r/College_Ireland

I’m not in college yet I just finished the leaving cert but hope to study early childhood education and care and was wondering what to buy stationary wise like do I buy 8 copies like secondary school etc

I’m looking for some advice/perspective because I feel really stuck right now.
I just finished my Leaving Cert (June 2026) and I’m taking a gap year mainly because of fees/residency reasons. I moved to Ireland a while ago and had to repeat a year because of differences in the school system, so sometimes I feel like I’m already behind and delaying things.
I’m from Galway and my first preference was to go to Dublin for college (looking at places like DCU/UCD/TUD). My parents are basically against me moving to Dublin and want me to stay closer to home.
I completely understand their concerns — cost of living, safety, and worrying about me living alone. But for me it’s not just “I want Dublin because it’s Dublin.” I want the experience of moving out, becoming more independent, meeting new people, and having a fresh start. I also feel like being in a bigger city with a larger Indian community/societies would help me feel more at home.
My parents are good people and I know they’re trying to protect me, but I’m struggling with feeling like I don’t have much say in my own future.
Career-wise I’m also unsure. I’m interested in healthcare/science and considering things like nursing, pharma/immunology/biomedical-type courses, but I’m still figuring it out.
I’m just wondering:
Did anyone else move away for college when their parents were against it?
Did anyone stay at home for college and regret it/not regret it?
How did you convince your parents (if you did)?
Is moving away actually worth it, or am I romanticising it?
I’d really appreciate honest advice from people who have been through this.

For those of you who are attending UL or UCC, what are some of the pros and some of the cons? I am stuck at putting first on my CAO.

I'm planning to study general engineering. I value student participation and enterprise enthusiasm. (a place where students want to start their own startups etc)

Unsure if I should choose this

I’m 2 years into an engineering course and I’ve pretty much disliked it from the start. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking when I applied for it because it just doesn’t interest me at all.
My grades have been mid up until this semester, where I performed quite poorly on my exams. I didn’t fail anything but they were far below the ideal and my GPA isn’t great.
I’m just honestly so lost and don’t know what to do because I really dislike this degree and I don’t even want to become an engineer. If anyone here has some stories about changing degrees and finding success or just general anecdotes or advice I’d be glad to hear. Thanks