The highs and lows of learning through lockdown

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

I can still remember the moment I found out we were going into lockdown. I was at a hockey match in Sligo, one of the girls looked at her phone and said all schools are closed for two weeks. I was thrilled, two extra weeks off school! Other than the fact the Patrick’s Day disco was cancelled I was very happy with the unexpected break. Little did I know those days would turn into months and that almost a year later we’d be back in lockdown again.

Equine Green Certificate at GCC

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

GCC has established itself firmly as a leading provider of equine courses in the west as its course is now firmly established as a firm favourite for students who want to work in the horse industry. The course offers a blended approach to adult learning, suiting the student who is engaged in the horse industry as this daily experience is used as a tool in assessments. As well as the riding modules students study all aspects of young horse production and horse care aspects such as nutrition, fittening, and conformation analysis.

Teacher education at GMIT

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

Are you interested in teaching art or design and communication graphics? Students who would like to teach creative subjects at second level should check out GMIT’s new Bachelor of Education (hons) in art, design, and graphics.

This four-year honours degree is being run at GMIT’s Centre for Creative Arts and Media (CCAM) in Galway city. It is designed to provide a pathway for students to teach both art and design and communication graphics in Irish secondary schools and includes a school placement every year.

Advice for my 16 year old Self...2

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
Breath and smile.

Online learning constrains the traditionally broad sweep of transition year

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

I am a student in transition year and in this essay, I’m going to outline why, in my opinion, online learning is the antithesis of the meaning of the TY experience.

The ups and downs of lockdown as a student

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

Over the past 10 months society has been swallowed up in this tsunami called Covid, and as everyone knows the students of the world have been locked away and forced into an impersonal, harsh, shadow of their reality. As one of the misfortunate students, I would like to share my experiences over the past two lockdowns.

Advice for my 16 year old Self...3

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

Q. What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?

Greater leadership needed for those teaching through a crisis

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

“Any fool can handle a crisis, it’s this day-to-day living that wears you down.”

The above quote is usually accredited to the writer Anton Chekov, although a quick Google search suggests that he never said it. Whoever did say it was on to something. A crisis brings out the best in people, it makes us cooperate, adapt, and improvise. It makes us summon up strength we didn’t know we had. It makes us drop our prejudices and boundaries and work to a common goal. This is all made possible by the fact that a crisis is normally brief. We are not equipped to operate in crisis mode consistently. The problem now is that the crisis has become day-to-day life. It’s easy to lose sight of just how strange our lives are now.

Are you feeling powerless at the moment?

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

Many people, both students and adults feel powerless and it may be due to some of the following:

Heyday Student Living is Dublin’s newest custom-designed student accommodation

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

Heyday is revolutionising the world of student accommodation by putting the needs of students first. It is designed to offer the perfect balance of work, rest, and play.

GMIT launches four new PhD research scholarships in partnership with the Marine Institute

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

GMIT’s Research and Innovation Department has announce four new Cullen Scholarship projects. Each project offers exciting opportunities to suitably qualified graduates to undertake funded PhD research in marine science and biodiversity conservation in the west.

Advice for my 16 year old Self...4

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
I suppose the advice I’d give to any 16-year-old on educational matters is that the Leaving Cert is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. Get through it and go on to experience college life and the life learnings it provides. Don’t worry so much about the course points as there are lots of different avenues to get into college. We are very lucky in Athlone with AIT on our doorstep and all it has to offer.

Choosing subjects for senior cycle

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

There are lots of factors to consider when choosing your subjects for senior cycle, so it is extremely important to do your research and make informed decisions. Choosing subjects for Leaving Certificate is crucial to ensuring you achieve the best result you can in your Leaving Certificate.

Horticulture is blooming in Galway Community College

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

The QQI Level 5 horticulture course in Galway Community College offers students the chance to acquire a vast knowledge of many different aspects in the amazing world of horticulture. Huge emphasis is placed on plant identification and students spend some time each week learning and identifying new plants. Another great way to learn plants is to work with them, and from September until the following May students maintain the great collection of plants in GCC.

Craft Butchery Apprenticeship

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

Are you creative and passionate about meat, food, and retail? This two year craft butcher apprenticeship programme leads to a Level 5 QQI qualification and is delivered on the job in your workplace (86 per cent) and off the job at a training centre (14 per cent).

Learn how to manufacture meat products, practical meat cutting skills, food preparation skills, culinary skills, and much more. The 2021 training centre locations include Galway (Athenry), Dublin (Ashtown), Sligo, and Cork. For further details see www.msletbtrainingcentres.ie/craft-butcher-apprenticeship.

Advice for my 16 year old Self...6

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

Q. What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?

Discover a meaningful career at Cisco

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

Since it first opened in Galway in 2007, Cisco has had a strong emphasis on supporting and hiring graduates and interns, as well as promoting STEM as a career choice among students. A world leader in networking and cybersecurity, the company can offer an exciting and rewarding career path.

'Inspiring You' to use social media less

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

Music and song can soothe the soul. Something we can all do with during this time. Galway based platform Inspiring You has gone one step further and organised a song competition for school students of all ages with the iconic Dublin balladeer Damien Dempsey. The theme of the competition is "sing all your cares away," with the winning entry receiving a class visit from Dempsey.

Choosing the right third level or further education option for you

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

When choosing a course/career after the Leaving Cert there are a multitude of questions which need to be asked and decisions which need to be made.

Don’t choose a course which is somebody else’s choice. When discussing your course options, talk to someone who is neutral and who will allow you to choose the best option for you when trying to decide the best route to take. Ask yourself these very important questions.

A computer science degree can unlock amazing career opportunities

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

Since the dawn of the smartphone, we have seen a explosion of software-based innovations hosted in the cloud and delivered via mobile, that are now engrained as part of our daily lives. It’s been stated that “software is eating the world”, from Zoom to Snapchat to Netflix, software really is all around us. Our lives have become more intertwined with computer and mobile applications and it didn’t happen by magic. The most popular applications that we use on a day-by-day basis came from the minds of brilliant computer sciences graduates.

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