Applying Through CAO - Need a Language

okay, so after the disaster of applying to uni in The Netherlands, I decided around April to instead go to tech, redo my A2s (and possibly some AS's) and do a fast track A Level.

I am now doing 4 A levels recognised by the CAO (Ireland) universities as valid courses.
The course I want to do is Politics and International Relations, although I'm considering maybe History or Sociology (all are BA's - even Sociology)

Ideally, I want to go to UCD, and points/grades wise as long as my resits go to plan I should be able to get enough to get there.
I don't have to have done Irish, even though I'm in Northern Ireland, but I do need another language for a BA and at GCSE I was told to drop French when I resat my GCSE's.

I have ADD, and my French was so bad at GCSE I was told that basically I seemed to be putting a lot of effort in and getting little result, and that I just didn't seem to be really able to understand how to write French or get the grammar. I don't know if this was linked to my ADD, but one of the biggest problems I have with language is pronunciation and grammar - I did try Spanish and struggled to be able to understand how to write a sentence that was grammatically correct and not a literal translation.

I may have to do GCSE French this year, as well as my A Levels, however I don't know how to apply as an individual candidate? I know if I do have to do a language, I will need a tutor.

I know CAO have a language exemption for students with education need, but it specifically only mentions dyslexia as a reason to grant this exemption.

Advice needed please!

Reply 1

Kia_72

I think the best thing to do is contact CAO about this. They'll ought to tell you whether you need that language qualification or not.

(Sorry I can't give more detailed advice)

Reply 2

remarius

Original post by Kia_72

I think the best thing to do is contact CAO about this. They'll ought to tell you whether you need that language qualification or not.

(Sorry I can't give more detailed advice)

I've looked it up and it says it has to be done by the individual universities, but as they're now updating everything as CAO applications open in early November it's hard to navigate. before they said it went through CAO and applied to all, so I'm not sure.
typical Irish lol

I'm going to UCD for their open day on the day applications open and have to ask about DARE there anyway, so hopefully if I explain they'll be able to advise. The only report I have about why I dropped French is from a teacher who's said it was dropped as I was working hard but struggled with the grammar. I'm just concerned that by November doing a GCSE in June will be unrealistic, even though I have done 5 years of French (and I can barely write/speak it) and would have sat a French GCSE, because I have ADD I struggle with memory and as I was undiagnosed until after I should have sat my GCSE's, at that point my mental health was at a low and I'd missed so much school as well I wasn't able to sit GCSE's and had a really low attendance due to mental health problems and that also didn't help with learning a language.

My attendance is another worry, but last year it was low due to health issues that are still being investigated, and DARE recognises Chronic Fatigue as a disability so fingers are crossed I can also apply with CFS once I'm further investigated and possibly diagnosed and that I'll be able to get extra support, as it's hard to get it atm when there's no answers.

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Applying Through CAO - Need a Language

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