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This article is part of our Change Generation project, supported by KBC. To read more click here.
WHAT ARE THE things that you wish you’d known in freshers’ week?
Now that you have graduated from college, finished your apprenticeship or reached the end of your training – what would you tell your former self?
Maybe you didn’t budget properly, or you sweated the small stuff too often. Perhaps you weren’t always the best housemate, or maybe you didn’t go to as many parties as you should have.
We asked three recent college graduates to tell us what advice they would impart unto their first-year selves if they had the chance.
To Me (Previous 2012 Version)
Four years later and none the wiser or more capable!
Spoiler alert: We graduate! As a “Nutraceuticalist”. No, you will not learn what that really means. And, yes people do still stare blankly when you say it.
As daunting as those first few weeks are, stick it out. One drunken Friday 9am start and you’re settled! Everything after that just kind of happens.
There will come a point, mid-thesis, when it will all seem too much and you will want to quit. This is normal. Happens To Everyone. Only lasts about a week. Just remember you are too close to the end to stop!
Notes:
Best of luck,
Me (Current 2016 Version)
Hey first year me,
College is going to be super fun! Lots of going out, late night chats and not bothering to get up for class at 9. Here’s a few things that you should keep in mind:
And, finally, if college taught me anything it’s to look away when the streaker runs into your tutorial!
Enjoy!
If I had to give a piece of advice to a younger version of myself, then it would have to be this: relax.
Relax about everything! You overthink every small and minor event of your life particularly during your teenage years. Stop trying to please everybody and be yourself. If everybody was the same then there would be certainly nothing exciting to bitch about in the school canteen during lunch time.
You will mess up, big time! The word ‘fail’ used to haunt me and made me feel stupid. I have failed at so many various things from my teenage years to this day, and I will gloriously continue to make an abundance of mistakes. Isn’t it more impressive to say that you tried and failed instead of never having tried at all?
One particular failure stands out in my mind: a Christmas exam, what feels like centuries ago, in secondary school. I got a D in my favourite subject (which I am studying at Masters level today) and my teacher said to me: ‘You should never pursue a career in this subject’.
This simply made me work harder. For the remainder of my time at second level I remained an A student in that particular subject, no thanks to her. If I had listened, my life would not have taken me down the avenue I am pursuing today.
You’re not alone! Everybody has been in your shoes. Whether it’s your Leaving Cert, your theory test, a county camogie final or a first date, everybody feels these whirlwinds of emotions and you will too!
Lastly, I would like to add this: eat the fatty food, text the boy/ girl you fancy, stay out late with your friends, break your curfew, take on a new subject, try out the new hobby and most importantly, don’t judge a book by its binding.
What do you wish you’d known in your first year of college, apprenticeship or professional training? Give your advice in the comments below…
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Anybody who murders another person should spend their life in solitary for at least the first 5 years, only attending rehabilitation courses with the maximum of 2 other prisoners twice a week for a couple of hours and not mixing with general prison population. Activists will cry that their human rights have been violated but they gave some of them up when they killed somebody.
I’m all for rehabilitation, but I still think that they shouldn’t be released. The punishment should fit the suffering of the victim, as well as providing sufficient safeguards for all of society. A person who has killed & murdered another human (arguments aside for manslaughter another day) should spend the rest of their natural life in prison until they die there. Likewise, someone who is prepared to go out and murder, is too much of a risk for all the rest of us in society; they shouldn’t be let out and if they are and kill again, then the state should be 100% liable (what little good it will do the victim and their family).
You dont get the concept of human rights if you think they gave some of them up. Having said that I’m sure solitary confinement for their safety or the safety of others isn’t necessarily an abuse of human rights. They still get them out when practical.
@Anto Curran: Life should mean life, make it a deterrent for others and 23 hour lock up is too good for them. I’d have them, doing hard labour also or send them off to the Labour camps in China/NKRP and that should give them food for thought before committing serious crime!
@Gareth Murphy: You obviously don’t get the concept either no matter how”sure” you are! People like you may not be concerned with the mental health of convicted people but when those people have finished their sentences and are released into society with more problems than they went in with, I am “sure” you’d be concerned then.
@Stephen murphy: Life in Ireland **DOES** & can mean Life. Yes there are exceptions etc. but there is no guarantee for any lifer that s/he will ever be released.
There have been people sentenced to life who’ve died in prison; I.e. Served their sentence.
There are others still serving out their life sentences; some 20-30+ years inside.
Anyone released on T.R./Parole from a Life Sentence is out on licence & can be recalled at any time; unlike those whose sentence is pre-determined such as Mr. Halls 18 Years for example.
Once his 18 Years is served (with standard remission I expect that to be maybe 15/16 of actual incarceration if my Maths re 1/4 or 1/3rd Remission is correct…?) he can no longer be recalled unlike an actual lifer who is released & has an infinite & no pre-determined tariff.
@Missyb211: You can argue that about any prisoner no matter what they’re in for or what they’ve done surely?
@Daithi O’Laoghaire: Maybe but I never heard that simply being put in prison has any adverse effects to mental health. I’d say it’s when the prisoners are subjected to violence and threats that ‘s when the mental health is affected, that’s when they come out worse. People seem to forget that being locked up in prison is the punishment for their crime. Crimes against the person including solitary confinement and violence from other inmates is not part of the ‘deal’ . It’s only sick people who want that to be the way.
@missy being deprived of liberty has no adverse effect on mental well-being? It’s the fundamental punishment of being sent to prison.
How did he get manslaughter? They went out to kill someone. They may have ended up shooting the wrong person but its still murder!!
@Hupthejaysus: lol. You should replace the word murder with kill, it’s less confusing.
It’s the quality of the Judges in our Judiciary system.
Poor fella (not), if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.
Solitary confinement me arse.He will get his own cell with Sky Sports and an Xbox.
Why call it life if he only gets 18 years?
because though you only serve 18yrs you are on licence for the rest of your life, the authorities own you and you can be put back into prison at any time no excuse needed.
@Aidan Duggan: I think you’ll find solitary confinement means isolation from human contact , real humans,not Sky news and xbox. lol
@canuckandgo: Mr. Hall wasn’t sentenced to life; McDonnell was.
That’s why Mr. Halls sentence isn’t called life but Mr. McDonnells is.
Former convicted of manslaughter; latter murder.
To *my* knowledge someone convicted of manslaughter can’t be sentenced to life anyway; but as with other crimes a judge can, as he did in Mr. Halls case, set a tariff.
@Martin Ryan: Incorrect; this is only the case for life; once you’ve served the tariff imposed upon you you cannot be recalled.
So if Mr. Hall, with remission is paroled after 15-16 years, once the remaining 2-3 years have passed by, he cannot be recalled for that crime for he will have served his time both inside & outside of prison.
Unlike a life sentence prisoner who is always serving their sentence whether they are released or not.
The opening paragraph implies that hall is serving a life sentence. So the journal has it wrong then as it implies that hall is serving a life sentence with a time period of 18 years. So it’s not a life sentence?
@canuckandgo: Exactly. The Journals headline is misleading here; life sentence is infinite with no definite release date.
Mr. Hall sentence on other hand is determined even if his actual release date isn’t.
Manslaughter sentences length vary; this is quite severe but others can be totally suspended for a period of time etc.
Daithi, you are correct i didn’t explain myself right . I’m friends with a person whose husband got life and he is often picked up and brought back to prison for a couple of months.
@Martin Ryan: We’re not disagreeing on this point; your friends husband is & always will be a lifer; hence always subject to recall for any amount of time at discretion (in theory) of Min. for Justice and/or Parole Board/I.P.S.
My point was re determined sentences as is the case of Mr. Hall in this article; to reiterate; once his 18 are up he can’t be recalled from any Early Release/T.R./Parole he’s received allowing for 2-3 Years Remission.
During his time of early release (say after 15-16 years served of the 18) he is still subject to recall until the 18 are up.
My turn to apologise if any crossed wires on my part sir.
I’m sure I have a little sympathy here somewhere…..now, where did I leave it?
But, but….an innocent 16 year old girl is still very much dead & the fact that they she wasn’t the intended target is totally irrelevant. No punishment, no matter how harsh or severe, will ever punish these two little skangers for killing Melanie. Let them suffer, as much as possible, for as long as possible too. Melanie can never be made “un-dead” but these two murderers will eventually, one day, once again feel the sun on their faces & do everyday things. Melanie never will, ever again.
@Anne Marie Dowdall: Mr. McDonnell may never be released; that’s conjecture.
Mr. Hall will be.
The former was sentenced to life due to no other option being available to the judge.
Mr. Hall will be released & is unlikely to serve full 18 years (allowing for remission of 1/3rd or 1/4 which would mean he’ll be out after 15-16 years **IF** my Maths is correct).
However for remainder of his sentence he is subject to recall at any time until the full 18 years is up.
Ah no, that’s so sad what’s happening to them two lads. I am sure if it wasn’t fear that traumatised em it would have been remorse – yeh right. Doesn’t happen often enough but at least in this case they will reap what they sowed.
Sniff
Isn’t that just the crux of the problem, where government gives better protection to a killer than to the man on the street who has done no wrong.
@Alan Currie. I Don’t know Alan, the idea of keeping someone alive. So they will have to serve out their full sentence in solidarity confinement has a certain evilness about i. That I like.
Watch your back, lads and always keep your arse to the wall and don’t bend over in the shower if you drop your soap!
These 2 killers only get what they deserve! Hope the wardens will look the other way next time!!
He shot a child in the head with a shotgun. Let him into the general population. Why protect child killers?
The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture says that Ireland has violated the ‘emerging standard’ on solitary confinement. In other words Ireland has not violated any existing law but a prospective law which he would like to see. I would say that the chances of this standard becoming recognised as international law are precisely nil, given the widespread use of long-term solitary confinement by prison regimes throughout the world.
111 previous convictions before the shooting. If the judical system in this country locked up dangerous s(um early doors, Melanie would still be alive. If it’s any consolation, this fine upstanding gentleman has been slashed, stabbed and had boiling water mixed with sugar poured down his throat since being locked up. The pikeys have a bounty on his head.
Let them out into general population they deserve it
Wonder he couldn’t find a judge to leave him out
Nutter! Should be labotomised and locked up for life!
have your say