Our Student Ambassadors

Amanda Jonaitye | Law

I was born in Lithuania and am currently living in Meath. I commuted for my first year and Trinity felt like my second home. I spent my first few months getting used to the campus, finding all the nooks and crannies and very soon, I didn’t feel like a stranger anymore. Joining lots of different societies helped me to make new friends and learn about different activities where I could get involved.

I chose Trinity because of its reputation and location. Not only was I surrounded by brilliant students, teachers, and societies, but also the history of Trinity and the history of Ireland’s capital city. Law was the course I chose as I always wanted to help people. In third year, I will have the opportunity to study abroad in one of the many partner universities of Trinity. From second year, I can study modules outside of Law and can explore new subject areas. My professors are very supportive and always encourage me to do my best. Even the hours of lectures and tutorials are manageable and give me time for my own study in the library and the opportunity to stay involved with social activities and society events.

I would describe Trinity as welcoming, memorable, and admirable. As a first year, I didn’t know anyone, but they welcomed me on campus with events like freshers’ week and meet-and-greets with S2S mentoring. I will always remember my time at Trinity as positive and joyous, through all the different events and activities that I took part in. Even after two years, I still admire the beauty and history of Trinity – and now I am a part of that history.

Leah Heron | Zoology

If you are passionate about something then it is worth going for it.

When I decided to make a career change, I wanted to test things out first with a one year FET course. The course helped me to gain some experience in higher education and figure out what I would like to study.

I ended up doing two years in Killester College and came to the realisation that I could actually go into study full-time. I applied to Zoology (via Science) at Trinity and fortunately, I got in!

The first thing I did when I started was join the Zoological Society. The society holds a bunch of different events, information sessions and workshops that helped me to determine my future career path.

I loved it so much I ended up becoming the society‘s secretary in my third year. The course itself was taught by leaders in the field of zoology. I felt privileged to learn from them, ask them questions and discuss different topics with them – and they were always happy to have a chat. I also had the opportunity to volunteer with the science department and the zoology department during open days and gave talks on my experience.

Trinity has a designated office for Mature Students, which really helped me throughout my first year of study. At the beginning of first year, all the mature students are brought in together and you sit with them over lunch – we chatted, became friends, set up study groups and are still friends to this day. Trinity offers every kind of service you can think of and I made use of the likes of the counselling service and health facilities, sports centre and student learning supports. It was all of these supports, together, that helped me through the final years of my course.

I loved every moment of my time in Trinity. It’s not always easy, but the staff and students are there to help you to succeed.

Jana Gerks | Law

I chose Law because I like the idea of representing something so much bigger than myself to help people. Law is intriguing and quite flexible, which you do not expect – everything is open to interpretation and is context-specific, and that’s what I find extremely fascinating. Learning from the academic staff at Trinity was incredible, as they are actively engaged in the industry, bringing both theory and practice to the classroom. One of my highlights for the year was the junior mock trial which really brought Law to life for me.

My top 3 tips for coming to Trinity would be to; familiarise yourself with the support structures and make sure to use them (like peer mentors, tutors, IT services and the Students’ Union), get involved with different societies and make new friends, and build a structure around your study so you stay on top of everything (time management and organisation are extremely important when it comes to university life).

Trinity is inclusive, achieving, and vibrant. Inclusive, because the student body and staff are extremely welcoming and supportive. Trinity not only offers opportunities to students coming through access routes, but also keeps up the support throughout your time there. Achieving, because of the outstanding quality of education and high calibre of graduates throughout Trinity’s history. Vibrant, because it is in the heart of the city, it offers such a variety of activities, sports, societies, and academic events throughout the year.