What to do with your gap year

fizzyorange

Hey everyone.
I've decided that just incase I take a gap year I want to have a few plans of things to do. I reckon it'd be handy to have a thread to get suggestions and maybe give other people ideas for their gap year.

Right now, I have no idea what I'd do with a gap year! I would probably travel to Spain and Australia, my parents live their and could probably hook me up with some cheap accommodation, but for most of the year I'd be in Ireland.

Chris.Buckley

where were you living during the year if your parents live abroad? If I decide to do a gap year, i'd just be working solid for the year so I have some security during college because we don't have much money. maybe go visit some friends in Germany for a month at most. nothing exciting really though, just thinking ahead.

Chris.Buckley

If you're okay for money though, maybe try get into things that interest you but you haven't had time or the chance to do yet. example : If you wanted to learn to bartend, ask some bars that you like (not clubs - bad idea) if you can work some nights for free in exchange for them training you up. It's a really useful skill to have and will probably serve you well in the future, plus if you impress them, they might offer you a job. It's the perfect time to do something like that.

fizzyorange

I live on my own in Ireland. In fairness, I also plan to work but I probably won't go for full time. I'd also love some time to try new things.
I think the training thing is a great idea. I might look into that.

ChemHickey

fizzyorange wrote: »

I live on my own in Ireland. In fairness, I also plan to work but I probably won't go for full time. I'd also love some time to try new things.
I think the training thing is a great idea. I might look into that.

Fizzy, it'd be a great time for you to get ahead on your clarinet grades, work a bit on college psychology and learn a new language if you wanted!

fizzyorange

ChemHickey wrote: »

fizzyorange wrote: »

I live on my own in Ireland. In fairness, I also plan to work but I probably won't go for full time. I'd also love some time to try new things.
I think the training thing is a great idea. I might look into that.

Fizzy, it'd be a great time for you to get ahead on your clarinet grades, work a bit on college psychology and learn a new language if you wanted!

Oh most definitely. If I take a year out I want to get to a grade 5 in theory and hopefully go up two clarinet grades as well. As for the language, well the only language I am any good at is sign sadly. :L but I might take a course in it, they are rather inexpensive.

ChemHickey

fizzyorange wrote: »

ChemHickey wrote: »

fizzyorange wrote: »

I live on my own in Ireland. In fairness, I also plan to work but I probably won't go for full time. I'd also love some time to try new things.
I think the training thing is a great idea. I might look into that.

Fizzy, it'd be a great time for you to get ahead on your clarinet grades, work a bit on college psychology and learn a new language if you wanted!

Oh most definitely. If I take a year out I want to get to a grade 5 in theory and hopefully go up two clarinet grades as well. As for the language, well the only language I am any good at is sign sadly. :L but I might take a course in it, they are rather inexpensive.

I have some theory notes still(I think) if you need any! :P We did sign language in TY. It was great, but hard to understand when they were going fast!

mockshelp

Let me tell you what happened to me.
I was doing an Arts degree and didn't like it and dropped out of it 3 weeks into the course.... so essentially I was on a year out!
I hadn't expected a year out so had nothing planned... So once I dropped out of college I wondered "what am I going to do for the whole year now!!". It's hard to get a full-time job. And I couldn't see myself going travelling for the whole year!!

There's loads of colleges of further education around the country. There is loads of post leaving cert FETAC Level 5 courses available in areas like business, computer studies, social studies to name a few. They are 1 year duration. You could try one in an area of interest to see if you like it e.g. computers - and would be more informed when choosing courses for university the following year. PLCs are just another option for you to consider! You say you are close to Maynooth university so this would probably be the closet college of further education to you and here is the list of courses on offer: http://www.kildarevec.ie/schools-colleges/plc-courses And here's the brochure: http://www.kildarevec.ie/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/2011-PLC-Brochure.pdf

I did a PLC course in business administration. I was lucky to get on the course as they had places available (They usually don't accept applicants after middle of September but if they still have places on the course they will probably let you in - you'll just have a bit of catching up to do.) I think I started around 10th October this year so I missed 3-4 weeks but caught up with the work quickly and managed to get all distinctions in the assessments! I got in by the skin of my teeth - they were going to send the final list of people doing the course to FETAC that weekend of October.

Where I was the course finished the start of May!! So it finished very early. (I think most PLCs finish very early in May - you can check with your nearest further education college) So you still have 4 months summer break to do the things you wanted to do with your year out!

The PLC course I did wasn't hard. They're all Level 5 (so its the same level as the Leaving Cert). You don't get homework as such like in secondary school where you have to have it done for the next day. (But you should revise what you do in class.) Instead you get assignments/projects to do but you have LOADS of time to get them done (usually have 4-5 weeks until assignment due date.) So its good as you have flexible time to do the things you want (like practising clarinet or having a part-time job). I managed to get my violin exam done this year too (which I probably wouldn't have if I was in college). Classes were 9AM-4PM Monday to Thursday and I only had 2 hours in the morning on Fridays.

Finally with PLC courses you can get an extra 50 CAO points up to a maximum of 400 points (provided you get distinctions in at least 5 out of your 8 modules) So if you have 350 points you could raise it to 400 by doing a PLC course. But if you have over 400 points you won't get any extra points by doing a PLC course. This is one of the main reasons people do PLC courses for.

If you have any questions about anything feel free to PM me Fizzy!

KKBL

mockshelp wrote: »

Let me tell you what happened to me.
I was doing an Arts degree and didn't like it and dropped out of it 3 weeks into the course.... so essentially I was on a year out!
I hadn't expected a year out so had nothing planned... So once I dropped out of college I wondered "what am I going to do for the whole year now!!". It's hard to get a full-time job. And I couldn't see myself going travelling for the whole year!!

There's loads of colleges of further education around the country. There is loads of post leaving cert FETAC Level 5 courses available in areas like business, computer studies, social studies to name a few. They are 1 year duration. You could try one in an area of interest to see if you like it e.g. computers - and would be more informed when choosing courses for university the following year. PLCs are just another option for you to consider! You say you are close to Maynooth university so this would probably be the closet college of further education to you and here is the list of courses on offer: http://www.kildarevec.ie/schools-colleges/plc-courses And here's the brochure: http://www.kildarevec.ie/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/2011-PLC-Brochure.pdf

I did a PLC course in business administration. I was lucky to get on the course as they had places available (They usually don't accept applicants after middle of September but if they still have places on the course they will probably let you in - you'll just have a bit of catching up to do.) I think I started around 10th October this year so I missed 3-4 weeks but caught up with the work quickly and managed to get all distinctions in the assessments! I got in by the skin of my teeth - they were going to send the final list of people doing the course to FETAC that weekend of October.

Where I was the course finished the start of May!! So it finished very early. (I think most PLCs finish very early in May - you can check with your nearest further education college) So you still have 4 months summer break to do the things you wanted to do with your year out!

The PLC course I did wasn't hard. They're all Level 5 (so its the same level as the Leaving Cert). You don't get homework as such like in secondary school where you have to have it done for the next day. (But you should revise what you do in class.) Instead you get assignments/projects to do but you have LOADS of time to get them done (usually have 4-5 weeks until assignment due date.) So its good as you have flexible time to do the things you want (like practising clarinet or having a part-time job). I managed to get my violin exam done this year too (which I probably wouldn't have if I was in college). Classes were 9AM-4PM Monday to Thursday and I only had 2 hours in the morning on Fridays.

Finally with PLC courses you can get an extra 50 CAO points up to a maximum of 400 points (provided you get distinctions in at least 5 out of your 8 modules) So if you have 350 points you could raise it to 400 by doing a PLC course. But if you have over 400 points you won't get any extra points by doing a PLC course. This is one of the main reasons people do PLC courses for.

If you have any questions about anything feel free to PM me Fizzy!

Hi did you do any business subjects for the LC and if yes how did they compare to what you were studying on the PLC? & What modules did you take?

mockshelp

KKBL wrote: »

Hi did you do any business subjects for the LC and if yes how did they compare to what you were studying on the PLC? & What modules did you take?

Yes I did Business Studies for the Leaving Cert. I didn't do accounting or economics.

I had 9 modules in the PLC course:
Business Administration, Customer Service, Communications, Word Processing, Spreadsheet Methods, Database Methods, Bookkeeping - Manual and Computerized, Payroll - Manual and Computerized, Work Experience (10 days work experience HAS to be done in order to get the FETAC certificate. Also modules Communications and Business Administration have to be passed in order to receive the certificate.)

The Business Administration module has a lot of Leaving Cert Business Studies in it like human resource management, organisational structures, insurance, meetings. Its 90% LC business but a few new things in it.
FYI: You can search Google for the syllabus of each module e.g. lookup: fetac level 5 + module name and you will find a pdf file in the search results which is the syllabus. Here's the business administration module syllabus: http://www.fetac.ie/doc/WelcomeServlet?DocId=0901df9e80001edf
The final exam which is 40% of the module tests knowledge of the units. You also have 2 projects during the year (each worth 30%) that makes up the other 60%.

Word processing and spreadsheets are easy. Database methods looks hard initially but once you know it its easy! (All the questions are the same i.e. the procedure for creating a database doesn't change. You've just got to practice it to learn the method and get quicker at it.)
The customer service module is easy. It's mostly LC business too. There's 3 units in it: 1. Legislation - Sales of Goods and Services Act 1980, Small Claims Court 2. Quality Service - Quality marks, TQM. 3. Discrimination. The final exam which is 20% tests knowledge of these units. 80% of this module is continuous assessment group work tasks and on your own research/assignment work.
The communications module is probably the hardest - its not difficult but has a lot to cover in it.
Bookkeeping and Payroll are easy. Again just practice makes perfect with these.

So basically there is a lot of emphasis on continuous assessment in the course with assignments and group work but there is nothing as to say "challenging"! (e.g. one group work task was to prepare a group discussion on any topic of our choice) and the projects you had 4-5 weeks to get them done. (example in communications: prepare a poster presentation on any topic of your choice and give a 5 minute presentation talk to the class about it). Communications and customer service modules are the only ones that have group work tasks - but there isn't a lot of it. Most assignments you get are independent work.

This was the only course they had places in so I took it so I wouldn't be stuck with nothing to do for the year. The IT/computer course was full up. I did learn new useful skills from it anyways. If you're considering doing a PLC course maybe do the Computers/IT instead. You do all the modules you do for the business course except payroll, bookkepping, business administration and customer service is replaced with computer architecture, programming, web authoring modules. It will be more enjoyable if you already have done LC business (as the business administration and customer service modules -which are LC business - aren't in this course) and computer skills are always good to have! It will impress any employer if you show you have good computer skills! (Even if you don't think you want a job with computers, it would be good skills to have to impress). If you've already done LC business don't do the business PLC. Do a different course to learn NEW skills!

If you want more details on anything specific PM me! Thanks.