NCI Blog

Deirdre Monks is a business woman, a busy working mother, and she is a proud advocate for returning to education and encouraging others to pursue their ambitions. In this blog post, Deirdre shares the story of how she made the decision to study the Higher Diploma in Science in Data Analytics under the Springboard+ initiative ten years ago, and why it was one of the best decisions she has ever made.

Lian Fernandes is a 2nd year undergraduate student at UCD. She is studying Physics with Astronomy and Space Science. Lian says that her course has given her a solid foundation in scientific and creative thinking, problem-solving, and curiosity-driven exploration.

Thinking about returning to education? Whether you're aiming to upskill, pivot your career, or take the next step professionally, choosing the right postgraduate programme is a big decision. Your choice can play a huge part in your overall experience, so it’s a good idea to do plenty of research before taking the next steps. One of the best ways to make an informed choice is by attending a college Open Evening. Here’s why it’s worth your time:

Starting college is an exciting time for any undergraduate student. Meeting new people, exploring a new campus and potentially living away from home for the first time are just some of the changes you may face as you embark on this next stage of your educational journey.

Computing has become an increasingly popular choice for third-level study in recent years. Demand for industry professionals in Ireland remains high with companies such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, Indeed and LinkedIn all having EU headquarters in Dublin and requiring top tech talent for positions in cybersecurity, software development, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and related areas.

Deciding between a full-time or part-time postgraduate programme is a significant decision to make, with many factors that you will need to be take into consideration.

The CAO Change of Mind facility will close at 5pm on Monday 1st July 2024. This facility allows students to change the order of their course choices right up until this deadline, meaning you can explore your study options for a little while longer.

If changing careers and starting a new path has been on your mind for some time now, why not consider a career change into technology? It’s challenging, exciting and in Ireland, you will be given significant opportunities to really make an impact in the industry.

COVID-19 had a major impact on businesses worldwide, with employees facing several challenges as a result. Adapting to a hybrid working model, uncertainty around job security and an unsettled jobs market resulted in many employees staying in their existing roles throughout the pandemic as it was considered the safer option.

Eve Gibney, far right, is pictured at our CAO Open Day in November 2023 Studying computing or computer science at college means you have the opportunity to develop skills which are highly in-demand in the workforce. These include software development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data analytics. Currently studying the BSc (Honours) in Computing at National College of Ireland, Eve Gibney shares her reasons for choosing the course, what she has learned from her studies so far as well as advice for anyone considering their CAO options at the moment. Read Eve’s story below to get an insight into studying this course.