And while many of these opportunities might seem far flung and exotic, it is worth remembering that one of the most well respected and longestablished educational systems is either just over the border or just across the water.

Ireland's own educational output may have been strengthened in recent times with the creation of the Institutes of Technology, but our own numbers of third level institutions are fairly meagre when compared with what is on offer through UCAS (the UK version of the CAO). Indeed, the UCAS task of putting students in courses is a mammoth one, with more than 50,000 programmes available throughout more than 350 member institutions.

This sheer weight of numbers allows for greater scope for prospective students to find a course that suits them . . . and to find a course which has the vacancies to allow people to follow their chosen dreams, rather than being herded into a career that does not really suit, simply because of a lack of availability of places within Ireland. So a traditionally high-points degree in Ireland will be much more accessible in Britain thanks to the number of colleges which offer the qualifications. But, more than this, many UK colleges offer progression opportunities for Further Education students to pursue degrees without having to start at entry level . . . so many Irish FE students are going abroad to complete their studies, which they would have been unable to do at home.

There will, naturally, be more to consider when deciding to go to college in Britain than if people were choosing a college within Ireland . . . but not as much as, say, choosing to go to college in Rome (or Burkina Faso). The ties that bind the UK and Ireland are stronger than many people would admit, and the closeness in culture (not to mention language) will make the transition to the neighbouring jurisdiction almost as easy as the transition from a rural background to college in Dublin.

In fact, despite the isolation that many students feel when starting a new course, the reality is that you will not be alone in the UK . . . of the estimated 1.8 million full-time and part-time students in higher education, there are about 300,000 international students from 180 different countries, so approximately one sixth of the student population in the UK is made up of people from outside of the UK's countries.

But before you go to Britain or Northern Ireland to continue your studies, there is the small matter of the UCAS form to be filled out . . . and, like most facets of life, on-line is the only option. There is no real secret to filling out the UCAS form, but some Irish people have a difficulty simply because they have been trained in the art of the CAO form, and there are some differences between the British and the Irish form of application. But if people take the time to read what is in front of them and follow the instructions which are written in plain English, there is really no reason why the process cannot be straightforward.

The first port of call will, naturally, be www. ucas. com.

British students will have the luxury of having been entered through a school or college, but most Irish applicants will need to register as an individual (which is really quite a straightforward procedure).

Following your registration, the business of application can go ahead. The process of finding the right course for you is surprisingly simple (in the course search area you simply have to type in your areas of interest and follow the links). Having ascertained where you want to study (and presumably carried out at least a little research into the town/locality as well as the college), you go about entering the relevant course codes and details, and that should be the hard part taken care of.

But there are subtle differences to the CAO. You have to enter your educational qualifications to date. Then there is the matter of the personal details to be entered (although most of these will have been entered automatically thanks to your previous registration). Unlike the CAO, there is also a personal statement area, where you tell the universities why your candidature should be considered (previous work experience, interests, etc), and, again unlike the CAO, there is the matter of a reference, which "should be written in English by one of your teachers/tutors or someone who is able to comment with authority on your academic ability and potential to succeed on your chosen programme of study."

So when should you apply?

There are some exceptions (the deadline for Oxford and Cambridge, medicine, dentistry and veterinary science expired on October 15 and certain art and design courses have other dates for application), but the general date for applications is January 15. Forms received after these dates are treated as late, and any application forms received by UCAS after 30 June 2006 will go through the clearing process. This is a special service in August and September which allows students to find a suitable place on courses which are not yet full.

While many people complain about the CAO as being too rigid, the truth is that there is, at least, great transparency in the process. In the UK, it is the universities and colleges which decide whether or not to offer you a place - they then send their decisions to UCAS, which tells applicants what the colleges' decisions are and then asks people to accept or decline the offers they have received. When a university or college knows that a person has accepted a place, it will contact them and send them all the information they need about coming to the UK . . . including arrangements for arrival and registration. So at least you are not totally alone.