Beyond the CAO points: What students really want from university

Choosing a university involves more than lectures and exams, including open days, CAO points, campus tours, and imagining four years on campus. Students increasingly seek hands-on learning, work placements, travel opportunities, and a campus they can picture themselves in. A key concern is what happens after graduation. TU Dublin is ranked number one among Dublin universities for graduate employment, with 70% of undergraduate graduates moving into full-time employment within nine months, and 77% for taught postgraduate graduates. TU Dublin serves more than 28,000 students across STEM, engineering, business, and creative arts. Smaller class sizes and approachable lecturers provide a personal experience. Practical learning includes live projects, industry connections, and modern labs, studios, and creative spaces across multiple campuses.

"Choosing a university can feel like trying to make one of the biggest decisions of your life before you've even figured out how to properly use a washing machine. For students, it's a mix of open days, CAO points, campus tours, group chats, and everyone suddenly asking, "So what do you want to do forever?""

"And these days, choosing a course is about much more than lectures and exams. Students are looking for hands-on learning, work placements, opportunities to travel and a campus they can actually picture themselves spending four years in. Because somewhere in the middle of all the excitement, there's usually one big question: what happens after graduation?"

"According to the latest Higher Education Authority (HEA) Graduate Outcomes Survey, TU Dublin is now ranked number one among Dublin universities for graduate employment, with 70pc of undergraduate students moving into full-time employment within nine months of graduating. For taught postgraduate graduates, that figure rises to 77pc."

"But what really stands out for many students is the focus on practical learning. Instead of spending all day in lecture halls wondering when they'll ever use this information in real life, students get opportunities to work on live projects, connect with industry professionals and build practical skills throughout their degree."

Read at Irish Independent