st johns college cork

themorbegs

hi i am starting a course in st johns coollege cork and i am really nervous , dont know what to expect because i wont know anyone there, pplease give me some advice and is there anyone else going there in september?

CaoimheCweeva

I'm hoping to start there too - have to do my interview first though, which isn't til the end of this month. Pretty nervous for it alright - I have to get in or else I'm doing nothing for a year and have to move back to Clare and leave my boyfriend
What course are you doing?

CaoimheCweeva

I'm hoping to start there too - have to do my interview first though, which isn't til the end of this month. Pretty nervous for it alright - I have to get in or else I'm doing nothing for a year and have to move back to Clare and leave my boyfriend
What course are you doing?

bingie

I'm starting in Sep as well as a mature student. Totally nervous as well as it's been about 10 years since I last was in school fulltime. I'm sure we'll both be fine. I know the induction days are good ways to meet people and I plan to just chat to whoever is in earshot to make some friends.

What course are you taking?

CaoimheCweeva

I'm (hoping) to do Animal Care, Companion and Captive Animal Studies. You?

bingie

I'm doing the Canine Husbandry course Was hoping for the vet nursing but got put on the waiting list for it as there were so many applicants.

CaoimheCweeva

How was the interview ? Another thread on this said you need experience working with animals :-/

bingie

Yeah, you need experience preferably in a vets which I had but it was only 1 day a week. I think they were looking more for people who had block weeks. They also asked me questions about anything I had found emotionaly difficult with the job and if I knew the modules on the course as well. It was a pretty touch interview I found as I wasn't overly prepared for that part of it. The test was the real bit I'd prepared for thinking it would be stuff from higher level and instead I sort of found it insultingly easy. Questions were multiple choice and included things like "name the organ marked A" and "where can you get vitamin C from?"

I'll probably go again for it next year as the nursing was primarily what I wanted to do and I'm not in a position to move to one of the other colleges.

CaoimheCweeva

Yeah, I'm happy I found out that you need to have some sort of experience in a vets, or working with animals in some way. The only experience I have though is from TY doing a week in a pet shop. I wonder if pet minding / dog walking would help? It was my only "job" for the summer :P

It's a bit unfair though that people with experience get put ahead of everyone else. I mean, the reason I want to do this course is to expand my knowledge and experience in this field.

I hope there are still a good few places remaining. I couldn't find anywhere what the limit for the course. If I had known that the main interviews were held in March and May I would have applied sooner.

bingie

I applied for last year as well but far too late so didn't even get an interview. This year I applied during the first few days it was up and started the experience at the vets alongside one of the nurses there. Basically doing the job as it's quite hands on. So doing injections, cleaning, reception work etc...

It is a little unfair to let people with experience through especially as alot of places won't give the experience unless you're already on the course but I think the main problem for spaces was people moving over from other courses or repeat applicants. I'm still a little unsure why I didn't get onto the course as I have experience (Still working there till the course starts), had applied once already and even did one of the modules for the course in the meantime to make my application look better (Where I got a merit and marked highest).

Dog walking and such will help. Any work with animals will really, best bet is trying to milk it a little as well. We had an accidental litter of hamsters here about a year back so I now have experience raising them. (Rather than just being a hamster owner). Anything to make yourself look more enthusiastic and really wanting to do the course. I think thats why they like people having experience in a vets because then they actually know what the job will be like rather than just playing with animals all the time. Some people have honestly asked me if that's what I do all day and it's nothing like it.

CaoimheCweeva

I understand having to have experience in a vets if you want to do veterinary nursing, but I have no interest in becoming a vet or a vet. nurse. Should I still have experience in a vets even though it's not what I want to do?

bingie

I wouldn't say for the other courses that you'd need to be in a vets. I would think something like kennel working or pet shops and stuff would help. Dog walking would be good too. Basically anything that involves animals that gets you hands on with them would be good I'd think. So long as you show and intrest in doing the course and are willing to put the work in then you'd be fine.

CaoimheCweeva

Awesome, thanks a mill. Sorry for the twenty questions :P

I've also heard that you need to know about the modules - where can you find out information reg. them?

bingie

On the website. Just look under the course and it will give a list there for them. http://www.stjohnscollege.ie/courses-2/applied-sciences/animal-care-companion-captive-animal-studies-level-5/ As for what the modules include I can't really say as I've only done the animal welfare one. That involved a work journal for the course and an exam. It was quite a bit of work but very intresting I found. I think there might be a different syllabus coming up though so whereas we did more on animal treatment (like zoos and stuff) they now might be doing more on evolution and such instead.

And no probs with the questions. The interview goes fine and just make sure to stay calm and don't panic like I did. I honestly forgot every module when I was aked about it so looked like I had no idea what course I'd picked. I'm sure you'll do fine

opaingute

Hello, my name is Inga. I will be studying animal grooming on the evening. Im not from cork myself so im bit lost there...do you know where to park a car close to the college?thanks

natm

I did a course there and the staff are really nice! Don't worry! Everyone is in the same boat!