Guide
Helping your child choose a CAO course
You want to help them make a good choice. They may not know what they want yet, and you may be unsure how much to guide them. A useful place to begin is with their curiosity: what interests them, what would they like to understand, and what would they like to try?
Why the decision can feel so big
A course choice can seem to carry every hope you have for your child’s future. Yet you are both working with an incomplete picture of what college and working life will be like. It helps to bring the conversation back to something you can research together.
Some pressures can make it harder to hear what they want:
- Points Predicted results and past cut-offs can dominate the conversation. It is easy to lose sight of whether your child actually wants to study the subject.
- Prestige A familiar profession can feel reassuring. Looking at the course content and everyday work helps you see whether its appeal goes beyond the title.
- Everyone else’s certainty Friends and relatives may have firm opinions. Your child still needs room to explore ideas before being expected to defend a choice.
- Fear of the wrong year Worries about changing course can make every decision feel final. Focus on understanding the next step well enough to choose it thoughtfully.
- Want versus fit A course may appeal for reasons that are hard to explain. Ask what draws them to it, then look together at the teaching, activities and demands.
You don’t need to have the answer for them. Your support can be most useful when it helps them say what they think, including what they are still unsure about.
Make the conversation more useful
Choose two or three courses to look at together. Read the modules and assessment methods, and ask which parts interest them. At an open day, encourage them to ask a current student what surprised them about the course. A concrete question is often easier to discuss than “What do you want to do with your life?”
Let them explain their preferences before offering yours. You might ask, “What would you like to find out before deciding?” Agree one thing to research next, and give the conversation time to develop.
Give the conversation a personal starting point
Dreams helps students understand what their interests and preferences could mean for their course choices. Their personal report explains potential strengths, recommends up to five top courses to explore, plus others to consider, and highlights questions worth asking. It also suggests related routes into the subject of your first course and practical next steps. Read it together and ask which parts they recognise, which surprise them and which they want to explore further.
The report adds another perspective to their research. Your child’s own ideas still matter, including when they differ from a recommendation. Read how it works, or explore how to choose a CAO course for more questions to use together.
Dreams · €99
A clearer starting point for both of you.
Help them understand their interests and potential strengths, with courses to research and reasons for each suggestion. Read and revisit the report together in your account.
Dream Courses — €99Or read more on the Dreams page.
Questions parents ask
- What if my child still doesn’t know what they want?
- Begin with something smaller than a career choice. Ask which subjects or activities they enjoy and what they would like to try. They can explore a few possibilities without having to commit to a whole future yet.
- What if the family strongly favours one course?
- Ask everyone to explain what appeals to them about it. Then make room for your child’s view and research the course together. Look at the actual modules, assessment and placements. Shared information can help you discuss the choice without making your child feel they must agree to keep the peace.
- How should we think about points?
- Check entry requirements and use past points as context, not a promise. CAO choices should be listed in genuine order of preference. Help your child identify courses they would be happy to study, then check current guidance on cao.ie.
- What does Dreams actually give us?
- Dreams (€99) includes a personal profile, up to five potential strengths, points to consider and up to five top course recommendations, plus other courses to consider. You also receive practical next steps and, where your answers point clearly, related routes into the subject of your first course. The report stays in your account.
Our promise to you
Feel it was worth it, or get your money back.
If you don’t feel your report was worth it, email us within 14 days for a full refund. No forms to fill in and no argument.
Read more about what you can expect from The Compass.