Getting into college (backdoor)...

neXus9

I have a fetac certificate in Information technology, and I was wondering if I could use this to get into college, and if so what's the procedure.

I haved looked around for IT jobs, but they seem to always look for 2/3 yrs work experience (how am I gonna get those years, If I can't start out anywhere).

The people who did get into the IT industry have all done degrees. They were telling me that jobs see a degree equeling 3 yrs work experience (which in my opinion is bullsh*t, alot of it isn't real world, just theory).

But having said that, I do have an interest in going to college. I would love to try out flash development/game development, but would an IT cert allow me to go into this sector, or is the cert too general?

If the fetac cert doesn't cut it, can I do a cert via studying it at home and sit an exam at a college or go to a testing centre?

I have both an interest in film and IT (which is awkward), I'm eyeballing a place for a two yr film course, but it's another institute, and Iv'e already spent a yr in FAS, which has good training facilities and good teachers, but it isn't exactly a fun place.

I always wanted to go to a college like UCD or trinity, but what's the best for IT (DIT, DCU?), If I do the film cert and go into an IT course as a mature student, would I be too old compared to everyone else, or is there plenty of people at the grand old age of 23?

Thanks

To moderator: This was moved into college work, so delete this thread if you want.

ClareBear

Well I don't know anything about the IT industry or the course you want to do.....I'm just referring to the part where you want to know if there's many people in college at 23....mature students are becoming more popular all the time so belive me, at 23 you won't be old starting.....people start at all ages now. There used to be a 48 year old guy in my course in Cork last year and he fit in fine....came out on the piss with us and everything so don't let that bit worry you. You won't be alone.

neXus9

Thanks, I successfully got into a tv and film production course (it's originally what I wanted to do), so I'm going to try that out anyway. It's a two year course, so after that i'll be 23 for an entrance as a mature student.

ClareBear

Ah okay that's great!

neXus9

Clarebear, do you know what the process is if you want to go to college for a year in the US??

damnyanks

Not sure if there are any schemes for that. Usually its a college / university specific thing.

Otherwise you could just apply yourself and pay the crazy fee's ?

ClareBear

Originally posted by damnyanks
Not sure if there are any schemes for that. Usually its a college / university specific thing.

Otherwise you could just apply yourself and pay the crazy fee's ?

Yeah either you get in through whatever college you're in or on a scholarship or the like or you pay the fee's....and we all know what the fee's are like in America!

damnyanks

If you can get citizenship thent he prices decrease in a lot of places. Also it makes you eligable for aid which can cover a llot of your fees.

All the students complain about the 670 here. Imagine what it would be like if we all finished college with a damn morgage!!

Anyone know if hte degree's over there are anything special ? Like there must be some reason for them costing so much. 40k per year in some cases so I hear.

ClareBear

Originally posted by damnyanks
If you can get citizenship thent he prices decrease in a lot of places. Also it makes you eligable for aid which can cover a llot of your fees.

All the students complain about the 670 here. Imagine what it would be like if we all finished college with a damn morgage!!

Anyone know if hte degree's over there are anything special ? Like there must be some reason for them costing so much. 40k per year in some cases so I hear.

Nothing particurlarly special about them....just the way it is out there. Probably explains why so many Americans come to study here....probably ends up being cheaper in the long run!

neXus9

I remember that ucd have (had?) a study abroad scheme. The only place in the us was texas. But you could go to Toronto in Canada, which would be pretty cool.
That was years ago, so I don't know what the story is there. Looked up the website, but no luck.

UCD don't do a multimedia course though, do they??

ClareBear

No. DCU do multimedia.

neXus9

ok. I think I can remember that you were saying at the boards beer bash that you were going to DIT. What course are you going to do??

ClareBear

Indeed I am....I'm studying Biology. Hoping to do something in Environmental Geography or Zoology after I finish this in June.

neXus9

Kewl. What's the atmosphere in DIT anyway? It's split up into different buildings, so does this kind of make it feel less like college, or are all the buildings pretty big anyway.

ClareBear

Well I'd love if DIT was one big massive campus but there's still a good atmosphere in the one I'm in, I like it. Kinda crap how they're all split up all over the place alright.

neXus9

Are you in any societies at the moment. Do many of them have trips abroad?

I always wanted to try out snowboarding. (but there aint no snow!)

What about grants?? There's vtos grants you can get, but you have to be on the dole for six months before college. There is another grant scheme, but I don't know much about it.