From Leaving CertiFiCate to Leaving SChooL a Longitudinal Study ...

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From Leaving Certificate to Leaving School
of university] then before I’d been there. (Argyle Street, coed school,
mixed intake)
Students also appeared to benefit from attending the annual FÁS open
days and Higher Options Conference held in Dublin and organised by
the Institute of Guidance Counsellors:
We went to Higher Options and if you went and asked someone
about something they’d tell you all about the course.
That was very, we got loads of books…
Talking to other people on if they liked their courses. (Dawson
Street, coed school, mixed intake)
Students from the LCA class in Argyle Street felt that the trip to the FÁS
open day was helpful in making up their minds about what they wanted
to do:
When we went to see the colleges under FÁS and stuff, I kind of got
an idea of what it will be like, and would they be interested in taking
it. (Argyle Street, coed school, mixed intake)
Some students, however, felt that they were ignored when it came to seeing
guest speakers or going to open days for various colleges. This group
of LCA students from Dawson Street were frustrated with their career
guidance as guest speakers for a particular college were invited to the
school while they were out on work experience:
Not helpful at all.
Like the teachers said that she’d organise for [name of college] to
come so that we can see them like and when we were on our work
experience she ordered it and they came in when we were on our
work experience.
So we never got to see [name of college]. (Dawson Street, coed
school, mixed intake)
Despite the fact that students in Dawson Street wished to see guest
speakers at the school or go to open days of various colleges, staff mem-