This article is from page 18 of the 2012-08-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
STUDENTS assessing their options after the first round of offers for places in third level colleges have been urged not to panic.
Thousands of Clare students yesterday discovered if they had secured a college place as the Central Applications Office (CAO) released details of the points required for courses in Universities and Institutes of Technology.
It is a record year for the CAO with 49,862 applicants receiving an offer yesterday.
And students who do not receive their first preference have been urged to consider all of their options.
John Burns, Vice Principal of Rice College, Ennis, said students should not feel too disappointed of they do get the points for their first choice courses.
He said, “They need to consider all of their options and review their second and third choices. If they do not get what they want for their first choice, the important thing is not to panic. What I would say is that students should seek the help of guidance counsellors and teachers. The main thing is not to panic. There are helplines like the National Parent’s Council and other supports out there.”
He continued, “If any student is upset all they have to do is call into the school and someone will be here that they can talk to.”
Mr Burns said students at Rice College were in the main happy with their results, with a number scoring over 600 points.
He continued, “We had 92 kids doing the Leaving Certificate this year. A number of students scored over the 600 points mark. The rest of the kids got what they wanted. Everyone was in good form. There was a good atmosphere around the school on the day. Career guidance teachers, the chaplain and the principal were on hand.
“The kids were very happy. Some scored very high. The paper seemed quite fair this year. The students definitely benefited from high attendance throughout the year. They put in the work and we’re very proud of them,” he added.