Waterford Students Express Relief and Anxiety Over CAO Offers

The air was thick with anticipation at Jack Cunningham Productions' stage school in Waterford city as over 60,000 applicants awaited their first-round CAO offers. For 18-year-old Jaimie O'Loughlin, a student at St Angela's School Ursuline Convent, the wait was particularly nerve-wracking as she juggled rehearsals for 'West Side Story' with the crucial decision about her future.

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I'm really happy. I got first choice of social care at South East Technological University (SETU). I'm really grateful, a lot of the hard work put in this year has paid off. I'm delighted.

Fortunately for O'Loughlin, her phone's notification brought welcome news: she secured her first choice, social care at South East Technological University (SETU). "I'm really happy. I got first choice of social care at South East Technological University (SETU). I'm really grateful, a lot of the hard work put in this year has paid off. I'm delighted," she shared, expressing relief that her hard work had paid off.

However, O'Loughlin acknowledged the immense pressure associated with the CAO system. "I think it is a lot of pressure because if like you have a bad day on one of the days of the exam, well then there's nothing can be done about it. It all depends on how you're feeling that day and based on your points if you get your course," she explained.

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I think it is a lot of pressure because if like you have a bad day on one of the days of the exam, well then there's nothing can be done about it. It all depends on how you're feeling that day and based on your points if you get your course.

Her friend and fellow cast member, Georgia Sheridan, a student at St Declan's Community College, Kilmacthomas, had a different experience. Sheridan secured a place at The College of Dance in Dublin through an audition and practical assessments, bypassing the need for CAO points. She voiced concerns about the fairness of a system that relies heavily on academic performance. "I think every person is different. Like a lot of people aren't school smart, but they might be better suited to other aspects in life. I just think it's not fair for those people who aren't as good in school, and they are still relying on this one system to determine what they want to do in life, and it might not suit them," Sheridan stated.

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I think every person is different. Like a lot of people aren't school smart, but they might be better suited to other aspects in life. I just think it's not fair for those people who aren't as good in school, and they are still relying on this one system to determine what they want to do in life, and it might not suit them.

Jennifer White, a secondary school teacher at De La Salle College in Waterford, advised students receiving offers not to panic. Teaching accounting, business, and maths, White emphasized the importance of careful consideration. "My advice would be take your take a step back, take a few moments and think about what you want, and then if you're really happy with that place, accept it. If not, you can wait for round two offers. There are backdoors into everything too, and you know this isn't the end of the world. There are options for everybody. Some might decide to take a year out and there are other ways in, especially through colleges of further educations. You can build up credits from there that can give you the leeway into your course next year," she said.

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My advice would be take your take a step back, take a few moments and think about what you want, and then if you're really happy with that place, accept it. If not, you can wait for round two offers. There are backdoors into everything too, and you know this isn't the end of the world. There are options for everybody. Some might decide to take a year out and there are other ways in, especially through colleges of further educations. You can build up credits from there that can give you the leeway into your course next year.