CAO Help please. Deadline 5.15pm 01/02/2012........a.s.a.p

[Little Miss Anxious]

I would like you to give some advice on what to mention in my CAO form and be specific please.

I would like your help in getting accepted as an applicant by the CAO please

I don't understand the first section or question which I have mentioned below:


Explain the relevance of your life / educational experience to your
application and state your educational goals and objectives?

What are your hobbies and interests?

I was also told by the CAO to not mention a course on the CAO form unless I have contacted the head or infiltrator or administrator of that course which I haven't done.

The deadline is today at 5.15pm and it is 13:33 now in Ireland

Please help.

Thanks for listening.

WB....... as soon as possible.

[Bacon]

Explain the relevance of your life / educational experience to your
application and state your educational goals and objectives?

I think its just asking if you have done any thing related to the course you're applying for, if you can't think of anything post what course you're applying for and I might be able to help you out.

What are your hobbies and interests?

For these you can put pretty much anything, I like music/going to concerts, old horror movies, playing sport or reading whatever floats your boat.

I'll hang around for a bit because I'm waiting for a delivery anyway, damn vague delivery times.

[Little Miss Anxious]

I have done the leaving cert from 2008-2010 and I passed English, Geography, Business and History.

I got an award on a Secretarial, Receptional Office Skills fetac level 5 course.

I am currently on a one year University access course and am doing Bachelar of Arts in Sociology, Philosphy, Economics and Politics.

I want to explore new ideas about life, people, learn about the brain and the world.

I would like to learn about the past and improve my relationships with myself and with others.

I have chosen to do the Bachelar Arts in Nui Galway and see if I can study psychology through their, third level.

If I don't get on a 3rd level course, I will study Psychology or Psychology applied fetac level 5 or plc outside of my home town to prepare me for Psychology 3rd level or I will do Theology plc or 3rd level because I am a christain and want to know more about the bible and christianity.

I have also chosen Music BA honours, Greek BA honours and Theology & Pyschology 3rd level

I like to read lots of self help books and books about people, sex and the world and life and about the past.

So what should I say on my CAO form.

I am interested in human behavioir, the brain, relationships, sex, the past and God and Music etc. I can sing as well.

WB as soon as possible please.

Thank you

[Bacon]

You've pretty much answered the second part of the first question, but any part where you don't think they will see as relevant I would explain why you think it is. For the life experience you could write about your dyspraxia which I'm assuming is a part of why you are interested in doing psychology or at least what triggered the interest. For the educational goals and objectives do the usual I hope to complete the course stuff and that you would like to finish the course with a better understanding of yourself as well as others.

What I usually do with hobbies and interests questions is write a list of them and pad it out. I find Philosophy, general human interaction, history and geography interesting and read many books on these subjects, my favorite books/author are ... I am currently reading ... My other interests include music and singing, my favorite artist/genre is ...

Don't worry if after you've finished it doesn't seem like there is much there, a short answer is better than the same answer being repeated over and over but slightly altered.

[Spinellie]

Hey Miss Anxious,

I've always found the CAO to be a bit complicated too - Our educational system is quite simple but what they ask us to fill out when applying for college it/uni is somewhat silly. It's like the person who operates these documents are trying to make themselves smarter!

I'm late by 9 days but in case the college has a later closing date (as I know some colleges/uni's do) i'll try my best to explain it in how I understood it when applying.

"Explain the relevance of your life / educational experience to your
application and state your educational goals and objectives?

What are your hobbies and interests?"

Lets take the first part; Explain the relevance of your life This is them basically asking you where in your life you are , meaning are you in the mindset for college or is it the working life you believe you're suited for.

educational experience to your
application and state your educational goals and objectives?

I'm breaking this down into three parts; 1.This is simply them asking you to sum up your educational experience thus far in regards to that course you've choosen, so you could basically use your leaving certificate/leaving certificare applied (whichever you did) as your base , to top it off if you did TY year the experience you have from that could also be used in your application. I'm not sure what you're applying for, but even the basics of experiencing the working life would be a simple yet easy route to take to answer that part.

2. What are you goals for this course and after it, do you plan on taking this course as a stepping stone or are you wanting to move into full time/ employment after you've gradutated.

and 3. Your objectives to the course, be honest in that part, because it will help you and help them to understand where you're coming from and where you're going,much like the above. What plans do you think you'll take or what subjects do you think will help you more so than the others on this course. (I always found the objectives part to be a bit of an oxymoron because I was always taught that goals and objectives were one of the same!!)

and finally What are your hobbies and interests?

This is on most if not all applications in life; They just want to know besides the course what you're into. Don't ever mention things like partying etc haha Im only saying this becuase I've seen SO many people do it as a joke and then whoever decides on the apps, decides not to give them the place, even though they have the prior qualifications required and are 100% for the course. Just mention two to five things youre interested in, if they're more leaning towards the course, then add them - extra points!!

Anyways, like I said I know I'm late but for future reference if you ever want to know again, there's my two cents! Saw from a few other posts that you got your place, congrats Best of luck with it all. Ellie