When I was younger, I wanted to be a teacher – a PE teacher or an English teacher because I loved sport and I loved writing and reading as a kid. I just loved doing essays and I read a lot of books.
If we were ever asked to write an essay in school, most other people would write your sort of typical essay, but I would always do something off the wall. However, it was the thought of teaching children like me that put me off the idea of being a teacher – I was a terrible kid in school; intelligent but incredibly attention-seeking.
Ag science
I repeated the Leaving Cert. I had PE teaching down the first time, but I missed it by 50 points. I had sports science down as my second choice but it went up by 15 points that year, so I missed that too.
At one point, I saw this new course in Galway – it was called podiatry and, for some reason, I liked the sound of it. I thought there’d be a bit of prestige with it – thank God I didn’t do that though because there’d be a lot of people with one leg or no leg. That ran a good race.
When I did the Leaving Cert the second time, I put down PE teaching as my first choice again and commerce in UCD as my second. Then I changed my mind and put ag science down as my number one. I suppose I was very, very confused and my mother suggested ag science.
Business
During my second Leaving Cert, I took up economics and business and I loved it. I did a bit of research and saw the food and agribusiness management stream of ag science. When I saw there was a mix, I thought it was the best of both worlds as I was interested in economics and I was interested in business. Also, at this stage, I was eyeing up starting my own business when I was older, couple that with the farm at home and I felt I’d found my course. I should note, however, that suggesting ag science may have been a tactical move by my mother, but I took responsibility for the decision by researching the course properly.
Saying that, I had no interest in farming until I came to UCD. It took me moving to Dublin to get an interest in farming because I met people from farms who were so passionate about it. I couldn’t believe that people my age sat around talking about cattle prices!
I got 515 points the second time around (I was shocked!) – so I got food and agribusiness management.
The opportunities out of it are incredible
I’m very fortunate I went into a course with good people and that I made a lot of friends. I enjoy it and the opportunities out of it are incredible. You can’t limit the potential out of agriculture in general – you’ve such a varied scope of industries that you can tap into.
I’m in third year and currently on placement in the Irish Farmers Journal, while from my class I’ve a friend in a financial bank in London, another friend is working in horse-breeding in Singapore and I’ve friends on farms in Australia.
I have no regrets. The best decision I ever made in my entire life was to do ag science in UCD – because of where I am now. I’m just happy where things are, the future looks bright. I want to be in the agricultural industry whatever form it takes. There is no ultimate place to end up, I think that’s how varied it is, but for me, for now, I’m very happy in the media.
Read more
Avoiding the pitfalls of agricultural science
Strong ag slant to new LIT degree
When I was younger, I wanted to be a teacher – a PE teacher or an English teacher because I loved sport and I loved writing and reading as a kid. I just loved doing essays and I read a lot of books.
If we were ever asked to write an essay in school, most other people would write your sort of typical essay, but I would always do something off the wall. However, it was the thought of teaching children like me that put me off the idea of being a teacher – I was a terrible kid in school; intelligent but incredibly attention-seeking.
Ag science
I repeated the Leaving Cert. I had PE teaching down the first time, but I missed it by 50 points. I had sports science down as my second choice but it went up by 15 points that year, so I missed that too.
At one point, I saw this new course in Galway – it was called podiatry and, for some reason, I liked the sound of it. I thought there’d be a bit of prestige with it – thank God I didn’t do that though because there’d be a lot of people with one leg or no leg. That ran a good race.
When I did the Leaving Cert the second time, I put down PE teaching as my first choice again and commerce in UCD as my second. Then I changed my mind and put ag science down as my number one. I suppose I was very, very confused and my mother suggested ag science.
Business
During my second Leaving Cert, I took up economics and business and I loved it. I did a bit of research and saw the food and agribusiness management stream of ag science. When I saw there was a mix, I thought it was the best of both worlds as I was interested in economics and I was interested in business. Also, at this stage, I was eyeing up starting my own business when I was older, couple that with the farm at home and I felt I’d found my course. I should note, however, that suggesting ag science may have been a tactical move by my mother, but I took responsibility for the decision by researching the course properly.
Saying that, I had no interest in farming until I came to UCD. It took me moving to Dublin to get an interest in farming because I met people from farms who were so passionate about it. I couldn’t believe that people my age sat around talking about cattle prices!
I got 515 points the second time around (I was shocked!) – so I got food and agribusiness management.
The opportunities out of it are incredible
I’m very fortunate I went into a course with good people and that I made a lot of friends. I enjoy it and the opportunities out of it are incredible. You can’t limit the potential out of agriculture in general – you’ve such a varied scope of industries that you can tap into.
I’m in third year and currently on placement in the Irish Farmers Journal, while from my class I’ve a friend in a financial bank in London, another friend is working in horse-breeding in Singapore and I’ve friends on farms in Australia.
I have no regrets. The best decision I ever made in my entire life was to do ag science in UCD – because of where I am now. I’m just happy where things are, the future looks bright. I want to be in the agricultural industry whatever form it takes. There is no ultimate place to end up, I think that’s how varied it is, but for me, for now, I’m very happy in the media.
Read more
Avoiding the pitfalls of agricultural science
Strong ag slant to new LIT degree
SHARING OPTIONS