College Taster Days

Are you a third year, TY or senior cycle student on the brink of making decisions about life after secondary school?

Choosing the right subjects, education pathway or college can feel like a daunting task, but fear not!

College and professional experience taster days are regularly run throughout the year to guide you through this exciting journey.  These experiences offer second level students a first-hand glimpse into academic programmes, campus settings, projects, hands-on activities,

and the overall atmosphere within a college or university.

They provide invaluable opportunities for students to:

 ,

• dig deeper into your interests  
• validate (or invalidate) a preferred field of study,     
• interact with faculty and current students, and   
• envision if you can see yourself in this field of study or college.

Typically you will attend a few information sessions, workshops, and lecturer or profession led discussions, which will give insights into the different fields of study, career opportunities and really help you decide which field of study or course can align best with your aptitudes, strengths, and interests.

There is usually lots of time to engage with current (or former) students and lecturers where you can ask lots of questions, learn more about what you don’t know about the course, and ease any anxieties you may have about specific modules, career paths and courses. 

I often hear my clients say they’ll "go if a friend is going", but as a parent and career coach, I really encourage students to attend these on their own as they are a great opportunity to build independent social skills and meet like-minded students from all over Ireland who are there on their own too.  Who knows, you may end up on a course together in the future! 

Over the years, I’ve found that clients who can attend college taster days make much better, informed decisions about their future.  And when study gets tough and the hours drag on in their Leaving Cert year, they focus in with clarity on what their goals are for after the Leaving Cert; why this career direction suits them and reflect on the enjoyment and curiosity that the taster experience gave them. 

In deciding your best options post senior cycle; first of all, detect your interest, aptitudes and strengths.  Then discovering what fields engage and excite you; what you are curious about and how you can take your best steps towards that.   

So seize the opportunity and explore your best options for future study by signing up for a college taster or work experience programme.

Here’s some links that may be useful, however keep an eye on the websites and social media channels of colleges and schools of interest, as they always post taster day sessions on these marketing platforms.

University of Galway: 

These are aimed at TY and fifth year students with closing dates on 24^th March and 27^th March. For more information and sign ups, click on web link below:

6^th April: College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science

10^th April: College of Arts, Business, Law and Computer Science

11th April: Arts, Engineering, Science, Computer Science & Podiatric Medicine

University of Limerick:

26^th & 27^th June 2024: UL Nursing and Midwifery Summer Camp

TUS, Moylish, Limerick:

8th to 10th May:  5th Year Engineering Taster Days

Engineering (Online):   

Engineers Ireland run a 4 hours virtual work experience which any secondary level student can sign up & complete in their own time, between 29 January and 26 April.

Engineers Ireland: Engineering with STEPS, Virtual Work Experience