Dáire, Emer and Seán – CAO Available Places

Each year we welcome a number of students to ATU Sligo through CAO Available Places. These include individuals who have not yet applied to the CAO, those who have applied but perhaps did not get the offer they expected, and those who got the offer they wanted but have had a change of mind as to what or where they want to study.

Three students who joined ATU Sligo through Available Places are Dáire, Emer and Seán. They have three different stories but share one common theme – choosing ATU Sligo through Available Places was one of the best decisions they ever made. Their stories are below.

Dáire Martin, Monaghan

I hadn’t initially planned on going to college. I seen the Available Places courses listed by ATU Sligo in early September and there was one in particular I was interested in. I researched the course and decided to apply for it. Sligo had always been a familiar place to me and I knew it was a fantastic location. My family had a house in Sligo, and growing up I spent my summers on the beaches at Strandhill and Rosses Point. The idea of combining a course I was really interested in with a location I loved ended up making me want to go to college more than I had ever imagined. Luckily, I got an offer for a place on the course and quickly accepted it!

I really haven’t looked back since. I am now finished my honours degree and will graduate in November 2021. I loved my time here so much that I ran for the position of ATU Sligo Students’ Union President. I was elected and will be in term for the 2021/2022 Academic Year. For anybody thinking about applying to ATU Sligo through Available Places – go for it! It has been a life-changing decision for me.

Emer Caulfield, Mayo

I didn’t know what I wanted to study after my Leaving Cert and completed a PLC. Whilst studying my PLC, I applied through the CAO for different courses in different locations. However, I was never fully sure about my choices and subsequently my offers. In the end, Available Places and ATU Sligo offered a combination that was perfect for me. The course sounded really interesting and ATU Sligo had the ideal location.  

I accepted my offer on a Friday and started the following Monday. It was a really quick sequence of events but it was very straightforward with all the support ATU Sligo provided. I hadn’t a chance to really get my head around the fact I would be starting college and so I was a little stressed. However, there was no need to be stressed as the whole transition to college was so easy and fun. I am now going into my fourth and final year of study. It is safe to say applying to and accepting my Available Place course has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Seán Carrabine, Sligo

Hindsight is a wonderful thing! I didn’t choose ATU Sligo on my CAO application and this is a massive regret of mine. Things worked out in the end, but if I was filling in my application again I would have ATU Sligo as my first choice.

I had originally applied to a few different colleges but things didn’t work out for certain reasons – I had even been offered a sports scholarship at some colleges! I was going to repeat my Leaving Cert until I heard about Available Places. I got in contact with ATU Sligo, applied to their Engineering Available Place course and was accepted. I also secured a GAA Sports Scholarship.

The ATU Sligo Faculty of Engineering is absolutely amazing. As I say, in hindsight I would have done things very differently. If your CAO offer doesn’t work out like you hope, or if you feel you should have chosen differently, just remember there are always options. Get in touch with the team at ATU Sligo and they will help. I do believe everything happens for a reason and things have worked out brilliantly for me.

Find out more about ATU Sligo Available Places >>