Final year Veterinary Science student, Susan Connolly has become a published author at 24, while still in university. Connolly explains that her first novel, Damsel, is a neo-fairy tale, which was written while on a year off from college, two years ago.

“I was a receptionist in this office; there’s not really much you can do to entertain yourself while you’re answering phones. I couldn’t read a book or a magazine or go on the internet, so [I] decided that since I couldn’t read a story I would write my own one,” says Connolly.

What began as an effort to alleviate boredom recently elevated Connolly into the ranks of published authors, but she maintains that this was not her intention. “I really just wrote it for myself, I wasn’t intending for it to turn into a real, proper book.”

This is, however, exactly what happened. Connolly describes hers as an “unorthodox publishing process” in that she met Eoin Persil, later to become Commissioning Editor for Children’s books at Mercier publishing house, while enduring “one of those awkward LUAS conversations”.

The book itself is aimed at children aged 8 to 12, but the author cannot deny adding some more adult themes into the mix: “It’s kinda secretly feminist for children,” she intimates. Damsel tells the story of Annie Brave, a damsel in the traditional sense of the word, who finds herself in the position to save her father (the greatest hero of them all), when no other hero is available.

Connolly was inspired by her irritation at finding out traditional fairy tales had been restricted by historical and sociological context and altered by the powers that be. Connolly joked, “The French aristocracy [of the 18th century] were like ‘what are these stories our children are reading? Girls being independent, good lord, we can’t be having this!’ They rewrote [fairy tales] to teach children to be what they thought children should be… we should teach children what we think, which is not [to be] passive and stupid.”

Connolly takes a realistic view of characters’ motivations and aspirations in this work. This is explored with the conflict between the book’s main protagonist, the clever and cool Annie Brave and Roger of Rockfield, the little boy that leaves Annie in her time of need when she faces the dragon. More importantly, to the story however, he comes back. Connolly wanted the message to come across that “it’s okay to be afraid and it’s okay to make mistakes as long as you make it up later.” This is one of the book’s moral messages.

It comes as no surprise that the author of a fantasy novel is an advocate of allowing children to dream the impossible as part of their childhood experience. “Childhood is all about escapism. When you’re seven you should be thinking about things like, ‘when I grow up I want to be a fire truck… or a wizard’. I think a little wonder at the world is always valuable.”

Connolly goes on to explain that it is often through the more fictional of fiction that lessons are learned. “You can read a book about someone battling personal demons or you can read a book about someone battling actual demons, which makes it a little more real despite the fact that it’s obviously fantastical.”

Connolly has a practical view of the fiction business. “The Stephanie Meyers of the world get a half a million dollar advance… but 80 per cent of writers get less than $5000 advances, for as long as your book is in print you’re going to get a cheque so it’s more of a long term small amount of cash flow, than it is a once-off big cheque.”

The bonus arrives in the form of gained prestige. Connolly explained that ‘published author’ is more a credential than a title, and a valuable one at that. In a competitive market like modern Ireland, any advantage is played and ‘the author card’ can open doors.

“It’s difficult to make a career out of writing but I think writing can help you towards another career. Also most writers aren’t full time,” she clarified. Like the aforementioned Stephanie Meyer, whose Twilight franchise exploded in 2008 to near cult status, and JK Rowling before her, fiction has its shining examples of literary superstars. Connolly, the self professed maths nerd, understands the statistical improbability of such success, “not saying that anyone who writes a book couldn’t be the next big thing but there can really only be one next big thing, so you shouldn’t count on it.”

While some can, and have, made careers out of fiction writing, the sheer volume of writers who disappear after one novel, is a testament to the hardships of professional authorship. S. E. Connolly (as she appears on Damsel’s cover) has a more ‘never say never’ attitude. “I wouldn’t give up veterinary science to do writing, but I also wouldn’t give up the writing to do vet. I’m a very much have your cake and eat it type person. I generally get my way, so I want to do both.”

So in conclusion, writing a novel is not easy, especially not during college but in the words of a neo-fairy tale teller and feminist maths-nerd, “I don’t think you shouldn’t do something you want to do simply because you’re in college but having said that, probably the time to work on your new chapter is not the day before your essay is due”.

A similar lesson I’m sure we’ve all learned, most likely the hard way.

The murder of Meredith Kercher, a 21-year-old student from Leeds University in England, hit the press again recently since Kercher died on 1st November 2007, in Perugia, Italy.

While Rudy Hermann Guede, an Ivory Coast immigrant to the area, was arrested, charged with conspiracy to murder and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment, Amanda Knox, Kercher’s American housemate, and Knox’s boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, have been held in custody awaiting trial. Their trial began on 16th January of this year, and is ongoing at the time of going to print.

Closer to home, the case concerning the murder of Manuela Riedo, a 17-year-old Swiss student, on 8th October 2007 in Galway City, came to court in recent weeks as well. Galway man, Gerard Barry was sentenced to life imprisonment on 21st March for the assault and murder of the teenager.

With worrying incidents like these affecting our view of life and study abroad, is a return to more cautious travel imminent? UCD European Programmes Officer, Catherine Convery said that while students are never sent to an area that is unsafe, they are always advised to remain aware of their surroundings and be careful.

It seems obvious that care must be taken while abroad, but whether incidents such as those above can be avoided is another question. Should students be discouraged from studying in areas which may prove marginally more dangerous than where they come from?

“Should students be discouraged from studying in areas which may prove marginally more dangerous than where they come from?”

Convery explained that “when you’re abroad, whether its holidays or studying, you can sometimes let your guard down and in an unfamiliar place you may not get the cultural messages that are being given out”. In these situations, it seems that a more rounded outlook and consciousness on the part of the student is all that is required to ensure an acceptable level of safety.

This does not however, cover situations when students are faced with unforeseeable events and no amount of preparation on their part could ensure their safety. Cases of daylight robbery and assault are not uncommon around the world and other than basic precautions of keeping possessions close and avoiding alleys and unpopulated areas, not much can be done if the student is the unfortunate victim of a random crime.

The question here is whether random crimes are enough to pressure schools into rethinking the entire Erasmus and international study programmes. For Catherine Convery, the safety of UCD students abroad is paramount.

“[UCD] did, a number of years ago, cancel an exchange because we weren’t happy with accommodation situation in that university and people in that university didn’t seem to take us seriously so we cancelled the exchange and we would do that again.” Convery went on to clarify that no UCD student has ever been removed from their international programme due to an emergency arising from lack of safety.

So are these awful crimes anomalous and are all of UCDs over 300 international programmes as safe, if not safer than Dublin itself? When asked the latter, Convery responded that they are, and further, that it is the onus of the student to take the advice of the schools on safety and to make the right choices, ones that they should already be aware of on entering third level education.

UCD students with experience of study abroad were cautious, but positive in the safety advice they related. Peter Condon, a third year Arts International student who is currently studying in Bordeaux, pointed out that simple common sense should negate any risk to students abroad.

“There are certain places that you know to avoid, and you’d want to be stupid to go there at certain times. But as long as you’re clever about it, you’ve got no problems.”

That sentiment was shared by Ciarán Ó Braonáin, a third year Arts student based for the current academic year in Toronto.

“I [have] never felt unsafe once while living in Toronto. It’s a massive city so I’m sure there are dangerous parts but isn’t it the same everywhere? It’s no different than living at home; you just have to get to know the place.”

So it seems that barring some examples, such as Zimbabwe, the world is open for exploration in the pursuit of higher education. As long as basic personal safety rules are observed and acclimatisation to local culture and customs is attempted, it seems that anywhere is as dangerous or as safe as the home ground of Belfield.

Man has often been called the noble savage, however in recent weeks the ‘noble’ has come into question for UCD students, with more and more organisations voicing their displeasure with the seemingly unmitigated violent behaviour.

These incidents of anti-social behaviour are not new to our UCD campus. The ‘wanton vandalism’, as described by Vice-President for Students Martin Butler, of Belgrove Residence in supposed celebration of the end of the summer exams during the weekend of May 16th-18th was totally unprecedented.

Before that, wireless routers had been stolen from Merville Residence in September 2007 and it was not completely uncommon to see uprooted traffic bollards around campus. However, it is recent behviour that has outside companies worried.

On the first day of the second semester, 19th January, three students were arrested after vandalising the main Dublin Bus terminal outside Quinn School of Business. On top of this, Dublin Bus’ temporary cancellation of the route 10 service after 8.30pm and complaints from numerous taxi companies, have many students worried.

Students’ Union (SU) President, Aodhán Ó Deá has stated his concern over the apparent “big difference this year, compared to other years. People [are] being rowdier than usual in bus shelters and with taxi drivers.”

With statements like this becoming more and more frequent, from those whose job it is to support students, one has to wonder why this aggressive and vindictive behaviour takes root and why it has come to prominence now. What is it that causes educated and social people to revert from Homo Sapiens to a state being more similar to Homo Erectus?

When explaining group behaviour like this one must make a distinction between individual mentality-lead parties, influenced by peer-pressure and malicious intent leading to one person instigating a show of malevolent behaviour. A strong personality can inflict a near facist hold on others in their sphere of influence or the ever damnable many can cause us to perform mindless acts of violence.

“Viewing all students as violent and unruly rather than identifying the small few, that tarnish the many”

Most people affected by these types of behaviour are students, which offers hope that this isn’t a paradigm shift in youth behaviour and there is a way back from this period of unrest in a person’s life. A number of students have been affected by incidences of others kicking doors in, shouting obscenities, throwing potatoes out windows, waking up other students on campus and removing housemate’s posessions from their room and litering them around campus. The main reasons listed as explanation are drink and boredom, but a whole host of other factors come into play.

Some describe the escalation of events leading to them doing something out of character as inescapable. These people are lead by the acceptance of lesser crimes, for example, if someone were to ridicule another and have their friends laugh, they would then be encouraged to throw things at the same person, especially in the presence of a mobile phone camera.

The number of students who joined together to pelt others with snowballs at the start of the month remains at the back of people’s minds, making it easier to understand older people who suffer from ‘ephebiphobia’, the fear of youths or teenagers. How could they not be terrified of large groups of people, supposedly educated and accomplished, who would throw snowballs enough to hurt others and force them to the ground?

Aside from personalities, drink and boredom, the desensitisation arguement, so prominent across the pond is also relevant. The idea that the more exposed to violence, sex and adult ideology we become, the more acceptable these once taboo themes seem. Posters advertising the ‘Lingerie Ball’ and the ‘Mardi Gras’ celebrations are but two examples.

The ‘Mardi Gras’ poster’s tagline: ‘How far will you go for the beads?’ makes you wonder, just how far is possible? Ordinary students appear capable of acts which most would consider anti-societal, cruel and unparalelled, so what can be done? The increase in security control on campus, is being met at every turn with outrage; measures are being taken to combat the intent to put up gates around the student residences and students view the security guards as against them rather than working for their safety.

One student detailed their worry that UCD will become a ‘nanny micro-society’ where students will be judged as a whole, completely ignoring the vibrant and eccentric differences between each individual, viewing all students as violent and unruly rather than identifying the small few, that tarnish the many.

But if an increase in security will not make the campus safer from vandalism, aggression and stupidity, what can be done to combat the incomprehensible actions of those suffering from boredom, alcohol abuse and lack of identity, that are over-stimulated by ‘smut’ in the media?

One well established way is to give students something to be proud of, something they have worked hard for and to re-establish their sense of identity, associated with UCD. In other words, let them build their own common area and increase the sense of UCD sheltering societies’ creativity and achievements.

It is said that football is a gentleman’s game played by thug’s and rugby is a thug’s game played by gentlemen, so then paint by numbers vandalism must be a thug’s game played by bored, drunk and goaded students. Let’s hope this game doesn’t gain such a fanbase.

The cry of ‘But no one told me college would be hard!’ can often be heard on the Belfield concourse around essay week, but is this a case of ineptitude, or laziness?

Procrastination is a term used to describe the behaviour of persistent avoidance of a necessary task that one would prefer not to perform, the avoidance of which causes anxiety in the procrastinator. It is described in human populations as far back as the Ancient Egyptians, 3,000 years ago.

According to psychologist and author, Dr Piers Steel, procrastination effects 95 per cent of people, of which in 15 to 20 per cent it is classed as impeding of normal functioning.

Different avoidance strategies are used in order to appear too busy for the task, or to take our minds off of it, some of which may sound eerily familiar.

Students have been known to spend time on Bebo or playing computer games instead of preparing for exams. It’s also not uncommon for people to appear more attractive before exams, having spent two or more hours on the hair and make-up in avoidance of study. People can develop an inexplicable need to clean their appartment, which can often take all day… the day before a deadline; thus banishing the task to the wee hours of the night.

These behaviours often stem from the anxiety surrounding a task. People subconsciously acknowledge that they cannot perform the task to the best of their abilities with less time, but are worried that should they try their best and fail, it would hurt their ego and reveal to them that they are not capable of reaching high academic standards.

The consequences of procrastination are obvious; lower grades, sleep deprivation, worry and anxiety or even dropping out. Yet with these dire outcomes, a proposed 95 per cent of people in western societies engage in this behaviour. Why is it that such a detrimental behaviour persists?

“It’s harder to wean chronic procrastinators from the habit of postponing work than to remedy an alcohol addiction”

There are many reasons for this task avoidance, from the simplest, a childish response of instant gratification along the lines of ‘but I don’t wanna’ to the most complex, an near disorder stemming from compulsion and anxiety. Studies suggest that the vast percentage of people are affected by procrastination at some level along a spectrum, from minor to debilitating.

First year Psychology student, Brenda Moreau revealed that when the deadlines build up, “I keep telling myself I have plenty of time, and then I end up backed up into a corner and I start to panic.” Moreau described an act common to most procrastinators, saying “I build [the task] up in my head to bigger than what it could ever be.”

The act of over-emphasising a task’s importance or possible time and effort consumption is a behaviour common to procrastinators closer to the deadline, and follows a period of belittling the task.

Like Moreau, first year Social Science student Kim Muligan, detailed the the mind-set of downplaying the task’s importance. “I convince myself it can be done in less and less time, that’s why I can do other things, because the job isn’t so important, but really it still is.”

The period in between these two mindsets is the time during which we chose to perform other activities like using Bebo or chatting, but then the time is gone and can never be regained. A frantic period of studying ensures, and for procrastinators, the study is marred by the knowledge that they cannot do their best work in a too short period of time.

Moreau states, “It’s no use me looking at my notes anymore becasue I can’t focus and I keep looking at the same words over and again. I physically feel like I’m trying to stuff things into my head, but all I can actually think about is the fact that the exam is getting closer and for essays I try to get anything down on the page.”

One would suppose that the anxiety caused by this behaviour would act as a deterrant with Moreau explaining, “I start reacting physically, shaking, getting pale, I feel physcially sick to my stomach”, however, researchers in the area describe it as harder to wean chronic procrastinators from the habit of postponing work than to remedy an alcohol addiction.

Dr Piers Steel states that “Continued research into procrastination should not be delayed, especially because its prevalence seems to be growing.” With 95 per cent of people falling prey to their own minds, the idea that procrastination is on the rise, is a terrifying one but perhaps more publicity would lead to treatment of chronic procrastination as an anxiety disorder, thus combatting the mañana mindset.

Sexual health awareness among students is something that comes under constant scrutiny. The alleged promiscuity of our generation is a cause for concern when it comes to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancy. In an era when there seems to be extreme openness about sex, why is it that students seem so unaware of the potentially lethal implications of sexual misinformation?

Director of UCD’s Student Health Service, Dr Sandra Tighe and Students’ Union Welfare Officer, Conor Fingleton, spoke about the unawareness among students and the efforts being made to combat this ambivalence.

Dr Tighe likened the attitudes of UCD students concerning their sexual health to that of road safety issues in this country.

“There is kind of a theoretical knowledge but it’s not in your bones, as it were, it’s a little bit like not wearing seat-belts. [Students] know there is a risk but they don’t always translate it into ‘if I have sex now without a condom, am I risking pregnancy? Am I risking sexually transmitted infections?’”

Misconceptions concerning pregnancy, contraception and sexually transmitted infections are a source of worry for Dr Tighe, who encounters these myths on a daily basis.

Describing the most common of these, Dr Tighe explained, “People being ambivalent about the [contraceptive] pill, taking it but feeling that it puts on weight or it makes them moody and giving it up without really giving it a chance. They have this idea that it’s bad for them and they should take breaks. Everything has side effects but people are more afraid of the pill than is reasonable to be. People can be excessively afraid of the pill or have the idea that it causes all sorts of things, which it doesn’t.”

The widespread attitude concerning the pill is not one based on factual evidence provided by a GP but of distrust for the drug resulting in the neglect of a method of contraception which is, in fact, highly effective.
When asked if she was concerned at the amount of students who come in to her without even a basic understanding of what an STI is, Dr Tighe replied that lack of education seemed to manifest itself to a much greater degree in the male student body.

She also mentioned that young men tended to wait a considerable amount of time in which they think they have a STI before seeking help and that this attitude often has devastating affects for the man in question and his sexual partner or partners.

“Sometimes young men can be frightened for a long time before they come and speak to a doctor. Being too slow to come in about it, that’s a concern.”

On a positive note, Dr Tighe was impressed by the increase in students seeking out the testing services for chlamydia and gonorrhea since this time last year.

She noted that there has also been an increase in demand on the nurse-led contraceptive clinic but that the clinic was, at this time, unable to meet demand and a six-week waiting list was not uncommon. She seemed eager to implement a full-time nurse or doctor to run the contraceptive clinic but was not hopeful that this would actually occur, citing a lack of resources and funding as a primary factor holding the clinic back from meeting the needs of UCD’s student community.

“Sometimes young men can be frightened for a long time before they come and speak to a doctor. Being too slow to come in about it, that’s a concern”

Worryingly, many of the choices made by students relating to contraception are made under the influence of alcohol. “People may have all the knowledge [about contraception] but when you drink you’re not thinking straight and you don’t make good decisions. People may make decisions that they later on regret and that’s an issue that, through education, you need to help people make sensible decisions around alcohol.”

Equipping young people with knowledge concerning alcohol and sexual health before they enter third-level education is not a priority for the majority of secondary schools. This leads to frivolous attitudes concerning both issues and students forming opinions on the subject based on the actions of their peers.

Dr Tighe gave an example of this, “I’ll ask a woman how much she drinks and she’ll say that she is having eight vodkas at a time but her concept is that that’s not much because someone else is having twelve.”

Sexual health and alcohol awareness are issues that are intrinsically linked and have always been associated with university students. Until the lack of education in this area is resolved, implications of careless sexual behaviour are likely to be far-reaching for students in UCD.

SU Welfare Officer, Conor Fingleton is responsible for a multitude of issues affecting student health, be they physical or emotional and student sexual health and alcohol abuse.

Following the SHAG (Sexual Health Awareness & Guidance) campaign in 2005, work has been done to increase students’ knowledge of the issues surrounding sex, pregnancy and STIs.

Late September saw the introduction of a new condom initiative, to decrease the cost of condoms for students by encouraging all colleges to buy condoms in bulk. Currently a pack of 144 condoms is being sold for €10, meaning each condom costs almost a euro less than normal.

Regarding this initiative, Fingleton feels students are now at a big advantage, stating that “condoms in shops are very expensive… all the universities buy together, so it’s a significant saving”.

It is almost 30 years since contraception was legalised in Ireland, and since then condoms have become the most used type of contraception among young people due to their high success rate and ability to prevent many STIs, as well as pregnancy.

Consequently, many students are unaware of the mechanisms of other forms of contraception, such as the implant, the patch or the female condom. As regards to the contraceptive pill, there is no word on whether it will become another form of contraception to be subsidised by the SU, but it is doubtful, with Fingleton stating “that hasn’t been brought to my attention before… if there is a demand for it [though] I will definitely look through it.”

The benefits of other forms of contraception like the pill, implant or patch are on a more personal level. Women in steady relationships often choose the pill as they can have sex without worrying about pregnancy, however the contraceptive pill doesn’t protect against STIs.

To an even greater extent, the patch or implant allow a woman to forget completely about contraception until they need to be changed, which in the case of the patch is weekly and the implant every three years. However, none of these give any protection against STIs and must be used in conjunction with spermicide or a condom, with a new or unfamiliar partner.

The issue appears to be that people are more concerned with becoming pregnant than they are with contracting an STI and therefore, they rely on contraceptives alone as protection during sexual encounters.
Once contracted, STIs can be virulent and permanently damaging causing a wide range of problems such as infertility, and can prove to be fatal. The main problem with prevention however, is that many STIs produce no symptoms in women, meaning the virus could go unchecked until it’s too late.

The SU does offer subsidised STI screening at €40, but the question is do people avail of that option? The reasons they may not could list embarrassment, lack of information or even that they are unaware of the severity of the situation.

Believing that students are well aware of the screening service, Fingleton says the service is “hugely oversubscribed”. But with only ten student appointments a week, and personal hesitations, it is unlikely that a majority of students are seeking the check-ups so recommended to them.

The Student Perspective

9.30am; successive drivers and CAR format

“I think that my friends anyway, are very well educated about STIs, but they are not always sensible about it”

First year Law with French Law student, Bríd Doherty commented on the lack of knowledge about sexual health in UCD.

Doherty has noticed a huge difference in attitudes towards the issues of sexual health since entering university. “If you talk about sexual health in college with anyone, you don’t get the sly giggles in the corner, kind of thing.” Doherty attributes this openness to a more accepting attitude from the student body.

Doherty praised the SU and its provision of a free condom service, as keeping pace with the needs and attitudes of the student body. “It’s a necessary service and I think that it’s definitely an intelligent approach taken by the SU. It really does encourage safe sex because people will use a condom if they know they can get them for free.”

Doherty herself has felt the effects of the long waiting lists in the Student Health Service. For her, as for many UCD students, going to a private GP is simply not an option due to an already overextended student budget.

“It’s not acceptable, because as everyone knows students are impoverished and we can’t afford to spend €50 on a doctor. That’s why we have a doctor on campus and I think that it is a service that money should be pumped into because without doubt, your health is your wealth.”

Dr Tighe expressed the view that although students are educated about sexual health they do not always use this knowledge in a practical way in their daily lives.

Doherty comments “With my friends anyway, are very well educated about STIs but they are not always sensible about it. They say we’re all fools in love, but one of my friends in particular has a boyfriend who has had a lot of sexual partners in the past and he hasn’t been tested for STIs and she is currently sleeping with him without a condom all the time.”

“I would say there are many students out there who, worryingly, wouldn’t talk about it.”

First Year Engineering student, Sabrina Egan feels that communicating sexual health information is key to combating any confusion among students.

With now infamous rumours of promiscuity and the prevalence of STIs on the UCD campus, it’s no wonder that students may be uncomfortable with issues of sex and it’s consequences.

Egan stated, “having to ask someone else about something so personal is difficult. I would say there are many students out there who, worryingly, wouldn’t talk about it.”

This raises the issue that many students, rather than face the embarrassment of revealing their most personal issues to strangers would keep quiet, increasing their chances of severe health repercussions.
While the number of students affected by STIs or unplanned pregnancies in UCD can never be revealed, due to confidentiality rules, some still manage to spread scandalous stories, painting the UCD campus as a virulent hot bed of sexual indiscretions.

Calling these tales “ridiculous”, Egan goes on to say, “I think that definitely some people are promiscuous, behind closed doors, but that is those people’s business. We are all adults.”

The point being, that the age of consent in Ireland is 17 for a woman and has been since 1935, meaning that because the majority, if not all of students in UCD are 17 or over, their sexuality should be a matter of personal interest, not national.

An obvious consequence of the inability to discuss these issues freely, would be an increase in STIs and unplanned pregnancy. Egan said, “If everyone did a test, I think we would see that a lot of people don’t know what can happen when you catch an STI and I think that might mean they are less careful.”

The idea that students are prone to sexual health problems, is not a new one. With a population of 25,000, and an average age of around 20, a university campus, could be viewed as the ultimate place to find a partner or two.

However, it must be said that these 25,000 students have been accepted to UCD due to their intelligence and ambition, and to belittle their academic efforts in such a way as to title them all as sex maniacs, is unfair.

It may be true that on entrance to university a number of students discover their sexual freedom, but as consenting adults, they have every right to do so.

The issue that must be combated in this case, is not promiscuity, but the lack of informed decision making that faces students with the drive for sex, but perhaps not the information to make the right choices. As Egan said, “I think it’s up to the students to find out about these things, but it’s also up to the SU to make the information unmissable.”

As the all-consuming recession refuses to subside, the prosperity and job security that the Celtic Tiger brought us seems to have disappeared. As a result, many students face the prospect of emigrating, as the employment they thought was a certainty is not forthcoming.

However, employment and economic reasons are not the sole motivation pushing students towards emigration; social aspects and an appetite for something new act to entice a new breed of Irish emigrants away from native soil.

With the news that 20,000 people are expected to emigrate in search of employment next year, the question concerning many UCD students is how this recession will affect their chances of finding a job upon graduation.

Acting Director of the UCD Career Developments Centre, David Casey emphasised that the usual recruiters for UCD graduates are confident in the face of the economic downturn. “We had over sixty companies here at our recruitment fair and a lot of them have vacancies for students.”

Employer Liaison Adviser at the Career Developments Centre, Joan Gallagher echoed this, adding “what we have found so far, with the employers who would be our regular recruiters is that a number of them, thankfully, still expect to recruit the same numbers as last year.”

Casey also commented that an increased interest in fourth- level education has come to light. He said, “We’re getting an increased number of students interested in completing a graduate study course, a masters or a grad diploma afterwards.”

Accrediting this to the increased competition between graduates for a dwindling number of jobs, Casey commented on the changing behavior of employers by saying that “they have reduced numbers so they’re looking for top quality students.”

“I think it’s a little bit too early, for graduates to say, ‘I need to go, because I can’t get a job here’, they haven’t really yet been put into that situation”

When asked how he expected the trend in emigration to take shape, Casey said that he thought the traditional ‘year out’ taken by many students to travel overseas would be prolonged and graduates would be likely to stay overseas for some time to obtain worked.

“People are still interested in taking the year out to go travelling and some people might say that they might extend that while they’re out there, so they’re not going out with the initial emigration term but they’re looking around at what opportunities are readily available out there, for them to start work.”

Traditional routes for emigration, including Australia, are destinations favored by young people of this country as so many generations of families and friends have already paved the way of this route. However, students are also studying their possible destinations and the considering areas such as Japan and the Far East.

Casey and Gallagher stressed that it is important to note that the recession is in its early days yet and it is vital not to panic about future prospects. The exact extent of the problem is, as yet, unknown but will be determined after Christmas when students begin to receive job offers.

Gallagher commented, “I think it’s a little bit too early, for graduates to say, ‘I need to go, because I can’t get a job here’, they haven’t really yet been put into that situation yet.”

When speaking on the gravity of the situation facing students in these coming years, Gallagher made sure to mention that employment opportunities comes in cycles.

“There have been good times and bad times for graduate recruitment. Graduates are very resilient and there may be a shift in the kind of work they undertake if something in their discipline is no longer readily available they might just change feet.”

This view sheds a positive light on it all, implying that no matter what difficulties are to be faced, a well grounded student, one who plans ahead and works hard, will fair relatively well compared to those who don’t have the benefits of university education.

This is a view echoed by Casey when he advised students to prepare a “very good CV and a good cover letter, avoid a one size fits all CV and focus on undergraduate results because that will be your gateway to graduate study, or to employment because employers will look at what your results are first, second and third year.”

General opinion is that to achieve success in this economic dark time, a student must know what they want, prepare a strong resume and stand out from the crowd, all of which can be achieved through focused study and active participation in what interests you.

Read more: The student perspective on emigrating for work or study.

Kennedy chose to study in the one of America’s largest cities, on the recommendation of a friend and fully endorses the experience, saying “I definitely would recommend [Chicago] to anyone thinking of studying abroad.”

Depite leaving the comfort of the familiar, Kennedy commented that “it was not difficult to become a part of the international community.” She found aid from the staff of her course programme office, who also organised talks informing interested students about the the opportunity.

Once in Chicago, Kennedy’s experience was placed under the control of DePaul University, a prominent American institution, known for the calibre of its legal courses, of which Kennedy availed whole-heartedly. She mentions that she was impressed by the range of topics available in her studies such as Trial Advocacy and Mediation, subjects she would not have had the opportunity to study in UCD.

On arrival, Kennedy found that DePaul University provided ample information for foreign students.

“They gave us access to reports written by UCD students who had spent a year at DePaul University, which was great because it gave us an idea of what to expect in terms of our classes, our accommodation, jobs, and advised us on the city generally.”

The appeal of an English-speaking university was not lost on Kennedy, allowing her to study subject topics relevant to her degree and at a high level; “the standard of teaching was really high and that is what made our classes so enjoyable,” she confirmed. She went on to explain that the assessment during her year out was much like the Irish system; “we had to take four classes each semester and the assessment was pass/fail.”

Ms Kennedy was aware however, of prominent differences between Ireland and her host country. “The most obvious differences I found were probably between political views,” she explains. Kennedy continued to say that despite the American students’ focus on this topic, “it did not affect my time there in any great way, probably because I was there for such a short time.”

While students who choose to study abroad enjoy much freedom of movement and study, it is important to note that it comes at a price. Travel and accommodation can often prove important issues when relocating anywhere, let alone another continent. However, although money was a consideration, Kennedy found that the cost of living in the U.S. compensated the expense of her move. “There probably isn’t a huge difference in the cost of the year [in comparison to a year studying in UCD]… as it is cheaper to live in Chicago than Dublin.”

So although international students may joke about the excessive partying, one must remember that an exchange is a serious undertaking, which stands out on your academic record, and thus must be sufficiently researched before you step on the plane; unless you’re going to a party school, of course.

In conversation with Sisi Rabenstein

Since its conception in 1987 as part of the EU’s ‘Lifelong Learning Initiative’, the Erasmus program has allowed 1.6 million students the opportunity to study abroad, in any one of 31 countries involved. A corresponding international programme also developed catering for students who want to travel further afield; to the US, China and Australia among others. This academic year sees more international students fill our halls than ever before and more UCD students taking advantage of the programmes of study offered abroad.

The international programme offers 300 exchange places across the university for Erasmus students and 200 for non-EU exchange students for the year beginning September 2008.

International Study Coordinator, Ruth Redahan credits the rise in interest among students to UCD’s recent signing of the ‘Universitas 21’, a treaty between 21 of the world’s leading research-based universities.
Different treaties with various universities around the world mean that depending on their course of study, students Rabensteincan go on exchange to a wide and diverse range of European and International countries, including Cyprus, Czech Republic, Iceland, China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore.

The Erasmus programme has an international counterpart called Erasmus Mundus (standardised in 2004), which allows students from countries outside of the EU, to study within it, and conversely students from European countries to study on another continent. Most programmes of this type are called EuMAS and contribute towards a joint or double Master Degree.

Redahan comments that there are numerous and varied reasons for students to take advantage of international study opportunities.

“If they are a language student, it is really important for them to improve their language skills and even if they’re not, they get all sorts of opportunities,” says Redahan, adding, “from a personal point of view students develop and mature. They experience new cultures in a new environment.”

She also says that the divergence from a regular degree that studying abroad “makes students stand out for employers when its on your CV.”

However as enticing as the programme may seem, it is important to note that such drastic changes to lifestyle and environment can have an adverse affect on both study and social life.

While most students come back from a year out with great stories, an impressive CV and perhaps a good tan, there are a number who fail to meet the requirements of the foreign university course.

Redahan details these requirements as “if a student goes to a university where the course is offered through English… they are required to take a full course load, like the 60 credit courses they would take in UCD.”

This can be challenging in places like America, where Redahan says “they tend to have a real study and work ethic” due to high tuition fees. Countries where students take classes in a foreign language have different requirements, with the course work being less onerous but students must overcome language barriers.

Should a student have difficulties, Redahan is confident of the inter-university support network, explaining that she is in “constant contact with the university departments about incoming and outgoing students and if there is something… we do hear back in that way.”

So while the prospect of picking up and starting new in both a different university and another country may be daunting Redahan states that most students say “that it was the best year of their lives.” However thats not to say it should be taken lightly, after all it is an academic qualification, the results of which will stay with you and your CV, forever.