attendance record of over 80%. So that won't be a problem.

Glad to hear you are on track for what you want, and happy to be of assistance. Coronation Street beckons - they are about to read Blanche's Will - take care.

rainbowtrout

Vinoveritas wrote: »

You need to pass all the modules required with a minimum of 5 distinctions in order to achieve 400 CAO points. However, you should check the minimum requirements for the course you wish to apply for on www.cao.ie - in case you need to have achieved a minimum standard in certain modules for the course that you wish (or have) applied to. Further information on the Higher Education Links scheme can be found by following this link:

http://www.fetac.ie/fetac/documents/Prog_HEC_2010.pdf

Cheers
VV

You get 50 points for each distinction, 35 for a merit and 20 for a pass and your best 8 modules are counted. So you need 8 distinctions to get 400 points. I think what Vinoveritas was trying to say above is as well as the points you also have to satisfy entry requirements for certain 3rd level courses. Can't think of the names of some of them off the top of my head but the 3rd level childcare and nursing courses require 5 distinctions in your certificate and after that it comes down to points. Much like LC entry requirements are usually a pass in English, Irish and Maths and then it's points that count if you satisfy requirements.

Mrs Garth Brooks

How long are classes in plc colleges?

They were an hour long in an IT college when i went the first time. And then there were about 3 hour break, either separate hours or the 3 hours itself. And in school, they were 40 minutes each.

So what's it in a PLC college? And would they give a whole day of classes, like school? (obviously with breaks). Or would they drag you in for a class in the morning and another in the afternoon? Or would it depend on the college?

rainbowtrout

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

How long are classes in plc colleges?

They were an hour long in an IT college when i went the first time. And then there were about 3 hour break, either separate hours or the 3 hours itself. And in school, they were 40 minutes each.

So what's it in a PLC college? And would they give a whole day of classes, like school? (obviously with breaks). Or would they drag you in for a class in the morning and another in the afternoon? Or would it depend on the college?

It depends on the college. Some run only as PLC colleges so can set up their timetable whatever way they want. Others like the one I work in are part of a secondary school and run on the same timetable. We have 40 minute classes, and like the rest of the school can be timetabled for double or single classes for a subject. I'd imagine if you are doing a full certificate you will be in all day every day or close to it, that's the way it works in my place.

looksee

1 hour classes, 6 classes most days, but one day is work experience.

ophilia

I've done two plc's one about ten years ago it was an NCVA award back then and the hours were school hours 9-4 but I did complementary therapies the past 2 years and the hours were only 9 - 12, one day of 9-4 but again depends on what you study and if there is work experience etc

Mrs Garth Brooks

Because alot of places uses the word college when refering to a PLC, i keep thinking its similar to an IT or University.

I will be starting a course in september and was thinking about the exams. I don't want to fail anything but if it happens, are there repeat exams in august? Would like to know before the course just how much i would have to work so as not to fail. I don't want to be going through the year thinking i have the chance to repeat.

bernyjames

Please i really need some answers.I just completed plc course in Multimedia and Web Applications Level 6(4 distinctions and 4 merits).All the colleges i have been checking is talking about LC and Level with 5 distinctions,What are my chances of getting admission in college because i was told that level 6 applicants is way different from the others.

Thank you