This is a really good question for a number of reasons.
First, it depends on why you're doing a course:
- Maybe, you didn't get the points for the University course you wanted to do and will be taking a link or "HELS" course to get into a course.
- Maybe, you're doing a course to get a qualification and then employment.
- Maybe, you're not sure which area you want to study in college/University so you're taking on a few short courses throughout the year.
- Or, maybe you're exhausted from all the school work during leaving cert, and you're going to night classes to learn a new hobby while trying to enjoy some time off before going back to third-level studies the following year. Then, it is the same as a gap year.
"Whatever you do, do with determination. You have one life to live; do your work with passion and give your best. Whether you want to be a chef, doctor, actor, or a mother, be passionate to get the best result."
- Alia Bhatt
You see, you can attend a College of Further Education with the aim of gaining a qualification and employment or entrance to higher education at the end of your time spent there. Or, you can simply sign up for one of the many skills and hobby-based courses that they usually offer locally and in the evening.
Advice on Taking a Gap Year
The years around the leaving cert can feel very long and draining. Not only in an academic sense but also physically, emotionally and mentally, some people just can't wait to be done with the whole thing!
For them, that means even if they got the points they required, and a place in their preferred college, they just need to take a year away from the books. A year to recuperate.
Before taking a gap year, it is advisable to talk to your parents and guidance counsellor to make sure you have a plan for the year, and an idea of what's going to happen when the year is up.
It's important to know what you want to get out of your gap year. Take your time, and make sure a year out is what you really want. Be sure to make note of everything you want to try during this time.
One of the best ways to do this is to sit down with your guidance teacher and tell them about your concerns. A lot of people worry that by taking a gap year they won't want to go back to college at all. But that doesn't have to be true there are plenty of things you can do to keep you motivated educationally without having to go to full-time college.
Some of the things your guidance counsellor might suggest include:
- Taking on some night classes
- Getting involved volunteering
- Travel Europe or do a J1
- Trying out the new lessons for a hobby that you've always wanted to do
The idea behind a gap year is not sending a whole year sitting at home doing nothing. But rather to give yourself time off from full-time education, to find out what really inspires you. A lot of people use this time to grow emotionally, by doing things like volunteering in the local community you also grow socially. Get to know what life is like outside of school. By gaining some real-life experience before taking on more school work.
If you're still not sure whether to take a gap year before college why not visit the Superprof main page and book a few sessions with one of our guidance tutors, who can help you figure out what is right for you?
Attending a College of Further Education - Taking a QQI 5
Taking a QQI level 5 course is great for someone who is looking to gain skills in a specific area, or who is still trying to decide what sort of job or university degree could be best suited to them. It is also an excellent option for people who may not have gotten enough points to go straight into a degree.
Did you know, that many Colleges of Further Education even do link (HELS) courses? This means that you can study your first year with them in areas such as pre-law, pre-nursing and even pre-science, and once completed go straight into the specific course in university.
"Just as food eaten without appetite is a tedious nourishment, so does study without zeal damage the memory by not assimilating what it absorbs."
- Leonardo da Vinci
There are also a lot of skills you learn in a Further Education College that you will not have learned in Secondary School, skills that will help you both in Third Level education and also in adult life.
Some of those skills include:
- How to speak to new people without being self-conscious
- How to deliver information with both detail and clarity
- How to reference other peoples work correctly
- How to communicate and empathise with people from all different walks of life
- How to work as part of a group
- How to lead a group
- How to set goals
- How to manage your time properly
- How to appreciate your achievements
- How to be a good student and employee
You see, attending a College of Further Education prepares you for the 'real world' after school, while still allowing you to experience student life and decide whether that's the route you wish to pursue.
Whichever route you decide is for you, whether you're heading on to a QQI level 6 and then the workforce or you're going on to university, just remember you can find support at Superprof.ie. We have a wide range of tutors across hundreds of subjects and life coaches who are just a few search words away.
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