About Us

Guidance & Counselling

Maryfield College Guidance and Counselling Department 2025/2026

Maryfield College Guidance and Counselling Department provides a range of guidance and counselling activities and services. Students are assisted to make choices about their lives and to make decisions within three areas of learning: Personal and Social Development, Educational Development and Career Development. The Guidance Counsellor delivers guidance within the classroom setting at Senior Cycle and offers group and individual guidance sessions to students from 1st to 6^th year.

The following information is particularly aimed at 6^th year students and is also useful for TY and 5^th year students. There are changes and updates each year, which TY and 5^th year students are advised to check and be aware of.

Applications to Colleges/Universities in Ireland

QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland) is an independent State agency responsible for promoting quality and accountability in education and training services in Ireland. It was established in 2012 by the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012.

QQI maintains the NFQ (National Framework of Qualifications) as a system of levels for relating different qualifications (i.e. awards) to one another. There are 10 award levels from Level 1 to Level 10. These include Certificates, Diplomas and Degrees.

CAO Level 6, 7 and 8

The Central Applications Office (CAO), which processes applications for undergraduate courses in Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), is open from 5th November 2025 at 12 noon. Students can apply from then up to the deadline of 5pm on 1^st February 2026. See the interactive handbook on www.cao.ie for full details and updates.

Restricted courses must be applied for before 5pm on 1^st February 2026 as they require additional application components such as a portfolio, interview or assessment. Therefore, a student must include the restricted course on the CAO application form by 5pm on 1^st February 2026.

Students may change their application details and course choices according to the CAO timeline, which is available on www.cao.ie.

FAQ and email enquiries may be made by using the “Contact Us” facility on the CAO website.

On the home page of CAO, students can also find links to Further Education & Training and Apprenticeships: www.fetchcourses.ie, www.apprenticeship.ie.

Useful Websites

The following websites, together with individual college and university websites, are particularly useful in assisting with career investigations for CAO:

Post Leaving Certificate Level 5 and 6

Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) colleges are open for applications from October to January and often beyond if places are available, up to September after the Leaving Certificate results. Early application is highly recommended as popular courses will fill up quickly. Each institution has its own opening and closing date, so check the individual college.

The application process involves an online application form to each college and a reference provided by the Guidance Counsellor. Part of the process is an interview which follows on from your application. However, colleges may have different arrangements regarding interviews, so check with each individual college.

PLC courses which are in demand will fill up quickly, such as pre-nursing and portfolio preparation courses. Check with the individual college if applications have closed, as places can become available after closing dates up until September 2026. www.qualifax.ie and www.plccourses.ie are very useful websites to investigate career options and pathways to Third Level education.

Employment Opportunities, Apprenticeships, Interviews and Applications

www.careersportal.ie has a section for job seekers offering information and advice about the world of work, work experience, apprenticeships and support services. There are links to job advertisements and careers news. This careers website provides job preparation information, including CV and application form guidelines.

www.apprenticeship.ie details information about the apprenticeship sector and skills development in Ireland. “How to become an apprentice” and “Find apprenticeship jobs” are two of the sections on this website. Explore programmes such as Arboriculture, Biopharma, Construction, Electrical, Finance, Logistics and Sales.

The following websites provide useful information and links to students and parents/guardians for employment opportunities:

Access to College

There are various systems and schemes that offer access routes to college for students in Ireland. Students are advised to check individual college websites for details of access routes.

HEAR and DARE Applications 2025/2026

The systems of HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) and DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) offer equality of access to higher education in Ireland. www.accesscollege.ie contains information, instructional videos, guidelines and application forms regarding HEAR and DARE applications.

Applications are now open (linked with www.cao.ie) and will remain open until 5pm on 1^st February 2026.

Students who are eligible can apply to both HEAR and DARE. Check www.accesscollege.ie for eligibility criteria.

Students applying to DARE must have an Educational Impact Statement (2026) completed by the school Guidance Counsellor or relevant person. Therefore, students applying to DARE must inform the Guidance Counsellor, Ms Ryan, by November 2025. This is a lengthy form (6 pages) which requires several Guidance Counselling appointments to complete with the student.

Students applying to HEAR do not need a reference from the school but are very welcome to seek help and assistance from Ms Ryan.

HEAR and DARE timeline for applications: From 5th November 2025 at 12 noon, students can apply on www.cao.ie and complete the Supplementary Information Form (SIF) for HEAR and/or DARE. Students must apply before 5pm on 1^st February 2026.

Complete and send application: The application must be signed, stamped and dated before 5pm on 1st March 2026, and all supporting documents must be sent to CAO before 5pm on 10^th March 2026. It is the responsibility of the student to do this, as it is their application.

Student Finance

The main organisation overseeing grants in Ireland is SUSI. Further information about student finance in Ireland is available on the Higher Education Authority website: www.hea.ie and https://hea.ie/funding-governance-performance/funding/student-finance/

Information re SUSI Grants

The organisation overseeing grants for Third Level and PLC courses is SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).

The SUSI Grants online application system for the 2025/26 academic year usually opens in April 2026 (date to be confirmed). See www.susi.ie. Exact dates will be advised when released by SUSI. Phone: 076 108 7874.

Information and the application form are available on www.susi.ie. A new application or renewal of a grant can be made by clicking the “Apply Here” button.

Closing date for new priority applications is usually July of the same year.

You can only apply online. It is advisable to apply early.
Only send documentation when requested by SUSI. Ensure you have required documents ready (e.g. proof of family income).
Remember to apply early for grants and have all documentation ready on time.

Studying Abroad – Courses Outside Ireland

www.qualifax.ie provides links to other countries and systems to help students investigate studying abroad and the application process. This information is found under the “Students” section.

Other useful websites: www.eunicas.ie, www.euroguidance.ie, www.studyingabroad.com.

The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is designed to make it easier for students to move between countries and to have academic qualifications and study periods abroad recognised.

UK – Courses and Colleges (UCAS)

www.ucas.com (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) provides information about studying in the UK — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Students need a reference from their Guidance Counsellor as part of this application. This is a lengthy application and requires time. Many individual sessions are provided to support students with their applications. Students are strongly advised to consider and research courses in 5^th year so that applications can commence at the start of 6^th year. Please inform the Guidance Counsellor as early as possible.

Key dates for UCAS:

2026 entry deadline for Oxford and Cambridge, and most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science and dentistry: 15^th October 2025 at 6pm.
2026 entry deadline for all other UCAS undergraduate courses: 14^th January 2026 by 6pm.

Well-being: Managing Ourselves and Staying Well

The following have been used worldwide by young and old to help people take action to improve their wellbeing. Why not try to incorporate the 5 Ways to Well-being throughout the day:

https://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/five-ways-to-wellbeing/

Other useful websites: www.jigsaw.ie, www.spunout.ie.

6^th year students had a workshop where they learned about the importance of breathing to support wellbeing. Breath Sessions are free on Spotify and Apple Music. Spotify link:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3MZVgPl9M3rOJhIIV3Deb8?si=04237f2690ee44eb

Five Ways to Well-being

Connect

Connect and chat with your friends or family while going for a walk.
Participate in school activities and chat to other students you don’t know.
Organise a weekly family night to catch up with each other.

Evidence shows that good relationships with family, friends, colleagues and the wider community are important for mental wellbeing.

Be Active

Being active is great for your physical and mental wellbeing.
Walk or cycle to and from school or with friends at the weekend.
Join sports activities in school or in your community.

Evidence shows a link between being physically active and good mental wellbeing.

Take Notice

Look around as you walk and notice nature, buildings and your local area.
Practice gratitude: think of 3 things daily that you feel grateful for.
Learn how to meditate.

Paying attention to the present moment — to our thoughts, feelings and the world around us — can improve mental wellbeing.

Keep Learning

Ask a colleague for an interesting fact they have come across this week.

Evidence shows that continuing to learn throughout life can help improve and maintain mental wellbeing.

Give

Give encouragement and support to your colleagues during the Challenge.

Giving to others can have a positive knock-on effect by improving the giver’s mental wellbeing.

https://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/five-ways-to-wellbeing/

Grounding Technique for Stressful Situations: The 5-4-3-2-1 Technique

When we are stressed, worried or anxious it can feel scary and overwhelming, and we can often feel as though everything is out of our control. Grounding exercises are a simple and useful technique to help bring you back to the present and remind you that you are safe and in control. Grounding techniques come in many forms, and here is one type: the 5-4-3-2-1 technique.

How to do it

Take a deep belly breath to begin.

5 – LOOK: Look around for 5 things that you can see and say them out loud.
4 – FEEL: Notice 4 things that you can feel and say them out loud.
3 – LISTEN: Listen for 3 sounds and say them out loud.
2 – SMELL: Say 2 things you can smell. If you can’t smell anything, name two smells you like.
1 – TASTE: Say 1 thing you can taste. If you can’t taste anything, name your favourite thing to taste.

Take another deep belly breath to end.

These are just a sample of actions that can help us from day to day.

Contact the Guidance Department

Students can access the Guidance Department by calling in person to the Guidance Office, emailing fryan@maryfieldcollege.ie or messaging Ms Ryan on Teams.

Ms F. Ryan, Guidance Counsellor

Maryfield College Careers’ Day 2024

A massive thank you to everyone who joined us — students, professionals, colleges, universities and further educational bodies — for making this year’s Careers Day a huge success. Special thanks to Ms Finola Ryan and the Parents’ Association who organised the event.

Aviation Careers – “What happens beyond the clouds”

Maryfield College applied to join the Ryanair Role Models Roadshow, an inspiration day for female students who might consider a career with Ryanair. This event was held in Ryanair HQ in Dublin and is also held in London, Spain and Italy.

Seven Maryfield College students were delighted to be chosen from 400 schools across the country. At this careers event, students listened to presentations from a range of professionals including pilots, the Chief Financial Officer, Director of Customer Services, Chief Risk Officer, Senior Engineer, Director of HR and a group of graduate entry staff. All of these positions are held by females, making it particularly inspiring for our students.

The students gained valuable insight into various career pathways and received advice on how to proceed. A special thank you to 6^th year student Roisin Boland, who informed us about the application, and we wish her great success as she pursues her flight training.

Guidance Department