Education

Everything you wanted to know about college but were afraid to ask

Whatever your concern about entering third level, there is help, advice and support available

Most students are excited about the prospect of third level, but it can also be an anxious time, with plenty of unknowns to handle. Photograph: iStockphoto
Most students are excited about the prospect of third level, but it can also be an anxious time, with plenty of unknowns to handle. Photograph: iStockphoto
Peter McGuire
Thu Aug 29 2024 - 02:30

So you’re going to third level. You may feel excited and hopeful, but it’s also completely natural to feel a little nervous.

Will you fit in? Can you afford it? How will you cope with a new style of teaching and learning?

These are all normal fears and concerns. The good news is that you’re not alone, and tens of thousands of first years are thinking and feeling exactly the same as you.

And, because so many students make the move from post-primary to third level every year, Ireland’s colleges and universities have put in place excellent orientation programmes to help smooth the transition.

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Whether it’s orientation, budgeting, adjusting to academia, getting involved and making new friends, there is help, advice and support available.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a handy at-a-glance guide to making the adjustment.

Orientation and settling in

  • All third levels will run more than an orientation day or week; these days, student support services organise events and check in with students throughout the entire first semester. Take every opportunity that comes your way, whether that’s a library tour or a talk about academic supports.
  • Speaking of academic support, perhaps the biggest adjustment students make is adjusting to a new style of teaching and learning. The Leaving Cert exams involve a lot of memorising and, to a lesser degree, critical thinking. At third level, however, lecturers want students to read widely, dissect different ideas and theories and, ultimately, form their own argument. This takes some adjustment, but there are academic writing centres, maths support centres and other services that are there to help. Use them.
  • Engage with the college careers services in your first year. They will help you to develop employability skills, and they will plug you into job opportunities, as well as help you find the path that is right for you.
  • There may be well over 100 clubs and societies for students to get involved in. This is where you can pursue interests outside of your course and meet like-minded people. Go to Freshers’ Week, join whatever interests you (and join a few wild card clubs and societies as well) and throw yourself into it. Yes, it feels scary to be the new person, but clubs and societies need you more than you need them as, without new members every year, they will eventually become inactive. You’ll find that they are friendlier and more welcoming than you may expect.
  • Clubs and societies are, in many ways, a chance to explore new skills and career areas without committing to a degree. For instance, many barristers didn’t study undergraduate law, instead getting involved in the debating society; many journalists don’t do an undergraduate journalism degree but instead cut their teeth with campus media (examples include Irish Times editor Ruadhán Mac Cormaic and RTÉ eastern correspondent Samantha Libreri); while actors including Chris O’Dowd cut their teeth in a student drama society. Of course, many of these people will go on to study a postgraduate course in their area of interest.
  • If you’re an LGBTQI+ student, but haven’t come out, college is the place to do it – you will find other LGBTQI+ students and plenty of support.

Living

Students who can live at home will, of course, have fewer costs than those who have to move out for college.

  • Key costs for students living at home: travel, books and stationery, registration fees, laptops and (for some students in a number of areas including art, design, architecture and some science courses) laboratory or learning materials, socialising and trips away, lunches and dinner.
  • Key costs for students renting closer to campus: all the above, plus rent, bills (wifi, electricity, gas, bins) and food shopping.
  • Sources of support include part-time work, student grants and, for some lucky students from wealthier families, an allowance from parents or guardians.
  • Having to manage on a budget takes some adjustment, and many students (including, back in the day, this one) immediately blow all their money as soon as it comes in. That’s why it’s really important, as soon as you possibly can, to make a list of how much money you have coming in every month, and how much you expect to spend. This takes a little bit of trial and error, particularly when most students won’t really know from the outset how much they will spend on going out with friends. So, as soon as your income – from whatever source – comes in, it’s always a good idea to, first, pay your rent, then your bills (including a student travel card). After this, set aside money for your food and groceries. Whatever is left, once you’ve paid these essential costs, is yours. As you go along, make sure to track your spending, reviewing it every month or so, and amending as needed.
  • If you’re 18 or under, don’t go for the student travel card – you’re still eligible for the Child Leap Card until you turn 19.
Although the cost of food has risen recently, there’s nothing cheaper than cooking at home. Photograph: Julien Behal/PA Wire
Although the cost of food has risen recently, there’s nothing cheaper than cooking at home. Photograph: Julien Behal/PA Wire
  • Aldi, Lidl and Dealz are your cheapest options for food. Lidl is great for fresh bread from its bakery; Aldi has the edge on cheese, meat and sweet treats; Dealz is great for washing powder, ketchup and other non-perishables. But if they’re too far from college and you’re stuck with Dunnes, Tesco or SuperValu, learn what time of day your local shop discounts food items. Often, items are reduced once they reach their “best before” date, but best before is a guideline, not a rule, so learn to know when food has gone off by smell, or if there is mould on it. Do not eat food past its use-by date, or you may get very ill.
  • The cost of food has risen in recent years, and while some third-level colleges have subsidised canteens, there’s nothing cheaper than cooking at home. If you’re sharing with other students, make a list of basic storecupboard items including dried herbs and spices, oil, vinegars (eg balsamic, cider), lentils and beans, soy sauce, stock cubes, sesame oil and many, many tins of tomatoes. Get them for your household, share them, and then you can easily add flavour to whatever you cook at home – whether that’s a simple stir-fry or some meat, potatoes and veg.
  • Invest in some ice-cube trays and fill them with hummus, pesto, sour cream, coconut milk: all common items that are wasted, but will keep in a freezer for at least a month.
  • Buy your books second-hand or through a loan scheme. Only buy the books you have to buy; the library will hopefully cover the rest.
  • Try to avoid daily takeaway coffees if money is tight: make your tea or coffee at home, and bring it to college in a flask.
  • GP and counselling services are free in most third levels, but there can be waiting lists.
  • You may be eligible for a scholarship. You will find a useful list at CareersPortal.ie/ scholarships.
  • If you do run into financial difficulty, there is support available: your student advisers and the students’ union can either help you directly, or point you in the right direction.
  • If you take on a part-time job to support you through college, it’s important to know your rights as a worker. The Union of Students in Ireland has a handy guide: Your rights as a worker | Union of Students in Ireland (usi.ie) (google search “USI student worker rights”).
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