banie01 wrote: » This quite true. Many of the Course Directors I've encountered have very poor actual interview skills. Learning a little about what they may be after, either by attending a Mature student open night or at a push, an email to the course director before the interview to ask a few pertinent questions could be a way to both gain some insight into what they want, and leave a good impression.
skooterblue2 wrote: » Hey I am someone who has been through the educational wringer and know were all the pitfalls and death traps are. I am not the prophet of false hope. I hate leading people on with false hope. If there are only 4 places for matures and there are students coming out of St John, PLCs, College of Comm and repeat leavings who have invested 2 years in study and the University has a history of taking students from these courses. They are entitled to those places first if the university thinks so. Its not me you have to impress its them.
Airyfairy12 wrote: » You have a much better chance getting into a third level course if youve a a related QQI level 5 or 6 under your belt. Another option is to complete an apprenticeship, you'll be working and earning money. A degree isnt worth much anymore and most employers require a masters and a recommendation from someone they know.
MarinersBlues wrote: » I don't know the extent of your experience of programming but if it is strong enough maybe you could get a RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) and have a look at some Springboard courses which can be 1 or 2 year. A lot of them will be just getting approval now so will be starting to accept applications. There are an awful lot of Data Science courses being offered through Springboard.https://springboardcourses.ie/details/7392 This course may be a good back up and get you on the right path. Particularly if there is a question over your mathematical ability.
Augeo wrote: » If you've no qualifications beyond the LC did you previously do a 3rd level spell that didn't go as planned or did you never go near 3rd level. As someone else had mentioned you are up against folk who have spent a couple of years putting themselves back on the academic path.
MrMusician18 wrote: » Like I said, the OP needs to get proper feedback from the college (which may be difficult) and work on where they see his/her application needing bolstering. The OP has identified the D in maths as an issue the college have raised, so it may be that the best course of action will be to sit LC maths again, if they have their heart set on UCC. What's worse is that even after that, that doesn't even guarantee entry, we all know that.
Gbear wrote: » I actually tried to gain entry into the Data Science Springboard in CIT last year, but they were quite adamant about needing a 4 year degree. Again, it's a thing I could've completed without too much trouble but I didn't fit the criteria. I might get some RPL scattered about a CS degree, but it'd be a long way from enough for the whole course.
MrMusician18 wrote: » The OP came here looking for advice about where to go next. They are obviously very disappointed so I don't see the necessity of sticking the boot in by accusing them of having a sense of entitlement that only you can see in your head. Like I said, the OP needs to get proper feedback from the college (which may be difficult) and work on where they see his/her application needing bolstering. The OP has identified the D in maths as an issue the college have raised, so it may be that the best course of action will be to sit LC maths again, if they have their heart set on UCC. What's worse is that even after that, that doesn't even guarantee entry, we all know that. A lot of us have been through the wringer when it comes to education with lots of setbacks along the way. Those that have experienced the genuine disappointment that the OP is feeling can have some empathy for their situation without giving false hope or sugar coating the reality, which I haven't seen any of here btw. Your post though was you needlessly being a dick and you know it.
Gbear wrote: » Appreciate the post. On this, I've contacted both Admissions and the Mature Student Office, with as much detail and magnanimity as I can muster. Unfortunately, with the bank holiday, and generally it being the time where staff tend to take time off, I'm yet to hear much back from them (although to be fair, the Mature Student Office said they'd be working on it, just that they weren't there until the end of the week).
skooterblue2 wrote: » :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: Wow you just think you can walk on the course without education since you were 18, 10 years ago and when you were there you didnt deliver the goods. WOW that is entitlement. Buddy it will take you a year to get you into the frame of mind for you to compete with 18 year old who has gotten about 400 point leaving cert. Maths has changed, the maths syllabus has changed. #1 is no longer a prime number btw. Simpsons rule is gone. Massive focus on money and finance. Seriously dude, who thought it was a good idea to interview you? You need to at least do a PLC and/or spend 2 years resitting your leaving cert before you will be taken seriously. You wont last until christmas without a sound education on that course. There are assignments, honours maths and some fairly serious data structures to learn. You will have wasted a year and someone more deserving could have a place on the course. Pick yourself up dust yourself off and seriously have a look at repeating your leaving cert again so you will be taken seriously.
Gbear wrote: » There's a massive shortage of trained programmers. I can't imagine there's too many data analysts floating about either, and it's a growing field. Between my years of experience as a full stack developer (albeit a junior one) and the degree, I'm sure I'll be fine. And it's not like I'm against doing a masters anyway.
Twenty Grand wrote: » Walk into near any college class in the country and you'll find the mature students are top of the bunch. Simple fact is you've more to lose at 29 than 19. A 19 fails the year, so what, just repeat. A 29 year old doesn't have that option.
KeithTS wrote: » Lose the attitude please and thanks. The OP is trying to better themselves and shouldn't be berated by you for doing so. Who do you think you are, attempting to put them in their place for not doing well in an exam when they were 18, ten years ago. You've no idea what they are or aren't capable of now. To give you some perspective, I dropped out of school at 15 so didn't even have a D in lower LC maths. I applied to do an undergrad in Electronic Engineering (very maths heavy if you must know). Not only did I complete it but I did so with an average of above 90 across every exam. Only a few years later I'm running a very successful engineering team in a large multi-national. If I'm able achieve that, anyone can. I'm not brighter, nor smarter than anyone else and people in my situation (like the OP) can piss all over the academic achievements of those hyper smart 18 year olds because we know what we want, we're doing a specific course for a specific reason and we've lived life and will be spending a lot of the college experience in the library not the pub. The first few months of college for a mature student without the academic background is tough work but once semester one is over, everyone is typically at the same level. There is a standard route to education but it's not the only route and one of the great things about the Irish system is that there are paths to enable those who weren't able to do it first time around. That should be celebrated. OP, look at the mature student access routes, reach out to the universities to see what you need to do in the next few months in order to improve your chances and best of luck!
skooterblue2 wrote: » That is entitlement is you only applied for one course, had pinned all your hopes on one course and looked to the lecturers like you had no ground work done. The College wont give feedback be cause that might be grounds for discrimination. Whether I am a dick is besides the point. It annoys me when lads just assume there are places there. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, obviously the OP is skipping the due process of preparing for entry. There is no mention of any preparation or progression of education. That looks really bad. I experience disappointment too. I interviewed 5 times this year for 5 places, 2 that I didnt want said yes. One I wanted said yes and the two I really wanted said No. That's life. I am not crying about it I am getting on with what I have to do and reapply next year.
MrMusician18 wrote: » Although I've not gone through the mature student process, I cannot see any reason why getting feedback would be discriminatory. The public appointments service give feedback on interviews with no issue. The OP will get some feedback if they ask, the only problem is that it might be ****e (it probably will be) and leave them none the wiser as to the next steps. There is no issue with asking for it either, it doesn't make them a whinger. Looking for feedback is perfectly normal in the real world. I can't see how the OP is skipping due process. They put themselves forward like any other candidate, and unfortunately for them were not successful this time. They didn't play dirty to skip the queue and wasn't suggesting it. They will learn and hopefully get their place next time around hopefully with better guidance on what the college will need. One could legitimately ask you why you applied for and interviewed for two courses you had no interest in. You wasted the interviewers time and denied an interview for another person who might've genuinely wanted that course.
Rubberchikken wrote: » not hijacking but just want to ask if someone does a course in programming, what are the chances of empmoyment after without experience or without even a placement from the course?
banie01 wrote: » am27 wrote: » I second that about UL's mature student office. I've applied this year and UL have been great. I had some questions before I filled out the CAO and they couldn't have been more helpful. Best of luck with getting it! With a bit of luck I may see ya from afar during Freshers week and wonder to myself... Is that am27?
am27 wrote: » I second that about UL's mature student office. I've applied this year and UL have been great. I had some questions before I filled out the CAO and they couldn't have been more helpful.
Gbear wrote: » Sortof kinda vindication today. I haven't got in. Not yet anyway. I've got word back from Admissions and the Mature Student Office that they're looking into it, and that the way the decision was made didn't seem to be in keeping with either the whole ethos of mature study or with the sort of red tape required to institute hard and fast qualification requirements. They were quite explicitly positive about my communication with them, and were sympathetic to the points I raised, and probably would've been covering similar points in their own queries. I won't go into further details because I suppose it's between me and the institution, but at any rate, it seems reasonably likely I'll get some kind of result, whether that's entry, or a clear pathway into the course after completing whatever steps they establish off the back of this problem at some later date. To a large extent just being pissed off enough and working on the principle that the squeaky wheel gets the grease has helped with this, but I've appreciated the well wishes, good advice and even the stuff that I've largely considered uninformed bollocks, because I had to be sure I was being honest with myself, so thanks all. One way or another it seems like I'll at least get closure on this, so as far as I'm concerned I suppose the issue can be closed (but there may well be some useful pointers for other people who've found themselves in a similar position). Thanks again.
Gbear wrote: » ................. and even the stuff that I've largely considered uninformed bollocks, because I had to be sure I was being honest with myself, so thanks all.
Rubberchikken wrote: » thanks Gbear. i hope the news is good. thanks also for the advice on unpaid placement. i dont think its allowed here but thanks anyway. good luck
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