It's CAO time again.....

seamus

OK, for most of you doing your leaving, you will have aspirations to go on to some form of college course. This means the good old CAO. I'm not going to bother with a big long post. You (should) have your CAO handbook, which tells you everything you need to know. I strongly advise reading the whole thing cover to cover. Read it on the toilet or on the bus, what else have you got to do? That's how I familiarised myself with it.

Seeing as it's the 11th of January, and the deadline is 5:15pm, on the 1st of February, I strongly advise sending it out ASAP, if you're not doing it online. 21st at the latest. The CAO get thousands of applications every year, so you have to give plenty of time for yours to get there, and for you to get a confirmation slip back. But, frankly, apply online, it'll make your life so much easier

Don't really know what you want to do? It doesn't matter. Pick what you think is the most likely thing you would like to do and send it out - you can change your mind later, when you're not being so pressurised to choose.
AND REMEMBER: Do not fill up your choices just for the sake of it, or put medicine or architecture at the top "'cos you're not gonna get it anyway". Believe me, YOU CAN NEVER KNOW. Plenty of people did that in my year and ended up doing some rock hard course, or having to take a year out and reapply the next year. Don't take chances with this.

Feel free to post up questions about applying, if you're really confuddled.

[Oh, and if you lost your handbook, messed up your application form, or didn't get the updates to the handbook, they're all available for download on the CAO website. http://www.cao.ie/applications/downloads.htm ]

(And, yes this is a basic rehash of exactly what I posted last year I'm hungover, OK!)

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

kaimera

anybody else have problems applying online?

the payment page refuses to load up for me

CuLT

I'm preparing for the joy of the LC atm and although i agree that points shouldn't be a deciding factor in choosing,
I would have thought it damn important to know if you need higher or ordinary maths to get into a particular course.

I'm doing ordinary level math and Information & Comms Technology looked perfect for me, until I found out Higher maths was necessary.

Just might be an idea to check those sort of things out first, or am I mistaken?

ceewa

it is really important to research the courses you're interested in properly. if you dont things could go really wrong for you.

dont let the points for a course put you off obviously be realistic but make sure you have the requirements for the courses you choose e.g. honours maths for engineering in universites is usually a requirement.

read up information about what the courses consist of, this info is available at open days, on the college webpages you can always email people in the colleges too asking questions.

dont put down courses just for the hell of filling up the spaces cos you could end up being stuck doing something you have no interest in and hate.

if people are really freaking out about this CAO thing relax put down some courses you are interested in, sane it off and continue reading up on courses over the next few months cos you can change your mind until

a really good way to find out about courses it to try and track down people who have done them before. they really are the only ones who can tell you what to expect from a course. and usually won't mind talking to you for ten minutes and answering questions. we've all been in the same situation.

i studied elec eng in ul and am doing biomedical engineering now so if anyone has any questions about these or ul in general feel free to ask.

article6

What's the story about deferring a year after getting an offer, then re-applying to the CAO? Can it be for a different course? Is a FETAC necessary?

Thanks

ceewa

if you get an offer and want to defer, dont accept the offer contact the college and talk to them about it. if they agree then you have your place the following year.

i'm not sure what the story is if you apply for different courses through CAO the following year.

gaui3d0pnbz86o

Research is important! look into every aspect of the course you want to do! if possible try and find some people doing that course - shouldn't be to hard on boards!- and ask them about it. as ceewa said.

thats what i did, and made some friends in the college, they brought me around and i sat in, in a few lectures!

im in nui Maynooth, so if anyone has any quieries, let me know!
i do comp sci and software engineering, any questions ask, even if its about other courses, i might know someone and i can ask them, any queeries about the college let me know.

domeara01

please do not do what i did and that is that i put down the courses in reverse order of points and now i am stuck on a course i do not like.

it can happen so if it does happent to you dont say i did not warn you.

why_me?

egh....

it says at cao.com "offline for a bit...but will be back"
what the flyin feck those that mean , is there certain hours or have i not soiled myself in vain ?

bkehoe

The site is cao.ie, not cao.com.

why_me?

well.....thats just silly.