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Advice on courses

  • 16-11-2011 8:28pm
    #1
    mockshelp
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 106 ✭✭


    Hi boards users.

    Sorry for the long post!

    I have questions about courses and general advice for this year's Leaving Certs on CAO.

    I was in UCD doing an Arts course and luckily I realised early enough the course wasn't for me. I thought I'd like the subjects but didn't. I was doing geography, political science and sociology. The only one I sort of liked was geography because it was easy and not much of a step up from the Leaving Cert. The other subjects you don't do for the LC so probably why you find them harder initially. I found the politics very hard - I read the textbook and it would take me 10 reads of something before I understand it. The sociology I didn't get either. I gave it a good try but after 2 weeks of lectures I still didn't get it and so realised it wasn't for me. I couldn't make sense of it. It's basically history in disguise - analyzing the history of society. I didn't like it and neither did my friends - they were thinking about dropping it too. Obviously these subjects didn't suit me but they could be your cup of tea... if your interested in them you would have the motivation to study and do well.

    There are some subjects that people just "don't get". So my advice for CAO 2012 Leaving Certs is Research your choices...don't pick a subject you don't know a lot about...this is the mistake I made! Try to keep narrowing down your list of course choices as the year progresses and as you research further.

    Everything you put down on your CAO you must see yourself doing. You never know if points will go up or down! I was so surprised to get offered my 6th choice (Arts in UCD) as the course I had wanted and was expecting to get offered was 430 in the previous year and it went up to 475 and I got 455 points. I didn't have a 6th choice down until very late. I only put it down to fill a space but never expected to get offered it. If I didn't put it down I wouldn't have got any offer!

    Look back at your mock results too when making a change of mind. Most people go up 30-50 points in the actual Leaving Cert so you'd have a rough estimate of your points. But as you see points levels for courses can go up or down a lot in a year so first order them in your preference and then try to second guess the possibilities of where it could land (using your predicted LC points) - what's likely to get offered - and then change them again if necessary until satisfied that no matter if you get lower than you expect or higher than you expect you get offered the courses you most wanted. Hope my advice helps you. PM me if you have any questions about ucd or cao!

    So I didn't like the subjects in Arts so realised an Arts degree is not for me. As well, I couldn't think of any career I would get out of that degree other than teaching. You'd probably have to do a postgraduate course afterwards to get anything other than teaching. And you have to do 1 more year if you want teaching. So I dropped out before October so I get a refund and have no extra fees to pay next year. So I had a free month in ucd, got a feel for college life, got free stuff and discovered more subjects to discard from considering! But I hate it now when everyone else is in college and I'm back in my home town!

    So I know I don't want Law, engineering, medicine or Arts now.

    And I don't really like pure science subjects chemistry, physics or biology. Only interested in earth and ocean sciences.


    I'm considering either earth and ocean science or business now....UCD is the best for business (UCD has the international recognition which appeals to me) and NUIG is the best for Earth and Ocean Science beside the Galway Bay.

    I'd consider going back to UCD because I liked the college but wouldn't do Arts again. Arts has big classes too - 500 in a lecture hall - and it is hard to make friends if you don't live on campus. Other courses like commerce have smaller classes of 50 students so its easier for them to make friends. So if your going to do Arts try to get campus accommodation! I was in digs and found it hard to make friends but everyday you just try to talk to people and I made a few friends but they do different courses and modules in Arts so I found whenever I had free time they'd be in lectures and visa versa, so I'd be on my own a lot for big 3 hour gaps in the middle of the day.

    Whereas in commerce you have a class of 50 students and they are your group for all your classes for the first 2 years so you become a close group and have a similar timetable so can hang out together more. And also with the new curriculum they offer an internship in year 3 for their best 50 students - which may be paid. This also entices me. I didn't know any of this before coming to ucd. At least I've learned a lot from my short time there - discovered subjects to discard from considering - and so can make a better decision for next year. I had enough points for this course for this year but had it just 1 place under Arts in my CAO which I so regret now. I got 455 points. It was 445 this year. People say with the bonus points for honours maths this year it will go up. But how much will it go up by??! Hopefully not more than 10! Darn if it does....I can't understand why CAO won't let us choose from our courses we put down - of the ones we have enough points for - to choose one. I would probably then have chosen commerce and would be in college now and not be back at home for another year! I didn't get offered what I expected. So another advice is treat your 6th and 7th choices with as much though as your 1st and 2nd. You don't know how points are going to go! You could get offered them. Happened to me. And then end up dropping out if its not what you wanted...


    But it wouldn't be the end of the world...I'm also considering Earth and Ocean science in NUIG since I've always been good at geography and NUIG is the place for it beside the Galway Bay. And apparently you have no problem getting a job if this is what interests you. This course is made up of geology. Isn't geology like physical geography? It's only the physical geography I like which is why I think this degree is better for me than studying geography in an Arts course...

    I just don't know which would be better to do. I'm more leaning towards doing Commerce. I'd need to find out more about Earth & Ocean science. Like would the jobs you get out of Earth & Ocean science involce a lot of travelling?? I'm not sure if I'd like that long term. I suppose I could always lecture? Would lecture jobs for earth and ocean science be easy to get? Because its not as popular as subjects like English and history.

    Anyone who has any insights to any of these courses please reply or PM me! I'd love to get more information on these 2 courses - like what books you use or something like that so I could get a real feel for it and see do I like it. I'd have a head start for next year. Will either be doing commerce or earth or ocean science. Nearly sure but still have time to change my mind if I want but have looked through all courses and I think these are the 2 which most appeal to me....

    Thanks.


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