Which course is for me?

Seaic

I am in 6th year this year and I am trying to decide the right course for me. However, I am in a right dilemma as to what to choose. It seems that there is no course I want a course that will:
i) satisfy my social needs
ii) allow me to have many career opportunities
iii) Be at least 500 points
I got 515 points in my mocks, including A1s in French and Business. The subjects I like are these two and Geography.
Any advice would be really accepted.

HugsiePie

Seaic wrote: »

I am in 6th year this year and I am trying to decide the right course for me. However, I am in a right dilemma as to what to choose. It seems that there is no course I want a course that will:
i) satisfy my social needs
ii) allow me to have many career opportunities
iii) Be at least 500 points
I got 515 points in my mocks, including A1s in French and Business. The subjects I like are these two and Geography.
Any advice would be really accepted.

That should not be a priority! You think like that and no wonder you cant find a course, I know plenty of people enrolled in courses which required 100 points less than what they actually got, its not about your intelligence, it's about what you enjoy learning and have an aptitude for. Think about what you enjoy. I myself am aiming for 500+ points but my no. 1 was 370 last year. There is no point in entering a course which has people you believe to have a similar learning capacity as you, unless you are truly going to enjoy it!

Seaic

I know about the over 500 points thing lad but thats just the way I am. I am a proud and ambitious person. I know that might sound stupid but thats the way it is. So any ideas for courses for me?

ahnowbrowncow

Seaic wrote: »

I know about the over 500 points thing lad but thats just the way I am. I am a proud and ambitious person. I know that might sound stupid but thats the way it is. So any ideas for courses for me?

A higher point requirement doesn't necessarily equate to course with a higher quality or difficulty, more so a greater popularity.

If you're ambitious and proud then get over 500 points but only choosing a course because it requires 500 points is a bit silly.

spurious

Do you understand how the points requirement works?
High points reflects popularity (and in many cases, location) of a course, not the difficulty of the course.

One Direction might top the charts, but they are hardly Mozart.

Do a course you are interested in, regardless of how many points it needs.

In a few years you'll be scarlet you ever thought it mattered.

Seaic

Lads, I just want a course over 500 because I think it would be a waste if I got 540 points and did a course 300 points. Now I don't mean to be rude but can we just get over that and telll me some suitable courses?

Froggy123

What are your favourite subjects??

ahnowbrowncow

Seaic wrote: »

Lads, I just want a course over 500 because I think it would be a waste if I got 540 points and did a course 300 points. Now I don't mean to be rude but can we just get over that and telll me some suitable courses?

Well you are being rude whether you mean to or not as I can not just get over that as easily as you Seaic and I would like to discuss courses under 500 points more thoroughly, what say you?

Medme

Seaic wrote: »

Lads, I just want a course over 500 because I think it would be a waste if I got 540 points and did a course 300 points. Now I don't mean to be rude but can we just get over that and telll me some suitable courses?

This is where the CAO system fails miserably. A 500+ point course is that because of DEMAND, not because it requires 500+ LC academic ability. To restrict yourself to high points courses just because you can get them is pure ridiculous! it is in no way a 'waste' of points if you don't 'use' them all! If you don't have a burning desire to be a vet/dr/lawyer/etc, do yourself a favor - go and study your favorite subjects in an arts/TSM degree. You can 'use' your academic ability to get a first in your degree, compete for scholarships/whatever, and go from there.

kingcobra

As was mentioned above, TSM in Trinity or Arts in UCD seem like your best bet, and the hours certainly aren't ridiculously long. An International Business degree might suit you as well, as you'll be able to incorporate both Business and French.

But you should most certainly not be setting a minimum points mark at all! It is entirely based on demand, as aforementioned. For example Engineering in UCD is a "meager" 460 points but there's 300 places and if it was like any other average course size, i.e. around 50-100, the points would have skyrocketed up the mid 500's, despite there being no changes in the course.

But if you're really concerned about it, medicine in Trinity might do it for you! :P

Leaving Cert Student

Just do medicine like all the others who want to impress their peers and family!

alleystar

Choose a course not for the points, but one you're actually interested in. As someone else said Arts is a good option.

If you opt for a course purely because it's over 500 points you're only fooling yourself.

A bit of maturity and common sense wouldn't go amiss :rolleyes:

djpbarry

Seaic wrote: »

Lads, I just want a course over 500 because I think it would be a waste if I got 540 points and did a course 300 points.

Well sure, if you believe that the sole purpose of secondary school is to get a high points score in your Leaving Cert.

Seaic wrote: »

Now I don't mean to be rude but can we just get over that and telll me some suitable courses?

Several suitable courses have been suggested, but apparently they're below you because they don't require 500+ points.

ray2012

Choosing a course in college just because it is high points is ridiculous. Choose a course you will like, maybe business and French? I'm surprised that people would actually choose a course because it has 'high points'. Wow.

dearg lady

people are only harping on about it to try and stop you making a poor decision that will affect at least the next few years of your life. So many people choose unsuitable college courses, and regret it. If you're including bizarre stipulations you only increase your chance of doing this.

sombaht

Seaic wrote: »

Lads, I just want a course over 500 because I think it would be a waste if I got 540 points and did a course 300 points.

If this is the view of the current generation of school leavers the future of the country is even worse off than I imagined.

Look, go to college and pick a course you enjoy. Something you have an interest in. If there are decent job prospects in that area once you graduate, so much the better.
Doing a course that has a high points requirement (Just because you have the points) is not clever or cool, nor does it make you appear smart. Courses with high points are so because they are popular not because they are academically challenging (one or two notable exceptions).
As my old accountancy teacher told our class many many moons ago, "most of you, if lucky will be working for 40 years of your life. Now if you are doing something you enjoy, 40 years is a very short time, but if you're doing something you have no interest/joy in, it is a very very very long time indeed."

I consider myself very lucky that I'm doing something I enjoy.

Cheers,
sombaht

Seaic

I would do Arts in Trinners but there isn't much jobs from Arts other than teacher. I was thinking about a couple of subjects so I'll just list them and you guys can tell me what you think:
-Business Studies and French TCD
-Business and Law TCD
-Law and French TCD
-Business and Law UCD
-Law UCD
-International Languages UCD
-Commerce International UCD
-Commerce International UCC
-Law and French UCC
-Applied Languages UL
- Law and Arts NUIM

YoursSincerely

Seaic wrote: »

Lads, I just want a course over 500 because I think it would be a waste if I got 540 points and did a course 300 points. Now I don't mean to be rude but can we just get over that and telll me some suitable courses?

The whole points thing is ricidulous, My brother did an engineering degree that was 340 or so points at the time, he had several job offers after college and is now making more money than people who did courses that had 500+ points. You should be thinking about your career after college, what would you be happy doing for 20/30 years afterwards, Find the course that suits you and then look at the points, well done for being ambitous and getting 515 points , but choosing a lower points course is not a waste if its a course your interested in. SOme new courses will have lower points also, but that doesn't mean that they are not good courses, from your fav subjects and stuff it sounds like business and french in TCD would suit you

XxMCRxBabyxX

Seaic wrote: »

I would do Arts in Trinners but there isn't much jobs from Arts other than teacher. I was thinking about a couple of subjects so I'll just list them and you guys can tell me what you think:

- Law and Arts NUIM

You might have a problem here. You will be sharing that course with *shock horror* ARTS students who may have even gotten under 400 points!

I was one of those btw... 395 actually. I'm in 4th year (with History as my Arts subject) and would be close to top of the class. It is a great course and I would recommend it.

BUT if you are only interested in Law as a money maker/status symbol I'd give up now. It's tough work (and not just because I'm a "low pointer"). Pick something you want to do, not something your points dictate. No one will care what your points are once you start in college. you're all in the same point now.

Higher points do not make you any better than anyone else.

Seaic

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

You might have a problem here. You will be sharing that course with *shock horror* ARTS students who may have even gotten under 400 points!

I was one of those btw... 395 actually. I'm in 4th year (with History as my Arts subject) and would be close to top of the class. It is a great course and I would recommend it.

BUT if you are only interested in Law as a money maker/status symbol I'd give up now. It's tough work (and not just because I'm a "low pointer"). Pick something you want to do, not something your points dictate. No one will care what your points are once you start in college. you're all in the same point now.

Higher points do not make you any better than anyone else.

How did you get in with 395 points if the lowest Law and Arts at NUIM ever was was 450 points?

mixery

Hear/Dare, plenty of other ways.

XxMCRxBabyxX

Seaic wrote: »

How did you get in with 395 points if the lowest Law and Arts at NUIM ever was was 450 points?

You can take Law as an Arts subject in MH101 and transfer into Law and Arts in 2nd year if you get a 2.1 or over in Law.

I went in as a normal CAO student. No HEAR/DARE.

spurious

There is also the Mature Student entry option to many courses, which extreme horror of horrors :eek: could mean people in the class who never did a Leaving at all.

Scuid Mhór

I always found it pretty funny that there are some people academically smart enough to be able to get 500+ points, who aren't smart enough to see that courses shouldn't be picked based on points.

And this is coming from someone who's entire CAO is 460+!

magicianz

I got 545 and the entrance points for my course were 405 when I got in, anyone who thinks that choosing a degree by points is the right way to go is in for a miserable life.

13spanner

Got 470 for a course that ended up at 370. Was it 100 points wasted? Fcuk no, got my first choice on the CAO.

Do a course that deals with subjects you enjoy. Read prospectuses over and over and over, get in touch with people doing the course (that's where Boards.ie comes in ) and consider where the course is likely to get you in the future.

It's been said before, high / low points come about because of a high / low demand, and have nothing to do with the level of intelligence required or difficulty of the course.

Good luck.

Irejog

Its nothing to do with the fact you are proud and ambitious. It's just that say for example a course in "Sligo IT" at "225 points" in "arts" may be for you despite the fact that you may get 615 points in the leaving cert. Therefore if a course that may be stereotypically assumed to be at "low" quality in comparison to "better" quality courses in more established colleges.

Simply put Don't let your high points count affect your decision because it is not about how many points you get its about what is best suited for you

P.S. Congrats at getting 515 in your mocks.

pajc

I know what you mean by wanting to do a 500point course. I am the same way. It helps me know that I am not mking a mistake because courses 500+points generally have good job prospects with a good salary

djpbarry

pajc wrote: »

I know what you mean by wanting to do a 500point course. I am the same way. It helps me know that I am not mking a mistake because courses 500+points generally have good job prospects with a good salary

Utter nonsense. There are a whole host of degrees at Trinity (for example) requiring 500+ points for which there would be very little demand among employers.

XxMCRxBabyxX

pajc wrote: »

I know what you mean by wanting to do a 500point course. I am the same way. It helps me know that I am not mking a mistake because courses 500+points generally have good job prospects with a good salary

Tell that to all the unemployed graduates of high point degrees...

Sprog 4

As has been stated above and is the best advice to give to someone just starting college - do what you love to do. Doing a course because it has high points requirement is a terrible, terrible life choice. You could end up wasting a year or two of your life if you don't like it. Many people choose the wrong course however so coming here for advice was a good move. Please listen to the advice here. Don't feel like it's a 'waste' of points (I don't know where you got this idea). You should do the best you can in anything you do and not just do something as a means to an end. The sooner you learn this the better.

just fyi OP: nobody will give a $hit about points next year (i.e.) school and CAO instantly becomes a thing of the past when you go to college