‘I realised I wasn’t this strange person people didn’t like. I just hadn’t found my people’
Students describe feeling lonely in groups and struggling to make deeper connections all while feeling under pressure to be living socially active lives
Third Level
News and advice covering the third level education system.
University is a chance to remake yourself. No one knows if you were shy at school
It can seem that everyone else is easily making friends and having fun in the early days. Some of them are pretending
The issues worrying students – and parents – when it comes to Leaving Cert 2026 results and CAO offers
Next Tuesday at 3pm is the cut-off point for receipt of acceptance of CAO round-one offers
A parent’s guide to helping your children start college life
‘Almost 4,500 every year in Ireland do not progress from year one to year two … There’s a lot of unhappy students and parents’
Empire was central to how Ireland’s nonsectarian colleges justified themselves
Queen’s colleges were established in 1845 in Belfast, Cork, and Galway to serve growing middle-class that included the island’s Catholic majority
Advice for college first years: ‘You need to force yourself to go to at least one club’
If initially it can seem a bit hard to break into circles, clubs and societies are key to settling in to college life, says one fourth year
Engineer shortage threatens Ireland’s housing and infrastructure plans, new research shows
Profession contributes €12.65bn to Ireland but warns recruitment must meet demand
Scramble for student accommodation begins as shortages deepen nationwide
Ireland’s housing crisis has made the ritual of living away from home a nerve-racking one for the country’s 280,000 third-level students
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
Starting college: ‘The social life, making new friends, new connections, the education’
New horizon beckons for teenager who hails from DRC but has progressed from St Aidan’s Community School in Tallaght
Relief at securing a college place: ‘I’m just going to enjoy Galway city’
Having been denied Dare, Grace McNamara is very excited to have secured an arts place
Still plenty of options for those who didn’t receive an offer
Applicants who receive no offer can check the CAO’s ‘available places’ facility, or wait for Round 2
CAO points and college places: Good news and bad for the class of 2026
For some, the good fortune of high points is countered by the misfortune of random selection
How to study at third level and what to expect in your first year
Many students find the change from learning at second level challenging, but there are a variety of supports in place
Opposing views on Palestinian student visas
Green Party councillor calls on Jim O’Callaghan to intervene; UCC academic says universities showing contempt for native Irish students
Education matters: ‘Committing to something for four years, I needed to think about it’
When the offer came through, Alex Murphy was unsure if he wanted to pursue the course
‘It felt like I’d won’: CAO delight on anniversary of teen’s diabetes diagnosis
Danny Goff says moving to Maynooth will pose challenges, but he can’t wait to get started
Points rise in over half of all college courses across Ireland
Campaigners call for reform of ‘pressure cooker’ points system
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
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?
Fall in Leaving Cert grades will not lead to points drop
Grades may be down, but applications to college are up
Sending a child to college costs an average of €11,102 this year. Here is the smarter way to pay
College costs a lot of money, so start planning now
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
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
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
Students warned of ‘spike’ in accommodation scams as they return to college
Garda describes three red flags to watch out for
If you love working with animals, you don’t have to be a vet
Smart Choices: The many careers you can build with animals
Restricted courses: It’s difficult when everyone around you is going, ‘oh, you’ll get in’
Students typically apply for restricted courses earlier in the CAO process
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
Leaving Cert students query free fees, Dare/Hear, and off-key music
Irish Times Help desk team continue to respond to readers’ questions
‘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
College entry system is rigged in favour of comfortable classes
Our system of admissions to higher education is designed to sort students into colleges and courses starkly divided by class
‘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
Balancing act continues as Leaving Cert grades drop back by an average of just over 1%
Timelines for fully removing pandemic-related post-marking adjustment will continue to be informed by the 2026 experience
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
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
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
Covid impacts and enhanced grades: five takeaways from 2026 Leaving Cert results
Friday’s results, in the aggregate, are close to those awarded in 2020
Leaving Cert 2026: A unique second-level journey ends
Whatever results you have just received are a mark of your resilience over six uniquely challenging years
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
More than 600 extra university places to train nurses, doctors and other key medics
Record expansion to be announced of third-level healthcare places to meet growing demand for services
Advice for first years: ‘You don’t find yourself at university, you kind of create yourself there’
Bel Aghedo has completed her first year of a law degree at University of Galway
Are you too late for campus accommodation? What should you do now?
On-campus housing can be both expensive and difficult to secure
Leaving Cert results: Life isn’t about exams, fractions or poets
The Irish Times will publish a special supplement for those navigating one of the most important milestones in Irish education
Leaving Cert 2026: What time are the results out and what are other key dates?
From the initial release of results through to the appeals process and on to rounds of college offers
A parent’s guide to results day: This is not the time for ‘I told you so’
Thousands of disappointed students have always found a way forward
How can incoming students get the best out of their first year at college?
Making the library a second home can pay dividends when exams and assignments fall due
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices