At this time of year many Third and Fourth Year students are considering their options for Senior Cycle. Some thought and proper research at this stage paves the way for lots of opportunities for progression onto college courses, apprenticeships, training programmes and the workplace in the future. The main choices to consider are Transition Year, Leaving Cert Applied and the traditional Leaving Cert.

Transition Year

There are lots of benefits to choosing TY. It gives students lots of opportunities to develop new skills personally and in terms of the world of work. It gives a breather from constant academic work and means that you are a year older (and hopefully wiser!) leaving school. Most schools offer subject sampling which is a big help when making subject choices for Fifth and Sixth Year. Students are encouraged to engage in activities that move them outside of their comfort zone, allowing them to take on more responsibility and leadership thus gaining more independence. One of the biggest attractions for students is work experience which is a really valuable way of getting a sense of the workplace and an idea if a particular job suits you or not. The TY programme varies in each school so check out the opportunities in your school.

Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

For students who are interested in more practical learning and hands-on work the LCA is the ideal option. It is a two year stand-alone programme which focuses on equipping students with work-based skills and knowledge while assessing in a more continuous way. Work experience is an integral part of the programme, usually offered on one day of the school week. While students who do LCA can’t apply directly through CAO from Leaving Cert, most other career paths are open to them, including apprenticeships, traineeships and Post Leaving Courses (PLCs) which once completed progress onto institutes of technology and universities.

Traditional Leaving Certificate

Moving into the final two years in secondary school requires students to make subject choices that suit them and will enable them to progress in career areas they may be interested in. That said, it is perfectly normal for 15 and 16-year-olds to not know what they want to do after school. Students will generally take seven subjects for Leaving Cert – Irish, English and Maths, which are compulsory unless you have a language exemption, and then four optional subjects chosen from those which are offered in the school. If on offer in the school, some students may also opt for Leaving Cert Vocational Programme (LCVP), a subject which focuses on enterprise education and preparation for the world of work.

What to consider when choosing optional subjects

First, think about the subjects you like and what you are good at. Secondly, if you do have an idea of the general career areas you would like to go into after school check out what subjects might be required for the colleges, courses or careers that you are interested in. Finally, if you really don’t have an idea of what you want to do after school then choose a broad range of subjects so you keep as many options open as you can. Consider taking one option from the following: language, science, business subject, a practical or humanities based subject.

Resources to help

Talking to your guidance counsellor in school is a huge help as he/she will be able to explore your interests, strengths, aptitudes and past performance in subjects with you as well as answer any questions you have about requirements for courses and colleges. If you want to check out the content of any of the Leaving Cert subjects you are considering go to www.careersportal.ie/school/subjectexplorer. To check any subject requirements have a look at the Undergraduate section of the college websites and there is also a very useful subject requirement module on www.qualifax.ie.