www.cao.ie

The Central Applications Office's site is a purely functional one. To call it rudimentary would be to over-praise its design. Nevertheless, it contains all you need to know about the CAO system - offers, course codes, fees, vacant places. Not the most attractive site in the world, but useful, especially this time of year. Students should bookmark it.

www.doras.ie

Established in December 1996, Doras claim to be the world's largest and most comprehensive directory of Irish and Irish-related websites. It has a great sense of fun about it, with all sites of Irish interest receiving a shamrock rating of one to five. In addition to this, Doras now also offers a news service throughout the day. Something for everyone.

www.review.com

The website of the Princeton Review is what you'd expect from that venerated institution - intelligent, informative and academic. It's also fun. The Word Du Jour section signs you up for a daily e-mail that aims to broaden your word power. You'll be using pusillanimous and recalcitrant in everyday conversation before you know it.

www.alternet.org

AlterNet is an American online news magazine that aims to combine quality journalism, interactivity, passionate advocacy and links to useful resources. High ideals, but for me it achieves almost everything it sets out to. A vital alternative to the corporate conglomerates that dominate the media marketplace and a must for civics teachers.

www.teen.com

According to its own publicity, this is "a family-friendly site that brings teens together around the world through an on-line community that is fun, friendly and informative". Claiming to cover the world is a bit of an exaggeration though. America would be more accurate. Nevertheless, if it's popular there, it's bound to catch on here too.