Student Support

At Monaghan Institute, 

• A free and confidential Guidance and Counselling service is available to support learners.
• Advice and assignment support are available for those making the transition back to education.
• Supports are provided for learners with disabilities and specific learning difficulties.
• A dedicated Learning Hub

The Guidance & Counselling Service

We provide the services of a qualified Guidance Counsellor. This service focuses on the provision of:

• Educational Guidance: Supporting individuals with their continuing education & researching progression pathways. Supporting individuals who are returning to education as mature students.
• Vocational Guidance: Assisting individuals to reflect on their career choices and to engage in Career Planning for the future.
• Counselling Referral: Provision of Counselling for individuals who are experiencing personal difficulties.

Progression and Career Information

This service can help you with the transition from college to working life through one-to-one guidance, together with the provision of career information and career talks from Universities and Institutes of Technology. You will also be provided with information on opportunities for further study at home and abroad. You may avail of individual and group support with completion of the CAO and UCAS application forms and advanced entry forms. Learners will also receive support with the mature student entry routes used by many third level institutes.

Job Search Skills

Learners are equipped with job search skills through a series of workshops on CV writing, interview skills and work placement schemes.

Personal Counselling

The Guidance Counsellor can help you identify and solve any worries and anxieties that may interfere with your academic and personal development. These may include social/personal difficulties, financial worries or study problems. The counselling service provides a supportive and safe environment in which personal issues can be discussed.

Disability Service

At Monaghan Institute we recognise that a disability can impact on your ability to participate in further education, so we work with learners to help ensure the impact is minimised. At Monaghan Institute we are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all learners. If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible to discuss your particular needs. We provide a range of supports such as learning support, assistive technology and special accommodations for examinations.

If you have an educational assessment report, please submit a copy with your application form. It is the responsibility of each learner to disclose their special educational needs as early as possible so applications can be processed. Note: Any information you provide will be retained and used by the Institute solely for the purposes of assessing your educational needs and in line with the Privacy Notice.

Mature Students

We promote access to further and higher education for mature students. We recognise the contribution that mature students have made to the college. In this era of lifelong learning we are committed to having the supports and services in place to assist you in your studies. We appreciate that many people might have left school early or were unable to achieve their full potential due to financial, social or family pressures. Over the years circumstances can change and the opportunity to return to education now presents itself.

The Benefits of Returning to Education with MI

There are many personal rewards for adults retuning to education. Learners find the experience exhilarating, stimulating and liberating. Mastering new skills and acquiring new knowledge is extremely rewarding. In addition, it provides those retuning to education the opportunity of new employment prospects or of entry to University or to Institutes of Technology to continue their learning journey. Mature graduates of Monaghan Institute courses are now continuing their studies in Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, Dublin City University, Glasgow University, Dundalk Institute of Technology and at other third level colleges nationally and in the UK.

Choosing a Course

Taking a decision to attend Further Education requires major commitment on the part of the learner and choosing the right course will involve some ground work.

• Consider courses that you have a genuine interest in and a desire to learn more about. Interest enhances a participant’s motivation to study and acquire more knowledge of a subject area. Research your chosen course on our Course Page.
• We recommend attending our Open Day or Information Evening during the year. Please check out our News Page for details of upcoming events.
• Individual Course Tutors and the Guidance Counsellor are available to answer any question you may have, see our Staff Page.

Remember!

Mature students may not need to have the usual academic entry requirements. Consideration is given to your life and work experience. The Institute will look for satisfactory evidence of your ability to pursue and benefit from the course you have applied for. Your application will be evaluated on previous experience, references and/or testimonials as well as performance at interview.