Studying in the UK: ‘It forces you to step outside your comfort zone’
From navigating the application process to adapting to new learning environments, students from the Republic share their experience of studying in Britain and Northern Ireland
Classroom to College
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Irish interest in education is boarding on obsession
Classroom to College: Higher Options supplement is an essential guide for Leaving Cert students
Irish teenagers getting weaker at maths and reading, new international research shows
OECD says ‘increased digitalisation’ and ‘falling rates of reading for enjoyment have coincided with weaker literacy outcomes’
‘He isn’t lazy. He isn’t badly behaved. He is frightened’: The children struggling to attend school
Children are experiencing anxiety, vomiting and frightening behaviours
‘It makes them more resilient’: Life in Ireland’s only Irish-language primary boarding school
It’s a screen-free year for them – no television, no iPads, no internet – and no access to mobile phones
A place to map out your future: Higher Options conference offers an ideal opportunity for students
Higher Options and WorldSkills Ireland event has a wide range of representatives to help you decide what to pursue after the Leaving Cert
How should a new recruit navigate a hybrid working system?
Flexibility, boundaries and finding out how things are done are key to finding your feet in a new workplace
How to make the most of your time at Higher Options 2026
Key to this event highlighting choices in further education, training and careers is to prepare beforehand while leaving room to discover something unexpected
Higher Options 2026: Don’t miss these speakers on sports, law and engineering
Find out about potential careers from Teneo’s Kelli O’Keeffe, barrister Joy-Tendai Kangere and NCAD course co-ordinator Enda O’Dowd
‘I’m officially retiring from my primary school - and I’ve had a good run’
It’s the ultimate cliche, but it’s the kids I’ll miss the most, and their ability to say it as it is
My daughter’s classmates have left for a grind school and she is desperate to join them
Grind schools have grown in popularity but they are not a guarantee of high achievement
Cost of college: How much can you expect to pay for third-level education in Ireland?
Rent, food, travel, books, laptops and the €2,500 contribution fee add up to a considerable amount for students and families
CAO round one offers bring delight, surprise and disappointment
Applications for veterinary medicine, physiotherapy and medicine all increased this year
Got a CAO offer? The temptation is to accept immediately, but take your time
How to accept or defer – and what happens if you get an upgrade in your Leaving Cert points
‘I left school without filling out CAO form’: Louth GAA’s Sam Mulroy insists Leaving Cert ‘doesn’t define you’
Businessman who runs his own gym says he ‘got 200 points in my Leaving Certificate, and still ended up with a Master’s degree’
Skills-based FET courses versus traditional university education: Which are the real routes to opportunity?
What are the outcomes for respective graduates, particularly on durability of skills and earning potential, in the age of AI?
What is an apprenticeship and would it work for me?
Being paid while you study is a key factor, and there are more than 80 programmes available across all sectors of the economy
What’s college life like for disabled students?
Specialised disability support services are improving, but stigma still exists and transition to third level can be a challenge
Apprenticeships: ‘It’s hard, working and studying at the same time’
A social media post planted the idea of an accounting technician’s apprenticeship in Lauren Hickey’s head
If you love working with animals, you don’t have to be a vet
Smart Choices: The many careers you can build with animals
Huge range of options now available to school leavers to secure their desired course choices
Further Education sector growing in popularity with school leavers
‘Even the canteen lady knew my name at the PLC college. Everybody is so close-knit’
Lana Dowling was ‘lost’ for a long time in secondary school, but PLC courses proved a huge help in building her future
Leaving Cert: All thoughts now move to CAO round one offers
Good luck on Wednesday, and please do get in touch if you have any questions
Further education and training should be considered a winning choice, not a consolation prize
FET options are simply different tools for different goals, and choosing such paths is a decision made on its own merits
‘Imagine if my two kids ended up in TUS as well and they’re looking at their old man walking around’
Having begun a tertiary degree at 45, David Faulkner is proud of being able to say: ‘I am able; I am capable’
It’s not too late to apply for one of the many tertiary degrees on offer in Ireland
Entry to these programmes is not based on Leaving Cert points but instead looks at student drive, suitability, skills and ability
‘They called me and I went for the interview ... They just needed my Leaving Cert results’
The tertiary degree route is one student Saira Mughal highly recommends to others
What impact will ongoing grade-enhancement reductions have on CAO points?
Continuing enhancement of Leaving Cert results, even at a reduced level, means an ongoing distorting effect
Leaving Cert results: Will CAO points rise or fall? The questions students are asking
Many school leavers are concerned about points requirements for courses. But there are also career pathways beyond the traditional route
‘Mum is in tears, she can’t talk’: Student who left school in second year gets 625 points in Leaving Cert
She studied the Leaving Cert course through online grinds, which she worked to pay for, and through the use of free online teaching videos on YouTube
You have your Leaving Cert results. Now what?
Stay calm and ensure you are clear on how to interpret your grades as they relate to your college requirements
Appeal, wait, go abroad, repeat: what can you do if you don’t get your first CAO choice?
Students from the class of 2026 have more options than ever
Leaving Cert results: One of the most beloved subjects proves, yet again, to be one of the hardest
Physics and chemistry are often perceived as difficult subjects, but they tend to have a high H1 rate
CAO points system cannot be used to measure intelligence
People possess distinct intelligences, not just one or two that can be captured by an IQ test or examination
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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