Getting to know yourself: How students can identify their interests before choosing a course

There are hundreds of courses on the CAO form. There are thousands of courses available through further education. If you expand your search to colleges overseas, you have tens of thousands of choices.

While this much choice might initially seem like a gift, in reality the “paradox of choice” means that school-leavers looking at their options can sometimes feel overwhelmed. In 2004, American psychologist Barry Schwartz suggested that too much choice can fill us with anxiety and it’s with this in mind that students should try and understand their own preferences and interests before picking what they want to do after school.

But where to start?

“I’m asked this all the time,” says Laura Moloney, admissions officer at the University of Limerick. “I ask them what subjects they like and, if they say technical graphics and maths, I may steer them towards engineering or architecture. If they say maths, they may also like accounting or business studies. If it’s English, they may be interested in arts, journalism or teaching. My top tip is to focus on the subject you really like in school and, if there’s a subject you struggle with, you might avoid college courses where it features prominently.”

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Betty McLaughlin, a guidance counsellor based in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, and former president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, says that students should take stock of what they like about a particular school subject.

“Look at what kind of courses align with those subjects and what sort of career opportunities will open up when you complete them,” she says. “Remember, the ultimate aim will be to get a 2.1 or 2.2 degree that opens up access to the many postgraduate and professional training courses beyond your degree; the undergraduate degree may not ultimately align with where you end up.”

Margaret Brierty, an admissions officer at DCU, says that many students haven’t a clue what interests them.

“I start by advising them to write a list of what they do not want to do: if you can say, for example, that you don’t want to be a bus driver, dentist or doctor, you can eliminate these career routes. Or if you don’t like languages, you can rule out studying them at third level or working in an area where you might need a second language. When you have ruled out what you don’t want, you can focus on what you do like.”

McLaughlin says that students can also expand beyond the subjects they enjoyed at school and consider what they may have liked about work experience or part-time jobs. Was it interacting with the public? Was it keeping track of the cash? Did they enjoy preparing food, or perhaps working on a site?

While it’s important to consider the subjects you like and don’t like, this generation of students is more online than any before, and very plugged into finding videos that interest them online, whether on YouTube or TikTok, Brierty says.

“Listen to podcasts and documentaries about things you are interested in,” she suggests. “This may help you find a course that interests you.”

Moloney suggests that students should fill out aptitude or interest tests on sites like Qualifax.ie or CareersPortal.ie.

“These can help you to identify your interests, as can talking to the people working in the careers that interest you.

Students should also pay attention to the college clubs and societies on offer, not just because it helps you have a better college experience but because you can learn and develop really useful skills through getting involved with college life.

If, for instance, you’re really interested in health sciences but also interested in journalism, you can develop your journalism skills by getting involved in a college paper. If you’d love to act or be a musician, but you also want a degree in an area that pleases your parents, you could hone your artistic skills through the college drama or music society, leaving your options open. Or maybe you’re torn between business and arts, so you could go for the arts course and develop your business skills by running a college society.

“This is effectively allowing you to develop a parallel career and skills,” says Brierty. “Joining the photography society or getting involved in the college radio station, developing your teamwork skills through a team sport: these are all skills you can use. Besides, it’s always good to try something new.”

Moloney agrees: “Consider the extracurricular options as well as the college’s location and size. Clubs and societies are a great way to transition yourself to [third level], meet like-minded people, gain new skills and knowledge and expand your network both in and outside college,” she says.

UL is among the universities that run taster sessions to help students find what interests them.

“We are expanding on this at UL, including at the faculty of arts, humanities and social sciences, as well as in education and health sciences,” says Moloney. “We run taster sessions in summer where students can get a sense of what to expect. UL [and other colleges] also hold open days so that students can view facilities and speak to lectures and current students. Make the most of these: attend as many as possible. At UL, we have open evenings for specific areas where you can meet people studying or working in the areas that might be of interest to you.”

Brierty cautions that parents and guardians may have a set view of what course will lead to what job, but that it’s more important to focus on career paths.

“Some of these jobs have not been invented yet, and there are all sorts of innovations and new technologies coming down the line – such as artificial intelligence, which is revolutionising the world we live in. They will learn communication, presentation and research skills at university, which don’t necessarily lead to particular jobs but help to build a career path. It’s important that young people get to follow their passion if that is what they want.”

Look at courses on offer

It may sound basic, but another way of discovering what interests you is browsing through the courses and course titles that interest you. While this may be overwhelming if everything seems equally interesting or equally boring to you, it can open up your options before you begin to narrow them down.

Crucially, these courses shouldn’t just be from the CAO handbook, but should also include what is on offer in the further education and training sector. Post-Leaving Cert and traineeship courses are shorter in duration (usually one to two years) so they offer the opportunity to explore an area of interest. They can work as a stepping stone to higher education courses or directly into employment. And there are no course fees involved. You can explore what programmes are on offer at fetchcourses.ie.

“A PLC course is vocationally-oriented and covers such a wide of areas, including animal care, animation, arts, beauty, business, childcare, computers, education, hairdressing, health, horticulture, music, science, sport and more,” says Maria Walshe, director of communications as Solas, the further education and training agency.

“If you look at some of the courses available in your local colleges of further education, you might find that something of interest jumps out to you – and perhaps it’s something that you haven’t considered before. Perhaps some aspect of the course or a module will pique your interest, and this may be worth exploring further.

“The other area to consider is learning while you are earning on an apprenticeship. Unlike a traditional college course, an apprentice is working for an employer and studying through both on- and off-the-job learning. At the end of the apprenticeship you will have both a qualification and work experience. An expansion of the apprenticeship system in recent years means there are now over 65 different types of apprenticeship available in 16 different industries, ranging from level six, to level-eight honours degree level, right up to level 10 [doctoral level],” Walshe adds.