# What is the ideal college course?



## dmos87 (9 Mar 2010)

Hi All,

A general query here.

If you could return to third level education to improve your earnings and life in general, what course would you choose?


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## Purple (9 Mar 2010)

I can't think of anything.... post the question again in LOS and I'll offer an opinion


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## dmos87 (9 Mar 2010)

Purple, whats LOS?? Sorry I dont know


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## Purple (9 Mar 2010)

Letting Off Steam (where smart ass answers are ok!).


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## truthseeker (10 Mar 2010)

dmos87 said:


> If you could return to third level education to improve your earnings and life in general, what course would you choose?


 
Dog grooming.

Medicine.

Astrophysics (although Im not sure there would be many jobs out there for it).

But ultimately if I could turn back time, I wouldnt have left college. I would have stayed on and continued to study, then hopefully gotten a foot in the door of an academic career. 

I am studying for another 3rd level qualification at moment, but its much harder when youve a full time job!


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## sunrock (10 Mar 2010)

Any course with a realistic chance of getting a job.That rules out over 90% of courses.
Of course it depends if you have any "PULL" to turn your qualification into a job.
Like a daddy or uncle in a high position in a company who can either get you directly into the company or do a quid pro quo with a colleague in another company. I was amazed when I went to college how many of my fellow students in my particular course had these connections.....It was only when I came across the names of the directors in the companies in the target industries that it clicked with me ... and I can tell you that for all the guff about interview technique, grade of qualification etc etc that this "pulling" was very important as the "connected" students got positions first practically to a man/woman.Of course they had the qualification and good luck to them .Then they have "experience" and are more employable.This will be especially evident in a recession as jobs are tight.
In the public service canvassing isn`t allowed but you can be sure that some influence will be brought to bear somewhere along the line , as long as the candidate has the minimum qualification.
Healthcare professionals are/will be in high demand as people are living longer so maybe nursing or various therapists would be a good qualification.
A foreign language with another qualification would be a good idea also,but choose the language carefully.
Another idea would be to do a course that is in poor demand,because by the time you finish things might have turned around. You also need less points and have less students and competition in the classroom.
The location of the college,enjoyability of the course content, finance availability/cost etc etc are all important factors.


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## dereko1969 (10 Mar 2010)

legal course specialising in redundancy/employment law?


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## dmos87 (10 Mar 2010)

Dereko1969, I like your style  But all things considered, will unemployment and redundancy be such an issue in 5-7 years time - I hope to God not!! 

Thing is, I'm planning on a return to college hopefully in a years time but am still clueless as to what I want to do. I want a job that offers financial stability (even if that means going abroad). I want a qualification and I want it to stand by me for as long as I am working.

I'll put it another way; after being in the "working world" for a while now, if you could have known then what you know now (economy, recession, etc.), what course would you have chosen?


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## jack2009 (10 Mar 2010)

study something you like and can imagine doing. No point studying to be a doctor, no point studying accounting if you cant stand to be stuck behind a desk etc etc


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## dmos87 (10 Mar 2010)

I'm stuck behind a desk at the moment and also work on my feet part-time so anything is possible! I would look at medicine only for the responsibility of it - I would never forgive myself if I caused an accident to a sick patient, I tend to get emotionally attached to people and would find separating that from the job hard. 

My mum says my problem is that I'm well-rounded - happy to turn my hand to anything and everything. The one thing I am horribly bad at is accounting so thats a definite no-no!! 

I'm thinking a business course? Any recommendations?


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## Purple (10 Mar 2010)

Find something that you love and work as hard as you can to be as good as you can at it. 

If I was starting again I'd do something I was interested in (instead of what I'm doing).


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## Yeager (10 Mar 2010)

Any course that wil get you into the public sector. 

Preferrably a teaching type role where you don't actually have to work for about 4 months of year. When I think about this sometimes and compare it my role I laugh. And any teacher that says teenagers are difficult in schools blah blah have never had the pleasure of dealing with some of the difficult adults thats are complete asses that most of us deal with on a daily basis for a full 8 hours plus a day and a full 12 month year not an academic year.

And yes I know I did fill out a CEO and the choices I made were mine!


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## paddi22 (10 Mar 2010)

[broken link removed]

is a great site.. i did it for a laugh when a friend was doing it and the suggestions were spot on...it actually suggested the job im working at now, which i love. the next few choices were also things i could imagine enjoying and being suited to.


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## mathepac (10 Mar 2010)

paddi22 said:


> [broken link removed]
> ...


Ahhh, it's a bleedin' Fas thing, it'll want expenses and a pension and then won't do any work!


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## dmos87 (10 Mar 2010)

Wouldnt you know, the workplace wont allow me to access the link - they dont want to loose me lol!!!!


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## truthseeker (10 Mar 2010)

Purple said:


> Find something that you love and work as hard as you can to be as good as you can at it.
> 
> If I was starting again I'd do something I was interested in (instead of what I'm doing).


 
I dunno if I can agree with this Purple. I did something I was interested in and good at. But doing it for a living makes it boring. I always reckon that any job becomes boring after doing it for long enough.

How many people genuinely LOVE what theyre doing, LOVE waking up to go and spend the day at work, LOVE being in work etc....and to those people - what is it ye are doing?


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## becky (10 Mar 2010)

If you have a head for science I've never met an EHO who doesn't seem happy with their lot. That said I think the course is only availabe on a full time basis in Dublin. Decent enough salary and travel. Medical Scientist in a hospital. That course is available in Cork. Salary is okay but on call adds to this.


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## Henny Penny (11 Mar 2010)

BA in Early childhood care and education ... you'd get to play all day when you're finished!


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## dereko1969 (11 Mar 2010)

Yeager said:


> And yes I know I did fill out a *CEO* and the choices I made were mine!


 
I'm glad you didn't become a teacher seeing as you can't even spell the form correctly.


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## dmos87 (11 Mar 2010)

Now now Dereko1969, no need to get catty  we all make spelling mistakes! 

I actually went to UCC first time around with an aim for secondary school teaching - had a fab time in secondary school, wonderful teachers I still see in the town occasionally. I thought I would love it but in reality I was lost and too young and immature for college. It overwhelmed me far too much and I had a bit of a breakdown and de-registered. Now I know I wasnt ready for it all (and Icant blame the social life because I only went out twice in 1 year!).


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## redbhoy (16 Mar 2010)

Find something you actually like doing and you'll not work a day in your life


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## BONDGIRL (16 Mar 2010)

Dmos87 - Well I agree I think going to college at 17-18 is way too young to really know and understand whats life all about.. well I think so.. maybe secondary school should go on till we were 20 or something ! I did my leaving at 16, way too young, I did well but was under so much pressure to decide what future I wanted... I am still deciding LOL!


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## sunrock (17 Mar 2010)

The german system is better. They only go to university when they are 20 or 21 and then they spend 5 or 6 years there, becoming more specialised in their training.
We have graduates at that age ..21.. who have spend 4 years cramming. 
The graduates then spend years looking for a job or doing extra courses to get more qualified...so what was the point of the 4 year cram.The point is ....that its not as if the graduates are desperately needed....the opposite is the case.
There should be gap years within courses so a student would have to take a year out in the middle of a 4 year course and do community work or something.
People have got to realise that education is an industry and of course the people running and teaching in the colleges want lots of students to train so they get lots of money from the gov.


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## Purple (17 Mar 2010)

sunrock said:


> The german system is better. They only go to university when they are 20 or 21



They have national service; one year in the army or two years if you don't want to risk getting shot at.


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## sunrock (18 Mar 2010)

In all honesty the benefits of working in the public service even with pay cuts is very clear, in a recession.Natinal school teachers and Gardai have it handy as once they start training they are guaranteed jobs when they finish....well at least the gardai.
And usually public service jobs are cushy and secure with opputunities for early retirement  and nice pensions.But try getting into the public service during the recession!...you`d need to be related to the taoiseach.


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