Okay, i know its a bit early but im looking at college courses ..?

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HuddleFormation

Hey Sarah,

I'm in 6th year so i'm dealing with all this CAO stuff at the moment... First of all, points come from popularity, not the difficulty of the course. So if Arts in UCD had 30 places and 60 people applied, the points would be high. The points for medicine and law are high because they are very popular courses/career choices. Even though those happen to be difficult courses, the points are such cause of the demand for the places on the course. So if you're aiming for 550 points, good for you, but that doesn't mean that the guy who's doing engineering for 250 points is less smart/ambitious than you.

I know it's confusing but it's okay when you get your head around it. Arts in UCC is like 365 points or something, and loads of people do it thinking it's a doss, and drop out after 1st year. Getting into a course is great, but remember that the points have nothing to do with the difficulty. Veterinary has always had very high points but the course isn't all _that_ difficult. (Please nobody take offence to that, a vet told me.)

So don't not do something cause it isn't 600 points, do what makes you happy. I don't know what part of the country you're from but Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship is a new degree that UCC offers, and it ROCKS. It's like a revised version of their old food science degree. It has the food element and also a big emphasis on food marketing and entrepreneurship. It also includes a work placement, which is brilliant for when you come out of college and are thrust into the real world, you need experience. Very often the company you do your placement with offers you a place after you graduate.

I was absolutely sure of what I wanted to do in 3rd year...and 4th...and 5th. I changed every year. So keep your options open and keep informing yourself. Next year when you're in 4th/5th year ask your guidance counsellor if there are any of those guidance/career fairs on nearby. They have them in Cork, Dublin and Limerick and i'm guessing everywhere else too. You get to talk to representatives of colleges all over Ireland and the UK, they can advise you on courses and give you a prospectus of the university. Don't forget to think about applying to UCAS (British University's CAO thing) too.

At the moment i'm thinking Journalism in Limerick, it's on my CAO...I hope this helped and good luck in the Junior Cert!

ash1

well points required arent based on how difficult a course is...its on the demand. I know a girl who was one of the smartest in my class, she did a science course which was a lot less points than what she got, but was not an easy course.
Also there is a difference between a nutritionist and a dietician. Dietician is a legally protected term..you must have the proper qualifications to call yourself a dietician. But nutritionist isnt, so anyone can call themselves a nutritionist.
So when you choose your course, be sure it will lead to a qualification in dietetics if you are sure this is the area you want to get into. - i think they do a course in trinity, so id imagine points will be high. Check with your careers teacher.

Aoife

I suggest you do what you're interested in doing.

The points required for courses are only really based on demand for places anyway and don't really reflect how hard the course is, or how smart students have to be.

I'm not doing a food science course, but do share lectures with the food science class and the material covered can be quite challenging at times, esp physics and chemistry.

I got a good few more points than I needed for my course but I don't regret doing this course at all. I really enjoy what I'm studying and the LC has been completely forgotten about at this stage (I only sat it this year).

Classicalmusicalfan

Hi Sarah,
I got 7 A1s in my Leaving Cert and I'm doing Science at UCD (which I love!), a course that only required 315 points. Why? Because I wanted to!
Doing a course 'just because you got the points' is a really bad reason. What's the point in being a doctor and having a huge salary if you hate what you're doing?
A lot of people view the Leaving Cert solely as a means of getting into college, but it shouldn't be just about this - there is such a thing as achievement for achievement's sake!
Do what you want to do, not what other people think you should do. Yes, there are a lot of snobs out there, but don't let them get to you. Remember to follow your heart, always work to the best of your ability and you can't go wrong!

Good luck in your exams in June, by the way!

tzddean

Do what you're interested in. Don't listen to people who tell you to do medicine just because you could get the points for it. You can still aim to get the best results you can even if you go for a course with 200 points.

Priscilla Duck

HuddleFormation has given excellent advice. DIT Cathal Brugha Street (as well as other colleges) offers a load of courses in food & nutrition at certificate, diploma and degree level. The difficulty of the courses is definitely not reflected in the points level required to get in. Subjects for a degree in Hotel & Catering Management include law, economics, accounting, IT management, HR management etc. It's certainly not all about the right way to set a table or skin a fish. The nutrition end of things are very scientific in nature and can be very challenging.

At the end of the day, you won't know for sure if you're going to enjoy a course or a career direction until you are actually in the middle of it. If you decide your course isn't challenging enough, you have the option of transferring to a different course at the end of year 1. If you complete the course and later in life decide that you no longer enjoy your chosen career, you will have a very useful qualification and skills that can be used in any business area, in tourism, banking etc. You might need (or want) to requalify in a different areas altogether, in which case you will have the option of going back to college as a mature student or doing an evening course.

Life doesn't usually progress in a straight line. Loads of people start out in careers that they later leave. We'll all be working til we're 70 - I would hate to think that Ill be doing exactly the same thing for the next 40 years. If you have a career and a course in mind now that interests you, go for it. Plenty of people do 600 point courses and end up hating them.

Edward M

Hey,
I am currently looking at universities aswell in England, my dad lives in Sligo, Ireland and i was over when the point scores were explained to me and 500 is impressive. I would strongly suggest not doing something you don't enjoy and i can understand your predicament with the low scores need for food and that. If you do get your 500 points i would suggest doing something which would attract employees and excite you eg: business, english lit, maths, managment. Do something which would make you different from all the other people that would be going for the same jobs as you.

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