Career path?
I’m from Cork. I did History for Leaving Cert as I had a growing interest in it, due to having a great teacher. For a while, I was questioning whether I should do Irish & History as a degree, but it just so happened that in 6th year, my teacher made me fall back in love with English. My guidance counsellor, who would have known me well showed me the English & History course at Carlow College, so I researched it and thought it really suited me, so here I am!
Since I was a child, I knew I wanted to teach. It was primary school teaching first and then secondary school as I felt focusing on two subjects was better. Now I’m here, lecturing in third level would be another option but who knows yet!
What attracted you to Carlow College?
I was the type of student that got along with my teachers in school, I liked to get along with the people I was learning from. It was important for me to be able to get to know them and establish a connection with them and I knew Carlow College was a place that could offer that compared to bigger universities.
How did you find the transition to university?
I was quite nervous the first day. Being from Cork, if I had gone to UCC I would have eventually found someone that I had known from school, but this was a whole new area for me. However, the classes are so small, so it was very easy to cling on to someone! It happened very quickly and naturally. In first year, we had our cliques but by second year are class is like a little family, we all get along so well.
Academically, I had a healthy bit of stress, I knew it was a higher standard than secondary school, but I was ready. Here, you are with people who are interested in the subjects as you, unlike school where you would be having lunch with someone, and they are going on about how cool applied maths is! So, it’s nice to know we all at least have that common interest.
English & History...Do you have a preference?
I prefer the English modules. You learn a set of skills and you can apply them to different modes and eras of literature. I quite liked the Gothic Fiction module in stage 3. I didn’t realise going into this course, how important gothic fiction was in terms of literature historically. You learn context as well as content. I didn’t think I would sit there and think wow that’s a good horror movie, but I really enjoyed studying it.
Learn more about the revised three-year BA (Hons) in English & History
