Some good advice on CAO options

WITH the CAO deadline of February 1 fast approaching, more than 50,000 Leaving Certificate students nationwide will begin to consider career and college options.
While completing the CAO form can be a daunting task for students, it is an important step towards securing their college and course of choice. Griffith College schools liaison officer Richard Murphy says there is no need for students or parents to be fazed by it.
He gives his top tips for completing this year’s CAO form:
DO research your course choices in advance.  Sites such as www.cao.ie and www.qualifax.ie are very useful to assist students with their decision.
DO check the basic entry requirements for each of the courses you are interested in. Some courses will have language requirements or may require a certain grade in Maths.
DO apply online, as opposed to the paper format. The online form is significantly cheaper and it does not allow applicants to make mistakes by entering a course code that does not exist.
Don’t leave it to the very last minute even with the online form, as computers can crash.
Do fill in all 20 spaces provided for the 10 Level 8 choices and the 10 Level 6 and 7 choices to give yourself as much choice as possible.
DO put course choices in order of preference with what you really want to do first.  Don’t try to second-guess what the points will be in August.
DON’T forget the Change of Mind facility that is available after May 1 until July 1.
Richard also said, “While dedicating time to school work and study is of utmost importance to secure the best results in the Leaving Cert, it is also essential that due time is given to researching what course and college will be the right fit for you.
“College is an important time in any students’ development and picking the right course will ultimately secure the career you are working towards.”