Food and AgriBusiness Management (FAM) (Bachelor of Agricultural Science (BAgSc)) in UCD. 2017 points: 454

Why did you decide to study that particular course? In school I loved both science and business and when deciding what I wanted to do in college I couldn’t pick between them. I did some research and spoke to people who had done this course and they all said that the FAM course was a great mix of business and science and I loved the sound of that.

Was it difficult to choose that course? Yes, it’s is such an important decision so I wanted to make sure I had considered all of my options. I strongly considered other courses such as food science and commerce/besS.

Was it your first choice and did you use the change-of-mind facility? No it wasn’t my first choice, in the end I put food science in UCD first on my CAO but I missed out on it by five points. After getting two of my leaving cert papers rechecked I got offered a place in food science, but at this point I was six weeks into FAM and was loving the course and the friends I had made so I decided to stay put.

Was the course what you expected?

I had researched the course quite a bit before I put it down on my CAO so I knew the modules I was going to be taking.

Did you enjoy it? I absolutely loved this course! I would highly recommend it to anyone considering it. The first two years are more science focused whereas the final two had more focus on the business side of agribusiness management, which I loved.

What was the best thing about it? Without a doubt the friends I made over the four years. Ag science is famous for its friendly bunch of people who are always more than happy to help (and always up for having the craic), I think anyone that has ever done this course would agree with me. Alongside this, there is a nine-month placement built into the third year of the degree, which I think is an invaluable asset and something that has stood to me in job interviews since leaving college.

Looking back, was it the right course for you? Yes, absolutely. The course itself gives such a broad knowledge base and skills that are transferable in a range of different careers, which I will continue to leverage in any future career path that I take.

What are you doing now? Since graduating from UCD in September 2017 I have completed a MSc in management consultancy at Smurfit Graduate Business School and have recently started a new position with PwC.

Course: Batchelor of nursing

science, General, St Angela, Sligo. |

2017 points: 387

Why did you decide to study that particular course? Growing up having family members in hospital and seeing the great work that nurses do, how they had such a positive impact on my family, I thought that nursing is a profession I would like to pursue. For this reason it was my first choice and I accepted on round one.

Was the course what you expected? I feel that there was a lot more theory than I anticipated. When you think of nursing you think immediately of nursing skills but it was a lot more than that.

Did you enjoy it? I enjoyed it but it was very tough working 37 odd hours a week unpaid and having assignments and exams at the end of it.

What was the best thing about it and where could it improve? The best thing is the opportunities it provides. It is a general degree with almost guaranteed work at the end and the opportunity to specialise in a vast number of areas and specialties. We would have liked it to be more practical and hands-on as opposed to all the theory, however, it has to meet the standards of a degree course.

Looking back, was it the right course for you? Yes, like all professions there are good and bad days but you can have a very positive impact on people’s lives, which is a nice feeling.

What are you doing now? I am working in a university hospital in an acute medical/surgical setting.

Athletic Therapy and Training - Dublin City University. |2017 points: 499

Why did you decide to study that particular course? I have always been passionate about sport and participated in lots of different sports and teams growing up. Having seen lots of injuries and suffered injuries of my own over the many years I have been playing Gaelic football, I was always interested in the rehabilitation of sports injuries and how people could return to playing sport.

Was it difficult to choose that course? Yes, as a Leaving Cert student I was very unsure as to what kind of career I wanted to pursue and what to study at university. At the time I wanted to work in sports or a physical activity related profession, and had a bit of a struggle choosing between ATT, physiotherapy, physical education and sports science among other courses on my CAO.

Was it your first choice and did you use the change-of-mind facility? ATT was my first choice, although I did consider changing for some time but I stuck with my initial choices in the end. The best advice I received when filling out my CAO was to pick a course/area of study that I will find enjoyable and interesting.

Was the course what you expected? Yes, year one was focused around gaining a base of knowledge in general science, lots of physiology, anatomy and physics, sharing lectures with PE and sport science students. The following two years involved more focused learning of clinical skills – musculoskeletal injury assessment, treatment rehabilitation and biomechanics. The final year was split between clinical placement and our final-year research project.

Did you enjoy it? Yes, I really enjoyed my time in ATT and DCU. The course itself was both interesting and academically challenging while the teaching style was enjoyable, with a good mixture of lecture content and practical lab-based learning. The course also provided great opportunity to practice new skills with weekly student-led injury clinics and placements with DCU sports teams. This was all done while still enjoying the brilliant student life DCU has to offer.

What was the best thing about it and where could it improve? For me the best thing about the course was the clinical experience to be gained during placement in final year. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to complete two internships in America. I spent one month in Boston children’s hospital sports medicine department on an observational placement and four months in Stanford University sport medicine in California working as an athletic training intern. Both were incredible learning opportunities.

Looking back, was it the right course for you? Yes, I am happy with my decision to study ATT. It has provided me with an excellent level of knowledge and skill in diagnosing, treating and rehabilitating sport and musculoskeletal injuries. Although I have chosen to go into further studies, my BSc in athletic therapy and training has been a brilliant foundation for my MSc studies and will stand to me going forward in my career.

What are you doing now? I am currently studying for my MSc in physiotherapy at University of Limerick.