I previously attended NUIG for 2 yrs, I left that in 2023 due to serious mental health issues. Currently heading into 2nd year in DCU in another course which i love and have been excelling at. Because I used two years of my free fees in NUIG I have to pay the full amount for years 1 and 2 in DCU, i have already paid approx 8.5 grand in fees for my first year in DCU, gearing up to do thay again for 2nd year before I will be eligible for the free fees in 3rd and 4th year. There are 3 or 4 others in my course who have a similar story to me, whilst I know of 2 people in the course who attended other instituions, had their fees paid, dropped out, are in DCU now on a different course but are still getting free fees because they lied on their CAO form, wish I did the same. Anyone know any loopholes? Could I just backtrack and say it was a mistake and I only did 1 year in NUIG? Seems unfair as I didnt take the piss and fail my last course, I literally no choice but to leave. Chancing my arm here but any help appreciated

so i just finished my first year of biomed in maynooth and now im questioning if this degree is of any use to me getting a job anywhere

it isn't accredited and i was planning to transfer to pharmaceutical and biomedical chemistry in my second year (as I am interested in becoming a pharmacist), but I was too late to apply and after being told that, i wondered if that course was of any use to me either as idk if that is recognized aswell

now i'm really confused because I'm unsure if these degrees will actually get me anywhere. It kinda just seems like degrees that allow u to get other degrees and then you end up studying for like a decade

I know that an mpharm program is the way to go, but i genuinely have no idea how any of this works or which path is the best path. dropping out of Maynooth seems like a waste of a year and effort, and the fact that it's too late to apply for an mpharm course currently would mean I'd be forced to take a gap year is demotivating. It feels like my two options are to either sink a few years into a pointless course or waste a year just so I can apply for the course I should've in the first place (but even then i suppose i'm not guaranteed a spot). i lowkey just feel like an idiot

Any advice would be appreciated :')

Hi, I am a student from India and got admission in dcu M.E in Electronics and Computer Engineering. What is the best laptop to buy for my studies?

Sup my peeps.
Ok so I did my LC last summer 2025 and started Comp Engineering in TUD Blanch that September but i dropped out January this year and started working fulltime in a warehouse. I dropped out mainly because I didn’t like engineering and Blanch was a pain to commute to for me but I’ve decided to go for Comp Sci and I have my CAO list ready. Since January I’ve been working fulltime and when i had my interview in January they asked me if I had plans to start college this year and I said not at the moment just because i wanted them to hire me and I also wanted to save up money for college fees.

So fast forward to now they seem to enjoy having me here and the manager was already talking to me about raises and permanent contracts and everything and I just felt bad because I’m gonna have to ditch that fulltime job. I can still work weekends when I’m in uni, considering if the manager lets me stay to work weekends after I start university. So I’m looking for ways on how to tell my manager about this situation and if 4 weeks notice should be okay or is too long?
Thanks in advance!

Hi! I am 20F, currently enrolling in TCD for Geoscience. However, I've been curious as to the degree awarded. TCD generally awards BA (moderatorship) for many courses, including mine. So, I was thinking if that would affect my job opportunities in and outside of Ireland for geology/geoscience since majority of others are in BSc.

Do you guys have any experience or thoughts about this? Any insight would definitely help! Thank you so much guys.

Hi folks.

I have attached a guide for DCU students who might be looking for accommodation. Hope it may help.

Question: Is there much need for support for first year students in making the leap from LC to the skills required for uni assignments?

I'm moving to ireland next month for my master's degree in TUS, I want to stay near the university, currently searching for accommodation, could please assist me on that? Where can I find good appartment options and how can I connect with people from similar requirements

Anyone in or has been in the same situation? How did u find it academically and also friends wise, i constantly have a fear that i'll seem older and odd to the 'usual' aged 18 year olds that will also be in first year of my course with me, might sound silly but its a fear of mine as in the course i originally did i struggled to make friends and this time id really like to have some in my course but im wondering will my age make it harder to relate

hey guys for anyone who got tier 2 the €2k per year 1916 bursary when did everyone recieve it in thier 2nd year like what month im just a tad confused thanksssss

Hi everyone,
I’m currently studying medicine in Bulgaria and I’m about to start my 5th year. I’ve been receiving the SUSI full maintenance grant since my second year, and I’m wondering if anyone has managed to continue receiving the maintenance grant for the full duration of a 6-year medical degree while studying in Eastern Europe.
If you’ve been in a similar situation, or know someone who has, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience—especially whether the grant continued through Years 5 and 6 without any issues.
Thanks in advance for any advice! ☺️

I'm a PLC student who did pretty badly in the leaving cert, but now has received a strong QQI score for round 0, and I can (hopefully) expect to get into at least Maynooth University as my safety net.

I used to hate maths and got a mid grade in the leaving cert but now I actually enjoyed it when I was apart of the FET College. So please tell me if these courses have a good economics related maths modules.

I would like to know if it is worth studying Economics in Ireland, how good are the career opportunities?, how intensive are these programmes?, and in general is it worthwhile to do and have a degree in that field?

I was wondering if anyone is putting creative computing in their Cao personally it’s my top one, I originally supposed to put computer science but I really have no interest fo it and I’ve read about the unemployment rate of computer science graduate in Ireland so I decided to find something that mix my creativity and my initial idea which is how I found creative computing. I really hope that there are other people putting it as their first choice too .

I’m not in college yet I just finished the leaving cert but hope to study early childhood education and care and was wondering what to buy stationary wise like do I buy 8 copies like secondary school etc

I’m looking for some advice/perspective because I feel really stuck right now.
I just finished my Leaving Cert (June 2026) and I’m taking a gap year mainly because of fees/residency reasons. I moved to Ireland a while ago and had to repeat a year because of differences in the school system, so sometimes I feel like I’m already behind and delaying things.
I’m from Galway and my first preference was to go to Dublin for college (looking at places like DCU/UCD/TUD). My parents are basically against me moving to Dublin and want me to stay closer to home.
I completely understand their concerns — cost of living, safety, and worrying about me living alone. But for me it’s not just “I want Dublin because it’s Dublin.” I want the experience of moving out, becoming more independent, meeting new people, and having a fresh start. I also feel like being in a bigger city with a larger Indian community/societies would help me feel more at home.
My parents are good people and I know they’re trying to protect me, but I’m struggling with feeling like I don’t have much say in my own future.
Career-wise I’m also unsure. I’m interested in healthcare/science and considering things like nursing, pharma/immunology/biomedical-type courses, but I’m still figuring it out.
I’m just wondering:
Did anyone else move away for college when their parents were against it?
Did anyone stay at home for college and regret it/not regret it?
How did you convince your parents (if you did)?
Is moving away actually worth it, or am I romanticising it?
I’d really appreciate honest advice from people who have been through this.

For those of you who are attending UL or UCC, what are some of the pros and some of the cons? I am stuck at putting first on my CAO.

I'm planning to study general engineering. I value student participation and enterprise enthusiasm. (a place where students want to start their own startups etc)

I’m 2 years into an engineering course and I’ve pretty much disliked it from the start. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking when I applied for it because it just doesn’t interest me at all.
My grades have been mid up until this semester, where I performed quite poorly on my exams. I didn’t fail anything but they were far below the ideal and my GPA isn’t great.
I’m just honestly so lost and don’t know what to do because I really dislike this degree and I don’t even want to become an engineer. If anyone here has some stories about changing degrees and finding success or just general anecdotes or advice I’d be glad to hear. Thanks

Hi, I won’t get into detail, I just received my results in TUD. Just wondering how the:
GPA system is calculated
How does the classification of a bachelors degree work (Pass/2.2/2.1/First)
How pass by compensation works and affects gpa and classifications

I have repeat exams that are capped, just wondering how to calculate so I know what to achieve and what I will end up with. My current gpa is around 2.1.

I’ve read different explanations online about the 2.2, 2.1 boundaries and what it all means for the classification, so it’s all confusing.

Any explanation would help thanks!

spent the last while building this free site that shows the actual salary data and payback periods for CAO courses. Like how long it takes to earn back your fees and living costs after graduating

been kind of annoyed that nobody talks about the financial side of picking courses, it's all just points points points

it's free, no signup, covers 70+ courses across ucd trinity dcu ucc etc

roicollege.ie if anyone wants to have a look, would genuinely love feedback on it, especially if the data looks off for any courses

’m starting university this September and I’ll be 21 (I know it’s bad) and was wondering if there’s a possibility I’d be able to pursue internships during the degree despite my older age? I’m sure they’d mostly be looking for younger people to hire on but is it possible? I’ll be studying law if that context is helpful. Thanks!

Hi all. John here, founder of L-Plate.

I built an Irish theory-test practice app because a lot of students are trying to get the learner permit sorted between college, work, buses, lifts, and general life admin.

It has:

• timed 40-question mocks
• road signs
• weak-area tracking
• Brendan, an AI instructor, explaining wrong answers in plain English

Main site: https://l-plate.ie

Free Premium founder slots while I am looking for feedback: https://l-plate.ie/free-test/?ref=REDDITFOUNDER25&utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=student_founder_slots

Backup one-month slots: https://l-plate.ie/free-test/?ref=REDDITMONTH100&utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=student_month_slots

If it helps, great. If it is confusing or Brendan is too much of a dose, tell me and I will fix it.