Welcome to the Irish Times’ 2nd Level email digest! With Leaving Cert 2019 looming large on the horizon chances are you will have already given some thought to what you would like to do after school. You visited the Higher Options expo in the RDS last year and now you will be considering what courses to list on your CAO application.
In this special College Choice digest we feature articles written by Irish Times education journalists and careers experts that will be of interest no matter what choice you make when the final deadlines come around. Have a read of the following articles and if you have any queries or suggestions feel free to send an email to studenthub@irishtimes.com with ‘2nd Level ’ in the subject line.
Life is a journey of exploration and discovery. Any adult reflecting on their own career journey since leaving school realises that expecting a young person at age 18 or 19 to have decided on their occupation for life in 6th year is completely unrealistic, writes Brian Mooney.
Thinking about college? Follow our six-step guide to navigating the CAO process. Read more here.
While the emphasis over the next couple of months will be on study and getting those ever sought after points, for many students it is also a time to consider how they will fund themselves through college. Nora-Íde McAuliffe on how you can get to college when you don't have the means.
Did you know you no longer have to run away to join the circus? Instead, you can simply apply to one of the many circus schools throughout Europe and the US. Or, closer to home, the Lir Academy runs a five-day clown training course "to help you find your inner clown". There are plenty of options available, no matter what you wish to do. Peter McGuire on the factors you might consider when deciding what career path you wish to take.
Graduates from apprenticeships and Post-Leaving Cert (PLC) courses are rated as highly as graduates from universities and third-level colleges, according to a major new study. Carl O'Brien reports.
What happens if you make the wrong choice when you make your CAO application? Peter McGuire talks to graduates who made the wrong call when they filled out the CAO form and finds out what they did next. Read more here.
Key dates for CAO applications : Click here to familiarise yourself with the timeline for the 2019 college application process.
