Changing Courses in Uni

karaokeman

Hi all.

I have Arts in Maynooth as my first CAO choice and I also have Product Design as a back-up.

Problem is Product Design is something I'm just moderately interested in, I really want to do Psychology through Arts.

I'm having some doubts I won't get the 375 for Arts but I really want to go to Maynooth, mainly because its such a friendly college and many people look down on me.

I've also decided against doing a PLC as I feel they would be much too easy and I don't like the idea of being in a small college.

I've heard from some friends that you can change course after 1st year in college if you do really well in exams.

Is this only true for PLC students or can you alternatively change university course?

rainbowtrout

karaokeman wrote: »

Hi all.



I've heard from some friends that you can change course after 1st year in college if you do really well in exams.

Is this only true for PLC students or can you alternatively change university course?

I'm going to ignore the rest of your post for now.

It is possible to change, but heed the following:


(This is from my experience in UL, but it's much the same in other colleges)
If you are in say first year Biochemistry and decide at the end of first year that you would really prefer to be doing Environmental Science well the courses are similar enough in first year that you would probably be allowed transfer as you haven't missed anything vital. However they do attach some conditions. If say, Biochemistry had been 300 points in the LC and Env Science was 400 and you got 325, they don't just want you trying to get into a course this way because you couldn't get in the normal way so they may stipulate that you have to reach a certain standard in your first year exams to allow you to transfer. ie. show that you are good enough to do the course.


The second type of transfer (a friend of mine did this) is where you are doing a degree in one college and decide you want to do the same degree in another college. A friend of mine was doing computer science in dublin but wanted to return home to the north west so he transferred to the same degree in sligo. He had completed first year in dublin so he went into second year in sligo. Again, no major problem there if you meet points requirements, you've passed your exams and there is room for you in the course.

Third type of transfer is probably the one you are on about : You end up in first year product design but decide at the end of first year that you really want to do Arts. As the courses have absolutely nothing in common you, if allowed, you would be transferring back into first year and also paying fees as you would be doing first year again. Again, if you had the points the first time round the college would probably allow a straight transfer but if not you may be forced to reapply back through the CAO.

The best example I can give here is a former student of mine who did nursing in DCU. Absolutely hated it and by the end of first year wanted out. She decided to apply for a course in the college in Communications and Media or something like that. DCU told her that they wouldn't do an internal transfer if she didn't sit her first year exams and finish her placement. The course she was applying for was a new course and they said that if she applied through the CAO she'd probably get it as they had a vague notion from the number of applicants what the points would be like and she had higher points. So that's what she did.

Don't be over reliant on internal college transfers, they can and do happen but if it was that easy, then everyone would just apply for the course with the lowest points and transfer to the course they wanted once they got in.


Don't knock the PLC colleges because they are small. The courses are only for one year, they are not as easy as you think, you will make good friends there, it will give you a lot of very useful skills which you will need in college and if it gets you where you want to go then it's a great option.

karaokeman

You're right the third option is the one I am looking at.

But I really don't mind going to first year of a different course if I did get good marks in Product Design exams.

I have plenty of money for fees and so fort.

I will have a second think about PLC's, I'm just not too sure yet.

astraann

Can someone change from arts to ocean science and would fees have to be paid

SiunJK

If someone changes from a Science course in a University, after only doing one year failed two exams and didn't do repeats, and want to go and do a Media course in an IT; will I have to pay full fees to do that, can anyone tell me???

randylonghorn

Both of you are going to be caught for fees, by the sounds of it.

You should both read rainbowtrout's very useful post above too, noting particularly the comments she makes about meeting points requirements.

petronius

Don't rule out PLC courses, many of them are excellent and can provide a route to the uni course you desire, and also help with maturing.
Hopefully you will get the points, Maynooth is a friendly place and a beautiful campus, particularly the south campus.
I think you can do Psychology in All Hallows (DCU) http://www.allhallows.ie/study/undergraduate/ba-hons-in-psychology-philosophy/ although I thought you may have to do that with Theology.

SiunJK

I did a PLC course on Comp Multimedia after I left the Uni science course and got 9 Distinctions and now I want to go on and continue it to level 8 in an IT..anyone have any idea what the fees will come to??

randylonghorn

Contact the Fees / Finance Office at the IoT, or check their website, they may have a fees schedule uploaded.

You should only be caught for full fees for one year, and it should revert to the normal situation thereafter.