The good news is official: the Minister for Education and Science recently said that prospects for school-leavers have never been brighter. So, you should relax and enjoy your time here, looking through the various further and higher education options.
Fewer students are sitting the Leaving Cert and more third-level places are available. Next year, expect more than 34,000 first-year places on offer in State-funded colleges.
Then, there's the vibrant Post Leaving Cert sector which will have about 20,000 first-year places. There are no tuition fees, and eligible students are entitled to maintenance grants.
And, there are private third-level colleges offering certificates, diplomas and degrees. If you're more vocationally inclined, there are FAS apprenticeships, agriculture and horticulture courses with Teagasc, tourism training with CERT and more. The defence forces and the garda also offer career opportunities.
And, that's just Ireland. Colleges from Britain and Northern Ireland will also be present at Higher Options.
Bewildered by choice? Now is the time to inform yourself. You can spend the next few hours browsing through more than 250 stands of various educational and training institutions. Ask those questions about course content, careers, sports and social life, accommodation, fees and grants.
You are also invited to attend a series of talks on choosing a course and, maybe, a career. The introductory session, Making the Most of Your Higher Options, will help you make the most of your time here - it's at 10.30 a.m. and will be repeated at 12.30 p.m. The talk, How to Choose Your Career, is also a good starting place.
If you're thinking of applying for a third-level course in Ireland, the talk on the CAO system is a must. Each year, the CAO has to return thousands of forms because they contain errors or are incomplete. There is now an electronic application facility and the CAO has its own website at www.cao.ie
There will also be a talk on UCAS, the British central applications body. Their system is quite different to the Irish model so, if you're interested in going to college in Britain or Northern Ireland, you should attend this talk. Tuition fees are charged.
Post Leaving Cert courses or PLCs are increasingly popular. Designed primarily to prepare students for the workplace many courses can provide a stepping stone to third-level education in Britain or Northern Ireland. If you're doing the Leaving Cert Applied Programme you are not eligible to apply for courses through the CAO but you may apply for almost all PLCs.
These general talks are complemented by a series of targeted career talks throughout the morning and afternoon. They span a diversity of careers from engineering, information technology, science, art and design, the construction industry, social services, hotel and tourism, communications, sales and marketing, and careers with an arts degree. The talks should give you a good idea of what it's actually like in the workplace.
The Irish universities - UCC, UCD, NUI Galway, NUI Maynooth, TCD, UL and DCU - and the National College of Art and Design will be present. In addition, all of the institutes of technology will be represented. The ITs offer flexible paths through college, from certificate to diploma to degree. There are also ab-intitio degree programmes.
Innovative courses in the PLC sector range from stenography to international teleservices to beauty therapy, animation and horticulture.
The private third-level colleges will be represented at Higher Options. All of the colleges present offer courses which lead to qualifications validated by the National Council for Educational Awards.
General nursing remains a popular career although it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit people into mental handicap and psychiatric nursing. The Nursing Careers Centre has taken a stand and their staff will be on hand to give you advice and information.
The defence forces' stand is another perennially popular stop for students. If you would like to make a career in the army, navy or air force, go and ask those questions. The Garda will also be represented.
CERT, FAS, the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commissioners, the Institution of Engineering in Ireland, the Institute of Physics, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland will all be there to persuade on the merits of their disciplines.
IF you feel you'd like a break between school and college, it is possible to accept a place and then defer it for a year. The Year Out, Coral Cay Conservation and Project Trust stands have lots of information on exciting voluntary projects you might like to get involved with during that time.
In addition to giving talks staff form CAO and UCAS will be present at their respective stands to deal with queries about applications to third-level colleges in Ireland, Britain and Northern Ireland.
Tickets are still available for Friday (£5) and can be bought at the RDS.
