Your education questions answered

My daughter recently received her change of mind form from the CAO. A lot has happened in her life in the last six months and she wishes to introduce a number of new courses to both her degree and cert/diploma list. She seems to have developed a strong interest in media courses. Is it wise to change the choices already made, after much agonising last January? Am I correct in assuming that there are very limited career opportunities for graduates of such courses?

Although your daughter does have the option of reconsidering her CAO choices right now, I would advise her to put the entire process out of her mind until after the end of her Leaving Certificate. The next month will determine her exam results and nothing should get in the way of her preparation and execution of that process. The CAO deadline for change of mind is 5.15 p.m. on July 1st.

Regarding the general principle of introducing new courses before the final date, I would very much support a student doing so, provided the appropriate research and consultation with both his/her guidance counsellor and the college concerned have taken place. Six months is a long time in the life of a 17-year-old and new interests have time to take root and blossom.

There is a general perception that there are few real jobs readily available to media graduates. This is to misunderstand the nature of education. Some courses are vocational in nature, training students for a particular career, such as nursing, architecture etc. Other courses are more general, giving students an understanding of a particular aspect of the world we live in. The qualification may lead to an illustrious career in the public eye with the salary level of a Pat Kenny or a Gerry Ryan, but it is more likely to lead to a more modest career, if not in the media, then in an area where an understanding of the role of media in society is vital.

Our every moment is influenced by media, be it television, radio,print journalism etc. To understand the power of the media and to be able to interpret its potential role or influence in the decision-making process of any organisation is a very valuable skill, much sought after in our commercial world today.

I recently came across the work of a final-year media student, Irene O'Brien, who has created her own website of media courses available in Ireland. The site also includes interviews with prominent media figures. The address is www.learnmediaireland.com and I would commend it to those interested in courses in the area.

For those interested in exercising any change of mind, I would suggest that you check out the national database of courses, Qualifax, which is available in all schools. As this is my last Q&A of the season, I wish all of my readers a very enjoyable summer.

Brian Mooney is president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. E-mail questions to bmooney @irish-times.ie