CAO Choices

subway_ie

Just wondering what everybodys put down on their CAO applications. Right now I've got Financial Mathematics and Economics in NUIG (GY309) down for my first choice. It seems like an interesting course, even though my guidance teacher is totally clueless about it. Plus its in the high 400s points wise (around 480-490 last year) Anybody else have it down?

DEmeant0r

Not telling you my first choice but my second choice is Arts in NUIG, and third is Science in NUIG.

subway_ie

Hmmm. What's so secret about your first choice? I've got science in NUIG down, and I was gonna put down arts as well. But then I'd be an arts student. Ewwww. Now im really intruiged as to what your first choice is....

AndrewWK

Computer Engineering in Maynooth and Computer Science in TCD \o/

DS

Physics and Astronomy, NUIG

Boston

Originally posted by AndrewWK
Computer Science in TCD \o/

Not a good choice there, better doing engineerign and then speciallising in computer eng later. OR at least to CS with a language;

QBall

Originally posted by Boston
Not a good choice there, better doing engineerign and then speciallising in computer eng later. OR at least to CS with a language;

I disagree. I'm in the middle of finishing CS in TCD at the moment. It's a bloody good course if you're interested in the field. If not, it'll drive you mad.

[EDIT]
And if you do Engineering in TCD you end up studying stuff like concrete for the first two years. Unless you want to learn other engineering disciplines, or are unsure of which of them you want to do, steer clear of Engineering.

If anyone has specific questions about CS in TCD, feel free to PM me.
[/EDIT]

Boston

Don't get me wrong, for what it offers its one of the best degrees in the country. However jobs after wards seems to be a major concern for alot of people I know doing it.

QBall

You shouldn't think about jobs before you start a degree. A lot changes in 4 years. I started CS in 2000, remember what the tech job market was like then?

Pick what you want to study, not what will get you a job. At the end of the day you could end up working in a field completely unrelated to your degree anyway. As long as you are interested in the subject you study your degree won't be "wasted" if you end up working at something else. Pick something you like and you'll really enjoy college.

valor

Business and legal studies - UCD

Agent Smith

deaf studies and irish sign language in trinity.....




not on cao, direct aplecation.....

subway_ie

Originally posted by QBall
Pick something you like and you'll really enjoy college.

That's great, assuming you know what you actually like. How am I supposed to know whether I like financial maths/economics/engineering/commerce before I've even tried it for a day? It's just a tad fukced up having to chose a course without actually knowing whether you'll actually like it. All the colleges will do is send you out a (vague) prospectus, ditto for guidance counsellors.

QBall

Originally posted by subway_ie
That's great, assuming you know what you actually like. How am I supposed to know whether I like financial maths/economics/engineering/commerce before I've even tried it for a day? It's just a tad fukced up having to chose a course without actually knowing whether you'll actually like it. All the colleges will do is send you out a (vague) prospectus, ditto for guidance counsellors.

That's a fair point, but how else can it be done? You could spend a year trying courses for a day each and you still would know little more than when you started.

Here's a couple of pointers for those who aren't sure what to choose:

• Look at the basics of what you do and don't like doing academically. For example, if you hate writing essays then maybe arts courses aren't for you (you have to write in almost all courses, just the amount varies). If you have trouble with maths, be wary of CS, Engineering, Science, Actuarial Finance, etc. By a process of elimination you should be able to make a shortlist of courses that you might be interested in. Investigate these courses further. Did you enjoy any subjects in school? If so, why?
• A prospectus is a sales pitch, not an information booklet. The best source of information is someone who is doing the course right now, preferably someone who has more than 1 or 2 years done. If you can't find anyone on boards (unlikely), try asking the faculty/department if they have a student willing to chat to you about the course.
• The second best source of information is the website of the particular course. Look at the subjects covered and see what they cover. Many technical courses will have web pages for individual subjects and might include notes or coursework. Have a skim through them and see what you think.
• If after that you still have no clue about what you want, try narrowing yourself down to a faculty and pick the broadest course you can find in that (something like the common entry Engineering in TCD, Arts in UCD, BESS in TCD, etc)
• Most colleges will allow you to switch courses early on in 1st year provided that there is space and that you have the entry requirements, so don't worry too much about getting your choice wrong. Just make sure you get enough points (:)) to allow you plenty of choice, and try to figure out the broad area you're interested in. Changing courses within a faculty may often be easier than changing to a different one.

These aren't hard and fast. There are loads of exceptions, but they should provide a starting point. Someone is bound to take my post and scream "You're wrong!", and they'll very likely be right too. On the other hand, they worked for me when I was filling out the CAO form. I ended up getting my 2nd choice, and as it turns out I'm happy I didn't get my first (MSISS).

Either way, good luck to all of ye in the exams. Don't get too stressed out. Odds are you'll do harder and more important exams in your life anyway, so why worry too much about the LC? Just do your best and you'll be grand.

Kold

I only put one random course on my CAO... Expecting to go to England. Suppose I should fill it out seriously at some point.

PrecariousNuts

I've changed my mind far too many times but:

Theoretical physics - TCD
Physics and Chemistry of advanced materials - TCD
Mathematics - TCD
Theoretical Physics - UCD

subway_ie

Originally posted by PrecariousNuts
I've changed my mind far too many times

I've used the online change of mind form 3 times so far. Probably gonna use it 3 more times before July 1st. Just can't decide the preference order.

Suaimhneach

Celtic Studies @ NUIG

I'd love to do Fiontar in DCU, but I suck at French.

PrecariousNuts

Originally posted by subway_ie
I've used the online change of mind form 3 times so far. Probably gonna use it 3 more times before July 1st. Just can't decide the preference order.

Yeah me too, I think its been around four now. I can't believe how fast they get the new paper slip things out, its usually out within two days.

subway_ie

Should I be worried that I haven;t gotten a single one yet (first change about a week and a half ago)?

PrecariousNuts

Nah as long as you printed off the page that has your changed choices on it you should be grand as they say that counts as proof that you did actually change.

claire h

Originally posted by subway_ie
Should I be worried that I haven;t gotten a single one yet (first change about a week and a half ago)?

Nah, my one took two and a half weeks to arrive.

subway_ie

I thought they only sent one out sometime in July, and just sent e-mail confirmations for all the ones up to that (I didn't get an e-mail either, which I think I was supposed to get).

claire h

If you haven't got an email confirmation then you should probably go and check at the website to see what you've applied for - the change of mind mightn't have gone through.

conZ

I've got Construction Management GMIT down first, followed by a string of Construction and Architecture related courses in the Wesht.

smelly girl

Art and design education- ncad 1st choice. didnt get it, oh well.
visual communications in dit and athlone after that, then filled it up with crap like english and media studies and arts, which i will never do.

Going to ballyfermott to do a portfolio course first, then get my head together and decide something.

Anyone go/went there?

Whywontitwrok

Computer applications DCU.

Seifer

Chemical Engineering - UCD

Physics and Chemistry of advanced materials - TCD

Had that down as my top one for a while but changed it, there isn't as much money in science.

subway_ie

Originally posted by Seifer
there isn't as much money in science.

There isn't much money/jobs straight out of a science degree at all - it's all about the postgrad. Which means adding another 2-4 years onto your time in college, along with another 10-20 grand.

snickerpuss

I have primary school teaching down
It sucks cos i know id make a good teacher but i picked dreadful subjects and havent a hope of getting the points. Oh well, arts in UCD it is....
Oh jesjes, i also considered fiontar in dcu but my french is too poor as well.

Raskolnikov

Originally posted by subway_ie
There isn't much money/jobs straight out of a science degree at all - it's all about the postgrad. Which means adding another 2-4 years onto your time in college, along with another 10-20 grand.

That's not true at all. Chemists and physicists have great job prospects at the moment.

DS

Really, physics? Tell me more. I knew I was going down the physics (and astronomy) route anyway, thinking there wasn't much in the line of work waiting on the other side. It'd be a pretty major bonus though.