The race to get a place on your course of choice begins now
IT may have been a year like no other but for those hoping to go to college this coming September the criterium hasn’t changed. The process might be different, calculated grades instead of examinations, but the race to get a place on your course of choice begins now.
The deadline for CAO applications is July 1, meaning students now have less than two weeks to decide where they would like to go when colleges reopen this coming autumn.
In May of this year, a Statement of Application Record e-mail was sent to all applicants. Its purpose was instruct you to log in and verify that all of your information has been recorded completely and correctly on your CAO Account. Failure to follow this instruction may have serious consequences for your application.
In addition, it is vital you ensure all the details on your account are up to date and correct and that any supporting documentation has been uploaded prior to July 1.
Double check your course choices and ensure they are listed in order of preference. You can change your course choices as many times as you like up to July 1 by logging in to your CAO account and clicking on Change Level 8 Course Choices or Change Level 7/6 Course Choices.
But before doing so gather as much information as you can, seek advice of current or former students of the college, people who have completed the course in question, and the lecturers and tutors who you’ll potentially be studying under.
Furthermore, it is never too soon to think about accommodation, and with colleges having to adjust their campuses because of Covid-19 you will need to enquire about your living arrangements at the earliest available opportunity.
You should consider your choices carefully, think about whether you have a true passion for the material contained within each course.
Most importantly though, relax and don’t place too much pressure on yourself. It’s out of your hands now and wherever you go, whichever course you get a place on, it’s only the beginning of what is sure to be a long and fulfilling career.