I'm now officially on my Christmas holidays, and I can hardly believe how quickly the past three months have gone. It's one of those weird situations where you feel so settled into your new routine that it's almost like you've been there forever, but on the other hand it's flown by.
I came home on Thursday. I had a presentation that morning and then my dad arrived in the afternoon to help me pack up my stuff. It didn't take that long, so we went for coffee/hot chocolate in the canteen before heading home. I have to say, it's really nice to be home and have the freedom to relax, and we've got the Christmas tree and decorations up so I'm feeling really festive. I absolutely love Christmas and am really excited about it. I'm also looking forward to seeing my best friend again, who as I've mentioned before is studying over in the UK. It will be great to have a catch up!
That said, I've really enjoyed the semester, and I feel one hundred per cent settled now. I've made some good friends and found a subject I love studying. The only module I found pretty intolerable was Social Studies, and in the end most people stopped bothering to attend the lectures, but I'm pretty confident that my work for that module is of a decent standard. My seminar tutor was impressed with our group presentation, so I'm pleased about that. I also got my grade for my first Authoring assignment, and I got a 2.1 which I'm obviously over the moon with.
The last couple of weeks were completely hectic, but I wasn't too stressed because I feel like I managed my time effectively. The vast majority of my deadlines have been met; I just have two assignments due in January, but I'm calm about that. According to the second years, the fun really begins in semester two! The modules certainly seem even more interesting than the first lot have been.
Our last radio show on Wednesday was quite a poignant occasion, for me at least! We played plenty of Christmas music. As I mentioned in my previous post, I've absolutely adored my time on DCUfm these past few weeks. I can't wait to get back to it in February. I've proposed my own music show, so hopefully I'll get it. Fingers crossed! As well as that, I had my last football training session last week, and next semester we'll be playing in an astro tournament.
I've made it this far - it's onwards and upwards from here! To round things up for now, here are some of the most important life lessons I've learned in semester one:
-Larkfield oven and I can be friends after all. My cooking skills are now dramatically improved.
-You really do become a heavy sleeper when you live in Larkfield.
-Multimedia is all about telling stories.
-Society meetings generally result in free pizza.
-Spar is overpriced.
-The Mac labs are a Multimedia student's haven.
-It's good to be OCD when it comes to your access card.
-If you see a wood louse in your kitchen, you have to take matters into your own hands.
-Those free hours are absolutely vital for working on assignments and projects.
-The chocolate brownies in the canteen can be addictive.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Radio Gaga
One of the things I was most looking forward to about coming to DCU was getting involved in the university's radio station, DCUfm. I'm now several weeks into my assigned show and absolutely loving it.
Midweek Mayhem airs on Wednesday afternoons from 1-2pm and is co-hosted by myself and three other people. Two of us are Multimedia students and the other two are Communications students. The format of the show is simple - we chat about anything we like and spin a few tunes in between. Topics range from quirky news stories to what's on TV and everything in between. Last week we managed to string together an entire conversation about chocolate bars. A lot of it is planned, but some of it isn't, hence the chocolate bar discussion. Basically, this first semester is all about helping newcomers to the station to get settled in and get used to the software and the whole idea of being on air. Next semester is when we get to propose new shows and let our ideas flow.
Before I started, I was set on the idea of producing and editing. I didn't feel confident about the idea of presenting at all; in fact, it terrified me. I had done some editing while on work experience at Beat 102-103 in Waterford when I was at school, and that was what first sparked my interest in radio as well as put the idea of production in my head. But when I became involved with DCUfm, I just sort of fell into presenting unintentionally. I felt sick with nerves before the first show, but I gradually eased into it and started to enjoy the experience. Once you get over the novelty of hearing your own voice through your headphones, it becomes easier. Now I'm really glad that I ended up presenting, and I'll definitely aim for that in the future when looking for work in radio. Apart from anything else, it's done wonders for my confidence, and it just goes to show that you can be shy like I am and still host a radio show successfully. In fact, I like being able to both present and produce, and I'm now quite confident at driving the desk during broadcasts.
Okay, so we're not super professional just yet. It's a student radio station, and that means making mistakes from time to time. But thankfully those have been few and far between, and we haven't made any major blunders like accidentally shutting down the entire system (though yours truly came quite close on one occasion). We're learning as we go, and it's fantastic getting to use professional software that you would come across in any of the top radio stations in the country.
I really look forward to our weekly slot, and I can honestly say that joining DCUfm is by far the best thing I've done here. It really is a highlight of university life for me. I love it so much that I'm hoping to propose my own music show for next semester. I've also joined the Documentary Team, and we'll be working on some exciting projects over the coming months. As well as this, myself and two other DCU students are also in line to make a documentary for a separate production company pretty soon, which is really exciting. Good times are ahead! In the meantime, listen in to Midweek Mayhem on Wednesdays from 1-2pm on http://www.dcufm.com.
Midweek Mayhem airs on Wednesday afternoons from 1-2pm and is co-hosted by myself and three other people. Two of us are Multimedia students and the other two are Communications students. The format of the show is simple - we chat about anything we like and spin a few tunes in between. Topics range from quirky news stories to what's on TV and everything in between. Last week we managed to string together an entire conversation about chocolate bars. A lot of it is planned, but some of it isn't, hence the chocolate bar discussion. Basically, this first semester is all about helping newcomers to the station to get settled in and get used to the software and the whole idea of being on air. Next semester is when we get to propose new shows and let our ideas flow.
Before I started, I was set on the idea of producing and editing. I didn't feel confident about the idea of presenting at all; in fact, it terrified me. I had done some editing while on work experience at Beat 102-103 in Waterford when I was at school, and that was what first sparked my interest in radio as well as put the idea of production in my head. But when I became involved with DCUfm, I just sort of fell into presenting unintentionally. I felt sick with nerves before the first show, but I gradually eased into it and started to enjoy the experience. Once you get over the novelty of hearing your own voice through your headphones, it becomes easier. Now I'm really glad that I ended up presenting, and I'll definitely aim for that in the future when looking for work in radio. Apart from anything else, it's done wonders for my confidence, and it just goes to show that you can be shy like I am and still host a radio show successfully. In fact, I like being able to both present and produce, and I'm now quite confident at driving the desk during broadcasts.
Okay, so we're not super professional just yet. It's a student radio station, and that means making mistakes from time to time. But thankfully those have been few and far between, and we haven't made any major blunders like accidentally shutting down the entire system (though yours truly came quite close on one occasion). We're learning as we go, and it's fantastic getting to use professional software that you would come across in any of the top radio stations in the country.
I really look forward to our weekly slot, and I can honestly say that joining DCUfm is by far the best thing I've done here. It really is a highlight of university life for me. I love it so much that I'm hoping to propose my own music show for next semester. I've also joined the Documentary Team, and we'll be working on some exciting projects over the coming months. As well as this, myself and two other DCU students are also in line to make a documentary for a separate production company pretty soon, which is really exciting. Good times are ahead! In the meantime, listen in to Midweek Mayhem on Wednesdays from 1-2pm on http://www.dcufm.com.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Reading Week
It's Reading Week for those of us who do humanities courses, which is basically a glorified mid-term break. Of course, as we don't have exams to study for, we are supposed to work on assignments, and I'm doing just that. I've got some of my sociology essay done, a couple of group presentations on the go and my authoring project finished. I also handed in my photography assignment last week. So, overall, my stress levels are really not bad at the moment. Apart from anything else, it's so nice to be home! And to be cooked for again, hehe. With all that's been happening, I felt as though I hadn't been home in months. There was Alice Cooper, which I've already written about, and last weekend I was in Manchester for the football, which I'm going to talk about now.
I went over to Holyhead on the ferry on Friday morning with my cousin, my uncle, his wife and some of her family. We're all huge Manchester United fans except for my cousin, who until last weekend wasn't very knowledgeable on football! Once we got there, we had a two-hour coach trip to Altrincham, just outside Manchester, where our hotel was. Manchester city centre is only a short tram ride away, and we went around the Arndale shopping centre and had dinner in Pizza Hut. On Saturday morning we made the trip to Old Trafford on the coach.
There's nothing quite like the atmosphere around the ground on matchday. It's such an incredible buzz. We were sitting just behind the goal in the East Stand, and when Robin van Persie scored early in the first half, we went absolutely mental! It was a brilliant moment. The Arsenal fans were of course extremely hostile towards their former striker, so for RVP to score and shut them up for a short while was priceless!
People say it wasn't a great game, and certainly it didn't have quite the same intensity as previous matches between the two sides, partly because Arsenal were dire and barely showed up at all, allowing United to completely dictate the game. But it was still hugely exciting for me, especially as Patrice Evra's goal in the second half meant we ran out winners, albeit by a 2-1 scoreline rather than 2-0 - the only time Arsenal really threatened the United goal was towards the end, and Santi Cazorla scored for them in stoppage time. David de Gea wasn't happy about losing his clean sheet, but still, a win is a win, and we're now top of the league. The fact that City, Chelsea and Liverpool all drew their games was the icing on the cake and made for a perfect weekend!
We spent the rest of Saturday back in Manchester city centre, shopping at the Arndale again and eating at Nando's. We got the ferry back from Holyhead the next day, and on the way through Wales we stopped off briefly in a town with the longest name in Europe:
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!
Or simply Llanfair PG...
I went over to Holyhead on the ferry on Friday morning with my cousin, my uncle, his wife and some of her family. We're all huge Manchester United fans except for my cousin, who until last weekend wasn't very knowledgeable on football! Once we got there, we had a two-hour coach trip to Altrincham, just outside Manchester, where our hotel was. Manchester city centre is only a short tram ride away, and we went around the Arndale shopping centre and had dinner in Pizza Hut. On Saturday morning we made the trip to Old Trafford on the coach.
There's nothing quite like the atmosphere around the ground on matchday. It's such an incredible buzz. We were sitting just behind the goal in the East Stand, and when Robin van Persie scored early in the first half, we went absolutely mental! It was a brilliant moment. The Arsenal fans were of course extremely hostile towards their former striker, so for RVP to score and shut them up for a short while was priceless!
People say it wasn't a great game, and certainly it didn't have quite the same intensity as previous matches between the two sides, partly because Arsenal were dire and barely showed up at all, allowing United to completely dictate the game. But it was still hugely exciting for me, especially as Patrice Evra's goal in the second half meant we ran out winners, albeit by a 2-1 scoreline rather than 2-0 - the only time Arsenal really threatened the United goal was towards the end, and Santi Cazorla scored for them in stoppage time. David de Gea wasn't happy about losing his clean sheet, but still, a win is a win, and we're now top of the league. The fact that City, Chelsea and Liverpool all drew their games was the icing on the cake and made for a perfect weekend!
We spent the rest of Saturday back in Manchester city centre, shopping at the Arndale again and eating at Nando's. We got the ferry back from Holyhead the next day, and on the way through Wales we stopped off briefly in a town with the longest name in Europe:
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!
Or simply Llanfair PG...
Monday, October 29, 2012
Alice Cooper at Wembley Arena
I'm just back from a fantastic Bank Holiday weekend trip to London to see my absolute love of loves, Alice Cooper, live at Wembley Arena. What a night it was! This was my fourth time seeing him, and let me tell you now - the guy does not do a bad show. He delivers every single time, and this time was no different.
Some people seem so bewildered at the idea of seeing an artist multiple times, as if you would get sick of it. As if! Okay, so you may hear many of the same songs, but with someone like Alice, it never gets boring because he's a master of entertainment and knows exactly what makes a great show. And, to be honest, he's so utterly badass that he could get up on stage and sing Twinkle Twinkle and I'd still think it was the greatest thing in the world.
As it happens, I have never seen Alice in my own country. Isn't that weird? Every single time has been in the UK. He doesn't come to Ireland very often (once in a blue moon) and when he does, something always seems to get in the way. Therefore I've made it my business over the last couple of years to travel the short distance overseas to see him, and it's meant that I've had the time of my life and made some fantastic friends from all over the world. I've also met the man himself on two of those occasions. Anyway, I'm rambling now, so on with the story!
Just like last year's trip, I had a 4am start (nobody but Alice could motivate me to drag myself out of bed at such an ungodly hour). My uncle and his wife were up at that time so had very kindly offered to drop me to the airport. My flight to Stansted was at 6.25, which was followed by a Stansted Express journey to Liverpool Street and a further tube journey to Wembley Park station. I arrived at the venue near enough to 10am, having been quite surprised that it was so easy to find, and was shocked to see that none of the usual suspects were there! By 'usual suspects' I mean the same people who are always at the front of the queue for every single Alice Cooper show in the UK (and quite a few elsewhere). I thought I was hallucinating! But sure enough, myself and three others formed the start of the queue. Eventually people I recognised started to turn up, and it wasn't long before I was chatting away to good friends whom I hadn't seen in a year, as well as some I had been in contact with online but was now meeting face to face for the first time. A great moment!
Queueing all day long can be an extremely draining experience, especially if the weather is as cold as it was yesterday, but it would be twice as tedious without the friendship and banter that goes with it. We picked up our tickets smoothly enough, which was a huge relief after the nightmare that was Alexandra Palace last year (to cut a long story short, we queued for nine and a half hours only to be shoved to the end of the queue after the box office decided to open at the same time as the actual doors). No such disasters at Wembley Arena, although there was a mad scramble for the front when we were eventually let in. We were also made to sit on the floor for several minutes, for some bizarre reason... venue protocol?
The first support act was Duff McKagan's Loaded, who were pretty good. Despite not being a fan of Guns N' Roses, I've always admired Duff, and I liked what songs I had heard from Loaded before the gig. That seemed to speed by, then Ugly Kid Joe came on. They were quite impressive too, though my enjoyment of it was kind of impaired by the fact that I was feeling rather queasy by this time, as the lack of sleep decided to catch up with me. However, by the time Alice was due to come on, the adrenaline had kicked in and I felt a lot better.
What can I say? Excellent show! I was a bit alarmed by the number of complaints from fans about the setlist during the tour, and I must admit I was a little disappointed myself to see only two songs from Welcome 2 My Nightmare (the latest album, for those who don't know) and six covers. However, there had been a few tweaks to the setlist during the shows leading up to London, the six covers were chopped down to four and Caffeine was added in to make it three new songs instead of two, so in the end I couldn't have been happier with the way things went. From my point of view, it was brilliant to hear Caffeine and The Congregation live for the first time, particularly the latter as it's one of my favourite songs from the album. For a change there was no Only Women Bleed, and Cold Ethyl was also missing. Ballad of Dwight Fry was back having been dropped for the last tour, so it was great to hear it again. Two of the big highlights were House Of Fire and He's Back, two 80s gems resurrected by popular demand from the fans.
On a personal note, it was a good night for me as I managed to catch another billion dollar bill from Alice's sword (a special orange Halloween one again, yay!) and I also got pointed at again during Poison, which never fails to make you go weak at the knees. I was so happy! There's nothing quite like staring directly into your hero's eyes while he sings right at you - unless of course you count hugging him. But that's another story for another day!
As usual, it was over far too quickly. To use that age-old cliché, time flies when you're having fun. Or, as my version goes, time flies when you're watching Alice Cooper. At least this time I didn't have to say goodbye to everyone straight away, which is always depressing. After the show I stayed with my friend Penny in Cheltenham. Another friend, Stephen, drove us back there, with Alice playing in the car of course. This morning I got up bright and early after a decent night's sleep, and Penny dropped me off at Bristol Airport to catch my flight home, before she and Stephen headed off to Nottingham for the next Alice show. Oh how I'd love to have stayed!
This is me, Stephen Coleman, Steven Crayn and Steve Lewis (that's a lot of Steve's!) after the show.
Some people seem so bewildered at the idea of seeing an artist multiple times, as if you would get sick of it. As if! Okay, so you may hear many of the same songs, but with someone like Alice, it never gets boring because he's a master of entertainment and knows exactly what makes a great show. And, to be honest, he's so utterly badass that he could get up on stage and sing Twinkle Twinkle and I'd still think it was the greatest thing in the world.
As it happens, I have never seen Alice in my own country. Isn't that weird? Every single time has been in the UK. He doesn't come to Ireland very often (once in a blue moon) and when he does, something always seems to get in the way. Therefore I've made it my business over the last couple of years to travel the short distance overseas to see him, and it's meant that I've had the time of my life and made some fantastic friends from all over the world. I've also met the man himself on two of those occasions. Anyway, I'm rambling now, so on with the story!
Just like last year's trip, I had a 4am start (nobody but Alice could motivate me to drag myself out of bed at such an ungodly hour). My uncle and his wife were up at that time so had very kindly offered to drop me to the airport. My flight to Stansted was at 6.25, which was followed by a Stansted Express journey to Liverpool Street and a further tube journey to Wembley Park station. I arrived at the venue near enough to 10am, having been quite surprised that it was so easy to find, and was shocked to see that none of the usual suspects were there! By 'usual suspects' I mean the same people who are always at the front of the queue for every single Alice Cooper show in the UK (and quite a few elsewhere). I thought I was hallucinating! But sure enough, myself and three others formed the start of the queue. Eventually people I recognised started to turn up, and it wasn't long before I was chatting away to good friends whom I hadn't seen in a year, as well as some I had been in contact with online but was now meeting face to face for the first time. A great moment!
Queueing all day long can be an extremely draining experience, especially if the weather is as cold as it was yesterday, but it would be twice as tedious without the friendship and banter that goes with it. We picked up our tickets smoothly enough, which was a huge relief after the nightmare that was Alexandra Palace last year (to cut a long story short, we queued for nine and a half hours only to be shoved to the end of the queue after the box office decided to open at the same time as the actual doors). No such disasters at Wembley Arena, although there was a mad scramble for the front when we were eventually let in. We were also made to sit on the floor for several minutes, for some bizarre reason... venue protocol?
The first support act was Duff McKagan's Loaded, who were pretty good. Despite not being a fan of Guns N' Roses, I've always admired Duff, and I liked what songs I had heard from Loaded before the gig. That seemed to speed by, then Ugly Kid Joe came on. They were quite impressive too, though my enjoyment of it was kind of impaired by the fact that I was feeling rather queasy by this time, as the lack of sleep decided to catch up with me. However, by the time Alice was due to come on, the adrenaline had kicked in and I felt a lot better.
What can I say? Excellent show! I was a bit alarmed by the number of complaints from fans about the setlist during the tour, and I must admit I was a little disappointed myself to see only two songs from Welcome 2 My Nightmare (the latest album, for those who don't know) and six covers. However, there had been a few tweaks to the setlist during the shows leading up to London, the six covers were chopped down to four and Caffeine was added in to make it three new songs instead of two, so in the end I couldn't have been happier with the way things went. From my point of view, it was brilliant to hear Caffeine and The Congregation live for the first time, particularly the latter as it's one of my favourite songs from the album. For a change there was no Only Women Bleed, and Cold Ethyl was also missing. Ballad of Dwight Fry was back having been dropped for the last tour, so it was great to hear it again. Two of the big highlights were House Of Fire and He's Back, two 80s gems resurrected by popular demand from the fans.
On a personal note, it was a good night for me as I managed to catch another billion dollar bill from Alice's sword (a special orange Halloween one again, yay!) and I also got pointed at again during Poison, which never fails to make you go weak at the knees. I was so happy! There's nothing quite like staring directly into your hero's eyes while he sings right at you - unless of course you count hugging him. But that's another story for another day!
As usual, it was over far too quickly. To use that age-old cliché, time flies when you're having fun. Or, as my version goes, time flies when you're watching Alice Cooper. At least this time I didn't have to say goodbye to everyone straight away, which is always depressing. After the show I stayed with my friend Penny in Cheltenham. Another friend, Stephen, drove us back there, with Alice playing in the car of course. This morning I got up bright and early after a decent night's sleep, and Penny dropped me off at Bristol Airport to catch my flight home, before she and Stephen headed off to Nottingham for the next Alice show. Oh how I'd love to have stayed!
This is me, Stephen Coleman, Steven Crayn and Steve Lewis (that's a lot of Steve's!) after the show.
Alice's handprints, just days old, to commemorate the fact that he is the only international artist to have played at Wembley in each one of the past five decades. Go Alice!
So that's the end of my Alice adventures for another while. I always hate having to say goodbye to people! Back to reality now, and trying to work on five assignments at once plus my photography presentation this Thursday... yikes! Still, at least next week is Reading Week, and before that I'm off to Manchester with some family members this coming weekend for a football match (United v Arsenal at Old Trafford). Can't wait!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Work and Play
I can't believe we're almost halfway through the semester already! Where has the time gone?
Things are getting more and more hectic with each passing week. Assignments, group project meetings, planning and presenting a radio show, football training... it's all piling up! I must admit, it can get quite tiring - let's just say I appreciate my bed more than I ever did before! But overall I'm enjoying it.
I mentioned presenting a radio show. Yes, I know I said I was going to produce, but I'm pretty happy that it's turned out this way! The show (which is yet to be named) airs on DCUfm every Wednesday from 1-2pm and is hosted by myself and three other people. It's basically a talk show, where we discuss all sorts of things, and also play a few tunes as well. You can listen in online at http://www.dcufm.com, so if you have nothing else to do, tune in!
Getting involved with student radio was one of the things I was most looking forward to about starting university, and although it's early days, this could well be the best thing about my time here. I've always had a huge excitement and passion for radio, so I absolutely love being in the studio and going through the whole process.
I have football training every Tuesday evening, and I'm having great fun with that too. It's brilliant to be able to play again. Of the three clubs and socs I joined, Music Soc is the one that I've had the least to do with so far, but I'm starting Music Production lessons on Thursday evenings, so that's something I'm really excited about.
I've got so much work to do this week, but I'll be taking a nice break this weekend. On Sunday, I'm off to London to see Alice Cooper at Wembley Arena. I can't wait! This will be my fourth time seeing Alice live (it's becoming an annual Halloween thing) and I'm really looking forward to seeing the friends I've made from seeing him the past few times, as well as meeting others for the first time. It's going to be great!
And now to take advantage of my lie-in tomorrow morning! I'll update again next week, when I've recovered from the gig!
Things are getting more and more hectic with each passing week. Assignments, group project meetings, planning and presenting a radio show, football training... it's all piling up! I must admit, it can get quite tiring - let's just say I appreciate my bed more than I ever did before! But overall I'm enjoying it.
I mentioned presenting a radio show. Yes, I know I said I was going to produce, but I'm pretty happy that it's turned out this way! The show (which is yet to be named) airs on DCUfm every Wednesday from 1-2pm and is hosted by myself and three other people. It's basically a talk show, where we discuss all sorts of things, and also play a few tunes as well. You can listen in online at http://www.dcufm.com, so if you have nothing else to do, tune in!
Getting involved with student radio was one of the things I was most looking forward to about starting university, and although it's early days, this could well be the best thing about my time here. I've always had a huge excitement and passion for radio, so I absolutely love being in the studio and going through the whole process.
I have football training every Tuesday evening, and I'm having great fun with that too. It's brilliant to be able to play again. Of the three clubs and socs I joined, Music Soc is the one that I've had the least to do with so far, but I'm starting Music Production lessons on Thursday evenings, so that's something I'm really excited about.
I've got so much work to do this week, but I'll be taking a nice break this weekend. On Sunday, I'm off to London to see Alice Cooper at Wembley Arena. I can't wait! This will be my fourth time seeing Alice live (it's becoming an annual Halloween thing) and I'm really looking forward to seeing the friends I've made from seeing him the past few times, as well as meeting others for the first time. It's going to be great!
And now to take advantage of my lie-in tomorrow morning! I'll update again next week, when I've recovered from the gig!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Busy, Busy, Busy...
Three weeks in and life is beginning to get busier! I like it that way, though - it's what I signed up for after all!
My first assignment of the year is due just before Halloween. It's a photography assignment and the brief is 'Faces and Places of Ireland'. There are basically two parts to it. I have to take ten pictures that represent Ireland to me, and present them in class. However, I also have to submit three of these pictures to a competition run by the Dublin Photography School in aid of Brainwave, the Irish Epilepsy Association. It just so happens that's an organisation close to my heart, as my dad has epilepsy. The deadline for the competition is next week and there are €2000 worth of prizes to be won - not that I'm expecting any of my photos to be chosen! I have almost half of my assignment done. I'm renting the camera for this weekend to take more shots. It's a Nikon, very fancy... unfortunately that doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to my photography skills! On Friday I'm heading over to my aunt's place because it's a great setting for photographs, plus it'll be nice to see her and my uncle and cousin for a few hours. I haven't seen them since that family party back in July, and now that I'm living in Dublin it's nice to be near them again.
I'm not going to post any of the photos here until after the presentation - it's top secret information until then! You never know who could claim them as their own, and then I'd be up shit creek!
Apart from lectures and assignments, clubs and socs are also keeping me occupied. Tonight I've got football training and studio training for DCUfm, tomorrow I've got my first Music Soc meeting of the year - with free pizza! Speaking of which, here are some of the most important things I've learned about university generally over the past couple of weeks:
1. When you have as few hours as I do, getting involved in society life is absolutely vital.
2. Lecturers are not like teachers. They won't tell you what to do - only you can take responsibility for your own learning.
3. There is no right or wrong answer. It's all about being able to think for yourself and trust your own instincts.
4. When it comes to the ovens in Larkfield, forget about the cooking times you read on the packaging of whatever food it is you're making. When you hear sizzling, take the food out! The ovens tend to burn everything that touches them.
5. There is always a way to get free pizza.
Finally, today marks the birthdays of two of my favourite musicians, John Lennon and John Entwistle, both sadly departed. Happy Birthday to them!
My first assignment of the year is due just before Halloween. It's a photography assignment and the brief is 'Faces and Places of Ireland'. There are basically two parts to it. I have to take ten pictures that represent Ireland to me, and present them in class. However, I also have to submit three of these pictures to a competition run by the Dublin Photography School in aid of Brainwave, the Irish Epilepsy Association. It just so happens that's an organisation close to my heart, as my dad has epilepsy. The deadline for the competition is next week and there are €2000 worth of prizes to be won - not that I'm expecting any of my photos to be chosen! I have almost half of my assignment done. I'm renting the camera for this weekend to take more shots. It's a Nikon, very fancy... unfortunately that doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to my photography skills! On Friday I'm heading over to my aunt's place because it's a great setting for photographs, plus it'll be nice to see her and my uncle and cousin for a few hours. I haven't seen them since that family party back in July, and now that I'm living in Dublin it's nice to be near them again.
I'm not going to post any of the photos here until after the presentation - it's top secret information until then! You never know who could claim them as their own, and then I'd be up shit creek!
Apart from lectures and assignments, clubs and socs are also keeping me occupied. Tonight I've got football training and studio training for DCUfm, tomorrow I've got my first Music Soc meeting of the year - with free pizza! Speaking of which, here are some of the most important things I've learned about university generally over the past couple of weeks:
1. When you have as few hours as I do, getting involved in society life is absolutely vital.
2. Lecturers are not like teachers. They won't tell you what to do - only you can take responsibility for your own learning.
3. There is no right or wrong answer. It's all about being able to think for yourself and trust your own instincts.
4. When it comes to the ovens in Larkfield, forget about the cooking times you read on the packaging of whatever food it is you're making. When you hear sizzling, take the food out! The ovens tend to burn everything that touches them.
5. There is always a way to get free pizza.
Finally, today marks the birthdays of two of my favourite musicians, John Lennon and John Entwistle, both sadly departed. Happy Birthday to them!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
You Can Run, But You Can't Hide
As I sit here at my computer screen, I'm slowly but surely working my way through a box of Kleenex tissues. Yep, you guessed it, I've got Fresher's Flu. Despite the fact that I was given plenty of advance warning, and despite the fact that my best friend made a point of giving me a packet of Lemsip before I left, I foolishly believed I could avoid illness at all costs. So for anyone reading this who has yet to start university, take heed - you are not indestructible. Keep that Lemsip on standby!
So aside from the fact that my sense of smell is temporarily impaired (some might say that's a good thing) and my head feels several pounds heavier than usual, things are going pretty well. Over the past couple of days I've joined the Media Production Society, Music Society and the Ladies Soccer Club. Should be plenty to keep me busy outside of coursework! MPS are having their first official meeting of the year this evening, so I'm going along to that. As for the soccer club, I was unsure about whether to join, as I didn't know if all levels would be catered for and it's been quite a long time since I've played. Luckily you can just play for fun, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. Time to get back in shape!
Also today I'm meeting up with Aoife, a very good friend of mine from primary school. She's in her second year of studying Horticulture here. We've known each other since we were four or five years old - the very start of our school lives. It'll be great to catch up! Before that, though, I'm going to a study skills workshop with some of my coursemates in about half an hour's time. To be honest it's mainly to give me something to do this afternoon! But it'll hopefully also help me brush up on my presentation skills.
The Mac labs are now working for us, and I had an Authoring session this morning. I now know the very basics of animation using Flash, but I'm having some trouble with the 'walk cycle'. This is where I have to make an animated bug walk across the screen. There are so many sets of legs that it's a little confusing! But I'm sure I'll get there eventually. Practice makes perfect!
And just as I finished typing that last sentence, the weather has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. As if we didn't have enough rain last week! Maybe this is why I'm sick...
So aside from the fact that my sense of smell is temporarily impaired (some might say that's a good thing) and my head feels several pounds heavier than usual, things are going pretty well. Over the past couple of days I've joined the Media Production Society, Music Society and the Ladies Soccer Club. Should be plenty to keep me busy outside of coursework! MPS are having their first official meeting of the year this evening, so I'm going along to that. As for the soccer club, I was unsure about whether to join, as I didn't know if all levels would be catered for and it's been quite a long time since I've played. Luckily you can just play for fun, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. Time to get back in shape!
Also today I'm meeting up with Aoife, a very good friend of mine from primary school. She's in her second year of studying Horticulture here. We've known each other since we were four or five years old - the very start of our school lives. It'll be great to catch up! Before that, though, I'm going to a study skills workshop with some of my coursemates in about half an hour's time. To be honest it's mainly to give me something to do this afternoon! But it'll hopefully also help me brush up on my presentation skills.
The Mac labs are now working for us, and I had an Authoring session this morning. I now know the very basics of animation using Flash, but I'm having some trouble with the 'walk cycle'. This is where I have to make an animated bug walk across the screen. There are so many sets of legs that it's a little confusing! But I'm sure I'll get there eventually. Practice makes perfect!
And just as I finished typing that last sentence, the weather has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. As if we didn't have enough rain last week! Maybe this is why I'm sick...
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Home Away From Home
First week of lectures done! If that statement seems a little premature, it's not - I have Fridays off. Lucky me, eh?
Already I'm beginning to feel at home here. Isn't that great? Don't get me wrong, I'm not Larkfield's number one fan or anything. What I mean is that I'm starting to feel like I belong at DCU. The vast majority of people I have encountered have been really nice and friendly. I've started to make friends with people on my course, not to mention a Journalism student as well. Hopefully this will continue with clubs and societies, though most of the people I've been hanging out with are joining the same ones as me anyway.
So, what's it like being a Multimedia student? Pretty good so far! I'm studying four modules this semester: Multimedia Studies, Photography and Design, Authoring and Introduction to Social Studies. I'll explain a bit about each of them. Multimedia Studies is a weekly lecture which I have on Monday afternoons at 4pm - and that's my one and only lecture that day! It's basically theory which covers loads of different areas relating to graphic and lens based media forms. It seems pretty interesting, though at the moment we've only briefly touched on it. Photography and Design speaks for itself. We're learning how to use professional cameras and software like PhotoShop, and as well as the practical element there's also a lecture covering things like the history and evaluation of photography. I'm not sure how good I'm going to be at that, but we'll see how it goes. I must admit I'm not looking forward to my photography projects and presentations. Social Studies is a lecture that we share with students on two other courses - Communication Studies and Contemporary Culture and Society. As its name suggests, it's to do with sociology and concepts such as Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism and Structuralism. It's pretty interesting stuff and reminds me of some elements of studying history at school, but I'm not sure it's going to be one of my favourite parts of the course. Finally, Authoring is a module in which we learn to combine different media forms (such as sound or video) to create animations, interactive programs and menus.
So far, the most interesting module to me is Authoring, which is ironic considering the second year Multimedia students who spoke to us last week led us to believe it was horrible. It does seem challenging, but that's what you would expect from a course like this. We're currently learning to use Flash, but unfortunately we haven't been able to use the software ourselves yet because in the Mac labs we were unable to log in. Our lecturer has been showing us how everything works, but I'm looking forward to actually being able to try it out myself.
Next week I'll be able to join clubs and socities. Exciting! First on my list is the Media Production Society (known as MPS) which consists of the radio and TV stations, DCUfm and DCUtv. I've always had a huge fascination with radio, especially since I did my work experience in a station in Waterford while I was at school, so I'm dying to get involved in that. In fact, yesterday I made my debut on the air! I went to a meeting with MPS in which we were shown around the radio and TV studios, and a few of us were interviewed about how we'd like to get involved. Pretty much everyone on my course, and indeed the other courses in the School of Communications, seems to be joining MPS. As they point out, if we want careers in the media (and obviously we do, otherwise we wouldn't be on these courses in the first place) getting involved with MPS is essential. I'm also planning on joining the Music Society, as I need an outlet for my guitar playing while at university! As for what else I'm going to join - who knows!
Oh, and the oven seems to be a little bit kinder to me now. Maybe MasterChef isn't such a bad idea after all...*
So that's it for this week. Now just wait til the projects get going! I'll barely have time to breathe.
*Nah. Still a bad idea.
Already I'm beginning to feel at home here. Isn't that great? Don't get me wrong, I'm not Larkfield's number one fan or anything. What I mean is that I'm starting to feel like I belong at DCU. The vast majority of people I have encountered have been really nice and friendly. I've started to make friends with people on my course, not to mention a Journalism student as well. Hopefully this will continue with clubs and societies, though most of the people I've been hanging out with are joining the same ones as me anyway.
So, what's it like being a Multimedia student? Pretty good so far! I'm studying four modules this semester: Multimedia Studies, Photography and Design, Authoring and Introduction to Social Studies. I'll explain a bit about each of them. Multimedia Studies is a weekly lecture which I have on Monday afternoons at 4pm - and that's my one and only lecture that day! It's basically theory which covers loads of different areas relating to graphic and lens based media forms. It seems pretty interesting, though at the moment we've only briefly touched on it. Photography and Design speaks for itself. We're learning how to use professional cameras and software like PhotoShop, and as well as the practical element there's also a lecture covering things like the history and evaluation of photography. I'm not sure how good I'm going to be at that, but we'll see how it goes. I must admit I'm not looking forward to my photography projects and presentations. Social Studies is a lecture that we share with students on two other courses - Communication Studies and Contemporary Culture and Society. As its name suggests, it's to do with sociology and concepts such as Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism and Structuralism. It's pretty interesting stuff and reminds me of some elements of studying history at school, but I'm not sure it's going to be one of my favourite parts of the course. Finally, Authoring is a module in which we learn to combine different media forms (such as sound or video) to create animations, interactive programs and menus.
So far, the most interesting module to me is Authoring, which is ironic considering the second year Multimedia students who spoke to us last week led us to believe it was horrible. It does seem challenging, but that's what you would expect from a course like this. We're currently learning to use Flash, but unfortunately we haven't been able to use the software ourselves yet because in the Mac labs we were unable to log in. Our lecturer has been showing us how everything works, but I'm looking forward to actually being able to try it out myself.
Next week I'll be able to join clubs and socities. Exciting! First on my list is the Media Production Society (known as MPS) which consists of the radio and TV stations, DCUfm and DCUtv. I've always had a huge fascination with radio, especially since I did my work experience in a station in Waterford while I was at school, so I'm dying to get involved in that. In fact, yesterday I made my debut on the air! I went to a meeting with MPS in which we were shown around the radio and TV studios, and a few of us were interviewed about how we'd like to get involved. Pretty much everyone on my course, and indeed the other courses in the School of Communications, seems to be joining MPS. As they point out, if we want careers in the media (and obviously we do, otherwise we wouldn't be on these courses in the first place) getting involved with MPS is essential. I'm also planning on joining the Music Society, as I need an outlet for my guitar playing while at university! As for what else I'm going to join - who knows!
Oh, and the oven seems to be a little bit kinder to me now. Maybe MasterChef isn't such a bad idea after all...*
So that's it for this week. Now just wait til the projects get going! I'll barely have time to breathe.
*Nah. Still a bad idea.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Orientation and the Oven Saga
Orientation for me is officially done and dusted. It's been quite an eventful week! I've started meeting people from my course, become acquainted with the layout of the campus and have even had a dramatic battle with the oven in my kitchen (okay, so maybe 'dramatic' is a bit strong, but it makes the whole saga sound that bit more interesting than it actually is).
First up, I had a session in the Helix on Wednesday morning. For those of you who aren't familiar with Dublin generally, the Helix is a well-known venue which often hosts gigs, plays, musicals etc. And it just happens to be part of the DCU campus, which is really cool. Anyway, there were well over a thousand of us packed into the hall and we were given a talk by the President of the university as well as other staff members, plus we were treated to performances from DCU's Drama and Dance societies.
Next we got to meet our lecturers and tutors. This was good as it gave us a chance to hear about our course and what we can expect. The timetable keeps changing though, so I don't yet know for definite how exactly the days will be structured. However, I do know that Multimedia doesn't have too many contact hours. We will of course be expected to put in a lot of extra research and study in our free hours though, and since we have continuous assessment rather than exams, we'll have a lot of important assignments to work on. It'll be hard work and challenging, but hopefully it'll be good fun too. If you enjoy what you're studying, it doesn't seem like work. But enough of my philosophical crap!
Before I go any further, I must mention that oven. It's volatile! It seems like a pretty old one, and it takes an age to pre-heat. My first attempt at culinary perfection (ahem) came on Monday when I decided to make pizza and waffles. Yep, very healthy... I'm not exactly going to win MasterChef anytime soon. I followed all the instructions properly and still the oven burned everything. Yes, the oven did it. Not me! It was still edible, but it meant that my relationship with the oven did not get off to the greatest of starts. I had more successful meals after that, but I still don't like it. But who knows? Maybe we can learn to get along. Stay tuned for part two of Sarah's Oven Saga.
Anyway, back to my original story! All the School of Communications students were gathered together - that's Multimedia, Communication Studies and Journalism - and then we were split into our indvidual course groups. We met our programme chair and one of our lecturers and then some second and third year students spoke to us about the course and answered people's questions.
Today was a much more interesting day. This morning started off with a talk on Expectations of University Life. We were given some very useful packs containing loads of information on anything we would ever need to know about DCU, plus a free student diary, which was handy because we were advised to get one for our course anyway. After that I headed over to collect my student ID card. I now have a very unflattering photo to carry around with me on my card for the next three years!
I then met up with one of my coursemates who I had been in contact with online for the past couple of weeks. We hung around in the bar of The Hub for a while before waiting for the campus tour, organised by the Students' Union, to start. In the meantime I got to meet a few more of my coursemates, and they were all lovely people. We had a good laugh. I got to know more people today than I did in the previous four days! The tour itself took a while longer than expected to start, but we all had a good time in the end. Even though they ran out of goodie bags to give us. Boo hiss!
All in all, today was pretty busy. I'm looking forward to the start of lectures now, and although it'll take me a while to completely settle in and feel at home on campus, I'm feeling pretty good about it all so far. Tomorrow I'm heading home for the weekend to see my family and my dog, who I miss like mad despite only being away from him for a few days. It's just not the same without him running around the place! I also plan to buy a microwave before I go back on Sunday night. I'm not saying it'll solve all my problems, but it'll be pretty handy!
First up, I had a session in the Helix on Wednesday morning. For those of you who aren't familiar with Dublin generally, the Helix is a well-known venue which often hosts gigs, plays, musicals etc. And it just happens to be part of the DCU campus, which is really cool. Anyway, there were well over a thousand of us packed into the hall and we were given a talk by the President of the university as well as other staff members, plus we were treated to performances from DCU's Drama and Dance societies.
Next we got to meet our lecturers and tutors. This was good as it gave us a chance to hear about our course and what we can expect. The timetable keeps changing though, so I don't yet know for definite how exactly the days will be structured. However, I do know that Multimedia doesn't have too many contact hours. We will of course be expected to put in a lot of extra research and study in our free hours though, and since we have continuous assessment rather than exams, we'll have a lot of important assignments to work on. It'll be hard work and challenging, but hopefully it'll be good fun too. If you enjoy what you're studying, it doesn't seem like work. But enough of my philosophical crap!
Before I go any further, I must mention that oven. It's volatile! It seems like a pretty old one, and it takes an age to pre-heat. My first attempt at culinary perfection (ahem) came on Monday when I decided to make pizza and waffles. Yep, very healthy... I'm not exactly going to win MasterChef anytime soon. I followed all the instructions properly and still the oven burned everything. Yes, the oven did it. Not me! It was still edible, but it meant that my relationship with the oven did not get off to the greatest of starts. I had more successful meals after that, but I still don't like it. But who knows? Maybe we can learn to get along. Stay tuned for part two of Sarah's Oven Saga.
Anyway, back to my original story! All the School of Communications students were gathered together - that's Multimedia, Communication Studies and Journalism - and then we were split into our indvidual course groups. We met our programme chair and one of our lecturers and then some second and third year students spoke to us about the course and answered people's questions.
Today was a much more interesting day. This morning started off with a talk on Expectations of University Life. We were given some very useful packs containing loads of information on anything we would ever need to know about DCU, plus a free student diary, which was handy because we were advised to get one for our course anyway. After that I headed over to collect my student ID card. I now have a very unflattering photo to carry around with me on my card for the next three years!
I then met up with one of my coursemates who I had been in contact with online for the past couple of weeks. We hung around in the bar of The Hub for a while before waiting for the campus tour, organised by the Students' Union, to start. In the meantime I got to meet a few more of my coursemates, and they were all lovely people. We had a good laugh. I got to know more people today than I did in the previous four days! The tour itself took a while longer than expected to start, but we all had a good time in the end. Even though they ran out of goodie bags to give us. Boo hiss!
All in all, today was pretty busy. I'm looking forward to the start of lectures now, and although it'll take me a while to completely settle in and feel at home on campus, I'm feeling pretty good about it all so far. Tomorrow I'm heading home for the weekend to see my family and my dog, who I miss like mad despite only being away from him for a few days. It's just not the same without him running around the place! I also plan to buy a microwave before I go back on Sunday night. I'm not saying it'll solve all my problems, but it'll be pretty handy!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Settling In
I'm sitting here in my new bedroom in Larkfield, looking out the window at lecture halls and people walking by for orientation. Mine doesn't start until Wednesday morning, which explains why I'm not out there at the moment. I'm currently experiencing mixed emotions. I can't wait to actually get stuck in to my course, but at the same time I'm trying to deal with the overwhelming apprehension at the prospect of living away from home - even though, technically speaking, as I'm in Dublin, I already am home.
The weekend was a blur of packing and last-minute shopping. To say I was nervous on the drive up yesterday afternoon would be a massive understatement. I was gripped with a brief but very real moment of terror the minute my parents left and I was on my own in a quiet apartment, but I've kind of adjusted now. First impressions? The campus is a nice size (although I'm counting on getting lost for a while) and very modern. I immediately fell in love with The Hub (that's the Students' Union building). The bar is lovely and it just looks like such a nice place.
As for Larkfield itself, it's not as bad as I was expecting it to be. The rooms aren't quite as enclosed as people would have you believe and it's clean and comfortable. I've seen far worse! My bed is comfortable, though I did wake up this morning with a pain in my leg, which I always seem to get whenever I sleep in a single bed! Spoiled or what!
My only complaint is the size of the kitchen. It's true, you can barely fit two people in there. I haven't tried cooking yet, but I hope it works out okay!
I haven't seen all that much of my flatmate, but she seems pretty nice. As far as friend-making goes, I've been unsuccessful so far. There was a rave for first years in the courtyard of Larkfield last night, but although I hung around there for a while and spoke to a few people briefly, I didn't exactly click with anyone. Plenty of time I suppose. I'm not a party animal anyway, so I expect that my friendships will come through my course as well as clubs and societies.
The good news is I'm meeting up with a couple of people from my course in The Hub at lunchtime on Wednesday, before we meet the rest of our group properly. That should be a good chance to get to know some people.
My orientation finishes up on Thursday evening at six, so I might go back home for the weekend before lectures start depending on if there's anything happening or not. I don't know how true it is, but I've heard that the campus is extremely quiet from Friday to Sunday evenings due to people going home for the weekends, not to mention the fact that the bar isn't open. I'll see how it goes.
More updates on university life as it progresses!
The weekend was a blur of packing and last-minute shopping. To say I was nervous on the drive up yesterday afternoon would be a massive understatement. I was gripped with a brief but very real moment of terror the minute my parents left and I was on my own in a quiet apartment, but I've kind of adjusted now. First impressions? The campus is a nice size (although I'm counting on getting lost for a while) and very modern. I immediately fell in love with The Hub (that's the Students' Union building). The bar is lovely and it just looks like such a nice place.
As for Larkfield itself, it's not as bad as I was expecting it to be. The rooms aren't quite as enclosed as people would have you believe and it's clean and comfortable. I've seen far worse! My bed is comfortable, though I did wake up this morning with a pain in my leg, which I always seem to get whenever I sleep in a single bed! Spoiled or what!
My only complaint is the size of the kitchen. It's true, you can barely fit two people in there. I haven't tried cooking yet, but I hope it works out okay!
I haven't seen all that much of my flatmate, but she seems pretty nice. As far as friend-making goes, I've been unsuccessful so far. There was a rave for first years in the courtyard of Larkfield last night, but although I hung around there for a while and spoke to a few people briefly, I didn't exactly click with anyone. Plenty of time I suppose. I'm not a party animal anyway, so I expect that my friendships will come through my course as well as clubs and societies.
The good news is I'm meeting up with a couple of people from my course in The Hub at lunchtime on Wednesday, before we meet the rest of our group properly. That should be a good chance to get to know some people.
My orientation finishes up on Thursday evening at six, so I might go back home for the weekend before lectures start depending on if there's anything happening or not. I don't know how true it is, but I've heard that the campus is extremely quiet from Friday to Sunday evenings due to people going home for the weekends, not to mention the fact that the bar isn't open. I'll see how it goes.
More updates on university life as it progresses!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
University Survival Kit
Last week my best friend gave me the most original birthday present ever - a university survival kit. It means that I will leave home next weekend fully equipped to deal with all that life throws at the unsuspecting first year student, from Fresher's Flu (it does exist apparently) to cravings for baked beans (or does that one apply only to me?) and all manner of crises in between. On that note, I have decided to share with you my list of the ten things I couldn't survive university without - not including the obvious things like money or bed linen.
1. Baked Beans - Well, I did mention this above. You can gather from the fact that a tin of beans was included in my university survival kit that they play a crucial role in my everyday life. It's also an indication of just how well my best friend knows me. When I found out that there are no microwaves supplied in Larkfield (I'll just have to go out and buy one) I momentarily panicked - what about my beans? Sorry, but I think they taste inferior when cooked in a pot. That's just me. Anyway, they are my comfort food. Where other people would turn to ice-cream for support, I would seek solace in a tin of beans. At a dinner table I'd be very easy to spot. I'd be the girl with an alarmingly large quantity of beans on her plate, and would then be seen asking for a second helping. I'm a lost cause.
2. Comedy DVDs - Now this is very, very important. I never used to think I would miss not having a television at all. But that was before I became addicted to afternoon re-runs of Yes Minister. Now there's going to be quite a big gap in that department, and my comedy DVDs are going to fill it. Classic British comedy is one of my nerdy fixations, so believe me when I say my apartment is going to be full of it. From Morecambe and Wise to Basil Fawlty and beyond, they'll all be there to stick on when I need a good laugh.
3. Music - This one should be pretty obvious. Everyone who knows me knows how important music is to me. I'd bring my entire CD collection along if I thought it could all fit, but shelf space looks rather limited, and I think my comedy box sets will take up enough room as it is. So I'll have to make do with my iPod, which contains most of it anyway. And god knows when I might need to put some headphones on!
4. Guitar - I haven't decided whether I'm going to bring my Les Paul or my Casino (any excuse to show off, eh?) but I can't bring them both, so it's one or the other. I also have no idea how I'm going to fit an amplifier into my shoebox-style apartment. One thing's for sure, I need a guitar to hand. I'm probably going to join the Music Soc, so it'll be nice to play with people. I also have a habit of dreaming about chord progressions or riffs at night, and frantically trying to remember them the next morning. So yeah. Guitar is pretty essential.
5. Photographs - I like to be surrounded by photographs even when I'm at home, so it'll be even more important when I'm not. I've got some nice photos of times with friends which I'm bringing with me. I've also got a couple of my dog, and they're coming with me too. You have no idea how much I'll miss my dog. I will of course be going home for a weekend here and there, but still. It's very odd not having a dog around the place every day if you're used to it.
6. Skype - Easily the best invention of the 21st century. Skype has been a life-saver to me on numerous occasions. It's a handy way to keep in touch with the parents and siblings and tell them the goings-on without having to ring them and use up credit. I know, I'm a tight-wad! Seriously though, a Skype call is ten times better than a phone call, as you can actually see the person you're talking to. It'll also be so useful for chatting to my friends from home while they're at university too.
7. Books - Honestly, right now I have no idea how much time I will have on my hands for reading purposes during the academic year. I mean, I have plenty of free hours, but I'll be busy with assignments and the like, not to mention clubs and societies. It's far easier to squeeze a DVD into a busy schedule than it is to read for leisure. But I'm hoping I'll be able to do it, as it's nice to transport yourself off to another world for a while.
8. Chocolate - The ultimate reward after a long day (okay, that's just a pathetic excuse to attempt to justify the fact that I eat too much chocolate). I don't know what else to say about it really. We all know how heavenly it is.
9. Football - I'm not talking about actually playing football, although I'm hoping this will be a big part of university life for me. I'm talking about watching it. Premer League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League... it's so important for me to be able to watch Manchester United. I believe DCU has a United supporters society, so I'm definitely going in search of that.
10. YouTube - For everything else I can't watch due to the absence of a television!
Now, at some stage this week I actually have to start packing!
1. Baked Beans - Well, I did mention this above. You can gather from the fact that a tin of beans was included in my university survival kit that they play a crucial role in my everyday life. It's also an indication of just how well my best friend knows me. When I found out that there are no microwaves supplied in Larkfield (I'll just have to go out and buy one) I momentarily panicked - what about my beans? Sorry, but I think they taste inferior when cooked in a pot. That's just me. Anyway, they are my comfort food. Where other people would turn to ice-cream for support, I would seek solace in a tin of beans. At a dinner table I'd be very easy to spot. I'd be the girl with an alarmingly large quantity of beans on her plate, and would then be seen asking for a second helping. I'm a lost cause.
2. Comedy DVDs - Now this is very, very important. I never used to think I would miss not having a television at all. But that was before I became addicted to afternoon re-runs of Yes Minister. Now there's going to be quite a big gap in that department, and my comedy DVDs are going to fill it. Classic British comedy is one of my nerdy fixations, so believe me when I say my apartment is going to be full of it. From Morecambe and Wise to Basil Fawlty and beyond, they'll all be there to stick on when I need a good laugh.
3. Music - This one should be pretty obvious. Everyone who knows me knows how important music is to me. I'd bring my entire CD collection along if I thought it could all fit, but shelf space looks rather limited, and I think my comedy box sets will take up enough room as it is. So I'll have to make do with my iPod, which contains most of it anyway. And god knows when I might need to put some headphones on!
4. Guitar - I haven't decided whether I'm going to bring my Les Paul or my Casino (any excuse to show off, eh?) but I can't bring them both, so it's one or the other. I also have no idea how I'm going to fit an amplifier into my shoebox-style apartment. One thing's for sure, I need a guitar to hand. I'm probably going to join the Music Soc, so it'll be nice to play with people. I also have a habit of dreaming about chord progressions or riffs at night, and frantically trying to remember them the next morning. So yeah. Guitar is pretty essential.
5. Photographs - I like to be surrounded by photographs even when I'm at home, so it'll be even more important when I'm not. I've got some nice photos of times with friends which I'm bringing with me. I've also got a couple of my dog, and they're coming with me too. You have no idea how much I'll miss my dog. I will of course be going home for a weekend here and there, but still. It's very odd not having a dog around the place every day if you're used to it.
6. Skype - Easily the best invention of the 21st century. Skype has been a life-saver to me on numerous occasions. It's a handy way to keep in touch with the parents and siblings and tell them the goings-on without having to ring them and use up credit. I know, I'm a tight-wad! Seriously though, a Skype call is ten times better than a phone call, as you can actually see the person you're talking to. It'll also be so useful for chatting to my friends from home while they're at university too.
7. Books - Honestly, right now I have no idea how much time I will have on my hands for reading purposes during the academic year. I mean, I have plenty of free hours, but I'll be busy with assignments and the like, not to mention clubs and societies. It's far easier to squeeze a DVD into a busy schedule than it is to read for leisure. But I'm hoping I'll be able to do it, as it's nice to transport yourself off to another world for a while.
8. Chocolate - The ultimate reward after a long day (okay, that's just a pathetic excuse to attempt to justify the fact that I eat too much chocolate). I don't know what else to say about it really. We all know how heavenly it is.
9. Football - I'm not talking about actually playing football, although I'm hoping this will be a big part of university life for me. I'm talking about watching it. Premer League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League... it's so important for me to be able to watch Manchester United. I believe DCU has a United supporters society, so I'm definitely going in search of that.
10. YouTube - For everything else I can't watch due to the absence of a television!
Now, at some stage this week I actually have to start packing!
Monday, September 3, 2012
My Birthday and Other Thoughts
It was my birthday on Saturday. I'm now 20 years old, which means that I will have to start behaving like a proper adult. Easier said than done! Seriously though, people keep asking me whether I feel any older. I think it's a pretty silly question. How can I possibly feel any older than I did three days ago? I will admit, however, that when I actually stopped and gave it some serious consideration I felt a bit dizzy and had to sit down in the nearest chair! Ah well, I'll get used to it.
Anyway, I had a much better birthday than last year. Mainly because it was a weekend and everyone was at home this time. Last year both my parents were working and my sisters were at school, so it was a little on the dull side until my best friend rescued me and we met up in town. This time I had a nice day at home with a few presents and a chocolate brownie cake that my sister made for me. I absolutely love brownies so it was the logical solution!
Today I met up with a few of my friends in town. It was really good to catch up with them again, as it had been way too long since I'd last seen some of them. It was also nice to be able to contribute something to the conversations about university! Although I must admit some of the scientific terms went way over my head - two of my friends are science students and one is a medical student! I seem to know quite a high number of science students - second only to those training to be teachers! I wouldn't care to study it myself, as it seems pretty intense, not to mention the fact that I wasn't much good at the science subjects at school. But I admire their ability to do it, and they seem to love it too, in spite of how difficult it is.
Speaking of degrees... getting close now! Two weeks from now I will be living in my new apartment on campus, doing god knows what. My registration information came in the post last week, including my timetable for orientation. It doesn't start until the Wednesday, so I'll be spending the first two days trying to make some friends. A daunting prospect! I have to register for my course online this week and my email and portal services will be activated 24 hours after that. I'll be able to view my timetable for the semester then too, which I'm really excited about. Knowing my luck, though, there will be a few nine o'clock starts in there! I'm going to have the following modules during the first semester: Introduction to Social Studies, Photography and Design 1, Sound Production 1, Multimedia Studies, Authoring and Introduction to Communication Theory. It'll be hard work, of course, but fun stuff nonetheless.
Can't believe it's only two weeks away! Aaahhh!
P.S. - My culinary skills are improving! Last week I conquered a long-standing fear of cooking chicken for myself. It had to be done, since I just love chicken. I have always been terrified of giving myself food poisoning, as we all know how disastrous the consequences of eating undercooked chicken can be. But I'm pleased to say it turned out perfectly. I'll never be a gourmet chef, but it's a nice accomplishment!
Anyway, I had a much better birthday than last year. Mainly because it was a weekend and everyone was at home this time. Last year both my parents were working and my sisters were at school, so it was a little on the dull side until my best friend rescued me and we met up in town. This time I had a nice day at home with a few presents and a chocolate brownie cake that my sister made for me. I absolutely love brownies so it was the logical solution!
Today I met up with a few of my friends in town. It was really good to catch up with them again, as it had been way too long since I'd last seen some of them. It was also nice to be able to contribute something to the conversations about university! Although I must admit some of the scientific terms went way over my head - two of my friends are science students and one is a medical student! I seem to know quite a high number of science students - second only to those training to be teachers! I wouldn't care to study it myself, as it seems pretty intense, not to mention the fact that I wasn't much good at the science subjects at school. But I admire their ability to do it, and they seem to love it too, in spite of how difficult it is.
Speaking of degrees... getting close now! Two weeks from now I will be living in my new apartment on campus, doing god knows what. My registration information came in the post last week, including my timetable for orientation. It doesn't start until the Wednesday, so I'll be spending the first two days trying to make some friends. A daunting prospect! I have to register for my course online this week and my email and portal services will be activated 24 hours after that. I'll be able to view my timetable for the semester then too, which I'm really excited about. Knowing my luck, though, there will be a few nine o'clock starts in there! I'm going to have the following modules during the first semester: Introduction to Social Studies, Photography and Design 1, Sound Production 1, Multimedia Studies, Authoring and Introduction to Communication Theory. It'll be hard work, of course, but fun stuff nonetheless.
Can't believe it's only two weeks away! Aaahhh!
P.S. - My culinary skills are improving! Last week I conquered a long-standing fear of cooking chicken for myself. It had to be done, since I just love chicken. I have always been terrified of giving myself food poisoning, as we all know how disastrous the consequences of eating undercooked chicken can be. But I'm pleased to say it turned out perfectly. I'll never be a gourmet chef, but it's a nice accomplishment!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Why Multimedia?
I've decided it's about time I explained a little about how I came to this point. Why did I choose to study Multimedia, and why did I choose DCU? I haven't really gone into the specifics yet, hence why I'm doing this post.
To answer the first part of that question, it's an area I've always had a huge interest in without ever quite being sure why. Maybe it's down to a love of computers and technology in general, or maybe it's that I've always had a creative streak. All I know is that I wanted to study something that would allow me to combine the two if I could. In that sense, Multimedia fit the bill perfectly.
When I was in Transition Year at school, I spent a week doing work experience in Beat 102-103, a radio station in Waterford. I absolutely loved it and learned so much. I got to use new software and do some basic editing, put together some sweeps (which ended up being broadcast) and sit in on broadcasts. I came away from the experience thinking, "I wouldn't mind doing this for a living" and ultimately it was an idea that I returned to when considering Multimedia.
Audio production is an area I can see myself specialising in for the reasons above, but what sold Multimedia to me was the fact that I also get to learn about so many other things. I don't know how good I'll be at things like video production, photography and animation, but they are certainly all things I am interested in and would find a lot of fun. I'll also get to learn about web design, which I'm fascinated by and have always wanted to pursue, even if only as a hobby. In short, it's the perfect course to suit my interests.
Which brings me to the second part of the question - why DCU? Well, as I've just mentioned, the course was everything I wanted. I looked at similar courses in other institutions, but nothing appealed to me as much as the one in DCU. With other places, there always seemed to be something that would hold me back. For example, a focus on maths. With DCU I was lucky enough to be able to meet the entry requirement for maths, which was a C3 in Ordinary Level. I was also relieved to find out that there is no maths involved in the course, which is just as well because maths was my weakest subject at school. I was utterly hopeless at it.
I always knew that I wanted to move back to Dublin some day. Within Ireland, I can't think of anywhere better to be a student (though as it's my hometown, I would say that). It's a great city and there's always something to do. But why did DCU appeal to me over the other Dublin universities? Apart from having the exact course I wanted, which the others did not, it just seemed to have more to offer me. I wouldn't want to knock the likes of UCD or Trinity College, as I have friends who are studying at both and I'm sure they'll all get great degrees there, but they just weren't for me. Trinity is so prestigious that I would feel extremely intimidated, while UCD has always struck me as a little too overcrowded. DCU, on the other hand, seems compact enough to feel like a community, while also being a top modern university. I have heard nothing but good things about it from people who have studied there. The support they provide to students is supposed to be excellent. It is ranked in the top four per cent of universities worldwide and has an excellent record in terms of employability of graduates. Basically, I have no doubt that I will get a great education there.
To answer the first part of that question, it's an area I've always had a huge interest in without ever quite being sure why. Maybe it's down to a love of computers and technology in general, or maybe it's that I've always had a creative streak. All I know is that I wanted to study something that would allow me to combine the two if I could. In that sense, Multimedia fit the bill perfectly.
When I was in Transition Year at school, I spent a week doing work experience in Beat 102-103, a radio station in Waterford. I absolutely loved it and learned so much. I got to use new software and do some basic editing, put together some sweeps (which ended up being broadcast) and sit in on broadcasts. I came away from the experience thinking, "I wouldn't mind doing this for a living" and ultimately it was an idea that I returned to when considering Multimedia.
Audio production is an area I can see myself specialising in for the reasons above, but what sold Multimedia to me was the fact that I also get to learn about so many other things. I don't know how good I'll be at things like video production, photography and animation, but they are certainly all things I am interested in and would find a lot of fun. I'll also get to learn about web design, which I'm fascinated by and have always wanted to pursue, even if only as a hobby. In short, it's the perfect course to suit my interests.
Which brings me to the second part of the question - why DCU? Well, as I've just mentioned, the course was everything I wanted. I looked at similar courses in other institutions, but nothing appealed to me as much as the one in DCU. With other places, there always seemed to be something that would hold me back. For example, a focus on maths. With DCU I was lucky enough to be able to meet the entry requirement for maths, which was a C3 in Ordinary Level. I was also relieved to find out that there is no maths involved in the course, which is just as well because maths was my weakest subject at school. I was utterly hopeless at it.
I always knew that I wanted to move back to Dublin some day. Within Ireland, I can't think of anywhere better to be a student (though as it's my hometown, I would say that). It's a great city and there's always something to do. But why did DCU appeal to me over the other Dublin universities? Apart from having the exact course I wanted, which the others did not, it just seemed to have more to offer me. I wouldn't want to knock the likes of UCD or Trinity College, as I have friends who are studying at both and I'm sure they'll all get great degrees there, but they just weren't for me. Trinity is so prestigious that I would feel extremely intimidated, while UCD has always struck me as a little too overcrowded. DCU, on the other hand, seems compact enough to feel like a community, while also being a top modern university. I have heard nothing but good things about it from people who have studied there. The support they provide to students is supposed to be excellent. It is ranked in the top four per cent of universities worldwide and has an excellent record in terms of employability of graduates. Basically, I have no doubt that I will get a great education there.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Living on Campus
Now that I've been accepted into DCU, yesterday I received an offer of on campus accommodation. There are two places that first years can live on campus - Larkfield Apartments and Hampstead Apartments. There are several differences between the two. Larkfield is inhabited completely by first year students, while in Hampstead first years live among second and third years. The bathrooms in Larkfield are shared while the bathrooms in Hampstead are ensuite. Hampstead has a living room area and Larkfield doesn't (but there are common rooms). The shared kitchen area in Hampstead is bigger that the one in Larkfield and includes a dining area, which Larkfield does not have. Finally, there are groups of five people per apartment in Hampstead, whereas in Larkfield there are two people per apartment.
Most of these differences don't bother me much, but I put Hampstead down on my application purely for the fact that I wanted an ensuite. Alas I ended up getting Larkfield. I've never been keen on the idea of a shared bathroom. Sharing a toilet doesn't worry me in the slightest, but sharing a shower does concern me a little bit. Not because of cleanliness or anything like that - I'm sure the person I'll be sharing with will be fine in that respect. It's just the idea of having to wait a long time to have a shower if it's in use, or keeping the other person waiting and having to hurry up. Still, at least I'll only be sharing with one other person. It would be far worse with a bigger group of people. Of course we're all used to sharing bathrooms at home, but that's with our families, so I at least hope that I'll have a nice flatmate who I can hopefully make friends with, because it would be far easier to share a bathroom with someone I'm comfortable around.
I've also been hearing more than a few horror stories from people who have lived in Larkfield. The main complaint is that the rooms are so small it's akin to living in a shoebox or a prison cell, but personally I don't really care that much about the size as long as it's clean and comfortable. It is university accommodation after all, so there's no such thing as luxury. Another complaint is about security, rules and ridiculous fines for anything and everything. I know that rules have to be enforced, but I've read through the contract and I must say some of the rules are pretty stupid. It looks as if they can fine you for the slightest thing, so I won't be giving them any excuse if I can help it. The third thing is the noise - now, there's always going to be noise and parties in any place that houses a couple of hundred students, but at the same time I hope I'll at least be able to sleep! I've also heard that it helps to be an extrovert, which I am not. I'm a person who likes a bit of alone time once in a while. That's not to say I'm antisocial - I love hanging out with friends and having fun - but I'm not the kind of person who loves partying and getting wasted. Still, there are plenty of clubs and societies, so I'm sure it won't be a problem finding other fun things to do.
It's not exactly encouraging to hear all these tales of how 'horrible' Larkfield supposedly is. Sure, it's probably far from the nicest place to live on campus, but I don't exactly have a lot of choice do I? At least I have somewhere to live. That's the most important thing. The rent for semester one has been paid today, so that's that. Anyway, there are some pros to living in Larkfield as well as cons. The fact that it's first years only would make it easier to make friends, I'd imagine, because everyone's in the same boat. Sharing facilities with your flatmate would mean that you'd have to get to know them, so that's another good excuse to make a friend. Plus, the shared facilities mean that Larkfield is a bit cheaper to live in than Hampstead, and everyone likes saving money right? Best of all, it's right at the centre of campus, next to the library and the Student Union and literally only a couple of minutes' walk from lectures.
And anyway, no matter what happens, at least I'm guaranteed an ensuite next year! ;)
Most of these differences don't bother me much, but I put Hampstead down on my application purely for the fact that I wanted an ensuite. Alas I ended up getting Larkfield. I've never been keen on the idea of a shared bathroom. Sharing a toilet doesn't worry me in the slightest, but sharing a shower does concern me a little bit. Not because of cleanliness or anything like that - I'm sure the person I'll be sharing with will be fine in that respect. It's just the idea of having to wait a long time to have a shower if it's in use, or keeping the other person waiting and having to hurry up. Still, at least I'll only be sharing with one other person. It would be far worse with a bigger group of people. Of course we're all used to sharing bathrooms at home, but that's with our families, so I at least hope that I'll have a nice flatmate who I can hopefully make friends with, because it would be far easier to share a bathroom with someone I'm comfortable around.
I've also been hearing more than a few horror stories from people who have lived in Larkfield. The main complaint is that the rooms are so small it's akin to living in a shoebox or a prison cell, but personally I don't really care that much about the size as long as it's clean and comfortable. It is university accommodation after all, so there's no such thing as luxury. Another complaint is about security, rules and ridiculous fines for anything and everything. I know that rules have to be enforced, but I've read through the contract and I must say some of the rules are pretty stupid. It looks as if they can fine you for the slightest thing, so I won't be giving them any excuse if I can help it. The third thing is the noise - now, there's always going to be noise and parties in any place that houses a couple of hundred students, but at the same time I hope I'll at least be able to sleep! I've also heard that it helps to be an extrovert, which I am not. I'm a person who likes a bit of alone time once in a while. That's not to say I'm antisocial - I love hanging out with friends and having fun - but I'm not the kind of person who loves partying and getting wasted. Still, there are plenty of clubs and societies, so I'm sure it won't be a problem finding other fun things to do.
It's not exactly encouraging to hear all these tales of how 'horrible' Larkfield supposedly is. Sure, it's probably far from the nicest place to live on campus, but I don't exactly have a lot of choice do I? At least I have somewhere to live. That's the most important thing. The rent for semester one has been paid today, so that's that. Anyway, there are some pros to living in Larkfield as well as cons. The fact that it's first years only would make it easier to make friends, I'd imagine, because everyone's in the same boat. Sharing facilities with your flatmate would mean that you'd have to get to know them, so that's another good excuse to make a friend. Plus, the shared facilities mean that Larkfield is a bit cheaper to live in than Hampstead, and everyone likes saving money right? Best of all, it's right at the centre of campus, next to the library and the Student Union and literally only a couple of minutes' walk from lectures.
And anyway, no matter what happens, at least I'm guaranteed an ensuite next year! ;)
Monday, August 20, 2012
The Verdict
What a day! Never have I felt so much stress, so much relief, so much adrenaline and so much exhaustion all in the space of 24 hours. You can gather from the word 'relief' that I received the offer I wanted! So now it's official - I am going to study Multimedia in DCU. Woohoo! It's an amazing feeling!
After listening to my iPod for quite a while in a futile attempt to calm down, I finally gave in to tiredness and tried to get to sleep at about half past twelve. So much for eleven at the latest! I must have slept for at least four or five hours, because I was then awoken by the sound of the dog whimpering downstairs and my dad getting up. Of course then it dawned on me that the moment was getting ever closer and I couldn't get back to sleep. I finally got up at six and turned on the laptop... only to find that the CAO website was being a bastard and wouldn't let me log in. Fantastic! That's just what thousands of anxious students need in the early hours of a Monday morning. That infuriating 'unavailable at this time' message everyone hates to see kept flashing up on the screen, and by this time I was getting extremely agitated. My parents, meanwhile, were both waiting downstairs for the news and were getting pretty worried. After what felt like an age but in reality was probably only about ten or fifteen minutes, I managed to log in, and lo and behold - there was the offer I wanted. Cue massive sigh of relief! The system then decided to be an even bigger bastard and refused to let me accept the offer for another ten minutes or so. However, all was well in the end. Phew!
The points for many courses went crazy this year, particularly in the area of science and computing. Luckily for me, Multimedia only went up by ten points, so that's 430. My points from my Leaving Cert last year were 515, so I was a good 85 points over the requirement. What was I worrying for, eh? Well, I'm a pessimist, and I hate taking anything for granted. But never mind, what's done is done. I'm in now, and I couldn't be happier! My parents are no longer nervous wrecks either, which is good!
Now I just have to wait for an offer of accommodation. I sent in my application back in May, so hopefully everything goes okay in that department. As an incoming first year student I had two choices: Hampstead and Larkfield. I decided that Hampstead appealed to me more, as you have an ensuite instead of a shared bathroom. Fingers crossed I get it!
I'm now looking forward to watching my beloved Manchester United tonight in the first match of the new Premier League season. Today's events will just make it all the more enjoyable!
Oh, and I did go back to bed in the end... but I still couldn't sleep. :)
After listening to my iPod for quite a while in a futile attempt to calm down, I finally gave in to tiredness and tried to get to sleep at about half past twelve. So much for eleven at the latest! I must have slept for at least four or five hours, because I was then awoken by the sound of the dog whimpering downstairs and my dad getting up. Of course then it dawned on me that the moment was getting ever closer and I couldn't get back to sleep. I finally got up at six and turned on the laptop... only to find that the CAO website was being a bastard and wouldn't let me log in. Fantastic! That's just what thousands of anxious students need in the early hours of a Monday morning. That infuriating 'unavailable at this time' message everyone hates to see kept flashing up on the screen, and by this time I was getting extremely agitated. My parents, meanwhile, were both waiting downstairs for the news and were getting pretty worried. After what felt like an age but in reality was probably only about ten or fifteen minutes, I managed to log in, and lo and behold - there was the offer I wanted. Cue massive sigh of relief! The system then decided to be an even bigger bastard and refused to let me accept the offer for another ten minutes or so. However, all was well in the end. Phew!
The points for many courses went crazy this year, particularly in the area of science and computing. Luckily for me, Multimedia only went up by ten points, so that's 430. My points from my Leaving Cert last year were 515, so I was a good 85 points over the requirement. What was I worrying for, eh? Well, I'm a pessimist, and I hate taking anything for granted. But never mind, what's done is done. I'm in now, and I couldn't be happier! My parents are no longer nervous wrecks either, which is good!
Now I just have to wait for an offer of accommodation. I sent in my application back in May, so hopefully everything goes okay in that department. As an incoming first year student I had two choices: Hampstead and Larkfield. I decided that Hampstead appealed to me more, as you have an ensuite instead of a shared bathroom. Fingers crossed I get it!
I'm now looking forward to watching my beloved Manchester United tonight in the first match of the new Premier League season. Today's events will just make it all the more enjoyable!
Oh, and I did go back to bed in the end... but I still couldn't sleep. :)
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Judgement Day
It's here! It's finally here! The wait is over! At 6am tomorrow morning my future will be revealed. I have a feeling that it's going to be a very restless night! I don't intend to pull an all-nighter like many of my friends and peers did last year, but I can't promise myself I will get much - if any - sleep. One way or another I will be sitting in front of my laptop bright and early, logging into my CAO application with trembling hands to see if I have the offer I so badly want.
At this moment I am trying desperately hard to be positive, but admidst the excitement there is also a lingering feeling of fear and worry, bordering on nausea. My parents will both be up; my mother especially for the occasion even though she has the day off work. That's love and support for you! Honestly, my parents have both been brilliant these past few months. They have calmed me down when I've been having minor panics and reassured me when the self-doubt kicks in. I would quite literally be lost without them. My best friend has also sent a much-appreciated message of support, and insists that I text her as soon as I find out. She doesn't care about being woken up at six in the morning - now that's friendship!
I don't know what I'm going to do after the event. Go back to bed? I doubt it. I probably wouldn't be able to get back to sleep anyway. I suppose I'll decide tomorrow. Right now, I'm contemplating what time to go to bed at so that I can attempt to sleep. I'm thinking eleven at the latest. Maybe I will sleep after all... when I got my Leaving Cert results last year, I had a good night's sleep, although I did have two different nightmares about failing all of my exams!
I sense that I'm becoming a little incoherent now, so I'll sign off. Verdict to follow tomorrow...
At this moment I am trying desperately hard to be positive, but admidst the excitement there is also a lingering feeling of fear and worry, bordering on nausea. My parents will both be up; my mother especially for the occasion even though she has the day off work. That's love and support for you! Honestly, my parents have both been brilliant these past few months. They have calmed me down when I've been having minor panics and reassured me when the self-doubt kicks in. I would quite literally be lost without them. My best friend has also sent a much-appreciated message of support, and insists that I text her as soon as I find out. She doesn't care about being woken up at six in the morning - now that's friendship!
I don't know what I'm going to do after the event. Go back to bed? I doubt it. I probably wouldn't be able to get back to sleep anyway. I suppose I'll decide tomorrow. Right now, I'm contemplating what time to go to bed at so that I can attempt to sleep. I'm thinking eleven at the latest. Maybe I will sleep after all... when I got my Leaving Cert results last year, I had a good night's sleep, although I did have two different nightmares about failing all of my exams!
I sense that I'm becoming a little incoherent now, so I'll sign off. Verdict to follow tomorrow...
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Musical Musings
I'm sitting here in my furnace of a room typing this. The heat really is stifling tonight! Everyone knows the Irish weather is unpredictable at the best of times, but this summer has been particularly wet and rainy. Now all of a sudden we seem to be in the midst of a heatwave! I'm not sure I like it. My idea of perfect weather is sunshine and a cool breeze - not humidity. I like to be able to sleep at night! As long as it doesn't rain, I'm happy. Typical Irish attitude all the same. When it's cold and raining, we moan. When it's hot and humid, we moan even more!
Anyway, this is going to be a musically-motivated post. I saw this on another blog and thought I'd rob - ahem, borrow - it for mine. Just because I fancy a bit of a ramble about music. So here goes:
Your favourite song:
Probably the hardest question of all for a music lover. I'll never be completely satisfied with my choice no matter what answer I give, but I'm going to go for Something by The Beatles, purely and simply because it's The Beatles. You can't get much better than that. Also, George Harrison is my favourite Beatle.
Your least favourite song:
Again, this is a tough one, because there's no shortage of songs that irritate me! The one that comes to mind is I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston. Nothing against her or anything, I just hate that damn song! And absolutely everybody thinks they can sing it, which makes it even worse.
A song that makes you happy:
An absolute classic here - I'm The Urban Spaceman by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. It's hard not to smile when you're listening to them, and this one always makes me cheerful. Nerd alert: did you know it was produced by Paul McCartney, under the pseudonym Apollo C. Vermouth?
A song that makes you sad:
For this I have to go with Johnny Cash's version of the Nine Inch Nails song, Hurt. It has that effect on everyone I know who has listened to it. It's one of the most emotional performances of a song that I have ever heard.
A song that reminds you of someone:
Whenever I hear Europe's The Final Countdown, I can't help but think of a childhood friend of mine who passed away last year. Even though I personally am not a fan of the song, it makes me smile nowadays because I can always picture her singing it.
A song that reminds you of somewhere:
There's a song called Hometown by a British wartime double act called Flanagan and Allen (you might know them for their song Underneath The Arches), and it makes me think of Dublin even though the guys themselves were Londoners. My own favourite double act, Morecambe and Wise, covered this song among others on their tribute album to Flanagan and Allen.
A song that reminds you of a certain event:
More Beatles here - Hey Jude. Whenever I hear it now, I am instantly transported back to those magical Paul McCartney gigs I attended. Spine-tingling stuff.
A song you know all the words to:
I could mention practically any song I love, but I'll give Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody a mention because I could probably sing it in my sleep (incredibly badly, I might add) and that includes all the harmony lines!
A song you can dance to:
I'm a terrible dancer, but I can't help myself when I hear Bruce Springsteen's Dancing In The Dark. I think we all magically transform into Courteney Cox when it comes on.
A song that makes you fall asleep:
I find classical music incredibly soothing, so that would be my best bet. Anything else would just distract me. I'll choose one of my favourite pieces of music of all time, the beautiful Romance from The Gadfly by Dmitri Shostakovich.
A song from your favourite band:
Everyone knows Alice Cooper is my main man, so I'd pick Stolen Prayer from my favourite album of his, The Last Temptation.
A song from a band you hate:
I detest Guns N' Roses and I think Sweet Child O' Mine is horribly overrated. There, I said it.
A song that is a guilty pleasure:
I always say that if you like something, why feel guilty about it? But I suppose for this I would pick that Jay-Z song Empire State Of Mind. That is so far removed from anything I usually like, but it's a well-crafted song. That doesn't mean I'd listen to anything else of his though!
A song that no-one would expect you to love:
Hungary's Eurovision entry from this year, Sound Of Our Hearts by Compact Disco. A genuinely good pop song and catchy as hell! Why that didn't win I'll never know.
A song that describes you:
Maybe not the whole song, but one line in particular from Tom Petty's Crawling Back To You sums me up completely: "Most things I worry about never happen anyway."
A song you used to love but now hate:
Don't Stop Believin' by Journey, a band I genuinely like. I'll never really hate the song, but Glee kind of spoiled it for me.
A song that you hear often on the radio:
That massively over-played Adele song, Someone Like You. It was our 6th year graduation song and I got heartily sick of it.
A song you wish you heard on the radio:
I hear most of my favourites on Planet Rock, so I can't think of one to be honest.
A song from your favourite album:
That would be The Who's Quadrophenia, the soundtrack to my teenage years. I will go for the amazing Love, Reign O'er Me.
A song you listen to when you’re angry:
Banana Republic by the Boomtown Rats, because it really works if you're pissed off with politicians or the state of the nation!
A song you listen to when you’re happy:
The perfect happy song, Bring Me Sunshine by my beloved Morecambe and Wise. And you have to do the skip dance when it ends!
A song you listen to when you’re sad:
I'm not sure why, it's just a great song that I find a little bit melancholy. Cat's In The Cradle by Harry Chapin. Though I must say I actually prefer Ugly Kid Joe's version. Speaking of which, I'll be seeing Ugly Kid Joe live in London in October, supporting Alice Cooper.
A song that you want to play at your wedding:
It's not exactly one you can dance to, but Love by John Lennon. Simple, beautiful and effective.
A song that you want to play at your funeral:
There is only one choice, and that is the Monty Python gang's Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life. Get them laughing in the aisles!
A song that makes you laugh:
Alice Cooper's wonderfully titled Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever.
A song that you can play on an instrument:
I play guitar, and I'm quite proud of my rendition of Fade To Black by Metallica.
A song that you wish you could play:
I would love to be able to play Classical Gas proficiently, but alas I can't.
A song that makes you feel guilty:
That's a tough one. I don't think I can really pick one.
A song from your childhood:
Ah, nostalgia! I have to go for Parklife by Blur. We had the album on tape and it would always be played around the house. Phil Daniels is so cool! "I feed the pigeons, I sometimes feed the sparrows too, it gives me a sense of enormous well-being!"
Your favourite song this time last year:
From hearing it on Planet Rock so much, it was Lies Of The Beautiful People by Sixx:AM.
Anyway, this is going to be a musically-motivated post. I saw this on another blog and thought I'd rob - ahem, borrow - it for mine. Just because I fancy a bit of a ramble about music. So here goes:
Your favourite song:
Probably the hardest question of all for a music lover. I'll never be completely satisfied with my choice no matter what answer I give, but I'm going to go for Something by The Beatles, purely and simply because it's The Beatles. You can't get much better than that. Also, George Harrison is my favourite Beatle.
Your least favourite song:
Again, this is a tough one, because there's no shortage of songs that irritate me! The one that comes to mind is I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston. Nothing against her or anything, I just hate that damn song! And absolutely everybody thinks they can sing it, which makes it even worse.
A song that makes you happy:
An absolute classic here - I'm The Urban Spaceman by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. It's hard not to smile when you're listening to them, and this one always makes me cheerful. Nerd alert: did you know it was produced by Paul McCartney, under the pseudonym Apollo C. Vermouth?
A song that makes you sad:
For this I have to go with Johnny Cash's version of the Nine Inch Nails song, Hurt. It has that effect on everyone I know who has listened to it. It's one of the most emotional performances of a song that I have ever heard.
A song that reminds you of someone:
Whenever I hear Europe's The Final Countdown, I can't help but think of a childhood friend of mine who passed away last year. Even though I personally am not a fan of the song, it makes me smile nowadays because I can always picture her singing it.
A song that reminds you of somewhere:
There's a song called Hometown by a British wartime double act called Flanagan and Allen (you might know them for their song Underneath The Arches), and it makes me think of Dublin even though the guys themselves were Londoners. My own favourite double act, Morecambe and Wise, covered this song among others on their tribute album to Flanagan and Allen.
A song that reminds you of a certain event:
More Beatles here - Hey Jude. Whenever I hear it now, I am instantly transported back to those magical Paul McCartney gigs I attended. Spine-tingling stuff.
A song you know all the words to:
I could mention practically any song I love, but I'll give Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody a mention because I could probably sing it in my sleep (incredibly badly, I might add) and that includes all the harmony lines!
A song you can dance to:
I'm a terrible dancer, but I can't help myself when I hear Bruce Springsteen's Dancing In The Dark. I think we all magically transform into Courteney Cox when it comes on.
A song that makes you fall asleep:
I find classical music incredibly soothing, so that would be my best bet. Anything else would just distract me. I'll choose one of my favourite pieces of music of all time, the beautiful Romance from The Gadfly by Dmitri Shostakovich.
A song from your favourite band:
Everyone knows Alice Cooper is my main man, so I'd pick Stolen Prayer from my favourite album of his, The Last Temptation.
A song from a band you hate:
I detest Guns N' Roses and I think Sweet Child O' Mine is horribly overrated. There, I said it.
A song that is a guilty pleasure:
I always say that if you like something, why feel guilty about it? But I suppose for this I would pick that Jay-Z song Empire State Of Mind. That is so far removed from anything I usually like, but it's a well-crafted song. That doesn't mean I'd listen to anything else of his though!
A song that no-one would expect you to love:
Hungary's Eurovision entry from this year, Sound Of Our Hearts by Compact Disco. A genuinely good pop song and catchy as hell! Why that didn't win I'll never know.
A song that describes you:
Maybe not the whole song, but one line in particular from Tom Petty's Crawling Back To You sums me up completely: "Most things I worry about never happen anyway."
A song you used to love but now hate:
Don't Stop Believin' by Journey, a band I genuinely like. I'll never really hate the song, but Glee kind of spoiled it for me.
A song that you hear often on the radio:
That massively over-played Adele song, Someone Like You. It was our 6th year graduation song and I got heartily sick of it.
A song you wish you heard on the radio:
I hear most of my favourites on Planet Rock, so I can't think of one to be honest.
A song from your favourite album:
That would be The Who's Quadrophenia, the soundtrack to my teenage years. I will go for the amazing Love, Reign O'er Me.
A song you listen to when you’re angry:
Banana Republic by the Boomtown Rats, because it really works if you're pissed off with politicians or the state of the nation!
A song you listen to when you’re happy:
The perfect happy song, Bring Me Sunshine by my beloved Morecambe and Wise. And you have to do the skip dance when it ends!
A song you listen to when you’re sad:
I'm not sure why, it's just a great song that I find a little bit melancholy. Cat's In The Cradle by Harry Chapin. Though I must say I actually prefer Ugly Kid Joe's version. Speaking of which, I'll be seeing Ugly Kid Joe live in London in October, supporting Alice Cooper.
A song that you want to play at your wedding:
It's not exactly one you can dance to, but Love by John Lennon. Simple, beautiful and effective.
A song that you want to play at your funeral:
There is only one choice, and that is the Monty Python gang's Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life. Get them laughing in the aisles!
A song that makes you laugh:
Alice Cooper's wonderfully titled Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever.
A song that you can play on an instrument:
I play guitar, and I'm quite proud of my rendition of Fade To Black by Metallica.
A song that you wish you could play:
I would love to be able to play Classical Gas proficiently, but alas I can't.
A song that makes you feel guilty:
That's a tough one. I don't think I can really pick one.
A song from your childhood:
Ah, nostalgia! I have to go for Parklife by Blur. We had the album on tape and it would always be played around the house. Phil Daniels is so cool! "I feed the pigeons, I sometimes feed the sparrows too, it gives me a sense of enormous well-being!"
Your favourite song this time last year:
From hearing it on Planet Rock so much, it was Lies Of The Beautiful People by Sixx:AM.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
More Waiting
Not long left now! Just a week and a half to go... I'm feeling really quite nervous now to be honest. But also very excited at the same time. It's a rollercoaster of emotions. I'm trying desperately hard not to let my negativity and self-doubt get the better of me, but I suspect that by the time the all-important date finally arrives, I will have driven myself crackers!
Last weekend, as I mentioned I was going to do, I went to my friend Kellyann's 21st birthday party. It had been a few months since I last saw her so it was great to catch up again. It was also pretty alarming to be attending her 21st, since it only feels like about a year since I was at her 18th! Scary stuff. We're all getting old now! I went to and from the party with my aforementioned best friend Mona and her family. It was nice to get out of the house on a Saturday night, which is a rare thing for me. That makes me sound incredibly boring but trust me, if you lived where I live, you'd understand why!
Anyway, here's a pic of the three of us together... the triangle, as we call it. It's nice to have an updated one - it's been a while!
They are seriously the best friends anyone could ask for. We all met in first year of secondary school, which now feels like a lifetime ago. It's nice to know that wherever any of us may go in life, we'll always have each other. Some friendships are for keeps.
In the meantime, I am still hooked on the Olympics. They are really helping to keep my mind occupied while the waiting continues. I honestly don't know what I'd be doing if they weren't on! I'm so glad that Roger Federer got silver, even though he lost to Andy Murray, who I am not a fan of at all. Still, you can't argue with the fact that it was a well-deserved victory for Murray. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later... he obviously wanted revenge for that Wimbledon final! I'm also loving the athletics, particularly the sprints. How amazing is Usain Bolt? What a character! I have a huge interest in the sprints because I used to run myself and took part in a few competitions. I'll have to take it up again, because I loved it.
Five medals guaranteed for Ireland too - brilliant! Our boxers are doing really well, and tomorrow is Katie Taylor's big fight in which she has the chance to take gold. I can't wait! She is such an inspiration and a credit to the country and to the world of sport. Come on Katie! We're all behind you!
Last weekend, as I mentioned I was going to do, I went to my friend Kellyann's 21st birthday party. It had been a few months since I last saw her so it was great to catch up again. It was also pretty alarming to be attending her 21st, since it only feels like about a year since I was at her 18th! Scary stuff. We're all getting old now! I went to and from the party with my aforementioned best friend Mona and her family. It was nice to get out of the house on a Saturday night, which is a rare thing for me. That makes me sound incredibly boring but trust me, if you lived where I live, you'd understand why!
Anyway, here's a pic of the three of us together... the triangle, as we call it. It's nice to have an updated one - it's been a while!
They are seriously the best friends anyone could ask for. We all met in first year of secondary school, which now feels like a lifetime ago. It's nice to know that wherever any of us may go in life, we'll always have each other. Some friendships are for keeps.
In the meantime, I am still hooked on the Olympics. They are really helping to keep my mind occupied while the waiting continues. I honestly don't know what I'd be doing if they weren't on! I'm so glad that Roger Federer got silver, even though he lost to Andy Murray, who I am not a fan of at all. Still, you can't argue with the fact that it was a well-deserved victory for Murray. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later... he obviously wanted revenge for that Wimbledon final! I'm also loving the athletics, particularly the sprints. How amazing is Usain Bolt? What a character! I have a huge interest in the sprints because I used to run myself and took part in a few competitions. I'll have to take it up again, because I loved it.
Five medals guaranteed for Ireland too - brilliant! Our boxers are doing really well, and tomorrow is Katie Taylor's big fight in which she has the chance to take gold. I can't wait! She is such an inspiration and a credit to the country and to the world of sport. Come on Katie! We're all behind you!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
18 Days To Go
It's finally August! This means eighteen days until I hear something back from CAO. Actually, scratch that - seventeen days until I go to bed and struggle to sleep because I'll be too nervous and excited about hearing back from CAO. That sounds far better! Honestly though, it feels like these past few weeks have dragged by. The whole thing has been agonising, to tell the truth. I can't wait for it to be over. It's absolutely horrible just waiting around knowing that it's all out of your hands. There are times when a song just sums up your life completely, and right now for me that song is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' The Waiting, from their incredible 1981 album Hard Promises (warning: I will probably talk a lot about Tom Petty on this blog because he is one of my idols).
I can't say the summer has been too uneventful though, despite all the waiting. I have been able to spend some much-needed time with my best friend, who is home from her university for the summer holidays, so that's nice. I've been to a family party, which was great fun, and I'm going to another friend's 21st on Saturday. I've also been to a couple of concerts. I saw Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the O2 back in June (see, I told you - that's the second mention in this post alone) and it was amazing. I then saw Bruce Springsteen at the RDS a couple of weeks ago, which was also great. I think that may be it for the summer as far as gigs are concerned. I will, however, be jetting off to London in October for Alice Cooper yet again. This will be my fourth time seeing him, and my third Halloween in a row doing so. Hopefully I'll get to see Ray Davies at the O2 a week before that. We'll see how my bank balance is doing...
Oh, and I've got to mention the great summer of sport we've had. Usually I would be suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms once the Premier League season comes to an end, but not this time. Euro 2012 was gripping stuff to watch even though Ireland were embarrassingly hammered in all three of their games. Wimbledon was brilliant too. I'm a big Roger Federer fan so I was overjoyed to see him win another Grand Slam. It was also immensely satisfying to prove all my friends wrong when they said he was past it. Go Roger! And now we have the Olympics. I'm quite enjoying the swimming, even though it's not something I've ever really been interested in watching before, and obviously I have my fingers crossed for our boxer Katie Taylor in her bid to take home gold.
Speaking of sport, I've decided that I need to start getting fit myself. I used to be so active when I was younger and had something like three training sessions and two matches a week at one time. What happened to me? Well, I know what happened, but I won't go into all that - I'll bore you another day! Anyway, I've decided that if I get into DCU, I'm going to take up football again. By football, I mean soccer - but just for future reference, I refuse to call it soccer.
Right, that's all for now. Hopefully I'll have something a bit more interesting to say over the next couple of weeks.
I can't say the summer has been too uneventful though, despite all the waiting. I have been able to spend some much-needed time with my best friend, who is home from her university for the summer holidays, so that's nice. I've been to a family party, which was great fun, and I'm going to another friend's 21st on Saturday. I've also been to a couple of concerts. I saw Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the O2 back in June (see, I told you - that's the second mention in this post alone) and it was amazing. I then saw Bruce Springsteen at the RDS a couple of weeks ago, which was also great. I think that may be it for the summer as far as gigs are concerned. I will, however, be jetting off to London in October for Alice Cooper yet again. This will be my fourth time seeing him, and my third Halloween in a row doing so. Hopefully I'll get to see Ray Davies at the O2 a week before that. We'll see how my bank balance is doing...
Oh, and I've got to mention the great summer of sport we've had. Usually I would be suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms once the Premier League season comes to an end, but not this time. Euro 2012 was gripping stuff to watch even though Ireland were embarrassingly hammered in all three of their games. Wimbledon was brilliant too. I'm a big Roger Federer fan so I was overjoyed to see him win another Grand Slam. It was also immensely satisfying to prove all my friends wrong when they said he was past it. Go Roger! And now we have the Olympics. I'm quite enjoying the swimming, even though it's not something I've ever really been interested in watching before, and obviously I have my fingers crossed for our boxer Katie Taylor in her bid to take home gold.
Speaking of sport, I've decided that I need to start getting fit myself. I used to be so active when I was younger and had something like three training sessions and two matches a week at one time. What happened to me? Well, I know what happened, but I won't go into all that - I'll bore you another day! Anyway, I've decided that if I get into DCU, I'm going to take up football again. By football, I mean soccer - but just for future reference, I refuse to call it soccer.
Right, that's all for now. Hopefully I'll have something a bit more interesting to say over the next couple of weeks.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Home Is Where the Heart Is
As I mentioned in my little introductory post a few days ago, I'm hoping to be living in Dublin again in a couple of months if I am accepted into university. For the past eight years I have lived in Wexford with my family, but I have actually missed my home city a great deal, so I'm itching to get back to it.
We moved to Wexford in the summer of 2004 when I was nearly twelve. In fact, I started at my new school on my twelfth birthday - the joys of being born at the very start of September! It was probably the scariest day of my life. The reasons for leaving Dublin were long and complicated, but my parents had been unhappy there for a while. Not unhappy with Dublin itself, but more specifically with the particular area we were living in, which was going pretty downhill. They fancied a complete change rather than staying in the city with its increasing house prices. So down to Wexford we trooped. We settled in a small village a few minutes outside of Enniscorthy, which shall remain nameless at the risk of being lynched by any locals who might somehow stumble upon this blog (and I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if they did). To be honest, it was the most difficult thing I've ever gone through to date. There's nothing fun and exciting about being wrenched away from your home, your friends, your school and everything you knew and being plunged into a lonely alien world. That sounds incredibly melodramatic I know, but trust me, it really is an alien world.
Not that I want to place any blame whatsoever on my parents. They already feel guilty enough, even now, and occasionally question whether they did the right thing. I understand, more so now than I did at the time, why they did what they did. They simply didn't want us to grow up among dangerous people. But at the same time, I did feel a lot of resentment towards this place for various reasons. Living in the countryside has one advantage - the incredible scenery, especially in good weather, and I have slowly learned to appreciate that over the years I've been here. There's nothing quite as relaxing as taking a long walk with the dog through the wood, and it's nice being able to see the stars on a clear night. But there are so many disadvantages too.
I don't care what anyone says, there is a huge difference between city people and country people generally. I'm not suggesting that all country people are the same, because I have some great friends down here who are completely different to the kind of people I am about to describe. But there are so many people here with a standoffish attitude. Basically it doesn't matter how long you may have lived here: once an outsider, always an outsider. The insular mentality of some people also bothers me. They couldn't care less about anything outside of their own little world. They have no wider interests and have never ventured outside of this village. That, to me, is ridiculous. It's just wasting your life. How can someone have absolutely no interests or ambitions?
In a way, when you've spent your whole life in Dublin you can really easily take it for granted. I never thought very much about it while I was living there. It was only when I moved to Wexford that I realised how great it had actually been. Whenever I go back to visit family or go to a concert, I'm always left with an ache when I have to leave again. It really annoys me when people insist that I'm practically from the country now. It's just not true. I have still spent more of my life in Dublin than I ever have in Wexford - twelve years there versus eight years here - and I have never lost my accent. Dublin has always felt like home to me, and it always will be home. It's comforting and familiar, and when I'm back there it's like I never left. When I come back to Wexford, on the other hand, I'm returning to a place with which I have no emotional ties whatsoever. Wexford has never been home to me. There is nothing for me here other than being able to spend time with my best friend, but even she doesn't live here full-time anymore as she is at university in the UK. Other than that, there is actually nothing to do. This place can really suffocate you. I had a teacher once who advised us all to get out while we could and see some of the world. Sound advice.
I have missed Dublin so much ever since leaving, and I'm unbelievably excited about the prospect of moving back to go to university. I'll be closer to my extended family and will be able to experience all that city life has to offer. And this time I'll know better than to take it for granted - I'm going to treasure every second of it.
We moved to Wexford in the summer of 2004 when I was nearly twelve. In fact, I started at my new school on my twelfth birthday - the joys of being born at the very start of September! It was probably the scariest day of my life. The reasons for leaving Dublin were long and complicated, but my parents had been unhappy there for a while. Not unhappy with Dublin itself, but more specifically with the particular area we were living in, which was going pretty downhill. They fancied a complete change rather than staying in the city with its increasing house prices. So down to Wexford we trooped. We settled in a small village a few minutes outside of Enniscorthy, which shall remain nameless at the risk of being lynched by any locals who might somehow stumble upon this blog (and I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if they did). To be honest, it was the most difficult thing I've ever gone through to date. There's nothing fun and exciting about being wrenched away from your home, your friends, your school and everything you knew and being plunged into a lonely alien world. That sounds incredibly melodramatic I know, but trust me, it really is an alien world.
Not that I want to place any blame whatsoever on my parents. They already feel guilty enough, even now, and occasionally question whether they did the right thing. I understand, more so now than I did at the time, why they did what they did. They simply didn't want us to grow up among dangerous people. But at the same time, I did feel a lot of resentment towards this place for various reasons. Living in the countryside has one advantage - the incredible scenery, especially in good weather, and I have slowly learned to appreciate that over the years I've been here. There's nothing quite as relaxing as taking a long walk with the dog through the wood, and it's nice being able to see the stars on a clear night. But there are so many disadvantages too.
I don't care what anyone says, there is a huge difference between city people and country people generally. I'm not suggesting that all country people are the same, because I have some great friends down here who are completely different to the kind of people I am about to describe. But there are so many people here with a standoffish attitude. Basically it doesn't matter how long you may have lived here: once an outsider, always an outsider. The insular mentality of some people also bothers me. They couldn't care less about anything outside of their own little world. They have no wider interests and have never ventured outside of this village. That, to me, is ridiculous. It's just wasting your life. How can someone have absolutely no interests or ambitions?
In a way, when you've spent your whole life in Dublin you can really easily take it for granted. I never thought very much about it while I was living there. It was only when I moved to Wexford that I realised how great it had actually been. Whenever I go back to visit family or go to a concert, I'm always left with an ache when I have to leave again. It really annoys me when people insist that I'm practically from the country now. It's just not true. I have still spent more of my life in Dublin than I ever have in Wexford - twelve years there versus eight years here - and I have never lost my accent. Dublin has always felt like home to me, and it always will be home. It's comforting and familiar, and when I'm back there it's like I never left. When I come back to Wexford, on the other hand, I'm returning to a place with which I have no emotional ties whatsoever. Wexford has never been home to me. There is nothing for me here other than being able to spend time with my best friend, but even she doesn't live here full-time anymore as she is at university in the UK. Other than that, there is actually nothing to do. This place can really suffocate you. I had a teacher once who advised us all to get out while we could and see some of the world. Sound advice.
I have missed Dublin so much ever since leaving, and I'm unbelievably excited about the prospect of moving back to go to university. I'll be closer to my extended family and will be able to experience all that city life has to offer. And this time I'll know better than to take it for granted - I'm going to treasure every second of it.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Introduction to my World
Hello, howdy, welcome etc. This obviously is my first post to a brand new blog. I'm no stranger to blogging, but the difference here is that I fully intend keeping this one. Basically my life is coming up to a major change, which calls for a fresh blogging experience.
So, first things first, I'd better explain a bit about who I am and what I'm all about. As you will no doubt have gathered from the little box in the sidebar to your right, my name's Sarah. I'm 19 years old, though will be 20 in a few weeks. I'm from Dublin, but am currently living in Wexford with my parents, my two younger sisters and my dearly beloved dog, Jake. I will, however, be moving back to my lovely home city very soon. At least that's the plan (fingers crossed).
In a little over three weeks' time, I'll be hearing about my fate from CAO. I applied for a place at Dublin City University to study an Honours Bachelor degree in Multimedia, and if all goes well, that will be the beginning of a new life for me. I finished school last year and so already have my Leaving Cert results; now I'm just waiting to see what this year's points will be. It's been a pretty horrific waiting game, but it's almost up now.
To cut a long story short, I spent the past year trying to get my head together and figure out what the hell it is that I want to do with my life. The funny thing is, for the entire six years of my secondary school life I was absolutely certain about my career path. But I have come to the realisation this past year that it's not the right path for me at all. When it comes to career choices, I am still no closer to knowing what I want to be. But I am sure of what course I want to do, and it's such a broad subject area that I know once I get into it (provided I get there in the first place) I will start to figure out the direction I'd like to go in.
I'm going to use this blog as an outlet for that aspect of my life once it begins. But I'm also going to occasionally blog about other stuff too, such as my hobbies and interests. So what kind of person am I? I'd describe myself as a deep thinker - in fact, I probably think too much about stuff, to the extent that I am the world's worst worrier. I worry about everything. I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it. I'm a good listener and also quite a shy person. That said, I can talk people to death when I feel like it. Mention something in which I have a nerdy interest and I'm off. I have a good sense of humour and love to laugh. I have a creative mind which is constantly whirring away and conjuring up ideas for something or other. I'm also a huge nerd - in a good way, I think!
My main passion in life is music. I love to play guitar and go to as many concerts as I possibly can. I'm a huge fan of Alice Cooper, The Who, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Cheap Trick, Rush and Queen, to name but a few. I could go on all day. Next on the list of interests is comedy - particularly British comedy, and the older the better. I absolutely adore Morecambe and Wise and Monty Python in particular. I have a fascination with music hall, variety and vaudeville. That's one of the things that activates the nerdiness in me.
I also love reading, writing, art, football, tennis and history. I'm really into genealogy and in fact I have another blog which deals solely with that. Hmm... what else? I love to travel and see other countries. And I love chocolate... mmm. I get to blame my late grandmother for my sweet tooth.
There's much more to me, but I'll leave it at that for now. This isn't supposed to be my autobiography, after all, and I'm pretty crap at doing bios for fear of sounding pretentious. The rest you will find out as we go along. Thanks for reading!
So, first things first, I'd better explain a bit about who I am and what I'm all about. As you will no doubt have gathered from the little box in the sidebar to your right, my name's Sarah. I'm 19 years old, though will be 20 in a few weeks. I'm from Dublin, but am currently living in Wexford with my parents, my two younger sisters and my dearly beloved dog, Jake. I will, however, be moving back to my lovely home city very soon. At least that's the plan (fingers crossed).
In a little over three weeks' time, I'll be hearing about my fate from CAO. I applied for a place at Dublin City University to study an Honours Bachelor degree in Multimedia, and if all goes well, that will be the beginning of a new life for me. I finished school last year and so already have my Leaving Cert results; now I'm just waiting to see what this year's points will be. It's been a pretty horrific waiting game, but it's almost up now.
To cut a long story short, I spent the past year trying to get my head together and figure out what the hell it is that I want to do with my life. The funny thing is, for the entire six years of my secondary school life I was absolutely certain about my career path. But I have come to the realisation this past year that it's not the right path for me at all. When it comes to career choices, I am still no closer to knowing what I want to be. But I am sure of what course I want to do, and it's such a broad subject area that I know once I get into it (provided I get there in the first place) I will start to figure out the direction I'd like to go in.
I'm going to use this blog as an outlet for that aspect of my life once it begins. But I'm also going to occasionally blog about other stuff too, such as my hobbies and interests. So what kind of person am I? I'd describe myself as a deep thinker - in fact, I probably think too much about stuff, to the extent that I am the world's worst worrier. I worry about everything. I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it. I'm a good listener and also quite a shy person. That said, I can talk people to death when I feel like it. Mention something in which I have a nerdy interest and I'm off. I have a good sense of humour and love to laugh. I have a creative mind which is constantly whirring away and conjuring up ideas for something or other. I'm also a huge nerd - in a good way, I think!
My main passion in life is music. I love to play guitar and go to as many concerts as I possibly can. I'm a huge fan of Alice Cooper, The Who, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Cheap Trick, Rush and Queen, to name but a few. I could go on all day. Next on the list of interests is comedy - particularly British comedy, and the older the better. I absolutely adore Morecambe and Wise and Monty Python in particular. I have a fascination with music hall, variety and vaudeville. That's one of the things that activates the nerdiness in me.
I also love reading, writing, art, football, tennis and history. I'm really into genealogy and in fact I have another blog which deals solely with that. Hmm... what else? I love to travel and see other countries. And I love chocolate... mmm. I get to blame my late grandmother for my sweet tooth.
There's much more to me, but I'll leave it at that for now. This isn't supposed to be my autobiography, after all, and I'm pretty crap at doing bios for fear of sounding pretentious. The rest you will find out as we go along. Thanks for reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)