Sorcha Murray

Journalism
Technological University Dublin

Finding the Leaving Cert daunting enough, the prospect of filling out my CAO – effectively a list deciding the next four years of my life – was extremely overwhelming.

I tried to trust what I knew about myself from a young age, and go from there: a need for independence and a willingness to further explore the only subject I enjoyed at school, English.

This, coupled with an adolescent fixation on Joan Didion and Rolling Stone I decided on Journalism at the University of Galway. I included other courses in Galway too on the list but I was, admittedly, tunnel-visioned on a place in Journalism – not even considering the possibilities of things not going my way, and what my backup plan would be.

Predictably, I did not achieve the points for Journalism and instead got a place in Social Sciences at the University of Galway. Although it wasn't my first choice, I still decided to give it a go, so I could be independent. I also knew a significant part of the course involved sociology modules, which I enjoyed studying.

As well as being stressful, decision-making moments like this can also prove disorienting. You can find yourself surrounded by well-meaning people feeding you words of encouragement – but it's important during this time that you trust your gut, and consider what you want the next four years of your life to look like.

Unsurprisingly, my stubborn sensibilities persisted, and I moved back to Dublin after a year in Galway, to re-apply to the CAO.

A lack of thorough research when choosing courses on your CAO list can result in outcomes like this. For example, there was an abundance of geography modules in this course that I had absolutely no interest in, and did not enjoy the prospect of ploughing through another three years of.

So, I applied to Journalism in Technological University Dublin in Grangegorman. August came and I received an offer. Now in my second year, I am grateful for the path that landed me here – however unstable it felt at the time. It may have been down to sheer stubbornness, but I trusted my instincts, and it paid off.

In my course, I have had the opportunity to be creative, beyond just print journalism – with hands-on learning about the worlds of television, radio and online journalism. Additionally, my course allows enough time to gain experience writing for publications outside my university, to grow my own portfolio.

I have had the opportunity to learn so much more about the world of Journalism, improve my own writing, and begin cementing how I want my future in this career to look.

This moment in your life can feel like the end of the world – but it's not. There is almost always another way to get the course you want.

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