For most students, the annual Higher Options conference marks the beginning of life after school.
It’s a one-stop shop for information on further and higher education courses, a chance to talk to students and lecturers, and an opportunity to attend talks on careers and learning. Traditionally, students have used the day as a filter: get the lowdown on courses and colleges of interest, consider what stands out and, from there, start planning for in-person and virtual open days.
It can be a really valuable experience, but careful planning is required to make the most of it. Back in the day, I got the bus in with my friends, glanced at a few stalls and snuck out with my friends to enjoy a day off. I was delighted with myself but, as the countdown to CAO started to tick louder and louder, I realised I had missed out.
Because I hadn’t spoken to students or lecturers on the courses that interested me, I didn’t know what open days I should attend, or what UK or overseas colleges might be worth considering. And so I ended up attending way more open days than I should have, for courses and colleges that weren’t a fit for me.
“Most students can’t attend every open day, so this is the single biggest career event for them to be exposed to their higher and further education options,” says Janet Stafford, marketing partnership manager at The Irish Times and organiser of Higher Options.
Each Higher Options session is only three hours long, so mapping out which stalls you want to visit and which talks you would like to see can help attendees make the most of it.
Although there will be a strong presence of Post Leaving Cert (PLC) courses, apprenticeships and traineeships at Higher Options, students can find even more information on these options at World Skills Ireland which, for the second year in a row, is taking place in the RDS at the same time.
If you’re heading to the afternoon slot for Higher Options, it’s good advice to attend the morning session of World Skills Ireland. Or, if you’re heading to the morning session for Higher Options, spend your afternoon at World Skills.
“Our website, HigherOptions.IrishTimes.com, includes a floor plan, a list of who is at every stall and a timetable of talks,” says Stafford.
Liam Ryan is undergraduate recruitment manager at the University of Limerick, which regularly exhibits at Higher Options and will have a stand at this year’s event.
“The stands are fairly big and, usually, arranged by faculty, with a general student queries team on hand to answer your questions and subject experts there to help students who want to do a deeper dive,” he says.
“We find that students usually ask basic questions about CAO points and entry requirements. That’s fine, and we’re there to answer that but, with attendees having limited time, they would be better to find this information on the course page, and focus more on having conversations that they can’t have online. Talk to a lecturer about a day in their life, or a student about their experience in that area, or careers for graduates on a particular course, or the student experience outside the classroom.”
Ryan acknowledges that the amount of information available can feel overwhelming, so he recommends that students bring a notebook to jot down information.
“After the event, take the time to see what courses are definitely on or off your list, and what colleges and universities are an option for you. Higher Options is the initial gateway; after this, students should try and see the campus by attending the open day.”
Stafford explains that Higher Options is split into five main zones, including the higher education zone, the further education, information and training zone, an cheathrú Ghaeltachta (the Irish language quarter), the EU and international zone and, finally, the UK zone.
“We have representatives from across Ireland’s universities and colleges, further education and training sector, apprenticeship providers, UK colleges and EU colleges,” she says.
“There will be career talks on multiple areas including law, science and engineering. This year, we will also have separate talks on agriculture, horticulture and sustainability.
“Students won’t be able to attend every talk, but we are recording them and making them available on IrishTimes.com.
“You’ll find information about changes to Ucas (UK college) applications because personal statements are being phased out from the admission process.
“The British Council will be there with overarching guidance on studying in the UK. There will be a talk on careers in language interpretation, which comes as the European Commission seeks to expand the number of interpreters and translators that it employs.
“The presence of European colleges at Higher Options has grown in recent years. We are seeing a surge in the number of students willing to travel abroad. If you’re not going to live at home, and the cost of university can be cheaper in Europe, with courses delivered in English, many students see it as a good opportunity to travel and gain more independence,” says Stafford.
In the Gaeltacht area, meanwhile, there will be career talks, a cafe area and chances to converse in Irish. Stafford emphasises that you don’t need to be a fluent speaker to attend this zone.
Career talks will cover information on opportunities to work and learn through Irish in Ireland and abroad, including in media, sport, education, the public sector and the European Union, where Irish is an official language.
With 20 per cent of civil servants required to be proficient in Irish by 2030, it’s more than likely that there will be good education and employment opportunities for Irish speakers.
Last year, exhibitors at this zone included TG4, Foras na Gaeilge, Conradh na Gaeilge, Údarás na Gaeltachta and several higher education institutions.
Although there’s a lot to cram into these five zones and the career talks, it is nonetheless a good idea — if possible — to leave a little bit of time for browsing stalls to consider courses and institutions that may not otherwise have crossed your mind.
“You may not get to speak to everyone, but you should get a good overview,” says Stafford.
“You will probably pick up information on courses you hadn’t considered. When you leave, you can start to begin your research in earnest and focus on what’s next.”
“Higher Options is designed to give you the inspiration you need to work towards your goals. After the event, it’s a good idea to chat with your guidance counsellor about the information you’ve gathered.”
Before, during and after Higher Options
Before:
- You may already have an idea of what interests you, and what sort of courses or colleges you are leaning towards. Or you may not have much of a clue. Trish Harrington, guidance counsellor at St Patrick’s Cathedral Grammar School in Dublin 8, advises students to look at their strengths and weaknesses, what subjects they like or dislike in school and what sports or extracurricular activities they enjoy. Between this and the work they have done with their guidance counsellor, this can be a useful starting point for their research;
- Go to HigherOptions.IrishTimes.com to download the floor plan, so you won’t have to spend too much time looking for the stalls you want to attend;
- Using a notebook, make a list of which stalls you want to attend and prioritise those that are most important to you.
During:
- Keep an eye on your timetable and try to make it to the talks and stalls that you’re most interested in. Then tick them off in your notebook;
- At the stalls, try to focus on the information that you couldn’t get online. Write down what you learn in your notebook;
- Be open to opportunities you may never have considered by speaking with representatives from colleges and career areas that catch your eye.
After:
- Take a minute to reflect on your overall impressions of the day. What did you find most interesting?
- Look through any prospectus, brochures, literature or college contacts you have gathered. Talk to parents, friends, teachers and guidance counsellors;
- Go online and find out more, including when open days are happening. Make a plan to attend the open days of the colleges that interest you. If you have a particular UK or EU college in mind, it is worth visiting if you can, but otherwise, you can get information online and perhaps attend a virtual talk.
- What talks did you miss? You’ll find them at HigherOptions.IrishTimes.com.
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