My Trinity College Experience

by TCPID Graduate Julie O Brien

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

This is Julie and I will tell you about myself. I volunteer for Meals on Wheels. I do it 6 days a week. I joined a zoom quiz every Thursday at 7pm for kids in the community. I help to do swimming. Every Sunday night I feed the homeless and I volunteered to give out Communion.

Why did you decide to come to Trinity College Dublin to complete the Certificate in Arts, Science, and Inclusive Applied Practice (ASIAP)?

I decided to come into Trinity because I finished my Leaving Cert and I met Mr Michael Shevlin in Maynooth and he said to my Mom that there was a course for students with special needs. I went for a interview with John, Barbara and Mary-Ann. I decided because I am a person with special needs since I was born with an extra chromone in my head that it was a good course for me.

What did you enjoy most about Trinity College?

I enjoyed of meeting new people and I enjoyed meeting with the new students. I enjoyed walking into my classes and I enjoyed of walking with my classmates. I enjoyed everything. I liked doing sports to keep fit. I was really good at time keeping for all my classes.

What did you enjoy most about the ASIAP course?

I enjoyed when I got in for this course, I enjoyed Drama because I am fan of Drama. I enjoyed Marketing with Mary-Ann because I do Marketing in the hotel. I enjoyed of doing Film Studies because I am really good at acting and its really enjoyable.

What did you find difficult?

I found it difficult because I couldn’t find the Business school for my Marketing class. I found Exploring Arts and Poetry difficult because I find those subjects are hard to understand. I find the maths difficult as well in the Application of Numbers module because Maths is not my interest at all.

What helped you during your time in Trinity College Dublin?

Yes, I got a lot of support in Trinity College and I got helped by Barbara because Application of Numbers was hard and I had 11 meeting with her and it was great.

What would your advice be to other students who might be considering applying for the Certificate in Arts, Science, and Inclusive Applied Practice?

I would get some advice to the students if they are applying for the Certificate in Arts, Science and Inclusive Applied Practice. They should get advice from other students when they start.

What is your most special memory of your time in Trinity College Dublin?

My special memory is when Mary-Ann and Barbara brought the whole class to the cinema and we brought the first years as well. Now we don’t have Mary-Ann any more because she is moving to Sydney and we will all miss her so much.

What will you miss the most about Trinity College Dublin?

I miss Trinity because I love to travel to Trinity on the bus with my cousins because they were great to bring me up to Dublin. It was great because they have a lecture same time as me and sometimes they have a different time of lecture as well and I enjoyed it all and being part every week when I am in Trinity.

What are your goals for the future?

My future will be hopefully I will get my part time job back in the hotel if it opens up when the Virus is over. I might find another course in Dublin that would be great or I could find a job somewhere like in Bank of Ireland where I did my work placement.

Tell us about your experience of the COVID 19 crisis?

Well I think the management of the Covid 19 crisis is good because it is all on the televisions now and hopefully we get the good news and advice about how we be safe from it like keeping our social distancing and making sure we that we wear masks, gloves and wash our hands every single day. My hands are sore from washing them so much!

Did you find it difficult doing your classes and submitting your assignments online?

No it was okay because I got loads of information from the lecturers. It was difficult sometimes because it was hard when we were linked in and all of that and was difficult to have to get up and get ready for Zoom classes, but we did get to sleep in later so that was good.

Is there anything that would have made the experience of online classes easier?

Well if we don’t sleep in you can be on time for your classes. I think it would have been easier if the lecture started automatically and we didnt have to have a code to get in that would have been easier for us all.

What new skills have you learnt because of the COVID 19 crisis?

I learnt some new skills for Zoom because we were on our computers for I hour at a time. We were so busy and it was affecting our time but we did all the work that we were supposed to do and it was really enjoyable.

What are you most looking forward to doing once the COVID 19 crisis is over?

Well it be great when this is all over well it depends when Leo has to say and if is this all over then that be great for us.