Extracurricular Activities
With the annual intake of new members, clubs and societies are a great opportunity to make friends with the same interests as you. As well as allowing you to continue various activities from your time in secondary school, the wide range of societies on offer means there is something new for everyone be it books, video games or even DJing you are interested in.
Of course, the benefits of joining clubs and societies in college goes beyond making friends and pursuing your interests. Extracurricular activities and your interests outside of your academic pursuits are what make your CV stand out, especially when it comes to the graduate programme hiring process when you have limited work experience in the area.
Engage with Course Content
Going from secondary school to college can be huge difference in terms of learning and no longer being ‘spoon-fed’ course material. But, as different as it will be, I have always found I gained the most understanding of a topic through engaging with the content in a practical way through using real-world examples. Of course, this was easier said than done given I studied Business and could easily use situations in my home and work life to understand different theories and examples better.
So, my advice would be, DO the readings, watch videos, listen to podcasts and if you are ever unsure just ask the lecturer or teaching assistant a question at the end of the class or by email.
Laugh
As a wise person once said, “if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry”. College is by no means easy, and there will be times where you question what you are even doing there in the first place. You will face difficulties along the way, some which will have nothing to do with college and as hard as it seems to see the light at the end of the tunnel, it is there. And when all else fails, just have a laugh and you will power through and find that light!
The Irish Graduate 