1 February, 2009
6:23 PM
Dear Very Public Diary,
As of 5:15 this afternoon, I, as well as everybody else in the country, have crossed the CAO deadline. And the view from here is quite different.
I won’t bastardise you by exaggerating my emotional and physical reaction to the CAO deadline. I won’t say that I could not AT ALL sleep last night, nor would I say that I could not AT ALL eat breakfast this morning. Instead I will recount my day as it actually happened.
*11:30 something (AM)…. got out of bed. It was c-c-c-c-cold outside the duvet. Got back in.
*12.45 PM…. with a bowl of muesli on one hand, and the trinity and ucd prospectus-es (prospecti?…only god knows) on the other, I (tentatively) turned on the computer. www.cao.ie…. typed my cao number… stopped at the password bit… couldn’t remember it. Concentrated really very hard. Found it somewhere in the chasms of my brain.
Because of the HPAT exam (which is in 2 weeks btw), I had already filled out my cao form the minute it opened in early November, as if it were some treasure on e-bay. Or a sale somewhere. But, for no intelligent reason, I postponed adding in the courses until the last minute. Which probably goes against the advice of every single career teacher in the country. Which is where all this panic comes from.
I think I’m sure about my no. 1 and 2 courses. As for the rest, ….?
*1:00 PM… I still could not think of further courses to put in the thing. I actually considered using “eenie-meenie-minee-mo”. Tragic. Decided to get away from the computer. Stood up. Massive head rush. What the hell is that anyway?
*2:00 PM…I decided to avoid the (non-existent) rays of the sun, stay in, and lock myself from the company of people. Mocks begin next week. I have my German oral to learn and a couple of history books to read and make notes on. Super fun.
*3:00-4:00 PM… stared at the very purple cover of “Division and Realignment in Europe 1945-92”. Interesting cover. Turned it over and looked at the back. Still purple. Not quite as interesting.
*5:00 PM… finally forced myself to add in 8 courses. I left the level 6/7 column blank.
*5:15 PM… DEADline.
I know that, for a fee, I could change my course choices any time. I also know that the deadline is for the cao applications – not the courses. My brain understood that, but my body did not. I think I panicked because the CAO deadline bitch-slapped me to reality.
The LC is now ACTUALLY real. *Shudder*
Yours,
Olen.
I just went to check and I can’t remember the damned number…
check your email.. they should have sent it to you..
Eek, I sort of threw down a few courses in November without much thought, forgot I’d have to pay to change them later… bleh.
You can change them around and add in new courses for free as many time as you like in May and June! Unless of course it’s a restricted course like Medicine, or something with a portfolio or interview or something.
No need to fear.