January and February for 6th year students can be one of the most challenging and stressful times of year. After the Christmas break students are on the homeward stretch to the Leaving Certificate exams, June comes very quickly.
These few weeks see Mock exams, oral exams and submission of project work across a wide variety of subjects. Thrown into the mix for some is the UCAS application process for colleges and universities in Northern Ireland and the UK, HPAT prep, in addition to applications for some to European Colleges.
Any student considering higher education in Ireland will have registered on the CAO system at this stage and will have put the CAO to the back of their mind, as they can change their preferences up to the 1st of July deadline.
So my advice to any student at this time of year is always to focus on your studies by working hard in each and every class, put your study plan in place with a healthy balance between minding your physical and mental wellbeing.
However, the next stage in a young person's life will always be at the back of their minds. It will form part of their lunchtime conversations as open days come up in each of the further and higher education institutions. These conversations are really important as students explore why they are considering the next stage in their journey.
For many students they will have a clear idea of what they want to do, for others they will still be confused and uncertain. This is nothing to worry about, as you just need to ensure that you have put yourself in a position where you have the widest possible number of opportunities.
Parents too need not worry and please, please don’t worry your sons/daughters, I give the you same advice as we do to students: 5th and 6th year are to focus on their studies, do that and they will leave themselves with the widest possible number of opportunities.
Choose subjects you enjoy
Most students have actually laid the groundwork for their decision in Junior Cycle, Transition Year and when choosing their Senior Cycle subjects. We always advise students to choose subjects they enjoy doing, if they enjoy doing them they will be happy to study them and they will be successful.
If a students does not like business or accountancy, chances are they are never going to be an accountant! The subjects you choose are the starting point to help you identify your interests and skills. You will have identified what activities, sports, books, films, past times you are interested in as you have grown up and you will start to develop your own values as a person. All of these give you a solid foundation to make informed decisions going forward.
Never choose a course or career path based on the number of points you think you will get in the leaving certificate, you need to choose based on your aptitudes and interests. So many students change path or drop out of courses because that is what they thought they should do based on points, or felt obliged to do that course as “that’s where the jobs are”.
During TY, 5th and 6th year attend open days, speak to your parents and family, they are the ones who know you best, they know what your interests are, they know what type of person who are. Speak to family and friends who work in areas you think you might be interested in, speak to people who are doing apprenticeships and those who are doing different courses in different Universities and Further Education Colleges.
However, don’t put yourself under pressure doing this, just do it as you go through the 3 years of senior cycle education. This will ensure that when you meet your school guidance counsellor you will have more fruitful conversations and you will be in a better position to make more informed decisions.
And after all that and when the Leaving Certificate exams are finished and you don’t have to worry about school you will be able to rank your preferred University course, apply for PLC places, apply for an apprenticeship or whatever path you wish to choose.
Your path may or may not change in the following years, you may change course, you may change career. You may finish a degree and then do a masters in a different field, you may work for a few years and then decide to return to education. Whatever you do make sure you do something you know you will enjoy, because if you enjoy it, you while be happy.
