Why I changed my mind

I knew what I wanted: a career in media. Some of my family work in the media business, and it had always been something that interested me.

During Transition Year in Cabinteely Community School, we did a communications module. As part of this, we visited NUI Maynooth, which runs a media studies degree course, and made a radio show.

I had the bug. I also wanted to study a language, and NUI Maynooth’s course, which offers a language option, seemed really appealing.

There was one big catch: the commute. I really, really did not fancy the idea of getting into Dublin every day and then catching a train out to Maynooth. But I didn’t see any other option, and down it went on the CAO form.

I dug deeper. I found that DIT also offered media studies with a language. The courses were broadly similar, but distance was the deciding factor: DIT was closer.

I decided to fill in the Change of Mind form. As it turned out, DIT has a strong emphasis on production. As the course has progressed, I’ve realised that I would like to be a production editor. I love the editing process; it’s like putting a jigsaw together.

I’m also studying French as part of the course. Media is a tough industry, and the language is a good fallback, as language graduates are heavily in demand. It also opens up the possibility of working abroad, and next September, I have a semester in a Parisian university.

I’ve loved my time in college, and I’ve thrown myself into student life and got involved in clubs and societies.

That commute would have been wretched. My advice: if you know the destination you want to reach, make sure you research all the paths.