Mature application

omahaid

Any mature students (or ex-mature students), I would appreciate a bit of help. At the end of this month I will be applying for Computer science in UCC. The CAO application basically asks you for your life history and seeing as they decide on who gets and interview on the basis of this I have no desire to be kicked out of the running at such and early stage. Could give me any tips of what to put down. I can't imagine that just putting down the truth will do, I reckon I have to spice it up a bit. Any tips?

^CwAzY^

Well.. Be honest to a certain level
Tell them something like "you like computers and would love to study them and pursue a career in computing".
Do as you would when applying for a job, sell yourself to the employer (or college in this case).
Don't tell blatant lies that you can't backup, but do exaggerate what knowledge you do have
Good luck!

gretta

Well I wouldnt worry about it Im a mature student I applied last year. I had so many sleepless nites worrying about it. Dont bother most colleges are desperate for matures the numbers are down who will go full time. As far as ur application is I wuould lie make urself sound like ur hard working By the way how old are u anyway????

eth0_

Well obviously you don't want to sound like a slacker, do you Gretta!
And as for colleges being desperate for students, there are only a tiny amount of places reserved for mature students on each course, and they don't let just ANYONE in, it's pretty hard to get into uni as a mature student.

I'm pretty sure i've seen books on applying as a mature student in Easons...you're leaving it a bit late to be getting all this together TBH!

omahaid

I'm 23 btw. As for leaving it late, I have been doing a bit of work, i.e A+ cert, designing a website. I have a friend doing a doctorate in CS in UCC and he has been helping me out. The thing I'm worried about is the CAO application not the interviews or anything. The CAO application decides if you get an interview and apparently there are 10 places and last year 40 applied.

p.s I'm ok for age, 23 last year.

gretta

Lads their is no need to get yer knickers in a twist. Colleges are desperate for matures numbers are way down in uni Dont kid urself please i aint a slacker I work very hard.....

sceptre

You do have the advantage if applying for CS that numbers are way down this year compared to the last few years. The class size of first year in my year is only 35% of the class size last year. Numbers aren't going to jump back up any time soon - to a great extent the CS department is desperate for students that they think will pass through to second year. Which isn't quite the same as being "desperate for students" but it's close enough.

and they don't let just ANYONE in, it's pretty hard to get into uni as a mature student

Obviously they don't just let anyone in - but one of the major reasons for having a separate application for mature students is to make allowances for points requirements that may not be met by the mature student. Which effectively makes it easier to apply as a mature student than through the CAO (if it wasn't people could just apply through the CAO). And that's a good thing. If you're a mature applicant, your application is good and they think you've a bit of cop on, a bit of intelligence, will be able for the course and can convince them you'll be committed to the course, you'll get it.

TBH in applying for courses I've found that putting down the truth is often the best thing. What are you going to do if you lie on the application and they ask you something you can't answer in the interview? When I entered my current course (UL) I had to go for an interview as the course had already started. I was honest to the point of brutality, which obviously worked as they told me I could start there and then - I didn't even have to leave the room before they made their decision.

Have you any kind of computer experience that can demonstrate that you'll be committed to the course?

If you feel like it, drop me a PM - I've done quite a few of these applications for people and they've all been accepted. Be calm - plenty of time. My application was done in twenty minutes.

gretta

I took it quiet too serious last year applying as a mature student. I regret it now it gets you no where obviously some courses are more popular than others but generally you can make a good case. It does help to have a back up plan though....

omahaid

Well, It has cheered me up a little to hear numbers are way down, makes my chances a bit better. As for back up plan I have applied for 7 different degree's in Cork, all to do with computers, CS , BIS etc. And a few diploma's as well so if I didn't get one of them I would be surprised but as I said earlier my only worry is the original application, according to sources, if it isnt good enough you dont even get an interview. I have no intention of lieing my intention is spicing up the truth, in other words to make my application stand out a bit from the rest of them. In case anyone hasn't guessed this is extremely important to me .Thanks for all the replies btw.

seamus

If you can show that you will have an aptitude for the course and that you're relatively committed to what you do (ie you havent had 30 different jobs in the last year).

My brother completed a Fás cabinetmaking course, and then decided that he wanted to go back to college to do Construction Technology. He had done crap in his leaving ("I'm never going to college!" ) but with his qualificaion that was even slightly relevant to the course he wanted to do, they were delighted to take him. And he was 23 too, just on the age of 'maturity'.

Just like a CV, give all the relevant details and paint yourself in a good light.

Raskolnikov

Originally posted by omahaid
Well, It has cheered me up a little to hear numbers are way down, makes my chances a bit better. As for back up plan I have applied for 7 different degree's in Cork, all to do with computers, CS , BIS etc. And a few diploma's as well so if I didn't get one of them I would be surprised but as I said earlier my only worry is the original application, according to sources, if it isnt good enough you dont even get an interview. I have no intention of lieing my intention is spicing up the truth, in other words to make my application stand out a bit from the rest of them. In case anyone hasn't guessed this is extremely important to me .Thanks for all the replies btw.

I hate to say this dude but the CS course in UCC is the worst one in the country, dreadful facilities, crappy lectures and the course content itself is pretty dire. Ideally you'd want to do a CS type course in UL or DCU but if moving isn't an option and you really want to do CS in UCC then i guess you'll have to stick with it. The BIS course on the other hand is an excellent course but it's not really a true computer course in the sense that you only really learn about database programming and some object orientated stuff.

As for getting into the course itself i had a word with a mature student who is in first year. He said that one of the key factors that got him into the course was the fact that he had previous experience with computers, if only it was a one-year multimedia/web design course. I think i know another mature student who said that he had experience with engineering or something. Even if you did one of those FAS courses or got your post grad friend to teach you some programming it would look really good on the application.

If you need to know anything just give me a PM. :cool:

omahaid

well i have done comptia a+ cert, and banged up a website, so if anyone can think of something I can do in two weeks......:)

xx

Omahaid, I'm in my 1st year of college as a mature student. The CAO application form isn't that important, just treat it like an embellished version of your CV. You should get an interview anyway. Most important thing is not to lie on it or put down things that you can't talk about. Remember, if (and hopefully when) you get an interview, the interviewers will have a copy of your application form which they will go through with you. So add stuff that you can talk about. Oh yeah, I was refused the 1st time I applied because I didn't have enough relevant experience in what I wanted to study. So, ideally, you should have some sort of PLCs or courses done that are relevant to the computer course you want to study.
The interview.....well, thats a story for another day!!!!!!!