Tips for an easy transition into College in Dublin
Making the transition to college can cause some stress and anxiety for many students. We’ve teamed up with Marie McManamon, a qualified careers consultant and recruitment expert, to bring you some useful tips so you can feel confident and ready to start college!
Making the most out of being a new college student
Becoming a first-year college student is one of the biggest transitions you can make so it is normal to feel nervous!
Here are some tips to help you settle in:
- Attend all talks/events during Induction Week so you’re familiar with everything about your college and course and a great opportunity to make new friends!
- Join a club/society, whether you’re joining a sports club or a Business society, you’ll be able to meet likeminded people who share your interests or hobbies.
- Organise your time well so you can wake up for those early lectures and be able to meet your coursework deadlines
- Talk to people from your course or college when you get the chance, so you can all share ideas and support each other through the course.
- Check out everything that your Students’ Union offers, such as job opportunities or events that you can be part of from Freshers’ parties to cultural celebrations.
- Arrange get-togethers with your housemates, it can be an evening cooking at home or a day out to explore the city together.
Remember that if you ever need support, guidance or simply someone to speak to, you can always contact your Student Union, Student Advisor or the Student Services department. They are there to help you.
Deciding if your chosen course is right for you
There is no need to make your final course choice right now, the CAO change of mind facility allows you to reselect your course choices between now and July.
If you feel that the course you selected or were offered is not right for you, here are some possible solutions.
Your options:
- Continue with the course to understand more about what’s involved and if it’s right for you, before applying for alternative courses.
- Transfer to another course in the same college if it’s early enough in the year
- Leave your selected course and reapply through CAO for your preferred course for the next year
- Complete the year and reapply before February or July CAO Deadline for another 1st year college place
- Reapply through CAO the following year. If the course is outside the current college, then you can reapply through CAO before 1st February deadline. If your new course is at the same college, then there is a special late application date of 22nd July (apart from restricted courses).
Wrong programme choice is the key reason students leave. So, if you find yourself in this situation, you are one of many who have simply changed their minds once they had more information which is ok! Simply speak to the Student Services department in your college to help you think through your choices.
Top clearing tips for all you need to know: Our blog takes you through the steps and preparation for clearing. There’s still plenty of opportunity to secure a place at a great university! Do your research and be prepared for Clearing The more you can do to prepare and think about your options in advance […]
We’re delighted to announce that we have been nominated for four awards at the National Student Housing Awards. These awards recognise our positive learning environments and quality student experience, all voted for by our residents based on their experience. These leading industry awards are determined by student feedback collected through the National Student Housing Survey, […]
We’ve saved you the leg work for bagging those bargains and have some top tips for sprucing up your room. Those personal touches, whether it’s a cool light sculpture or a leafy plant, can make it feel much more homely. With the new academic year fast approaching there’s so much to look forward to with […]
Summer is officially here and nothing screams summer more than a field, tent, limited showers and vibrant array of music. Whether your bag is pop, house, disco or indie tunes there are festivals to suit all tastes with more and more being announced each year. Festivals have really changed over the years and now offer […]
The summer holidays are within reaching distance! Exams are nearly over and a long stretch of sunny (hopefully!) days lay ahead…. If you’re stuck for what to do over the summer holidays, have a read of our blog to learn about the benefits of volunteering! Whether you fancy supporting your local community or venturing further […]
Making the transition to college can cause some stress and anxiety for many students. We’ve teamed up with Marie McManamon, a qualified careers consultant and recruitment expert, to bring you some useful tips so you can feel confident and ready to start college! Making the most out of being a new college student […]
At aparto we’re all about living your best life and we could all benefit from a little focus on wellbeing and body positivity. We love hosting wellbeing events and therefore we hosted a fab evening with wellbeing and cookery author Roz Purcell. Guests of the event had the chance to try some of her great, […]
