2011 CAO/Leaving Cert discussion thread

randylonghorn

Robby91 wrote: »

Bah... I'm starting to think they're just throwing out premade responses to the questions.

That tends to happen tbh ... mainly because they get hundreds of emails each day, so they often skim them quickly and miss the point.

Robby91 wrote: »

'Could' is making me think that it's a case that you lose one set of results on which you may be offered a place (but, in my case, still have the LC to go on), but my interpretation may be wrong.

That's my interpretation too, see above, but I don't work for the CAO so I'm not giving you a guarantee!

Namlub

No-one put down Law & French in Trinity so the points will go down and I can enjoy a false sense of security in sixth year, kthx

jumpguy

Namlub wrote: »

No-one put down Law & French in Trinity so the points will go down and I can enjoy a false sense of security in sixth year, kthx

I won't put down Law and French if you give me 20€. :pac:

RHunce

jumpguy wrote: »

I won't put down Law and French if you give me 20€. :pac:

Not in Trinners anyway

Bottleopener

Have gone back into undecided territory about what to throw down on my CAO. This indecision is driving me mad.

soccymonster

Anyone wanna try and convince me that UCD won't be scary for a 17year old girl going on her own (probabaly) from the backarse of clare. If you can, it would help coz there is a large possibility that I won't get the points I want for UL and maybe UCC (Yes, i'm so pessimistic) :P *runs off to study*

unknown13

soccymonster wrote: »

Anyone wanna try and convince me that UCD won't be scary for a 17year old girl going on her own (probabaly) from the backarse of clare. If you can, it would help coz there is a large possibility that I won't get the points I want for UL and maybe UCC (Yes, i'm so pessimistic) :P *runs off to study*

Loads of first years live on campus in UCD. There will be many people in the same boat as you.

soccymonster

unknown13 wrote: »

Loads of first years live on campus in UCD. There will be many people in the same boat as you.

ya. It's just I have this mentality that ucd is so big that everyone will at least have an old friend to be with and i'll be there being the big loner. And i'm not good with big places. I only ever go to dublin once/twice a year

God, i'm so stupid. Why am i so worried and i haven't even done the leaving yet. I repeat, i'm stupid.

Pigwidgeon

soccymonster wrote: »

ya. It's just I have this mentality that ucd is so big that everyone will at least have an old friend to be with and i'll be there being the big loner. And i'm not good with big places. I only ever go to dublin once/twice a year

God, i'm so stupid. Why am i so worried and i haven't even done the leaving yet. I repeat, i'm stupid.

Nah, if you're living on campus in UCD you'll be completely fine. Anyone I've talked to who has lived on campus has loved it and hasn't had issues with making friends. It's more than likely you'll become great friends with the people you're sharing with.

What course are you applying for?

soccymonster

kateos2 wrote: »

Nah, if you're living on campus in UCD you'll be completely fine. Anyone I've talked to who has lived on campus has loved it and hasn't had issues with making friends. It's more than likely you'll become great friends with the people you're sharing with.

What course are you applying for?

Just put my name on the waiting list for accom in ucd. Aaaaahh (in a good way! ) And your post makes me feel better, thanks Ah nursing and science! Shur we'll see what the craic is anyways.

Pigwidgeon

soccymonster wrote: »

Just put my name on the waiting list for accom in ucd. Aaaaahh (in a good way! ) And your post makes me feel better, thanks Ah nursing and science! Shur we'll see what the craic is anyways.

From what I've seen, both of those courses are pretty tight knit and people don't have much problems making friends. Sure if you're up in UCD, there'll be loads of C&Hers in Dublin who I'm sure would be willing to meet up

jumpguy

I saw a grey squirrell for the first time ever in UCD at the open day, for real. If that isn't the sign of a great university...

Bottleopener

jumpguy wrote: »

I saw a grey squirrell for the first time ever in UCD at the open day, for real. If that isn't the sign of a great university...

I'm changing my CAO form now in light of this new information.

Grindylow

Same, I want to see one too..

Anybody considering doing a rather specific science degree in a course where a general entry first year science course is offered, I'll just pitch in here with advice to do the more general science course.
Everywhere this is offered, you can transfer into a more specific course, as long as you take the right modules. That's my own little nugget of experience.

flyswatter

kateos2 wrote: »

Nah, if you're living on campus in UCD you'll be completely fine. Anyone I've talked to who has lived on campus has loved it and hasn't had issues with making friends. It's more than likely you'll become great friends with the people you're sharing with.

What course are you applying for?

Hmm. It depends. I wouldn't have been ready to move up to college at that age certainly. I know that a close friend of mine lived on campus for first year in UCD and ended up moving to Rathmines to live with his friends because he didn't get on with his roommates. Had to wait a year until this could happen. He had never met these people before.

UCD is different from many other colleges in that is absolutely massive compared to most.

Don't let my opinion put you off, just saying what my friend experienced.

Lawliet

jumpguy wrote: »

I saw a grey squirrell for the first time ever in UCD at the open day, for real. If that isn't the sign of a great university...

Be better if they had proper Irish squirrels!

Seren_

If people are mad to see squirrels, they should head to Maynooth - the place is full of them! Grey and red ones *nods*

UpTheSlashers

Im doing first year exams in college at the moment so naturally im on boards :P I saw this thread so i thought id wish all the younguns the best of luck over the next month and a half. My advice; Relax.

Namlub

flyswatter wrote: »

Hmm. It depends. I wouldn't have been ready to move up to college at that age certainly. I know that a close friend of mine lived on campus for first year in UCD and ended up moving to Rathmines to live with his friends because he didn't get on with his roommates. Had to wait a year until this could happen. He had never met these people before.

UCD is different from many other colleges in that is absolutely massive compared to most.

Don't let my opinion put you off, just saying what my friend experienced.

Ah sure you could get dodgy roomates anywhere, doesn't mean it's more likely in UCD just because it happened to your friend. Soccy, my sister goes to UCD and she loves it. I thought it was really huge and intimidating too but she says she got to know people really quickly through accommodation and her course and whatever and then it's grand. Just go with what your heart desires, or something...

ohthebaby

Soccy live with first years! I swear to God last year was the best year of my life and my housemates were the best people in the world and we were five best friends. You're all thrown in at the deep end more than likely not knowing anybody else and it's them that you'll get to know first. I know some people have had bad experiences or whatever but I cannot recommend student accommodation enough for first year! BEST FUN EVER.

QueenOfLeon

I'll add a giant +1 to the student accommodation for first year! You'll all be the same, not knowing too many people and up for making new friends! Me and 2 of my housemates were best friends, still live with 1 of them this year, and they're the people you'll end up going to the first nights out, orientation, first lectures and all that with

jumpguy

I haven't booked any accomodation yet, considering I could end up in UL, UCC or NUIG yet...and I can't afford a deposit for them all.

I also did no study today. Me need sleep.

flyswatter

QueenOfLeon wrote: »

I'll add a giant +1 to the student accommodation for first year! You'll all be the same, not knowing too many people and up for making new friends! Me and 2 of my housemates were best friends, still live with 1 of them this year, and they're the people you'll end up going to the first nights out, orientation, first lectures and all that with

If you knew a friend going to the same college would you not rather stay with them and maybe a few more roommates?

You could end up not getting on and you would have to stay for the year. Dunno who you're gonna be staying with after all or do you get any say, perhaps people from the same course?

Grindylow

flyswatter wrote: »

If you knew a friend going to the same college would you not rather stay with them and maybe a few more roommates?

You could end up not getting on and you would have to stay for the year. Dunno who you're gonna be staying with after all or do you get any say, perhaps people from the same course?

I'd rather go with new people, take the chance sure, don't be dry!

Life's all about taking chances, doing normal stuff equates to a boring life!

Screaminmidget

Noel2k9 wrote: »

I'd rather go with new people, take the chance sure, don't be dry!

Life's all about taking chances, doing normal stuff equates to a boring life!

Also, From what ive heard, The people you live with in first year will remain close(ish) friends with you for the rest of your life...

soccymonster

Noel2k9 wrote: »

I'd rather go with new people, take the chance sure, don't be dry!

Life's all about taking chances, doing normal stuff equates to a boring life!

I'm willing to take the chance. It's just I've heard UCD is massive. Think I'll run up there and have a look around before the CAO closes just to see what the craic is.
But it seems rather appealing now! I'll know no-one though. But shur, lots of people usually don't know anybody and they get along graaaaand.

Oh ya, I booked accomodation.. well my name is on the waiting list or something (UCD is confusing!). And I'm number 1500 and something. Can someone please reassure me that I'll be ok :P (or tell me I'm screwed!) A boardsie told me that I should be fine but aaaahhh, I'm abit "oh god!" about it seeing as 800 places seem to be reserved for 1st years on campus.

Grindylow

soccymonster wrote: »

I'm willing to take the chance. It's just I've heard UCD is massive. Think I'll run up there and have a look around before the CAO closes just to see what the craic is.
But it seems rather appealing now! I'll know no-one though. But shur, lots of people usually don't know anybody and they get along graaaaand.

Oh ya, I booked accomodation.. well my name is on the waiting list or something (UCD is confusing!). And I'm number 1500 and something. Can someone please reassure me that I'll be ok :P (or tell me I'm screwed!) A boardsie told me that I should be fine but aaaahhh, I'm abit "oh god!" about it seeing as 800 places seem to be reserved for 1st years on campus.

If 800 are reserved, you're 1500, realistically not all of them will accept their places on campus! Some won't get the points, some will have found different accommodation.. I think I read a thread in the UCD forum about it, and people with numbers higher than that had got their accom!

Pigwidgeon

flyswatter wrote: »

Hmm. It depends. I wouldn't have been ready to move up to college at that age certainly. I know that a close friend of mine lived on campus for first year in UCD and ended up moving to Rathmines to live with his friends because he didn't get on with his roommates. Had to wait a year until this could happen. He had never met these people before.

UCD is different from many other colleges in that is absolutely massive compared to most.

Don't let my opinion put you off, just saying what my friend experienced.

Oh I'm probably the last person to be pimping out UCD. Most people here know how much I hated it there, and I mean really hated. I was just trying to point out that the majority of people I knew who lived on campus loved the place and had no issues making friends.

flyswatter wrote: »

If you knew a friend going to the same college would you not rather stay with them and maybe a few more roommates?

You could end up not getting on and you would have to stay for the year. Dunno who you're gonna be staying with after all or do you get any say, perhaps people from the same course?

Tbh, that was my problem. Sticking with my friends from school. They ended up leaving half way through first year and I was left on my own knowing nobody else and everyone else had already made friends. It was one of the contributing factors to me leaving.

With anywhere you rent there's a possibility of you not getting on with your room-mates. I'd say most people in here will end up hating their room-mates at some point, but that's life.

ohthebaby

flyswatter wrote: »

If you knew a friend going to the same college would you not rather stay with them and maybe a few more roommates?

You could end up not getting on and you would have to stay for the year. Dunno who you're gonna be staying with after all or do you get any say, perhaps people from the same course?

I lived with my best friend from school and three random people who turned out to be the most perfect people they could have put us with. We were all so different and at the start it didn't look like we'd all blend but we did. Well where I was you could put down people you wanted to share with if you knew anybody going, otherwise just a complete lottery. We weren't all the same courses, just all from the artsy end as opposed to anybody sciencey.

I know it mightn't turn out well and I have heard some horror stories but tbh the positive tales by far outweigh the bad stuff.